Gatas Parlament were the first Norwegian rappers to rap in Norwegian. The pioneers of Norwegian Rap, such as Warlocks or A-Team, rapped in English. Gatas Parlament started out in 1993, taking the name Kveldens Høydepunkt (Highlight of the Night). Don Martin did not take to the name, and it was therefore changed. Later, they attended a public speech by Carl I. Hagen, the chairman of the right-wing party Fremskrittspartiet, where they threw eggs and rotten fruit at Hagen. This caused Hagen to comment that gatens parlament ruled the country, and the three rappers stuck with the name (the riksmål-wording of gaten was dropped for gata, more fitting for their sociolect).
The band caused controversy in Norway with their video "Antiamerikansk Dans" (Anti American Dance) together with the Swedish rap artist Promoe. In addition, their website killhim.nu ("Kill him Now"), which put a bounty on the assassination of George W. Bush, caused the American embassy in Norway to react, and the website was subsequently shut down.
Nesevise
Gatas Parlament Lyrics
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Gatas Parlament har noen forferdelige dustetekster
Så bare for å sjekke om det er noen som leser dem
Så lager vi en låt som handler nesten mest om neser
Men vi snakker litt om andre ting fordi vi kan ikke bedre
Litt om baosj og rasisme og om verdens kjipe ledere
Men ærlig talt nå er det vel snart på tide å begynne
Nesa di sitter sånn omtrent mitt i trynet
Kan det egentlig være noe særlig galt
Det er jo stygt men det finnes verre ting i verden
Brillene sitter ofte rett over nesa på nerden
Nesene våre stikker vi ofte i sakene til andre
Som vi ikke har noe med men som vi gjerne vil forandre
Noen sier vi er frekke og det tenkte vi bevise
Vi synger en nesevise
Neser er store neser er små
Neser er røde Carl I Hagens er blå
Nazistneser de vil vi slå
Så de ikke får ha nesa si ute
Vi synger en nesevise
Pønkerpøbel som driver kabelfabel
Nesa til elefanten kalles en snabel
Kreativiteten er enorm det virker som den aldri stopper
På TV var det en som gikk på nesa han var skihopper
Du kan få den knekt som Ole han er bokser
Skyld på innvandrerne som Carl I Hagen og nesa di vokser
Jeg holder meg for nesa jeg lukter bedrag
Carl I Hagen er så uærlig at jeg mistenker at en dag
Vokser nesa hans som meningsmålingene til Fremskrittspartiet
Hvis du fortsatt vil ha oppstopper så bør du kanskje tie
Sjøl er jeg en partitoppstopper og en hip hoper
Med nese for rim og regler for de revolusjonære fortropper
Med bein i nesa snakker jeg med a endinger
Provoserer sjåvinistiske vestkantutsendinger
Som vandrer rundt med nesa i været
Egoene er så svære at de må bli tunge å bære
Og så sier de at det blir for banalt
"Fordi det er jo tross alt vi på vestkanten som snakker nasalt"
Så jeg tar fram all den diskresjonen jeg kan utvise
Og synger en nesevise
The lyrics of "Nesevise" by Gatas Parlament are a playful and satirical commentary on various aspects of society, with a particular focus on noses. The song begins with a comparison between the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's interest in cultivating berry bushes and Gatas Parlament's own craft of creating unconventional and foolish lyrics. They jokingly express their doubt if anyone actually reads their lyrics, prompting them to create a song that predominantly discusses noses.
The lyrics touch upon a range of topics, including Chinese dumplings ("baosj"), racism, and the world's disappointing leaders. The artists acknowledge their limited knowledge and skill in discussing these subjects, humorously acknowledging their lack of expertise. They shift their focus back to noses, stating that everyone's nose sits roughly in the middle of their face. They note that sometimes noses run, but ponder whether this is truly a significant problem compared to other issues in the world. They draw a parallel between nerdy individuals often wearing glasses and the placement of their noses.
They expand on the idea that people often have a tendency to stick their noses into other people's affairs, wanting to change things they have no real business with. Some consider them impolite, which the artists seek to prove through their song. They then sing the chorus, emphasizing the diversity in noses, including big and small ones, and playfully mentioning the former politician Carl I. Hagen's blue nose (a metaphorical reference).
The lyrics turn to more wordplay, with references to punk rebel culture, the trunk-like nose of an elephant, and the creative flow that never seems to stop. They mention a TV personality who broke his nose while ski jumping and compare it to a boxer getting his nose fractured. They sarcastically blame immigrants for the growth of both Carl I. Hagen's nose and societal problems, highlighting the artists' disagreement with this perspective.
The artists position themselves as "partitoppstopper" (party leaders) and "hip hoper," combining their involvement in politics and hip-hop music. With a clever play on words, they express their assertive and daring attitude in speaking out against chauvinistic elitists who walk around with their noses held high. They critique the egos of these privileged individuals and mock their claim of speaking nasally as a cultural marker of the affluent area of Western Oslo.
In the concluding lines, the artists acknowledge the potential banality of their lyrics but demonstrate discretion by singing a "nesevise" (nose song) with humor and wit. Overall, the lyrics of "Nesevise" use noses as a metaphor to address societal issues, poke fun at certain personalities, and highlight the artists' own unique and often provocative style of music and social commentary.
Line by Line Meaning
Ibsen har noen ripsbusker og andre buskevekster
Ibsen has some currant bushes and other shrubs
Gatas Parlament har noen forferdelige dustetekster
Gatas Parlament has some terrible silly lyrics
Så bare for å sjekke om det er noen som leser dem
Just to check if anyone reads them
Så lager vi en låt som handler nesten mest om neser
So we make a song that is mostly about noses
Men vi snakker litt om andre ting fordi vi kan ikke bedre
But we talk about other things because we can't do any better
Litt om baosj og rasisme og om verdens kjipe ledere
A bit about baozi and racism and about the world's lousy leaders
Men ærlig talt nå er det vel snart på tide å begynne
But honestly, now it's probably time to start
Nesa di sitter sånn omtrent mitt i trynet
Your nose is approximately in the middle of your face
Det hender at den renner men ærlig talt
Sometimes it runs, but honestly
Kan det egentlig være noe særlig galt
Could it really be something terribly wrong
Det er jo stygt men det finnes verre ting i verden
It's ugly, but there are worse things in the world
Brillene sitter ofte rett over nesa på nerden
The glasses often sit right above the nerd's nose
Nesene våre stikker vi ofte i sakene til andre
We often stick our noses in other people's business
Som vi ikke har noe med men som vi gjerne vil forandre
That we have nothing to do with, but that we would like to change
Noen sier vi er frekke og det tenkte vi bevise
Some say we are rude and that's what we thought to prove
Vi synger en nesevise
We sing a nose song
Neser er store neser er små
Noses are big, noses are small
Neser er røde Carl I Hagens er blå
Noses are red, Carl I Hagen's is blue
Nazistneser de vil vi slå
Nazi noses, we want to defeat them
Så de ikke får ha nesa si ute
So they don't get to have their noses out
Vi synger en nesevise
We sing a nose song
Pønkerpøbel som driver kabelfabel
Punk scoundrel who tells cable tales
Nesa til elefanten kalles en snabel
The elephant's nose is called a trunk
Kreativiteten er enorm det virker som den aldri stopper
Creativity is enormous, it seems like it never stops
På TV var det en som gikk på nesa han var skihopper
On TV, there was someone who walked on their nose, they were a ski jumper
Du kan få den knekt som Ole han er bokser
You can get it broken like Ole, he's a boxer
Skyld på innvandrerne som Carl I Hagen og nesa di vokser
Blame the immigrants, like Carl I Hagen, and your nose grows
Jeg holder meg for nesa jeg lukter bedrag
I cover my nose, I smell deceit
Carl I Hagen er så uærlig at jeg mistenker at en dag
Carl I Hagen is so dishonest that I suspect one day
Vokser nesa hans som meningsmålingene til Fremskrittspartiet
His nose grows like the polls of the Progress Party
Hvis du fortsatt vil ha oppstopper så bør du kanskje tie
If you still want a stopper, maybe you should be silent
Sjøl er jeg en partitoppstopper og en hip hoper
Myself, I'm a party top stopper and a hip hopper
Med nese for rim og regler for de revolusjonære fortropper
With a nose for rhymes and rules for the revolutionary vanguard
Med bein i nesa snakker jeg med a endinger
With backbone, I speak with endings
Provoserer sjåvinistiske vestkantutsendinger
Provoking chauvinistic west side messengers
Som vandrer rundt med nesa i været
Who walk around with their noses in the air
Egoene er så svære at de må bli tunge å bære
The egos are so huge that they must become heavy to carry
Og så sier de at det blir for banalt
And then they say it becomes too banal
"Fordi det er jo tross alt vi på vestkanten som snakker nasalt"
"Because after all, it is us on the west side who speak nasally"
Så jeg tar fram all den diskresjonen jeg kan utvise
So I bring out all the discretion I can show
Og synger en nesevise
And sing a nose song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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