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.
Postkort v2.0
Gatas Parlament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hei! jeg har det fint, men jeg savner dere!
Vi har skrivi noen rim og reiser rundt i hele landet med det
Dem har det fint her på landet, enkli. kan vel se det?
Hvis du vil ha no ifra Tana kan jeg ta med mere
Dem hadde tørrfisk på en plass til ikke noenting
Og den var tørka der av han fyren som dro den inn
Jeg kunne tatt med noe hjørnestein fra Markangieddi,
Det er mange fine plasser det er greit, det
Tenker på dere når vi er borte, så du veit det
Karriæremessig har vi vært ganske teite
men vi reist for langt ut på vidda til å bytte beite
Når gatas kommer til byn, da blire ville tilstander
Dem fleste er kule men det ække alle jeg ville pilsa med
Jeg kommer snart, og da skal dere få no fint av meg
Elsker dere Tyrannosaurus mest! hils mamma!
Hook:
With some love and some hate and some hate and some love
Let me write down some things I've been thinking of
Tenker på dere og skriver om for eksempel
Litt hat og litt kjærlighet pluss frimerke og stempel
Venomous 2000:
I said I'm sending this right now, I figured I'll write down these updates
Had a lot of time in Germany while staying up late
I miss the kids and wanna see their little faces
There were good times in Mannheim and lots of park places
I'm growing ancient, spent 25 days already
Lots of cultural exchanges but it's weighing heavy
Potsdam had an old Dutch feel
It's been years since I seen Munich, we had time to chill
Just reflecting on the life and how we're grown man
Wish you were there at the Swag Jam going in
Had a chance to hit Cologne for an in-store
Plus the souvenir shop, I can't forget yours
Present state of pondering about diversity
The world is certainly bigger than people trying to murder me
Sort of surprised by the vibe and the courtesy
I thought I would send this out since you ain't heard from me
Jester:
Man trenger ikke være et geni for å skjønne det
At folk syns at gresset på andre sia er grønnere
Og på et sted som dette er det lett å være dømmende
Spesielt når man går rik og fattig etter sømmene
Mange drømmer om å leve noen få lever ut drømmene
Mange dør for tidlig og noen gjemmer seg bak gønnere
og berømmelse og penger svever høyt på sjarmen
Mens en mor sover på gata med et nyfødt barn på armen
Og varmen lokker fram lukter jeg ikke har kjent før
Og bråket og larmen gjør en skarve nordmann helt døv og ør
Som om ikke det var nok,
er det Bollywoodfilmer på TV nonstop
Jeg ser alt fra bordet mitt på Leopold Café
Et sted med god mat og kulehøl fra terrorangrep
Jeg har det bra i Mumbai, men jeg kommer snart hjem
Savner dere. Hilsen Alex PS: Kyss og klem
The lyrics of Gatas Parlament's "Postkort" (Postcard) are filled with nostalgia, updates, and reflections on the artists' travels and experiences while on tour. Elling starts off by greeting his loved ones and expressing his fondness for them, stating that he and his fellow artists have been traveling the country, performing and writing "rim" (rhymes). He then proceeds to share some details from their travels, including a place where they had "tørrfisk" (dried fish) and a suggestion to bring back some "hjørnestein" (cornerstone) from Markangieddi, wondering aloud if his loved ones are collecting such things. Elling assures his loved ones that they are often in his thoughts and that he loves them, ending the message with "hils mamma!" (say hi to mom!).
The hook of the song expresses the mixed feelings that the artists have been experiencing on their travels, as they write about "a little hate and a little love" and reflect on their thoughts with "frimerke og stempel" (stamps and postmarks). Venomous 2000 goes on to share his updates, mentioning his time in Germany where he misses his kids but has had some good experiences in Mannheim and Potsdam. He reflects on his personal growth and diversity, while remaining surprised by the "courtesy" he has experienced despite his initial apprehensions. Jester then adds his perspective on the dichotomy of life, noting that while some may dream and live out their dreams, others hide behind facades due to societal pressure, fame, and money. He describes Mumbai as a sensory overload, with the sights, smells, and sounds overwhelming his senses. Despite this, he reminds his loved ones that he is doing well and sends his hugs and kisses.
Overall, "Postkort" serves as a window into the experiences and emotions of these artists, who share their thoughts and feelings with their loved ones through the form of a postcard. The song is not just an update, but a reminder of the importance of connection, love, and reflection, even when separated by distance.
Line by Line Meaning
Hei! jeg har det fint, men jeg savner dere!
Greetings! I'm doing fine, but I miss you all!
Vi har skrivi noen rim og reiser rundt i hele landet med det
We've written some poetry and we're traveling around the entire country with it
Dem har det fint her på landet, enkli. kan vel se det?
They're doing well here in the countryside, and you can probably see that?
Hvis du vil ha no ifra Tana kan jeg ta med mere
If you want something from Tana, I can bring more
Dem hadde tørrfisk på en plass til ikke noenting
They had stockfish in a place for nothing
Og den var tørka der av han fyren som dro den inn
And it was dried by the guy who brought it in
Jeg kunne tatt med noe hjørnestein fra Markangieddi,
I could have brought some cornerstone from Markangieddi,
men hvis du ikke har begynt å samle egentlig, hva skal du med de?
but if you haven't really started collecting, what will you do with them?
Det er mange fine plasser det er greit, det
There are many nice places that are okay, it's true
Tenker på dere når vi er borte, så du veit det
We think of you when we're away, so you know it
Karriæremessig har vi vært ganske teite
Career-wise, we've been quite foolish
men vi reist for langt ut på vidda til å bytte beite
but we've traveled too far into the wilderness to change pastures
Når gatas kommer til byn, da blire ville tilstander
When Gatas come to town, it becomes wild
Dem fleste er kule men det ække alle jeg ville pilsa med
Most of them are cool, but not everyone I'd have a drink with
Jeg kommer snart, og da skal dere få no fint av meg
I'm coming soon, and then you'll get something nice from me
Elsker dere Tyrannosaurus mest! hils mamma!
Love you all, Tyrannosaurus the most! Say hi to mom!
With some love and some hate and some hate and some love
With a mix of love and hate
Let me write down some things I've been thinking of
Let me write down some thoughts I've been having
Tenker på dere og skriver om for eksempel
Thinking of you and writing about, for example,
Litt hat og litt kjærlighet pluss frimerke og stempel
A bit of hate and a bit of love, plus a stamp and postmark
I said I'm sending this right now, I figured I'll write down these updates
I said I'm sending this right now, I figured I'd write down these updates
Had a lot of time in Germany while staying up late
Had a lot of time in Germany while staying up late
I miss the kids and wanna see their little faces
I miss the kids and want to see their little faces
There were good times in Mannheim and lots of park places
There were good times in Mannheim and lots of parks
I'm growing ancient, spent 25 days already
I'm getting old, I've already spent 25 days
Lots of cultural exchanges but it's weighing heavy
Lots of cultural exchanges, but it's weighing heavily
Potsdam had an old Dutch feel
Potsdam had an old Dutch feeling
It's been years since I seen Munich, we had time to chill
It's been years since I've seen Munich, we had time to relax
Just reflecting on the life and how we're grown man
Just reflecting on life and how we're grown men
Wish you were there at the Swag Jam going in
Wish you were there at the Swag Jam, it was great
Had a chance to hit Cologne for an in-store
Had a chance to go to Cologne for a store appearance
Plus the souvenir shop, I can't forget yours
Plus the souvenir shop, I can't forget yours
Present state of pondering about diversity
Currently thinking about diversity
The world is certainly bigger than people trying to murder me
The world is definitely larger than people trying to kill me
Sort of surprised by the vibe and the courtesy
Kind of surprised by the mood and the politeness
I thought I would send this out since you ain't heard from me
I thought I would send this out since you haven't heard from me
Man trenger ikke være et geni for å skjønne det
You don't need to be a genius to understand it
At folk syns at gresset på andre sia er grønnere
That people think the grass is greener on the other side
Og på et sted som dette er det lett å være dømmende
And in a place like this, it's easy to be judgmental
Spesielt når man går rik og fattig etter sømmene
Especially when you go through rich and poor neighborhoods
Mange drømmer om å leve noen få lever ut drømmene
Many dream of living, but only a few live their dreams
Mange dør for tidlig og noen gjemmer seg bak gønnere
Many die too early, and some hide behind drugs
og berømmelse og penger svever høyt på sjarmen
And fame and money are highly regarded
Mens en mor sover på gata med et nyfødt barn på armen
While a mother sleeps on the street with a newborn child in her arms
Og varmen lokker fram lukter jeg ikke har kjent før
And the heat brings out smells I haven't known before
Og bråket og larmen gjør en skarve nordmann helt døv og ør
And the noise makes a poor Norwegian deaf and dizzy
Som om ikke det var nok,
As if that weren't enough,
er det Bollywoodfilmer på TV nonstop
there are Bollywood movies nonstop on TV
Jeg ser alt fra bordet mitt på Leopold Café
I see everything from my table at Leopold Café
Et sted med god mat og kulehøl fra terrorangrep
A place with good food and bullet holes from terrorist attacks
Jeg har det bra i Mumbai, men jeg kommer snart hjem
I'm doing well in Mumbai, but I'll be home soon
Savner dere. Hilsen Alex PS: Kyss og klem
Miss you all. Regards, Alex PS: Kiss and hug
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Elling Borgersrud, Dwayne Sheppard, Alex Molkom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind