1) Harpo (born Jan Harpo Torsten Svensson, 5 April 1950, Bandhagen, Stockho… Read Full Bio ↴1) Harpo (born Jan Harpo Torsten Svensson, 5 April 1950, Bandhagen, Stockholm) is a Swedish pop star known under the stage name Harpo. He was popular in Sweden and around Europe in the 1970s and is best known for his worldwide hit "Moviestar" which also reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart and number 2 in the Australian Singles Chart in 1976. Harpo has continued to work in the music business, releasing an album of new material as recently as 2005 and continues to tour to this day. He remains popular in Germany and toured there throughout 2007.

Harpo started his career in the late 1960s as an actor in children's theatre. While touring around Sweden, he started to write songs. In 1972, he signed a recording contract with Stig Anderson at Polar Music. Anderson assigned him to in-house record producers, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

The plan was that Andersson and Ulvaeus would work with Harpo on an album of his children's songs in Swedish. The collaboration did not work out and Anderson released Harpo from his contract. Harpo then signed with EMI and formed a successful creative partnership with producer Bengt Palmers.
Harpo released his first two singles in 1973 - "Honolulu" and "Sayonara". Both were hits and reached the Top Ten on the Tio-i-topp chart. "Sayonara" held the number one spot for five consecutive weeks between January and February 1974.

On 27 February 1975, Harpo recorded the song for which he would become most famous - "Moviestar". One of the backing vocalists on that day was Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) from ABBA. It has sometimes been reported that Agnetha Fältskog also sang on the song but this is incorrect. The second female singer is Lena Ericsson. Frida also provided backing vocals on the song "Pin Up Girl" on Harpo's second album, Harpo & Bananaband.

"Moviestar" went on to become a huge hit. It reached number 1 in Sweden and Germany, number 2 in Australia and number 24 in the UK. A Swedish language version was also released in Sweden which went to number 1 on the Svensktoppen radio chart. He made many radio and TV appearances around Europe.

Harpo released a number of follow up singles, notably "Motorcycle Mama" (number 9 in Germany) and "Horoscope" (number 1 in Denmark).
In 1977, Harpo travelled to Los Angeles, U.S. with his wife and producer Bengt Palmers. The result was the album The Hollywood Tapes which spawned the hit single "Television". Also, in 1977, Harpo made the news when he refused to take part in the Swedish Military Service. As a result, he went to prison for one month.

In 1978, Harpo revisited the songs he was originally going to work on with Andersson and Ulvaeus in 1972. The result was the children's album Jan Banan och hans flygande matta. He followed this with an album of his favourite rock and roll songs. Both these projects were in the Swedish language.

In 1980, Harpo was ready to get back into mainstream pop music. He signed to Mickie Most's label, RAK and released one single, "She Loves It Too". In fact, Harpo had the chance to be on RAK as far back as 1973. He met with Most in London, but decided not to move to London at that time.

Harpo had an accident in August 1980. As well as being a musician, he is also a horse trainer and one of his horses, Starter, suddenly lashed out and kicked Harpo in the face several times. The injuries were so severe that Harpo lost his sense of smell and the sight in one eye. To show there were no hard feelings, Harpo dedicated his next album to his horse, Starter.

Harpo continued to record throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. During 1985, he produced several Swedish groups including Shanghai, Suzzies Orkester and +1. In 1987, he set up his own record company, Igloo Records.
After his 1992 album, things were quiet on the recording front. He released a single, "Sounds Like Love", in Germany only in 1994. In 1997, Harpo contributed two new songs to a greatest hits compilation album, Harpo Hits!
Harpo released his latest album of new material, Jan Harpo Svensson 05 in April 2005. He had an extensive tour of Germany in 2007.

2) Harpo US AOR band, was formed in 1974 by founding members Bill Kerstetter and John “Lloyd” Kistner.
Members: Bill Kerstetter, Brian Perry, Chris Silvagni, George Zerbe, Jack Pyers, Jeff Johnson, John Hahn, John Lloyd Kistner, Rich Smith, Shmoulik Avigal.

Lycka
Harpo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jag ville se hav se måsar dyka
Jag var på turné med The band of jazz
Vi körde ner till kusten ut till en enslig fyr
Vi satt i vår van stirrande ut i natten
Bortom klipporna finns en båt som söker hamn
Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka
Mina tankar vandrar skuggor flyr

Röda segel som ingen ser

Vågorna rullar in evigt vatten en bris
Och en spegelvind för till min strand
Den båt jag väntar på
Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka
En mast en vimpel

Jag ser tre tecken tre ord
Korset står för tro
Ankaret för hopp
Hjärtat står för kärlek
Tro hopp och kärlek
Jag ville se hav se måsar dyka
Jag var på turné med The band of jazz
Vi körde ner till kusten ut till en enslig fyr
Där vi satt i vår van stirrande ut i natten
Bortom klipporna finns en båt som söker hamn

Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka

Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka

Hennes namn är Lycka
Hennes namn är Lycka

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harpo Ted Gärdestad's "Lycka" depict the singer's desire for happiness and peace. He longs to see the sea and the seagulls dive, but he is on tour with The Band of Jazz. They drive down to the coast to a lonesome lighthouse and stare out into the night. Beyond the cliffs lies a boat in search of a harbor, named Lycka - which means happiness in Swedish. The singer's thoughts wander and his fears disappear as he gazes at the red sails that no one sees, while the waves roll in and the wind brings a reflection to his shore. Gärdestad describes Lycka using three symbols - a cross that stands for faith, an anchor for hope, and a heart for love. The song's finale repeats Lycka's name, emphasizing her importance in the singer's life.

The song is a reflection on human desires for happiness and the search for inner peace. The repeated use of the boat's name Lycka and the symbols of faith, hope, and love suggest that the singer sees these as the key components to achieving happiness. The setting of a lonesome lighthouse builds on the theme of searching for something, enhanced by the use of images like the sea and the red sails. The singer is on the verge of discovering Lycka, which seems to be a metaphor for the contentment he desires.

Line by Line Meaning

Jag ville se hav se måsar dyka
I wanted to witness the ocean and seagulls diving

Jag var på turné med The band of jazz
I was on a tour with The band of jazz

Vi körde ner till kusten ut till en enslig fyr
We drove down to the coast to a lonely lighthouse

Vi satt i vår van stirrande ut i natten
We sat in our van staring into the night

Bortom klipporna finns en båt som söker hamn
Beyond the cliffs there is a boat seeking harbor

Hennes namn är Lycka
Her name is Happiness

Mina tankar vandrar skuggor flyr
My thoughts wander, shadows flee

Röda segel som ingen ser
Red sails that no one sees

Vågorna rullar in evigt vatten en bris
Waves roll in, eternal water, a breeze

Och en spegelvind för till min strand
And a mirror wind carries me to my shore

Den båt jag väntar på
The boat I am waiting for