Hoola Bandoola Band was founded in Malmö, Sweden in 1970 by Afzelius, Clemmedson, and Wiehe. The other members of the group were Povel Randén, Arne Franck, Per Ove Kellgren, and Håkan Skytte. The group's name, chosen by Wiehe, was derived from a fictional nonsensical language spoken by ants in the Donald Duck cartoon "Tea for Two Hundred." In 1971, the group had their first radio hit, and were subsequently approached by two record labels interesting in signing them; Hoola Bandoola Band made the conscientious choice of joining the more alternative label, MNW, and thus did they become the most well-known "alternative" group in Sweden.
Later that year, they released their debut album, Garanterat individuell, which was hailed as the harbinger of a new era of Swedish music and was elected "Album of the Year" by a majority of the press. The album's lyrical content was not as overtly political as their subsequent efforts. Their second studio album, and arguably their most enduring release critically and commercially, Vem kan man lita på?, was released in 1972; the album contained their biggest hit and one of the perennial landmarks of progg music, "Keops pyramid". With the 1973 release of På väg, recorded with a balalaika orchestra, Hoola Bandoola Band became one of Sweden's best-selling acts.
In 1975, the alternative music scene of Sweden united in protest against a scheduled soccer match between Sweden and Chile, which was at that point under the rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet; making use of their musical platform to bring this to the attention of the public eye, Hoola Bandoola Band released the single Stoppa matchen, in which the event was compared to the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games which provided Nazi Germany with largely positive attention. The single's b-side was "Victor Jara", a tribute to Chilean political folk singer Victor Jara who was tortured and murdered by Chilean military forces.
Their fourth studio album released later that year, Fri information, marked a high point for their political outspokenness, and was the first album to which Afzelius contributed songs. Hoola Bandoola Band disbanded on 1 May 1976; the International Workers' Day. Their disbandment marked the beginning of highly successful solo careers for both Afzelius and Wiehe, who continued to write political material and regularly performed Hoola Bandoola Band songs as solo artists.
In 1996, twenty years after their original disbandment, Hoola Bandoola Band was reformed; their first live performance was as a support act for Bob Dylan, and they went on to have a successful summer tour of Sweden. To celebrate their reformation, their collected studio recordings were released as the box set Ingenting förändras av sig själv. Recordings from the 1996 tour were released as the live compilation album ...för dom som kommer sen after Afzelius's death in 1999, the album's title derived from a line from "Rocksamba" meaning roughly "for those who come later." Starting in 2002, a "Hoola Bandoola Band Award" is given to people and organizations who have "done work in the spirit of Björn Afzelius", on the anniversary of his death.
In 2011 was released the compilation 1971-2011, spanning selections from their entire catalog, as well as songs which had been recorded by Wiehe as a solo artist. The album was released in conjunction with another reformation tour held during the summer of that year.
1789 + 0
Hoola Bandoola Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dör den fattiges barn av svält
Fast dom säger att vi är lika
Så är det alltid dom som har rätt
Dom säger vi sitter i samma båt
Både styrman och matros
Men hur jag än försöker och bär mej åt
Så är det alltid jag som ror
Om friheten för den lame
Är att få gå precis vart han vill
Och om den stumme kan bli kejsare
Om han bara säger till
Ja då är skomakarpojkens frihet
Att få stanna vid sin läst
Och det är frihet för den fattige
Att kunna köpa vad som helst
Att kunna köpa vad som helst
Dom säger att vi hör samman
Att vi är bröder allihop
Att vi ska lära oss att leva med varann
Men när tiderna blir knappa
Och man ska prova det som band
Då är det slut på allt tal om broderskap
Och man snor åt sej vad man kan
Medan den rikes barn blir feta
Dör den fattiges barn av svält
Fast dom säger att vi är lika
Så är det alltid dom som har rätt
Dom säger vi sitter i samma båt
Både styrman och matros
Men hur jag än försöker och bär mej åt
Så är det alltid jag som ror
Så är det alltid jag som ror
The lyrics to Hoola Bandoola Band's song "1789 + 0" address themes of social inequality and hypocrisy in society. The song reflects on the stark contrast between the privileged and the impoverished, highlighting the fact that while the wealthy children become overweight, the children of the poor die of starvation. Despite claims of equality, it is always those in power who are right and maintain control.
The lyrics also touch upon the notion of freedom and what it truly means. While the lame and the mute are granted freedom in the sense that they can go wherever they want or achieve greatness if they speak up, the freedom of the shoemaker's son is limited to staying within his trade. The freedom of the poor is reduced to the ability to purchase anything they desire, emphasizing how limited and skewed their version of freedom is.
The song challenges the idea that we are all interconnected and brothers, as society claims. When times are tough and resources become scarce, the illusion of brotherhood quickly crumbles. Individuals seize opportunities for personal gain, disregarding any notions of unity or solidarity. The song captures the hypocrisy of those who preach brotherhood but act selfishly when faced with adversity.
In summary, "1789 + 0" by Hoola Bandoola Band examines the stark social inequalities, the distorted concepts of freedom, and the hypocrisy inherent in society. By contrasting the wealth and privilege of the few with the poverty and suffering of the many, the song exposes the unjust power dynamics at play. It serves as a call to action, urging listeners to question and challenge the status quo and fight for a more equitable and compassionate society.
Line by Line Meaning
Medan den rikes barn blir feta
While the rich children become fat
Dör den fattiges barn av svält
The poor children die of hunger
Fast dom säger att vi är lika
Even though they say we are equal
Så är det alltid dom som har rätt
It's always them who are right
Dom säger vi sitter i samma båt
They say we are in the same boat
Både styrman och matros
Both the captain and sailor
Men hur jag än försöker och bär mej åt
But no matter how hard I try and how I behave
Så är det alltid jag som ror
It's always me who rows
Om friheten för den lame
If freedom for the lame
Är att få gå precis vart han vill
Is to be able to go wherever he wants
Och om den stumme kan bli kejsare
And if the mute can become an emperor
Om han bara säger till
If he only speaks up
Ja då är skomakarpojkens frihet
Yes, then the shoemaker's son's freedom
Att få stanna vid sin läst
Is to be able to stay in his own trade
Och det är frihet för den fattige
And that is freedom for the poor
Att kunna köpa vad som helst
To be able to buy anything
Att kunna köpa vad som helst
To be able to buy anything
Dom säger att vi hör samman
They say we belong together
Att vi är bröder allihop
That we are all brothers
Att vi ska lära oss att leva med varann
That we should learn to live with each other
Men när tiderna blir knappa
But when times get tough
Och man ska prova det som band
And people should share what they have
Då är det slut på allt tal om broderskap
Then all talk about brotherhood is over
Och man snor åt sej vad man kan
And one grabs whatever they can
Medan den rikes barn blir feta
While the rich children become fat
Dör den fattiges barn av svält
The poor children die of hunger
Fast dom säger att vi är lika
Even though they say we are equal
Så är det alltid dom som har rätt
It's always them who are right
Dom säger vi sitter i samma båt
They say we are in the same boat
Både styrman och matros
Both the captain and sailor
Men hur jag än försöker och bär mej åt
But no matter how hard I try and how I behave
Så är det alltid jag som ror
It's always me who rows
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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