Jokke & Valentinerne (English: Jokke and the Valentines) are concidered one… Read Full Bio ↴Jokke & Valentinerne (English: Jokke and the Valentines) are concidered one of the "four greats" of Norwegian rock and roll. Fronted by Joachim Nielsen (1964-2000) and his down-to-earth lyrics about everyday situations, this band was among the most beloved groups to emerge from the underground rock scene of the Norwegian capital.

The band was formed in 1982, with a lineup consisting of Nielsen on guitar and vocals, his long time partner May-Irene Aasen on drums and Håkon Torgersen on bass. Their debut album Alt kan repareres was released in 1986.

Much of the band's lyrics revolved around alcohol, and Jokke had a reputation of frequently getting drunk on stage. In 1992, he created a scandal when he received a Norwegian Grammy award whilst under the influence of drugs.

In the mid-90s, Jokke had developed a heroin addiction, and had several stays at rehabilitation clinics. By the turn of the millennium, many of his close friends believed that he had conquered his inner demons. In October 2000, while on leave from a rehabilitation clinic, Jokke died from a drug overdose.

In 2005, a double tribute album entitled "Det beste til meg og mine venner" (English: The best for me and my friends) was released, which featured some of Jokke's best known songs covered by Norwegian artists.

Tempo
Jokke & Valentinerne Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tirsdag er bladdag
Før så var det onsdag
Alle unga stod å venta
På Donald eller Flinta
Noen likte Sølvpilen
Og noen likte Vill Vest
Men jeg og brutter'n visste
Hva som var det beste

Vi leste Tempo
Vi leste Tempo
Vi leste Tempo
Europas beste tegneserie

Alan Falk er i trøbbel
Tim Corner er i støtet
Kaptein Haddock er på fylla
Løytnant Blueberry er i fengsel, som vanlig
Bernard Prince står ved roret
Dan Cooper er i Norge
Asterix i Spania
Og jeg og brutter'n på stuegølvet

Leste Tempo
Vi leste Tempo
Vi leste Tempo
Europas beste tegneserie

Den oppvoksende slekt
Er fattig på fornøyelser
All den dritten som dem leser
Må være dårlig for fordøyelsen
Pusur og Batman
Før så het'n Lynvingen
Pyton og He-man
Ingenting er som den gang

Vi leste Tempo
Vi leste Tempo
Vi leste Tempo
Europas beste tegneserie

Tempo
Vi leste Tempo

Vi leste Tempo
Europas beste tegneserie

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Tempo" by Jokke & Valentinerne reminisce about the good old days when reading comic books was the ultimate source of entertainment. The song starts by describing how every Tuesday, kids eagerly awaited their favorite comics such as Donald Duck or Flintstones. Some preferred superheroes like Sølvpilen or Vill Vest, but the singer and his brother knew what was the best - Tempo, the best comic book in Europe. The repetition of the chorus "Vi leste Tempo" emphasizes how much they were engrossed in the comic book's world.

The second verse portrays some of the popular characters of Tempo and their current situations - Alan Falk is in trouble, Tim Corner is doing well, Captain Haddock is drunk, Lieutenant Blueberry is in jail as usual, Bernard Prince is in charge, Dan Cooper is in Norway, and Asterix in Spain. But despite all that, the singer and his brother are still immersed in the comic book, sitting on their living room floor and reading Tempo.

In the third and final verse, the lyrics comment on the current state of entertainment for the younger generation. The singer states that the current popular comic books such as Pusur, Batman, Lynvingen, Pyton, and He-man are nothing like the good old days. The song ends with the repetition of "Vi leste Tempo" to remind everyone how much they enjoyed reading the comic book.

Line by Line Meaning

Tirsdag er bladdag
Tuesday is the day when new issues of magazines are released

Før så var det onsdag
Previously, Wednesday was the day when new issues of magazines were released

Alle unga stod å venta
All the young people were waiting eagerly

På Donald eller Flinta
For the new issue of Donald Duck or The Flintstones

Noen likte Sølvpilen
Some liked Silver Arrow (a superhero)

Og noen likte Vill Vest
And some liked Wild West (a comic book)

Men jeg og brutter'n visste
But my brother and I knew

Hva som var det beste
What was the best

Vi leste Tempo
We read Tempo (a comic book)

Alan Falk er i trøbbel
A character named Alan Falk is in trouble

Tim Corner er i støtet
A character named Tim Corner is doing well