Biography
A former football player, Nicolai was signed by the Telegram label of Warner records, releasing two albums that did not sell enough copies to enable him to give up his part-time job as a gardener.
A meeting with Ebbot Lundberg of the Swedish band Soundtrack of our Lives led to two further albums, a tour with Emiliana Torrini and the use of one of his songs in an advertisement for an oil company. This small influx of cash enabled the production of a trio of vinyl albums with the Esbjörn Svensson jazz trio.
This steady production of somewhat experimental acoustic music attracted the attention of Americana luminaries Will Oldham and Jonathan Donahue, and a contract with the Dolores Recordings branch of Virgin Records followed. The first album on this label, Soul Rush with backing from the Esbjörn Svensson trio attracted some limited attention in 2001, but the next album, 2003's Tranquil Isolation, achieved widespread, especially thanks to its input from Will Oldham.
A third album, Here's My Song, You Can Have It followed in 2004.
He is currently touring the USA with Mercury Rev.
En Visa Till Gagga
Nicolai Dunger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Med kulspruta och gevär
Han kysste sin mor på kinden och
På munnen den han höll kär
Flickan sa till soldaten jag lovar dig vad du vill
Och han sa du är den ende jag kommer tillbaka till
Så klev han ombord på tåget och for över berg och dal
Det sas att "generalen nog vore tillbaka strax"
Men han satt på stadshotellet och käkade gravad lax
Man väntade i en vecka man väntade nästan två
Till slut kom man överens om att sätta igång ändå
För kriget ska ju krigas om också till siste man!
Bomberna började hagla och städer och byar brann
Flickan skrev till soldaten undrade hur det var
Men alla brev kom tillbaka och aldrig kom det nå't svar
Säg vart tog soldaten vägen säg var blev soldaten av
Säg kommer han nånsin åter Säg vilar han i sin grav
Flickan talar till månen men månen ger inte svar
Och hört att stjärnorna talar är det nog bara du som har
Men modern talar till jorden som vi alla kommer från
Söker hon tillräckligt länge så hittar hon nog sin son"
The lyrics of Nicolai Dunger's song "En Visa Till Gagga" vividly depict the journey of a soldier going off to war, leaving behind his loved ones with promises of coming back. The soldier's departure is portrayed as a solemn moment, with him kissing his mother on the cheek and the girl he holds dear on the mouth. There is a sense of duty and sacrifice as he boards the train, symbolized by his departure over mountains and valleys towards the front lines. The soldier's commitment to returning to his loved one is clear in his words, emphasizing the depth of their bond amidst the uncertainties of war.
As he reaches the front lines, the soldier encounters a surprising absence of leadership, with the general apparently preoccupied with indulgences like eating gravlax at a hotel. This ironic twist serves as a critique of the disconnect between high-ranking officials and the soldiers on the ground, highlighting the absurdity and disorganization of war. Despite the delays and uncertainties, the soldiers are compelled to proceed with the war effort, facing the destructive consequences of conflict as bombs rain down and cities burn in the chaos of battle.
The girl left behind reaches out to the soldier through letters, seeking reassurance and answers about his well-being. However, her attempts to communicate with him are met with silence and unanswered questions, leaving her in a state of anxious longing and uncertainty. The lyrics convey a sense of heartache and desperation as the girl ponders the fate of the soldier, wondering if he will ever return or if he now rests in an unmarked grave, lost in the devastation of war.
Amidst the girl's unanswered pleas to the moon and the stars, it is the mother's connection to the earth that offers a sense of solace and hope. The imagery of the mother searching for her son in the earth reflects a deeper spiritual longing for connection and reunion, suggesting a cyclical nature of life and death. The song captures the emotional toll of war on both those who fight and those left behind, highlighting the enduring power of love and the quest for understanding amidst the tumultuous realities of conflict and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Soldaten drog ut i kriget
The soldier went off to war
Med kulspruta och gevär
With a machine gun and rifle
Han kysste sin mor på kinden och
He kissed his mother on the cheek and
På munnen den han höll kär
On the mouth of the one he loved
Flickan sa till soldaten jag lovar dig vad du vill
The girl said to the soldier, I promise you anything you want
Och han sa du är den ende jag kommer tillbaka till
And he said, you are the only one I will return to
Så klev han ombord på tåget och for över berg och dal
So he stepped onto the train and traveled over mountains and valleys
Men när han kom fram till fronten fanns där ingen general
But when he arrived at the front, there was no general
Det sas att "generalen nog vore tillbaka strax"
It was said that "the general would probably be back soon"
Men han satt på stadshotellet och käkade gravad lax
But he was sitting at the city hotel eating gravlax
Man väntade i en vecka man väntade nästan två
They waited for a week, they waited almost two
Till slut kom man överens om att sätta igång ändå
Finally, they agreed to start anyway
För kriget ska ju krigas om också till siste man!
Because the war must be fought to the last man!
Bomberna började hagla och städer och byar brann
The bombs started to rain down and cities and villages burned
Flickan skrev till soldaten undrade hur det var
The girl wrote to the soldier wondering how it was
Men alla brev kom tillbaka och aldrig kom det nå't svar
But all the letters came back and there was never a reply
Säg vart tog soldaten vägen säg var blev soldaten av
Say where did the soldier go, say what happened to the soldier
Säg kommer han nånsin åter Säg vilar han i sin grav
Say will he ever return, say is he resting in his grave
Flickan talar till månen men månen ger inte svar
The girl speaks to the moon but the moon does not answer
Och hört att stjärnorna talar är det nog bara du som har
And hearing that the stars speak, it's probably only you who does
Men modern talar till jorden som vi alla kommer från
But the mother speaks to the earth where we all come from
Söker hon tillräckligt länge så hittar hon nog sin son
If she searches long enough, she will probably find her son
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind