Raga Rockers is a Norwegian rock band from Oslo. with Michael Krohn (ex- Kj… Read Full Bio ↴Raga Rockers is a Norwegian rock band from Oslo. with Michael Krohn (ex- Kjøtt) on vocals. The band was formed in 1982 by front man Michael Krohn. The other members were Livio Aiello on bass, Bruno Hovden on guitar, Jan Arne Kristiansen on drums Tore Berg on guitar, Hugo Alvarstein on Keyboards, and Nils Aune (ex- Svart Framtid and Kafka Prosess) on guitar and keyboards. They recorded their very first album in 1983, called The Return of the Raga Rockers. One year later they recorded their second album - Maskiner i Nirvana. Bruno Hovden tragically died in a car crash in 1985, shortly after the release of Maskiner i Nirvana.

By the end of the 80s they released three more albums in quick succession - Varme Dager (1987), Forbudte Følelser (1988), Blaff (1989) and Rock'n'roll Party (1990).
By then the frontman Michael Krohn and the rest of the band felt they were "stuck" in the band, and they decided to split.

For the next few years they played a few farewell-shows, but by 1995 they recorded a new album called Perler For Svin. Seemed they wouldn't quit after all...
The 1996 live album Live Again followed, and the studio effort Til Helvete Med Raga Rockers (1997). In 2000 they released an album called simply Raga Rockers, but then they went into some sort of hiatus.

In 2005, a compilation album was released, followed by an extensive tour.
In 2007 they released the album Übermensch, proving they are still to be counted among Norwegian rock's finest.

Ekspander Eller Dø
Raga Rockers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Noia regjerer i gata
Deka forsvarer sitt ry
Det er krig i det fjerne
og det har vart siden morgengry
Bikkja har krypi under teppet
Og solen har gått bak en sky
Politikernes løsning på det hele
får meg til å spy

Det er på tide å ekspandere eller dø
Det gjelder deg
Det gjelder meg
Det gjelder alt som er
Ekspander eller dø

Fortell om den gangen du falt i havet
Fortell om den gangen du mistet hodet
Åh, baby, ekspander eller dø

Fremtiden presser mot ruta
Idealene spiller falitt
Ego bakser i gjørma
Og oppløsning tar et stikk
Velstand har gått og hengt seg
Og frihet må melde pass
Det liberale Europa
er på vei rett ned i dass
Det er på tide å ekspandere eller dø
Det gjelder deg
Det gjelder meg
Det gjelder alt som er

Det gjelder deg
Det gjelder meg
Det gjelder vi, det gjelder dem

Det gjelder alle her
Ekspander eller dø

Overall Meaning

The song "Ekspander eller dø" by Raga Rockers, sung in Norwegian, talks about the current state of society where the streets are ruled by boredom and the youth are quick to defend their reputation. The world is at war and it has been going on since dawn. The dog has hidden under the blanket, and the sun is behind the clouds. The politicians' solution to everything makes the singer feel nauseous. The song highlights the need to expand and grow, or else perish. It is a call to revolutionize the obsolete ideals that keep society from progressing.

The lyrics address the importance of living with passion and purpose, and facing challenges head-on. The second part of the song delves into personal struggles and the need to overcome them. The future is knocking, and the ideals that once held meaning have failed. The ego is drowning in the mud, and crisis looms. Wealth has committed suicide, and freedom has surrendered. The liberal Europe is heading towards a downward spiral. The song once again calls for expanding our horizons or dying in mediocrity.

The song is a powerful call to break away from the mundane and embrace what life has to offer. The lyrics are a wake-up call to people stuck in a rut and afraid to take risks. Instead of waiting for change, the song urges us to take charge and make things happen. It calls for a change in mindset, one that values growth and progress over complacency.

Line by Line Meaning

Noia regjerer i gata
Anxiety reigns in the streets

Deka forsvarer sitt ry
Deka defends its reputation

Det er krig i det fjerne
There is a war in the distance

og det har vart siden morgengry
And it has lasted since dawn

Bikkja har krypi under teppet
The dog has crawled under the blanket

Og solen har gått bak en sky
And the sun has gone behind a cloud

Politikernes løsning på det hele
The politicians' solution to it all

får meg til å spy
Makes me want to vomit

Det er på tide å ekspandere eller dø
It is time to expand or die

Det gjelder deg
It concerns you

Det gjelder meg
It concerns me