Sara Parkman is a folk musician known to both question and embrace traditio… Read Full Bio ↴Sara Parkman is a folk musician known to both question and embrace traditions in such an unabashed and simultaneously thoughtful way, that one could say that she has created her own musical universe – and that by doing so, she has become the great poster name of contemporary Swedish folk music. Thanks to her two acclaimed solo albums, it is to be expected since some time that one can hear her music pulsate from the foggy depths of nordic forests during nocturnal rave parties – and equally expected to see her perform live in popular TV programs.

Violinist, singer and composer: three words that describe Sara Parkman. However, they are not enough to cover the width of what she has achieved during her career, which already stretches over more than 15 years. Her debut album as a solo artist was entitled Sara Parkmans Skog (2016), and it was awarded ‘Artist of the year’ at Folk & Världsmusikgalan, a Swedish gala to celebrate folk and world music. But Sara Parkman's most acclaimed release to date was 2019's Vesper. Named after the Christian evening prayer, this album was an exploration of the sacred through music. It was received by unanimously impressed critics and earned her a Swedish Grammy nomination as well as the newspaper Dagens Nyheter's Culture Prize.

Ing-Maries vals
Sara Parkman Lyrics

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Lavar trona, skogen nynnar, myren har sin gång
Gruvor vila, minnen sjunger, ekar året om
Allting ändras men platsen står,
Sjunger sorger som var igår

Åkrar torka och ängens sus,
Skatten sinar och tiden viskar sin egen väg

I glimmerljusa sjöar
På storstadsglitteröar
Mellan höga mörka bergen
Efter djupa långa skräcken
Lyckan kommer lyckan går

Jobben kommer jobben går
Men vi förblir på jorden vår

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sara Parkman's song "Ing-Maries vals" are full of imagery and introspection, creating a sense of reflection upon the passage of time and the constancy of the natural world. The song describes a landscape that is always changing yet remains the same, with its quiet movements and echoes of the past. The first two lines create a calm and peaceful atmosphere as the forest hums and the peat bog continues to flow in its own rhythm. The memories remain, although time passes and everything changes. The next two lines suggest that even though mines have been closed, their memory still resonates in the air.

What follows after the opening lines is a description of the natural world, which is constantly rotating, and a realization that time has taken its toll on the various landscapes. The farms have dried up, and the treasure trove has been depleted. Life goes on, however, and time has a way of continuing to move forward. The singer reflects upon the timeless beauty of nature and its rhythms, all while recognizing the rapid pace of modern city life. The line "Lyckan kommer lyckan går Jobben kommer jobben går Men vi förblir på jorden vår" brings a sense of finality to the lyrics, asking us to remember that the natural world will always be here, and we are only momentarily a part of it.

Line by Line Meaning

Lavar trona, skogen nynnar, myren har sin gång
The stream flows gently, the forest hums, and the marsh progresses in its own pace.

Gruvor vila, minnen sjunger, ekar året om
Mines rest, memories sing, and echoes last for years.

Allting ändras men platsen står,
Everything changes but the place remains the same,

Sjunger sorger som var igår
Singing the sorrows of yesterday.

Åkrar torka och ängens sus,
Fields dry up and the meadow rustles,

Skatten sinar och tiden viskar sin egen väg
The treasure diminishes, and time whispers its own way.

I glimmerljusa sjöar
In shimmering bright lakes,

På storstadsglitteröar
On the glittering city streets,

Mellan höga mörka bergen
Between tall dark mountains,

Efter djupa långa skräcken
After deep long fears,

Lyckan kommer lyckan går
Happiness comes, and happiness goes,