Utangarðsmenn were a punk-rock group that lived fast and died young in earl… Read Full Bio ↴Utangarðsmenn were a punk-rock group that lived fast and died young in early-1980s Iceland. Influenced by Iggy Pop and The Stooges, The Clash, and such, Danny Pollock, his brother Mike Pollock, and Bubbi Morthens formed the group that opened the door with a big bang for others to walk through in the post-punk revolution of that era. Bands such as Tappi Tíkarass (with the fifteen-year-old Björk) and Þeyr (with Sigtryggur Baldursson, who later became the drummer of The Sugarcubes) followed with creative power that flooded from the forerunners, Utangarðsmenn.

Utangarðsmenn on stage were something that the post-punk generation had never seen. Dirty, loud, and druggy, singing about hard life in fish factories, sex, pop stars on drugs, alcohol, and such was fresh. Opening for The Clash, the band had a lot of popularty but the critics at that time were not ready for them. Disbanned after non-stop touring for over two years of drugs, fear, and living up to their lifestyle, the band will always be remembered as a cornerstone of Icelandic rock history.

tango
Utangarðsmenn Lyrics

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Hún var alin upp til þess að giftast
Liggja á bakinu og fjölga sér.
Hún var alin upp sem aristókrat dama
Uppá punt til að þóknast þér.

Þau búa í 3ja hæða villu
Dreymir um myndir eftir van Cogh
Eru með sænska au pair sem kallar sig Lillu

Reykir gras og hlustar á rokk.

Hún drepur tímann malandi uppí sófa
Les reyfara og dreypir á Bristol Cream
Virðir fyrir sér myndir eftir Alfreð Flóka
Hugleiðir hvort karlmenn séu svín.

Í boðum er hún hans stoð og stytta
Spjallar um bókmenntir og sjaldgæf vín
Kona sem þig dreymir um að hitta
Kona sem gefur blindum sýn.

Hún virðist vera hamingjusöm kona
Sem á nóg af öllu, alltaf frí

Samt hún skríður um með klafann á baki
Hennar heimur er fyrir mér botnlaust dý.

Overall Meaning

The Utangarðsmenn's song "Tango in 2-3" describes a woman who was raised to get married and have children. She was brought up as an aristocratic lady who was taught how to dance tango effortlessly. She was raised to please others and be a perfect wife. The lyrics indicate that she is now married and spending her days lying on her back trying to conceive. She was raised with an expectation of femininity, grace, and elegance, and her husband's desire is to see her wearing high-heeled shoes dancing tango, pleasing him.

The song continues to describe their home; they live in a luxurious three-story villa and dream of Van Gogh's paintings. They have a Swedish au pair named Lillu, who helps them with house chores. They smoke weed and listen to rock music. The woman spends her time killing boredom by indulging in reading and drinking "Bristol Cream" while contemplating Alfred Floki's pictures. Despite her leisurely life, she walks around with a cane on her back, indicating that she is not content in her world.

The chorus describes her as a happy woman who seems to have it all, but she is searching for something more, and her carefree world is endless. She is well-read, knowledgeable about literature and wine, and is the type of woman that most men dream of meeting. However, the song implies that she is unfulfilled, as she walks with a cane on her back, signifying the weight she bears. Overall, the Utangarðsmenn's song "Tango in 2-3" is a melancholic ode to a woman who has everything, yet is missing something in her life.

Line by Line Meaning

Hún var alin upp til þess að giftast
She was raised to get married

Liggja á bakinu og fjölga sér.
Lying on her back and multiplying

Hún var alin upp sem aristókrat dama
She was raised as an aristocratic lady

Uppá punt til að þóknast þér.
To please you

Þau búa í 3ja hæða villu
They live in a three-story villa

Dreymir um myndir eftir van Gogh
Dreams about paintings by Van Gogh

Eru með sænska au pair sem kallar sig Lillu
Have a Swedish au pair who calls herself Lillu

Reykir gras og hlustar á rokk.
Smokes weed and listens to rock

Hún drepur tímann malandi uppí sófa
She kills time painting on the couch

Les reyfara og dreypir á Bristol Cream
Reads magazines and spills Bristol Cream

Virðir fyrir sér myndir eftir Alfreð Flóka
Imagines pictures by Alfreð Flóki