In 1991 the band was completed by the guitarist Lars Lundevall. The new line-up recorded these albums:
Varme mennesker (Warm People) (1991), Neste sommer (Next summer) (1993), Mere (More) (1994), Sent og tidlig (Late and early) (1995), Stakkars (Miserable) (1997), Kast alle papirene (Throw away all the paper) (1999) and Midt i begynnelsen (In the middle of the beginning) (2002). Their debut LP "Suser avgårde" (1986), is regarded as one of their most popular records. The lyrics are very popular because they are very naïve & philosophic. They released their final record in 2002; "Midt i begynnelsen". In 2005, they released a compilation which is named "Festen er ikke over... det er kake igjen." ("The party ain't over... There's more cake left"). New album out now: "Trist å være glad" 2011.
Nitten åttifire
deLillos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Men da var jeg på tur med deg og noen venner
Og da jeg kom hjem dagen derpå
Hadde kattene driti tre nye steder
Bare ikke i kassa si
Vet ikke om jeg heller hadde gjort noe der
Og platene mine lå strødd utover gulvet
Uten cover og flasker og aske overalt
Og en fyr lå i senga mi
Og det var kaldt
Den kaldeste dagen
Overalt
Den kaldeste dagen i Nittenåttifire
Og dagen gikk med på å varme opp rør i kjelleren
Og skaffe en parafinovnsekspert
Og snakke med en striptease-danserinne
Som hadde med en presang til min bror
Det er han jeg bor sammen med
Og Maya hun er kvart sigøyner rund og skjønn og god
Hun tror hun elsker ham
Mens han drikker øl og spiller gitar dagen lang
Og det er her vi øver
Selv om det er kaldt
Og det er et stor hull i taket
Ute snør det overalt
Og jeg ønsket intenst at du var nær
Og ikke der at du var her
Det ville lindret og vært varmt selv uten klær
For bare du kunne fått meg i ordentlig godt humør
Jeg satt der og røkte og frøs
Og ønsket at jeg var født mye lenger ser
Hvis du bare hadde vært der hadde alt vært greit
Hvis du bare hadde vært her hadde alt vært greit
Hvis du bare hadde vært der hadde alt vært greit
Men dagen etter elsket jeg igjen det gamle huset
Der det stod og ristet
Lenge etter at trailerne hadde kjørt forbi
Jeg hadde litt ved jeg satt der og nøt det
Og se sola viste seg det var det som skulle til
Og noen der inne spilte og sang for meg
Og jeg hadde allerede gjort en fornuftig ting
Ringt deg
The lyrics to deLillos's song Nitten åttifire paint a vivid picture of a chaotic, cold, and difficult day. The singer describes coming home after a camping trip with friends to find his house in disarray, with cat feces in unexpected places and his records scattered across the floor. In addition to the mess, the day is the coldest of the year, and the singer spends much of it trying to fix plumbing issues and heating the house.
The song also references the singer's roommates, including his brother and a woman named Maya who he describes as "round, gypsy, beautiful, and kind." While Maya believes she loves the singer's brother, he spends his days playing guitar and drinking beer. The singer seems to feel isolated and hopeless, wishing that someone special was with him to keep him warm and lift his spirits. By the end of the song, though, the sun is shining and someone is playing and singing for him, suggesting that the dark day has turned around.
One possible interpretation of the lyrics is that they are about the struggles of everyday life and the need for connection and love to help us through difficult times. The singer is dealing with practical problems like plumbing and heating but also with emotional ones like loneliness and a sense of being stuck. He feels comforted by the presence of others, whether they are friends, roommates, or a romantic partner. The ending of the song suggests that even small moments of beauty and joy can make a big difference in tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
Vannet frøys på bursdagen min
It was freezing cold on my birthday
Men da var jeg på tur med deg og noen venner
But I was on a trip with you and some friends
Og da jeg kom hjem dagen derpå
And when I came home the next day
Hadde kattene driti tre nye steder
My cats had left poop in three new places
Bare ikke i kassa si
But not in their litter box
Vet ikke om jeg heller hadde gjort noe der
I didn't know if I would have done any better
Og platene mine lå strødd utover gulvet
My records were scattered on the floor
Uten cover og flasker og aske overalt
Without their covers, and bottles and ashes everywhere
Og en fyr lå i senga mi
And some guy was in my bed
Og det var kaldt
And it was cold
Den kaldeste dagen
The coldest day
Overalt
Everywhere
Den kaldeste dagen i Nittenåttifire
The coldest day in 1994
Og dagen gikk med på å varme opp rør i kjelleren
The day was spent fixing pipes in the basement
Og skaffe en parafinovnsekspert
And finding an expert to fix the kerosene heater
Og snakke med en striptease-danserinne
And talking to a stripper who had a gift for my brother
Som hadde med en presang til min bror
Who lived with me
Det er han jeg bor sammen med
It's him I live with
Og Maya hun er kvart sigøyner rund og skjønn og god
And Maya, a quarter gypsy, is beautiful and kind
Hun tror hun elsker ham
She thinks she loves him
Mens han drikker øl og spiller gitar dagen lang
While he drinks beer and plays guitar all day long
Og det er her vi øver
And this is where we practice
Selv om det er kaldt
Even though it's cold
Og det er et stor hull i taket
And there is a big hole in the ceiling
Ute snør det overalt
It's snowing everywhere outside
Og jeg ønsket intenst at du var nær
And I intensely wished you were near
Og ikke der at du var her
And not there, but here with me
Det ville lindret og vært varmt selv uten klær
It would have been comforting and warm, even without clothes
For bare du kunne fått meg i ordentlig godt humør
Because only you could have put me in a really good mood
Jeg satt der og røkte og frøs
I sat there smoking and freezing
Og ønsket at jeg var født mye lenger ser
And wished I was born much earlier
Hvis du bare hadde vært der hadde alt vært greit
If only you were there, everything would be okay
Men dagen etter elsket jeg igjen det gamle huset
But the next day, I loved the old house again
Der det stod og ristet
Where it stood and shook
Lenge etter at trailerne hadde kjørt forbi
Long after the trailers had passed by
Jeg hadde litt ved jeg satt der og nøt det
I had some firewood and I sat there and enjoyed it
Og se sola viste seg det var det som skulle til
And when the sun came out, that was all it took
Og noen der inne spilte og sang for meg
And someone inside played and sang for me
Og jeg hadde allerede gjort en fornuftig ting
And I had already done something sensible
Ringt deg
I called you
Writer(s): Lars Beckstrom
Contributed by Gianna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rebekka6
One of my favorite songs ever. And certainly my favorite Norwegian song. ❤ Lars Beckstrom.