Give me the country

[Guest guest]

I woke up this morning with a song in my head, like one do every now and then. To me, the only way to shake it off before it gets annoying is by actually listening to it. This song is one I do have on an old LP somewhere, but looking for it on youtube was easier... And good thing I did, because I found a wonderful version.The song I woke up with was "Lived po lanned" wich is a translation/interpretation of the American song "Give me the country", or could be known as "The country side of life" as well (if I am not wrong, it's a song by ). Lived po lanned is not exactly in Swedish, but in a very heavy southern Swedish accent (the singer, known as Peps, who did the interpretation/translation is known for singing and writing song in this accent). It's not the accent I speak (although I can make an OK imitation on some words...), as I am not from these parts of Sweden, but it's the accent spoken where we live, and it's a version of the accent speaks (how much of it she speaks depends a little on who she is talking to, when she is talking to her old relatives it's almost like in this song). And that's a reason to like it in itself... In fact I remember playing this record, kind of loud, in my college student's dorm room (which I had moved into quite recently at the time), when I was getting ready for my first real date with (I had this record before I met , but of course, the accent made me think of her). When I was almost done the doorbell rang, and when I opened the door someone I didn't recognize at all stood outside and said "I hear you are playing Peps" I took that to be a way of pointing out I was playing so loud that people in other parts of the building could even identify the singer (ie: "Too loud!!"). So I answered that, "I am sorry! I'll turn it down! Or actually, I'll do better, I'll turn it off, I am on my way out now anyway." But the person outside my door said: "No, no, no, that's not what I meant at all. I wanted to ask if you'd borrow me the record when you are done playing it". I am not really in the habit of giving (or "borrowing") my records, or any similar kind of possessions, to strangers who just ring my doorbell and ask for them... And I was still a bit confused about what she actually meant (could it be she was being sarcastic about it not being too loud, and was asking for the record to really make sure I didn't play it one more time?...), but I was late for that date already (it can happen when you shower twice and change your shirt three times...), so I said that "sure, you can have it right now", and handed it to the girl outside the door, thinking that I probably wouldn't see that record again, but that it might be an ok price to pay to avoid becoming even more late...What happened with the record you wonder? Two weeks later it was in my post box with a thank you note on it... And, what about the date? Well, I suppose the fact that I and are married today might give you a hint... I was late, yes (despite running to the restaurant and kind of ruining the whole showering thing...) but she was still waiting ;-) I don't know if I explained why I was late that time (I may have actually blamed the strange girl ringing my doorbell and asking for one of my records), but I know I at least explained on a later date, that the reason had been plain 'ol nervousness...Now, the version of the song I found on youtube was actually more of a medley between "Lived po lanned" and a song named "Oh boy" (and despite the English title and refrain, it's sung in that southern Swedish accent too), both being from this same record. I don't know if the second song is a translation/interpretation of an American original too. The two songs go together real well (the theme of the first one being how life in the countryside is "the only thing that's good", and the other being about a beautiful summer's day in the countryside). And it's not sung by the original singer (still in the original accent though), but by two singers, one being a child and the other a grownup, both doing an imitation of "Peps". A child size Peps and an adult one doing a duet... – it's real cute, and funny too!Listen and watch here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWKd1kbrwYEDon't know if the accent thing is something you hear when you don't know Swedish, but it may be. At least I know an American tourist I once met here, who had travelled down here via Stockholm and that part of Sweden, asked me about the "local language" (he could hear it sounded very different from in Stockholm, and thought it was even a whole other language...).Hope you are all having a real "Oh boy!" kind of day today!love/Reb