the-swedish-way.com

Di Leva – Ingen Kan Köpa Livet (No one Can Buy Life)

Ingen Kan Köpa Livet

Du sitter ensam, surfar efter skatter du vill ha
You’re all alone, on Internet looking for treasures you want

Du går & shoppar söker efter något du kan va´

You go shopping, looking for something you could be

Din tunga suktar efter himlarna

Your tounge longs for the heavens.

Din näsa följer alla vindarna
Your nose follows all the winds

Det mesta kan man köpa, men ingen kan köpa livet

Most things you can buy, but no one can buy life

Ingen kan köpa livet

No one can buy life

Ingen kan köpa livet

No one can buy life

Du vandrar hemåt i rätt kostym av märket antivåld

You’re walking towards home, in the right costume of brand anti-violence

Din klocka tickar du läser om att månen blivit såld

You’re clock is ticking, you’re reading that the moon has been sold

Vad kostar åsikten i fönstret där

What’s the price of the view in the window there

Vem äger luften som vi andas här

Who owns the air we’re breathing here

Det mesta kan man köpa, men ingen kan köpa livet

Most things can you buy, but no one can buy life

Ingen kan köpa livet

No one can buy life

Ingen kan köpa livet

No one can buy life

Se mig Hör mig

See me, hear me

Känn mig Rör mig

Feel me, touch me

Se mig Hör mig

See me, hear me

Känn mig Rör mig

Feel me, touch me

Se mig Hör mig

See me, hear me

Känn mig Rör mig

Feel me, touch me

Det mesta kan man köpa men ingen kan köpa livet

Most things can you buy, but noone can buy life

Ingen kan köpa livet

No one can buy life

Ingen kan köpa livet

No one can buy life

Di Leva – Svarta Pärlan i London (Black Pearl in London)

Svarta Pärlan i London

Det är så kallt där ute, kallt för dom små fåglarna. Vem kommer att ta hand om dom?

It’s so cold out there, cold for the little birds. Who’s gonna take care of them?

Jag såg din skepnad i en taxi nere på marknaden i Soho. Säg har du märkt att det är vänstertrafik i våran själ? Du är rebellen som ett mode. Långt ner i Brixton, kokar grejer. Säg har du köpt David Bowies senaste kassett?

I saw your figure in a taxi in the market in Soho. Tell me, have you noticed that there’s left hand traffic in our soul? You are the rebel like fashion. Down in Brixton, boiling things. Tel me, have you bought David Bowies latest cassette?

Ja du är fri att bli den som du blir, men för mig så har du vuxit till en pärla. Du är berömd…du är berömd.
Yes you are free to be the one you want to be, but to me you have grown to a pearl. You are famous… You are famous.

Min svarta pärla i London som jag älskar med och dansar mig till ro. Ooh ooh ooh… Min svarta pärla i London som jag älskar med och dansar mig till ro. Ooh ooh ooh ooh…
My black pearl in London who I make love to and dances me to peace. Ooh ooh ooh… My black pearl in London who I make love to and dances me to peace. Ooh ooh ooh ooh…

Åh jag älskar att se dig se på tv älskling, för det ger dig nya tricks i din samling, att öppna oss för myterna.

Oh I love to watch you watching TV baby, because it gives you new tricks in your collection.

Åh jag såg dig här i Brick Factory. Men var är du nu, det skvallras om Billy och dig, fastän du sa jag ska befria dig. Säg har du glömt att du är, du är kär?
Oh I saw you here in Picadilly. But where are you now, there’s rumours about Billy and you, allthough you said I will set you free. Tell me, have you forgotten that you are, that you are in love?

Min svarta pärla…
My black pearl…

Min svarta pärla i London…ahh..mmm… Min svarta pärlemor. Min svarta pärla i London… …ahhmmm… Min svarta pärlemor.

My black pearl in London… Ahh… Mmm… My black mother-of-pearl. My black pearl in London… Ahhmmm… My black mother-of-pearl.

Di Leva’s songs

Svarta Pärlan i London (Black Pearl in London)
- Lyrics + translation

Ingen Kan Köpa Livet (Noone can buy life) - Lyrics + translation

Di Leva

The Swedish Way of Eccentrics

Thomas Di Leva

Like every other countries, Sweden is full of eccentrics. Thomas Di Leva is one of them. He’s a dark haired high tuned singer, dressed in a dress (which isn’t common at all for men in Sweden). Like this isn’t enough for us Swedes, they say he sews his dresses himself!

Quite fancy, isn’t it?

He mostly sings in Swedish, in this voice that drives most people nuts. Most of his songs don’t even make sense. And people refer to him as a lunatic. But digging a little bit deeper in his lyrics, you’ll find that they are brilliant. Di Leva is smarter than most people think. And his message is nice. Save the earth and bring love to every species.

The biggest problem that people have about Di Leva is his extreme dress and his voice. But people who know much about music say that his pitch is perfect, he never sings false. His voice might be a bit high, but is at least not false.

I believe that Di Leva has started his own religion. That’s the impression he gives. Cosmos is his God and he lives in harmony with the trees and the flowers, and the animals are his friends. And he preaches that we are all leaves from the same tree. Some of his songs have names like “Kungen av Kosmos” (King of Cosmos), “Vi är vackra allihop” (We are all beautiful), “Vi har bara varandra” (The only thing we have is each other).

His main message is LOVE and saving earth. Most if his songs are about love to human or earth in one way or another. Like I said before, his lyrics are brilliant. For narrow-minded people they might be nothing, and his lyrics don’t make any sense to the first-listener. But they’re actually metaphors for all the things that are important in life. And many of his songs are also metaphors for dirty things… He’s quite a funny fella actually.

You wouldn’t think that this lunatic is actually a joker. He’s got distance to himself and he knows that people find him odd. I was once at a concert with him, and his opening line was:

“Welcome to an evening with Sweden’s most forbidden man!”

And then he giggled along with his audience.

Due to the fact that he can joke about himself, a question that many people have asked to themselves is: Is he really true? Or is this just a play to earn money? Is Di Leva like this in private?

I’m afraid that we will never find out. In his own very special way Di Leva is a beloved mystery. You can’t help wondering what’s under his skirt. Is he a man? Is he an alien? He’s that type of artist that you either hate or love.

Many people see him as some sort of dreamer who hopes and believes in peace and love. And even though his message might not reach through, the thought is nice.

And if people could just ignore his clothing and his ”bad” voice, and listen to his message instead, it would make the world a better place.

Here is one if his hits Naked Number One.

I am based on a true story
Naked number one, that’s what people call me. Tell them I’m in town, riding on a donkey. Sing a song and your heart will never fall. Make love, be a conscious animal.

I am not a fool. I am a magician. Eating up a flash. Understand my mission. Sing a song and your heart will never fall. Make love, be a conscious animal. Sing a song and your heart will never fall. Make love, be a conscious animal
Yeah, c’mon!

I hear your heartbeats in the ocean of love. We are together, yeah, the fairytale is flying Come share the visions on the mountain of peace. Just wish and all your dreams will come to life!

The lamb will return as a lion today.
The lamb will return as a lion today.
Ah, hey, hey! Hey, hey!

I am just a symbol, I am Naked Number One
I am just a symbol, I am Naked Number One
I am just a symbol, I am Naked Number One

Yeah, c’mon! I hear you heartbeats in the ocean of love. We are together, yeah, the fairytale is flying. Come share the visions on the mountain of peace.

Just wish and all your dreams will come to life! Yeah!

La-la-la-la! La-la-la-la-la-la!
La-la-la-la! La-la-la-la-la-la!
Just wish!

You find some of his Swedish songs + translation here.

Word: Thank You

Thank you = Tack

A friend of mine from Turkey spent some time studying in Sweden. He told me that one thing he noticed was that Swedes say “Tack” ALL the time. In the grocery store, “Tack, tack”, in the clothes shop, “Tack, tack”. Tack, tack, tack, tack. Thank you very much. Thanks. Thank you, thank you. He thought this word was said a bit TOO often.

Thinking about it, I agree. We do say thank you a lot.

We say thank you when we give the person behind the counter the money, they say thank you when they get them. We say thank you when they give us the change, they say thank you when we receive it. Sometimes, but just sometimes, we say “here you are” instead. But that’s more rarely.

Quite extreme, isn’t it?

Silla's thinking

I’ve made an observation. When people wait for something, for example the train, they eat. Especially if they find out that the train is delayed. What is the first thing people do? They run some place to get chips or snacks!

What is it with people and eating while they’re bored? Says me who thinks everything gets more fun if you eat while doing it. But still!

I also wonder why people rush to get some food when they just have found out their train has been delayed. Is it because they eat when they’re bored, or is it because they actually WERE hungry, but didn’t have time to eat before the train was announced delayed? This is kind of a tricky questions, isn’t it..?

Silla’s thinking

I’ve made an observation. When people wait for something, for example the train, they eat. Especially if they find out that the train is delayed. What is the first thing people do? They run some place to get chips or snacks!

What is it with people and eating while they’re bored? Says me who thinks everything gets more fun if you eat while doing it. But still!

I also wonder why people rush to get some food when they just have found out their train has been delayed. Is it because they eat when they’re bored, or is it because they actually WERE hungry, but didn’t have time to eat before the train was announced delayed? This is kind of a tricky questions, isn’t it..?

Silla the Taxidriver

I’ve been spending some hours today being my mother’s private taxi driver. She’s about twice my age, but doesn’t have a driver’s license. But it was mostly a pleasure anyway! My mom is a fun one!

Today I FINALLY got up the time I said I was gonna get out of bed. Hurray! And off I went to the gym. My shoulders got what they deserved, man they did.

Time to sleep now, I’m going on a little adventure tomorrow…

Good Night!

Silla's muscles

Hello hello!

What a wonderful day! The sun is (was) shining and the temperature is ok! I love hot weather, but I feel pretty fine with what we’ve got today too. It’s at least better than all the rain that’s been pouring down the last two weeks. But… I just looked out the window and I can see rain is coming… What a total shame. Hopefully I will get some hot days now that I’m on vacation for two weeks.

Today I managed to get up at 9 am, only one hour after the alarm rang. But I’m getting there, I surely am! Yesterday I got out of bed three hours after the alarm rang.

I cooked myself an omelette and then I rushed to the gym. As I was the only person there, I picked my own music. I kind of wondered where everyone was, 10 o’ clock in the morning, was I the only one who wanted to excercise?!

When I was finished at the gym I met my sister at the library. I found a Chinese cookery book and this muscle training book that seemed interesting. Now here I am, with books up to my ears and chicken waiting for me to be cooked.

Wish me good luck!

Silla’s muscles

Hello hello!

What a wonderful day! The sun is (was) shining and the temperature is ok! I love hot weather, but I feel pretty fine with what we’ve got today too. It’s at least better than all the rain that’s been pouring down the last two weeks. But… I just looked out the window and I can see rain is coming… What a total shame. Hopefully I will get some hot days now that I’m on vacation for two weeks.

Today I managed to get up at 9 am, only one hour after the alarm rang. But I’m getting there, I surely am! Yesterday I got out of bed three hours after the alarm rang.

I cooked myself an omelette and then I rushed to the gym. As I was the only person there, I picked my own music. I kind of wondered where everyone was, 10 o’ clock in the morning, was I the only one who wanted to excercise?!

When I was finished at the gym I met my sister at the library. I found a Chinese cookery book and this muscle training book that seemed interesting. Now here I am, with books up to my ears and chicken waiting for me to be cooked.

Wish me good luck!