12/12/2010

The Baltic Sea


Pigeon-holing other countries has a persistent attraction, as a recent series of maps of Europe labelled according to national stereotypes showed, with over half a billion hits.


This has a long history but some countries seem to face a bit of a struggle. In a programme from the 1970’s TV comedy series, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, upwardly mobile Bob Ferris(Rodney Bewes) quizzes working-class traditionalist Terry Collier (James Bolam) on his views on foreigners. After running through stock stereotypes on a list of nationalities – 'Russians? Sinister. Spanish? Lazy’ - he is asked, ‘What about the Danes? ‘ There is a pause, then the answer comes ‘Pornographic’.

The English have often seemed to find it hard to get a handle on Scandinavian countries, something parodied by Monty Python in their Finland song: “You're so near to Russia, so far from Japan, quite a long way from Cairo, lots of miles from Vietnam”. Views on Sweden seemed to have sporadically shifted but seem to only focus on one thing at a time. In the 1950’s and early 60’s the association was depression, the existentialist angst of Ingmar Bergman films - playing chess with Death  - and endless dark forests and long winters. There was also a mistaken belief that Sweden had a very high suicide rate, a myth that seems to date to the Eisenhower presidency and American alarm at the cradle - -to - grave welfare state and social democracy of Sweden and the effect this must have on its citizens. Later on, the image was of liberalisation of pornography and providing a haven for draft dodgers from the Vietnam war, before its major exports in Abba and the Volvo car shifted public perception again to reliability and efficiency. Now, I suppose, the standard association is with Ikea, its furniture and the side attraction of Swedish cuisine. On Fathers Day one year I was treated to lunch in the Brent Cross Ikea cafe: Swedish meatballs, cranberry sauce and potatoes, a Daim bar and unlimited coffee, all for £1.99. How do they do it?

The same uncertainty has been found in songs. Sweden itself has exported plenty of pop music, notably Abba, of course, but a string of others from the instrumental Spotnicks in the early 1960's through to the Cardigans, Europe, Roxette, Ace of Bass and Peter, Bjorn and John. Songs about Sweden from outside observers, however, have been less common. Australian singer Darren Hanlon took a novel angle with his vocal plea, Operator-Get Me Sweden: “I really must apologise for my compulsive behaviour, one left his heart in San Francisco, mine's in Scandinavia”. Others have tended to generalisations about being worthy but boring. The Stranglers 1978 Sweden began’ Let me tell you about Sweden, only country where the clouds are interesting”. The Divine Comedy’s Sweden saw it as “ Safe and clean and green and modern, Bright and breezy, free and easy”

The song here is The Baltic Sea, from the 2008 album Nothing Personal, It's National Security by Swedish-Scottish indie pop group, The Social Services, originally formed and based in Stockholm. It is in this same genre -‘You’re as cold as the Baltic Sea and you close your doors so readily’ - though with the virtues of the country ,from forests full of blueberries to recycling facilities, recognised. Stereotypes, of course, can contain some truth and the closing chorus of ‘We can be your friends’ does seem to echo the sometimes less than comradely attitudes of Sweden’s Nordic neighbours to their big brother. The Danes and Finns, in particular, seem to have an often acerbic attitude: perhaps that of unruly classmates to the school swot. (‘You know you have been in Denmark too long if you feel comfortable laughing at jokes about Swedes’).

My own main experience of Sweden some years ago was rather coloured by its circumstances: a family holiday, including my 2-year old daughter and mother-in-law, in a Mini. All of the party came down with food poisoning on the 24 hour ferry to Gothenburg - not the fault of the smorgasbord – and on arrival there was a 3 hour drive to Varmland as the symptoms took hold. On the bright side, however, we did get to see the inside of a Swedish country hospital, as well as forests full of blueberries. And, contrary to the song, the staff there all smiled back.

Link to song

49 comments:

  1. I love this column! And you're absolutely right that it's very hard to imagine this area of the world (you mention it's hard for the English and I think it's even harder for Americans!). I just have no clear mental images at ALL!

    (Until this column of course!)

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  2. Geoff! That map of national stereotypes is amazing! I have no idea why I didn't see it before. Brilliant.

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  3. In case anyone is wondering about the show Geoff mentioned, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, I found a few episodes online. This seems pretty typical of the show - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GuWeW7ywJI - and the show seems pretty authentic in its background shots of England in the 1970s (by which I mean, I've never seen England like this, so it must be very different to the Hollywood version!).

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  4. Geoff, I wonder if you carefully timed this column! I feel like Sweden was in the news more thean usual this week - the Swedish accusing Julian Assange of sex crimes, the terrorist attack in Stockholm.... Sweden has been in the news far more than usual, so I was even more grateful for some context on the country I kept reading about!

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  5. In case anyone wants the full conversation between the Likely Lads, Bob and Terry, that Geoff quotes, here it is:)

    "I bet we could go right round the world and you'd have a pat response ready."
    "I've travelled man, I've seen a bit of the world now you know."
    "What do you think of Koreans, for instance?"
    "Not to be trusted. Cruel people. Much the same as all Orientals."
    "That's a third of the world's population dismissed in a phrase. Russians?"
    "Sinister."
    "Egyptians?"
    "Cowardly."
    "Oh? I thought you might have saved that for Italians."
    "No, no, they're greasy aren't they? Not as greasy as the French mind."
    "Germans?"
    "Arrogant."
    "Spaniards?"
    "Lazy."
    "Danes?"
    "Pornographic."
    "Well that's just about everyone. Oh, Americans?"
    "Well, they're flash aren't they?"
    "So it's just down to the British is it?"
    "Well, I haven't got much time for the Irish or the Welsh, and the Scots are worse than the Koreans."
    "And you never could stand Southerners."
    "To tell you the truth I don't like anybody much outside this town. And there's a lot of families in our street I can't stand either. Come to think of it I don't even like the people next door."
    "I see, so from the distant blue Pacific through the barren wastes of Manchuria, to 127 Inkerman Terrace, you can't abide anyone."

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  6. I love that Monty Python song! Here it is for anyone who wants it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNr3nK_bvKQ. And the lyrics!

    Finland, Finland, Finland,
    The country where I want to be,
    Pony trekking or camping,
    Or just watching TV.
    Finland, Finland, Finland.
    It's the country for me.

    You're so near to Russia,
    So far from Japan,
    Quite a long way from Cairo,
    Lots of miles from Vietnam.

    Finland, Finland, Finland,
    The country where I want to be,
    Eating breakfast or dinner,
    Or snack lunch in the hall.
    Finland, Finland, Finland.
    Finland has it all.

    You're so sadly neglected
    And often ignored,
    A poor second to Belgium,
    When going abroad.

    Finland, Finland, Finland,
    The country where I quite want to be,
    Your mountains so lofty,
    Your treetops so tall.
    Finland, Finland, Finland.
    Finland has it all.

    Finland, Finland, Finland,
    The country where I quite want to be,
    Your mountains so lofty,
    Your treetops so tall.
    Finland, Finland, Finland.
    Finland has it all.

    Finland has it all.

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  7. Oh dear, Geoff, your kids took you to Brent Cross for Father's Day? To a cafe in Ikea for a £1.99 meal of meatballs? I really feel like you should demand something fancier next time!!:)

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  8. Wow. That is one of the worst travel stories ever! Food poisoning and vomiting in a Mini with your mother-in-law and a toddler in Sweden.... I'd challenge anyone to beat that!

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  9. Great column Geoff!

    (quick question to you or other U.S. readers: anyone know what a "school swot" is? From googling, it seems like it's the school dork. Is that right?)

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  10. But the clouds ARE interesting in Sweden. :)
    Here's the Stranglers song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt2FvbdcAVM

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  11. Very cool lyrics to this song - I hadn't heard of the band before.

    Oh, Sweden I'm sorry to say that you're tedious sometimes
    Your Natural Beauty is unsurpassed
    Your children are healthy and ruddy
    Your recycling facilities are second to none
    You're and ethical peace-loving nation
    You design such great furniture and storage solutions
    And mass-produce them too

    But nobody smiles back at me
    On the underground on my way to work
    You're as cold as the Baltic Sea
    And you close your doors so readily

    But your lakes are so clean for swimming in
    Your mountains so white for skiing on
    Your forests are so full of blueberries Your summer are cloudless skies

    But nobody smiles back at me
    On the underground on my way to work
    You're as cold as the Baltic Sea
    And you close your doors so readily

    I can be your friend, I'll come round for tea when your all alone
    I can make you laugh, chat to you all night long on the phone
    We can be your friends
    We can be your friends

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  12. I love their song Seven Dwarves as well:) http://thesocialservices.bandcamp.com/track/seven-dwarves

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  13. Wow, this song feels like harshest one yet you've written about Geoff - it compares the Swedish people to that cold barren sea, while at the same time complimenting the country on its “furniture and storage solutions”. Definitely doesn't make me want to visit Sweden at all, and usually after reading your column I want to book the first flight to wherever you have written about (except maybe Watford Gap).......!

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  14. Hey, the band has made this song available as a free download at Last FM in case anyone wants it: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Social+Services. (I warn you though, once you've heard it you'll want to buy It's Nothing Personal, It's National Security).

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  15. They have also recorded Europe’s “the Final Countdown” as an acoustic waltz. Hilarious!! Very cheeky humour.

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  16. I read online that someone said the song the Baltic Sea “should become Sweden’s national anthem”. Which is a bit weird!

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  17. I read a funny interview with them, where they describe their music as "Imagine a 70s Elton John riding an elephant through a circus and stepping on all the clowns on the way past, then being knocked off by a stray trapeze artist while the tango band plays on as if nothing untoward has happened. Or: melodic, guitarless, dramatic, lyrical pop."

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  18. I think they have Irish in the band too though - they describe themselves as an "indiepop quartet, two parts Glaswegian, one part Swedish and one part Northern Irish, formed in Stockholm and now based in Glasgow."

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  19. I think the Scots must be the singers, as they have a lovely distinct Scottish accent in the singing.

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  20. I didn't know of this band, but I think their vibe has some Scottish sound, some Swedish pop sound, all fused together. It's pretty cool!

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  21. I heard them earlier this year in Edinburgh - very fun evening. They are great live.

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  22. I love their irony - brilliant!

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  23. There is something gorgeous about how they blend a nostalgia - a real wistfulness - with something much harder, harsher, a real criqitue. It's quite a balancing act!

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  24. Maybe in classic Swedish style, they are very generous with offering tracks at their website for free download (I think): http://thesocialservices.bandcamp.com

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  25. I tried to find a video for "Operator-Get Me Sweden" but could only find the audio preview which you can play a short piece of at Amazon by clicking on the play arrow: http://www.amazon.com/Operator-Get-Me-Sweden/dp/B000QN6JOM

    Great column Geoff!

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  26. You shouldn't be put off, Noel. It really is worth visiting and the countryside is spectacular.
    Yes, school swot is a goody-goody, Jim. The attitude of Finns and Danes seems ambivalent. On one hand there is this view of the Swedes being very correct and proper but there are also a lot of jokes about the Swedes and drinking, on the lines of 'There were 2 men in a park. One was drunk, the other was Swedish as well'

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  27. There is also a whole album called Sweden by The Mountain Goats. And Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident, Marduk is from Norrköping were i was born.

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  28. Geoff, this is off topic and it's likely you already mentioned it in an earlier column, although I couldn't find it just now when I searched, but I've been listening to Jonathan Richman's song "Twilight In Boston" and thought it should be on any list you have of Boston songs.

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  29. And the album Made In Sweden, the debut album by E-Type, is pretty good.

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  30. Everyone should write more songs about Sweden, where everyone is attractive, speaks five languages, and has great style. Or about nationalized health care!

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  31. I love Sweden. It’s a land of endless countryside, stunning archipelagos and Nordic winters that transform into long, bright summer days...

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  32. Geoff, I really appreciated this column because it pushes so wonderfully against the current image of songs about Sweden - that are racist, neo-nazi effots. This comes from the popularity of the Swedish White-Power neo-nazi band Ultima Thule. They had the first Swedish skinhead record with their EP "Sweden Sweden fatherland" that was sponsored by the racist organisation Keep Sweden Swedish (aka "Kick the Immigrants out"). It's good to be aware of other songs about Sweden that aren't all about a land for white people!

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  33. As I think we've learned from Geoff's column, songs about places are somewhat dependent on people's associations with the country's natural environment - the sea, moon, the sun, etc. And despite being “the land of the midnight sun” it happens that some people think of winter when they hear of Sweden. In fact, despite its northern latitude most of Sweden enjoys fairly mild weather all year round, and winter is only one of four distinct seasons. But in the popular imagination, it's dark all year, which I do think reduces the number of potential songs - as there is only so many lyrics about being dark and cold one can write.......

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  34. I hear you Erika, but this is a country with long coastlines, deep forests and a seasonal climate, (it’s no accident that Swedes adore their nature and love to talk about the weather), so it is pure misinformation that drives the image of somewhere dark and cold. I agree that this probably impacts popular impressions of the country though, and therefore songwriting.

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  35. Poor Swedes. Geoff, it sounds like the Swedes are to the Finns and Danes what the Canadians are to the Americans...... I think they might be the Canada of Europe!

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  36. This is a great one too: http://fallingandlaughing.bandcamp.com/track/compilations-of-sweden

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  37. Also, sorry for the delay in posting - I think you posted on a Sunday evening this time, rather than a Saturday, and so the work week swept in before I could read and think and respond. This is by no means a request for you to post on Saturdays always (I'm so grateful you write this blog and I would read it any day of week!) but I'm just letting you know why it took me a while, because I didn't have the usual Sunday free time to drink coffee and read the blog!:)

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  38. Ok, thanks Geoff, I won't write off Sweden:)

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  39. Oooh, yes, same for me as Laura. Sunday night posting meant a bit of a delay and a shorter perusal! But like Laura, I am very far from demanding anything, just grateful for the ongoing pleasure and education of this online degree in music history!

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  40. ps - it's Friday night! Time to return to the blog for some rereading after a week's work!

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  41. Thats an interesting analogy with the Canadians, Missie. I think the difference might be that Finland and Denmark were part of the Swedish Empire at one time, which is perhaps a historical reason for the jokes against Sweden.

    Sorry about Sunday posting! The week seems to have come round quickly!

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  42. Interesting! Maybe a bit more like the British attitude towards Australians then (thinking they are a lesser, stupider version of the British, in a post-colonial, Commonwealth kind of way).

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  43. Geoff, I hear England is deep in snow (they are reporting it over here on the US news). Maybe time for a column on songs about snow - which seems only fair seeing as you have done the sun and the moon...... Suggestions anyone?

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  44. "Snow Bridge" by Candy Claws

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  45. Hey there! Thanks for the column. Very exciting!

    Also, we have a new album out soon: here we are recording it

    Martin:
    http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs146.ash2/40654_422322554258_235169989258_4546193_6760082_n.jpg

    and Lucy:
    http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs297.snc4/41164_422322464258_235169989258_4546186_5793285_n.jpg

    Emma xxxxx (of TSS)

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  46. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)

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  47. Ian McGlynn - The Snow Angel and the Icicle Sword

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  48. Hey Geoff! I think you're having a Christmas break:) Well-deserved! You're the most prolific blogger I've ever seen. Anyway, I'm away for the break now too and just wanted to say Merry Christmas and hope to read you again in the New Year or whenever you post next! Thanks for the lovely treat of this column in 2010 - it truly was one of the highlights of my year.

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  49. Thanks. I'll try and do a seasonally appropriate one before Christmas!

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