Head-ache calypso (translated, original finnish below)
This morning the devil was sitting in the armchair
he took my guitar and started to play
I told him to play on, play on!
here is A and here E
a, b, c, d, my head is sore
I have been in Turku and in Helsinki,
lived in Turku and Helsinki
I do not know which one is better
tell me which one is easier?
Life offers success
The university offers education
Valintatalo* offers maksalaatikko**
Women of Nakkila*** play the drums
and men play their woodwinds,
they play their kontramänkeri****
well, I listened to the rhythm
and I listened to the heart
and they both beat really loud
But tell me which ache is worse
tell me which is faster, er, er, er,
my head aches
In Lahnajärvi***** breams are smoked
I sat in the bar having a jaffa******
I was waiting for the bus, now it’s leaving
A small tortoiseshell******* blinked in the window
you did not know whether it was inside or outside
tell me which one of us indoors
which one outdoors?
my head is sore
Valintatalo = a finnish food store
maksalaatikko = liver casserole, a finnish popular dish which you can buy from every food-store in a 250g aluminum casserole ready, just heat and eat
Nakkila= a municipality, population 6000, located in the province of Western Finland, famous for the folk group The World Mänkeri Orchestra playing ancient finnish woodwinds
kontramänkeri = ancient finnish woodwind instrument
Lahnajärvi = small lake and a restaurant-gas-station mid way between Helsinki and Turku, where busses use to stop for a break. There was a large copper wall dekoration with breams (lahna=bream, järvi=lake)
jaffa = finnish fanta
nokkosperhonen=small tortoiseshell = a common butterfly (Aglais urticae)
Päänsärkycalypso
aamulla piru istu nojatuolissa
otti kitaran ja rupes soittaan
mä sanoin soita vaan, soita vaan
tässon aa ja tässä ee
a, b, c, d, mun pää on kipee
oon mä ollu Turussa ja Hesassa
asunut siis Turussa ja Helsingissä
en tiedä kumpi on parempi
kerro mulle kumpi on helpompi?
Elämä tarjoaa menestystä
Yliopisto tarjoaa sivistystä
Valintatalo tarjoaa maksalaatikkoa
Nakkilan naiset soittaa rumpuja
Nakkilan naiset soittaa rumpuja
ja miehet soittaa pillejään
ne soittaa kontramänkeriä
no, mä kuuntelin rytmiä
ja mä kuuntelin sydäntä
ja niistä lähti kova jytinä
mut kerro mulle kumpi on kipeempi
sano mulle kumpi on nopeempi, pi, pi, pi
pi, mun pää on kipee
Lahnajärvellä savustetaan lahnoja
mä istuin baarissa jaffalla
odotin linja-autoa, nyt se lähtee, nyt se lähtee
Nokkosperhonen räpytteli ikkunassa
ei tiennyt onks se sisällä vai ulkona
kerro mulle kumpi meistä on sisällä
kumpi ulkona?
mun pää on kipee
credits
from Nikolai Blad,
released December 7, 1995
Nikolai: vocals, guitar, Tapani Varis: bass, Kristiina Ilmonen: djembe, Kurt Lindblad: tin whistle
Nikolai Blad, born in 1963 in Tampere, Finland, is one of the Finnish singer-songwriters. He has released three solo EP:s
and five CDs and they have got good reviews. Who have seen him alive on stage can't just ignore this man. A proof of his talent was the first prize at the Kaustinen Unaccompanied Folksong Contest 1993.
Nikolai sang folksongs, Donovan etc at 6 and grasped the guitar at 8....more
The British-Somali poet draws upon everything from leftfield folk to minimalist spoken-word, bound together by simple-yet-cutting wordplay. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 28, 2021
A Pan-Latin folktronica odyssey that develops Bolivian music and culture into a roadmap for metaphysical growth and inner serenity. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 12, 2022