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Billy
23 replies
LaMan said on June 13, 2005 17:18:
can someone tell me what´s the story behind this song? is it a sad song such as Jeffersson?
on_a_mission said on June 15, 2005 00:13:
Ok Here’s the Swedish version I got:
Billy och jag hade pluggat ihop
Han knega på Domus och jag gick och stämpla
Hösten börja komma, den där känslan med
att komma bort ifrån hela skiten
Så Billy ringde mej tidigt en morgon
och fråga om jag skulle hänga med
Jag fråga: Vart? och han svara: Bort!
Vi drog till Domus och han fick ut sin lön
Jag ringde min mamma och sa: Jag sticker nu!
Och vi hängde på första tåget som stod inne på stationen
Två enkla biljetter till Malmö Central och Billy sa: Du fattar vad det handlar om
Gosse, du fattar vad det handlar om!
Färjan över sundet till Köpenhamn
och vi leta efter täcke för natten
Och vi träffa ett gäng med bågar och brass
och Billy börja snacka och jag var rädd som fan
att gänget ville ha oss med nå’nstans
Billy tände på och jag satt bredvid
och han älta sin skit om och om och om igen
Han sa: gosse, du fattar vad det handlar om
Gosse, du fattar vad det handlar om!
Morgonen kom och cyklarna rulla
Amsterdam var nästa mål
Billy hängde på, han ville ha mej med
men jag tveka och sa till slut: Hej då
Billy blev förbannad och dom stack iväg
och jag, jag stack åt motsatt håll
Och jag koja vid stationen i några dar
sen färjan österut i toner av moll
Jag fråga mej: gosse, fatter du vad det handlar om? Fattar du vad det handlar om?
Månaderna gick och våren kom
och Billy var lika borta som snön
men en dag i juni 77 kom ett vykort postat i Köln
Och Billy hade skrivit söndrigt som fan
Han hade precis börjat prova heroin
Och han skrev att hans liv var en väska
man sparkar på, kastar iväg och slänger hit och dit
och man öppnar den och fyller med pulver och med skit
åååh Billy, vad fan har hänt?
Och han skrev: gosse, fattar du vad det handlar om?
Han skrev: gosse, fattar du vad det handlar om?
Han skrev: gosse, fattar du vad det handlar om?
Åh min Billy, fattar du vad det handlar om?
And Here’s my translation:
Billy and I had studied together
Now he toiled at Domus and I was on the Dole
The autumn was coming, and we felt it in the air,
A feeling we should escape from all the shit
So Billy called me early in the morning
And I asked if I should jack it all in
I asked again: Everything? He said: Everything!
We dragged ourselves to Domus and he collected his backpay
I called my mother and said: I’m taking off!
We pinned our hopes on the first train as we stood in the station
Two one way tickets to Malmö Central and Billy said: Do you get what this is about?
Dude, Do you get what this is about?
Ferry over the sound (Öresund) to Copenhagen
And we searched for cover for the night
And we met a gang with shiny motorbikes.
Billy began chatting but I was scared shitless
The gang wanted us to go somewhere with them
Billy lit-up and I sat by his side
And he kneaded his shit (dope) over and over again
He said: Dude, Do you get what this is about?
Do you get what this is about?
Morning Came and the Bikers dictated:
Amsterdam was the next goal
Billy hung back: he wanted me to come
But I hesitated and said I was out: goodbye!
Billy became angry and went with them on the road
And I, I went the opposite way
To the hut by the station, the same day
Took the ferry eastwards in a dark mood [a ‘minor key’ is the literal translation. This doesn’t work]
And he asks me: Do you get what this is about?
The months went by and the spring came
And Billy had vanished just like the snow
Then one day in June of ’77 came a postcard from Koln
That Billy had written: his handwriting was fucked
He had just began to experiment with Heroin
He wrote that he lived life from a bag
Kicking around, here and there
And that one was open to filling the veins with powder and all kinds of new shit
Aww Billy, what the fuck has happened?
And he wrote: Do you get what this is about?
And he wrote: Do you get what this is about?
Oh my Billy: Do you get what this is about?
[edit] Hmm, my translation is a bit better, but we really need Tev or someone who has both native Swedish and perfect english.
I have native english and sh*tty Swedish!
tevensso (moderator) said on June 15, 2005 10:35:
I’ll work on yours if it’s OK?
Billy
Billy and I had studied together
Now he toiled at Domus and I was on the Dole
The fall (autumn) was coming, and we felt it in the air,
A feeling we should escape from all this shit
So Billy called me early in the morning
And asked me if I would tag along
I asked: where to? He said: Away!
So we dragged ourselves to Domus and he collected his backpay
I called my mother and said: I’m taking off!
We got on the first train that stood at the station
Two one-way tickets to Malmö Central and Billy said: Do you get what this is about?
Dude, do you get what this is about?
Ferry over the sound (Öresund) to Copenhagen
And we searched for cover for the night
And we met a gang with motorbikes and grass.
Billy began chatting but I was scared shitless
that the gang wanted us to go somewhere with them
Billy lit up and I sat by his side
And he mulled over his shit time and again
He said: Dude, do you get what this is about?
Do you get what this is about?
Morning came and the bikes rolled
Amsterdam was the next goal
Billy tagged along, he wanted me to join
But I hesitated and finally said goodbye!
Billy became angry and they took off
And I, I went the opposite way
Slept by the station a few days
Took the ferry eastwards in a sad mood [a ‘minor key’ is the literal translation. This doesn’t work]
And I ask myself: Do you get what this is about?
The months went by and the spring came
And Billy had vanished just like the snow
Then one day in June of ’77 came a postcard mailed in Cologne
And Billy had written: his handwriting was f****d
He had just began to experiment with Heroin
He wrote that his life was like a suitcase
you kick around, throw away, here and there
filling it with powder and all kinds of shit
Aww Billy, what the f**k has happened?
And he wrote: Man, do you get what this is about?
And he wrote: Do you get what this is about?
Oh my Billy: Do you get what this is about?
sweepi said on June 15, 2005 17:18:
“Billy tände på och jag satt bredvid och han älta sin skit om och om och om igen”
This is one bit in the lyrics that has made me wonder about the most. And still I do, whether “Billy tända på” is meant in the way of “Billy got excited from chatting with the gang” or “Billy lit up a cigar (or cigarret or whatever that is supposed to be called) of hashish”?... And as well, whether “han älta sin skit” is meant in the way of “he kept on talking about his life and problems” or “he kept on smoking that hashish shit”, but here I see it is really the first meaning then, correct?
on_a_mission said on June 15, 2005 17:38:
’kneaded his shit (problems)’
should read
’mulled over his shit time and again’
as he is thinking his troubles over.
pwbbounce (moderator) said on June 15, 2005 20:44:
When you heard Per sing this on the Mazarin tour it’s hard to believe that this song is 27 years old! His performance of it on the DVD is amazing. There’s one clip of an audience member who looks like he’s been a fan of Per/GT since the start and he’s just staring at Per mouthing the words. Very cool and touching to see a grown man so moved by the music!
That’s what I’m gonna be like!
tevensso (moderator) said on June 16, 2005 09:37:
The first version came out on the ep in ’78. Time flies...
sweepi said on June 16, 2005 09:42:
My remaining doubt doesn’t refer to the meaning of the expression used in the English translation :) but indeed the original meaning of the Swedish lyrics.
tevensso (moderator) said on June 16, 2005 11:16:
@sweepie: Yes you are correct, the original lyrics refers to “blazing up”, IE smoking some marijuana and then mull over his constant problems. :)
sweepi said on June 22, 2005 21:46:
Yet, just to make a final doubt clear, the “cyklarna” mentioned afterwards refer to the “bågar” mentioned before, or (perhaps I’m interpreting it wrong?)?...
Mitya said on July 25, 2005 07:45:
I have a different (at some places a VERY different) translation of this song into English, maybe it‘s wrong, I don‘t know.
for example “med bagar och brass” is translated as “with gays and brass”, “i toner av moll” - “in tonnes of moll” (I thought “moll” here meant “sluts”)
ally77 said on June 14, 2005 06:44:
Try to English lyrics!
http://www.roxette.co.uk/text/billy.txt
One of the best songs sung live... :)