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Is Per a Hooker-hopper? (while singing Speedo)
20 replies
P-p-p-pelle said on January 13, 2003 08:47:
Thank You! But what is your conclusions to my question?
LoneGunman said on January 10, 2003 21:38:
Hi
Here is the translation (font : http://roxette.cs.caltech.edu/pearls/)
“Speedo”
Speedo turns his heel
To another bar
Sarah takes her time in front of the mirror
Chops some grains
Puts right her white blouse
Takes her suitcase and locks the bolt
Speedo came on Friday
From Mexico’s border
Where the family is
Stuck without money
Sarah sparkles once more
To another fellow
As the dew on the meadow of homesickness
And the sun has gone down
From a sky red and wild
And tries to sleep off the intoxication
I’m sitting in a taxi
With a woman close to me
On the hunt for the morning light
Speedo checks in
In a ramshackle hotel
And waits until he
Hears something else
Experienced Sarah takes care of
Each ownerless soul
And changes dollars
Against a heart that has stopped
Speedo wants to be rich
And to have a villa by the beach
And to show the world
Who owns his reins
Sarah lets her hair hang down
By her mirror again
And powders second hand dreams
And the sun has gone down
From a sky red of fire
And tries to sleep off the intoxication
I’m sitting in a bar
Have just payed for my night
On the hunt for the morning light
And the sun has gone down
Between sky and sea
And tries to sleep off the intoxication
I’m sitting on my own
In the middle of the city of angels
On the hunt for the morning light
—-
Cool lyrics
All the best
LoneGunman
Speedo said on January 11, 2003 11:59:
Thanks, it’s cool to know what the song is about! After all, I did take my nick from that song.
Speedo
khowaga said on January 13, 2003 16:38:
I always thought Speedo and Sarah were related somehow (I don’t know why, there’s nothing in the song that indicates this). Of course, they could be related AND he’s her pimp - Some of the stories about what happens to the illegal Mexicans in the U.S. are just tragic.
Let me explain: The song is set in Los Angeles (the last stanza refers to “änglarnas stad”), and Speedo is probably an illegal immigrant. He’s definitely from Mexico (“Speedo kom i fredags / ifrån Mexicos gräns...”). I guess I thought he and Sarah were related because she’s working as a prostitute trying to make a living (a line of work which doesn’t require any sort of documentation), and he’s just hanging around doing nothing. I thought he was waiting on her to earn money so they could send it home to the family in Mexico. (This is why I thought they were related: if he just came in on Friday, then how else would he already be established as a pimp? Easy – he brought the woman he’s pimping with him, or she was waiting for him to join her.)
Now, where does Per fit into all of this? Before I saw this discussion, I hadn’t even thought about it. It may not even be Per (see Marie’s comments in the Äntligen Sommarturné DVD about how Per can “write a little story” when he’s creating a song). It could just be someone who rented out Sarah for a night and heard her story - an unnamed narrator. Maybe Per was inspired by a story he heard and decided to write a song about it.
It’s entirely possible that Speedo and Sarah aren’t related, but if they’re not, then I don’t quite understand why their stories are interwoven in the song.
Anyone else?
P-p-p-pelle said on January 14, 2003 10:55:
Okay. I start understanding. Speedo is helping Sarah earning money by being a prostitute. In some way he is a pimp dreaming of getting rich in the sex business. He is illegal, she probably too. She came to the West to have a better life, but it turned out worse: she ends up in a bar or behind a window, pushed by Speedo, who is indeed related to her. (in my vision a dishonest, unscrupulous brother)
About Per’s role: By singing in the ’I and me’-mode the singer tells this story like he was part of it. So somehow you can conclude that the singer (=Per) was a customer of Sarah. So ... while singing Speedo, Per communicates about Sarah, her life, her family and her work, which he has enjoyed a lot.
Someone else, something else?
Speedo said on January 14, 2003 11:04:
So, I’m a Mexican... very interesting indeed! I also never really had an idea what the song was about, because my Swedish is just not good enough to understand it all. But now I get a totally different idea of Speedo/Per. Maybe Speedo is a kind of nickname for Per? Just like Jefferson maybe? But that is another story....
khowaga said on January 14, 2003 22:44:
IS Jefferson a nickname for Per? He sure doesn’t look like he’s ever been hit by a truck, regardless of what direction it was going :)
I doubt that Speedo is supposed to be a nickname for Per, though, since he’s in the narrator role (who is a separate, unnamed person). Although it’s definitely a nickname. It kind of reminds me of Speedy Gonzales, from the Warner Brothers cartoons...
I’d also be surprised if the narrator was supposed to actually be Per, as opposed to “the guy telling the story.” Who or what he is isn’t really important to the story of Speedo and Sarah. That’s probably why he never says anything directly to either of them - he doesn’t have a name either.
Sometimes it’s a lot easier to write a complete fiction than to tell something personal - I mean, if I hired a prostitute for a night, I probably wouldn’t write a song about it! After all, in Blå December, Per says “My name is Daniel Bernhardt” (Well, actually he says “Daniel Berhardt är mitt namn,” but you get what I’m saying...). Then there are songs like “Kapten” and “Galning.” Per’s really creative in his solo work in a way we don’t usually see with Roxette or Gyllene Tider.
That said, my answer to the question that is the title of this discussion is that *Per* is not necessarily a john (or hooker-hopper), but the character he’s playing is...
P-p-p-pelle said on January 15, 2003 08:47:
I’ve been thinking about it. Speedo and Sarah are not related. Speedo is a criminal: he’s a pimp, but he’s more than that: Speedo helps Mexicans to get illegal in the USA and of course gets paid very well for that job. The type of guy that promisses people a new better world, in a good country, lots of welfare and a nice job. Sarah believed Speedo and thus took Speedo Sarah to the USA. But the promised land became hell: Sarah is an illegal refugee, working as a prostitute missing her family. The money she earns is ment to pay her debts to Speedo, what’s left is sent home to the family so that Speedo can bring them over to the USA too. The whole song is about Speedo who smuggles Mexicans into anonymous LA. Sarah is a victim and Per transforms himself into a hooker-hopper to be able to tell the story to everyone.
khowaga said on January 15, 2003 14:29:
Pelle: Interesting! I hadn’t thought of that connection. Speedo is a coyote (that’s what they call people who smuggle illegals across the Mexican border). It makes the song much darker (not that it was a happy one to begin with).
It does make more sense than my suggestion that they’re related. (When an idea pops into my head, I just can’t get rid of it.) It also explains what he’s doing at the beginning of the song: he’s going from bar to bar checking up on his ’girls.’ I always assumed when it says “Speedo wants to be rich” that his dreams were like Sarah’s: doomed to fail. But they’re not, are they? He’s going to get rich off of Sarah and the others - it’s only their dreams that will fail. Makes sense.
Gee, now I’m depressed.
DaminehGessle said on January 16, 2003 09:47:
I tried to understand what Jefferson was all about but it was so confusing I gave up. The whole truck thing and ... Now that you guys are working on Speedo, can someone tell me about Jefferson?
Santi said on January 16, 2003 11:25:
About Jefferson, it’s called like that because that song was inspired and sounds a lot like “Somebody to love”, a song from the 60’s by a band called “Jefferson Airplane”.
khowaga said on January 16, 2003 14:29:
Well, it looks like this is turning into the lyrics appreciation thread! So, here goes with our next song:
Jefferson was always out of luck
I remember when we both grew up
Jefferson got hit by a westbound truck
I guess that didn’t make him look like a million bucks
That night when Sally really stole the show
And every boy was captured diggin’ for gold
Poor old Jefferson was left in the snow
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
Jefferson is always on my mind
When him and me were runnin’ out of time
Jefferson was sure enough left be behind
The cops came in and took him by surprise
That night when Sally really showed her game
The neighbourhood would never be the same
Poor old Jefferson got the blame
Ooooh
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
Yeah
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I do believe he didn’t do wrong
I say a prayer for someone I care for
I do believe he didn’t do wrong
I say a prayer for someone I care for
That night where Sally really gave it all
And made us small boys look quite tall
Poor old Jefferson left the ball
Yeah
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
I’m gonna pray for Jefferson
Pray for Jefferson’s soul
a-a-a-a-ah
a-a-a-a-ah
a-a-a-a-ah
Jefferson seems like that kid in high school who never really fit in or had any friends. Everyone else is hanging out and doing the usual sort of things that teenage boys do. Maybe they all got together one night – perhaps with a naughty girl named Sally – someplace they weren’t supposed to be, and the gathering got busted by the police. Jefferson was the one who got caught while everyone else got away, which is ironic because he was the only one there who wasn’t really involved - he was the one at the party who was firmly positioned in the corner the whole night, looking terrified that someone might actually speak to him. You know the type - no real self-confidence, socially awkward...
To me, it seems like the narrator of the song is remembering Jefferson many years later and wondering whatever happened to him.
And I think that Santi is right - I remember reading somewhere that Per named the song “Jefferson” in honor of Jefferson Airplane. (I don’t really hear a strong resemblance to “Somebody to Love,” though. I love Marie’s voice, but she sure doesn’t sound like Grace Slick. Which is fine - I couldn’t hear Grace trying to do “Wish I Could Fly,” either ;) )
I don’t know. This one doesn’t give a lot of material to work with like ’Speedo.’ What do you all think?
P-p-p-pelle said on January 17, 2003 11:48:
I know it seems really, really stupid and no one will agree, but I think Jefferson is a pet, more specific a turtle. Turtle are strong animals with a very strong body (cover shield). Significant research proves that turtles can be hit by cars and survive damageless mainly because of their shield. (I guess that didn’t make him look like a million bucks).
There’s more to feed my vision: in winter times when it’s really cold turtles sleep under the ground. When (most of) human beings are having good times listening to (good) music next to the fire place or go out to a cosy restaurant or funny disco, turtles are sleeping in complete loneliness (That night when Sally really stole the show And every boy was captured diggin’ for gold Poor old Jefferson was left in the snow)
Turtles are known as very slow animals and some kinds of turtles are forbidden by law or can only be held with necessary documents (When him and me were runnin’ out of time Jefferson was sure enough left behind The cops came in and took him by surprise)
In general when people are getting angry they blame someone else who can’t defend him/herself. Pets are very often the victims of human anger (Poor old Jefferson got the blame)
The singer prays for Jefferson since Jefferson is old and in bad condition. But at the end of the song Jefferson dies leaving everyone behind in an eternall sadness (That night where Sally really gave it all And made us small boys look quite tall
Poor old Jefferson left the ball)
Speedo said on January 17, 2003 13:48:
Hey P-p-p-pelle, I don’t think that’s such a bad explanation of the song at all! Quite original, but it makes sense!
Which song’s next to be analysed???
What about Knockin’ on every door???
“You moved into the bed, but you couldn’t pay the rent, could you?”
P-p-p-pelle, I’m sure you’ll have something to say about that one too!
Speedo
P-p-p-pelle said on January 18, 2003 16:53:
I’ll have to check about Knockin’ on every door, but I think the song is about a girl who’s having more than one boyfriend. In that context I understand ’you moved in to the bed, but you couldn’t pay the rent’ as a pregnancy thing. The girl is pregnant although she didn’t want it, she just wanted to go one having fun (sex) with lots of boys. The singer really loves the girl and is disappointed about her behavior. No?
What do you think?
NinaP said on January 21, 2003 01:01:
Very good Lyrics by mr.G!
Yours is also a very intersting interpretation.Actually I used to think the same about this one,hehe...
Th_Th said on March 6, 2003 15:53:
This is actually the first time I am thinking about the Jefferson lyrics. I never realized that he died!!!
P-p-p-pelle said on January 10, 2003 17:35:
Can someone help me with the lyrics of the song ’Speedo’? Do I understand the story right if I think Speedo is a pimp, Per a hooker-hopper and Sarah a hooker? Has someone an accurate translation from the Swedish text? I think the text clearly mentions Per sitting in a taxi after having paid for a wonderful night, or am I wrong. Who’s has enough skills to figure this topic out?