Soldatsång

This is a song written by no occasional author and in no occasional time. It was written in 1918 by the Swedish communist Ture Nerman (1886-1969), who, rather ironically (and diabolically, as Enn Kokk points out in his basic website) set it to the tune of a well known Danish patriotic song of 1848, Den tappre landsoldat (“Fatherland's Bold Soldier”). The “reveille” resounding “from one nation to the others” comes from no occasional nation: it comes from Soviet Russia. Nevertheless, I think this song might be still of actuality. Now guess why. [RV]

The lyrics were published 1925 in a booklet called “Socialistiska kampsanger”, including 15 songs (among them, three are by Joe Hill in Swedish translations). Here you can download the entire booklet. There's also an “ovanlig översättning” (unusual translation) of the Internationale. The version of Ture Nerman's song included in the booklet says “Framåt! Framåt! Framåt!” (Forward! Forward! Forward!) at the end of each verse; I have preferred here the lyrics given in Dagens Visa (“Song of the Day”) to point out derivation from, and identity with, the old Danish patriotic song of 1848. A rather curious, and maybe meaningful, feature of the lyrics given in the booklet, is the word for “rebellion, revolt” (myteri in Swedish) not fully printed: “m----i”. This lets you imagine how dangerous could that word be. So dangerous to cause self-censure! (Self....?)