All songs written by Jukka Takalo. Translations from the Finnish ©1996 Chris Burman and Robert Cumming.
The mat-bridge floats on the sea going is, for other people, in the blood I ought to sleep, but I don't want to warm air blows in from the Sahara the pull of the moon moves the sea I'm quite sure it's similar to women the pull of the moon takes you swimming naked makes you think of strange things the earth travels through space day and night, let it travel after night everything is different don't grieve, don't be unhappy you can go to sleep peacefully because times will change the earth... Valassaaret are in the Gulf of Bothnia the whales form an island there flash a message to the rainbow and get going to the land of Nod the earth...
The bridges we crossed, the rivers we looked into the water goes on flowing taking all evil away with it la la la obladioblada the lads are singing by the fireside and electricity no no television hey hey let's sing by the fireside let's sing by the fireside by the fireside the lands where we lay the sands where we giggled the birds fly where they will if they will la la la... let's go to sleep alright let's go into the tent, on our stomachs we'll close our eyes when we listen to the ground la la la...
The sun rises from the rubbish-bag it shines for me I will succeed in everything I go out to jump up and down and I jump up and down in the yard even if I get run over by the garbage truck I'll survive unhurt This day is a Lucky day everything will go right I can do whatever I want When I tell a story everybody laughs when I play the fruit machine I get 45 marks This day is... ...whatever I want I go the bank to laugh the bank girls are taking off their clothes and they start to jump up and down naked The sun rises... ... unhurt This day is... ... whatever I want I wonder if this is really true Pirkko walks into the cafe and she wants to sit down beside me `hei!'
(instrumental)
You don't have to listen you don't have to listen to my nostalgic whining have you heard my story? have you heard my story in the bedrooms of the world? give a coffee to the gigolo who gave so much and at the same time received give a coffee to the gigolo and you will remember how it was so nice then beer was not my destiny the cards were not my sweetheart's I hoisted the sheets I'll go on with my story because I want to find my sweetheart over and over and over again give a coffee... ...nice then the gigolo is not needed any more bring coffee x2
I'm turning into electricity and I flow to you switch me to your electricity. And your lightexistence voltage forces the stream to run I can't turn back no matter how much I want to because there's a magnet in you ma-ma-ma-ma-magnet there's a magnet in you the compass gets confused I guess you caused a short-circuit where is north now? where am I, where am I not? pa-pa-pa-pa-papa the electricity is tickling already ma-ma-ma-ma-mama I can't resist because there's a magnet ma-ma-ma-ma-magnet there's a magnet: co-co-co-co-company there's a magnet in you...
I've got a flower-shirt and you've got a sorrow sweater I've got a black shirt and you've got a sorrow sweater if I have a crocodile shirt, then you have a sorrow sweater even if I had a camel shirt, then you have a sorrow sweater Sorrow sweater on Sunday sorrow sweater on Monday sorrow sweater when you're sinning sorrow sweater when you're pulling a fishing line behind the boat your grief came over me, you have a sorrow sweater I put on my perch coat, you have a sorrow sweater and my string tie, you have a sorrow sweater soon I'll have collar of earth, you have a sorrow sweater sorrow sweater on Sunday... You disappeared somewhere but you left me a sorrow sweater I'm taking it to a jumble sale, your sorrow sweater somebody buys a best shirt and instead he'll get a sorrow sweater soon someone somewhere knows that it is a sorrow sweater sorrow sweater in Sunday...
It would be better for people to die off soon so that the fish splash about it would not hurt if we went away the birds would twitter the puddles would sleep in the reeds if the stars in the sky swim in schools they are fishes you probably guessed that if you feel like singing go on and sing if not, then listen to the song of the puddles I play the guitar electricity makes it stronger listen to the pop song hey, this is a message for you if the stars in the sky... it would be better...
The TV is gaping the washing machine disturbs the peace I'm sitting on our sofa I'm gulping down yoghurt a state of war continues in the Balkans I always thought that was a sausage but I don't care about news right now I'm waiting for the sports programme but did you know that on the TV news the newsreader never wears trousers and Hiplu Suominen from the sports programme is always commentating women's gymnastics and now I'm switching off the TV and I take the washing out to dry out in the yard I watch the starry sky Laureline lives somewhere far away up there I wish she'd have more adventures in Finland so that we might sometime even meet but la-la-la-la-Laureline has other things to do up there in the sky she doesn't have time to hang around in Haukipudas so I suppose I have to find someone else because la-la-la-la-Laureline has other...
Why is there only shitty music on the radio? why is there never any better music on the radio? why? why? is this so? I ask. Bottles/potatoes, women and hit songs are all we need in life bottles/potatoes, women and hit songs these are the goals of my life Why does only one woman want to be with me? why don't all women want to be with me why? why? is this so? I ask Bottles/potatoes...
The silkkiuikku looks at itself in the water and the rapatuikku can peek out from under the water and there under the water, it could think that it would be beautiful to touch the silky down of the silkkiuikku and all the days and nights it could be like that the silkkiuikku and the rapatuikku look at each other even though they can never reach each other the silkkiuikku is dreaming she's doing her make-up using the water-reflection maybe imagining that behind the mirror someone waits for her silky down who could come and carry her away the silkiuikku and... the rapatuikku decides it's going to jump out of the water but doesn't dare to do it because it breathes through gills the silkiuikku would be sad if the prince would come and die by her side the silkiuikku and...
There is a lake on the island and in the lake on the island there's an island and on the island in the island is a well the walls of the well are made of concrete the floor is made of gravel and the roof is made of stars I wish that you would just happen to row to the island and that you would dare to look into the well I am an eel I've lived in the well a hundred years alone in the well and you are the pail that I have waited for a hundred years take me to the sea... the Sargasso Sea there are rocks in the sea the island is covered with bushes and the lake is swampy and (like quicksand) I wish that... I am an eel...
I am a smell in your clothes I am a shadow in your room You are lighter than a leaf/newspaper which I read this morning it's dangerous to meet a woman so pretty and nice may cause sorrows or you can lose your mind air guitars in the wind closet the shadows are playing, I'm out in the yard (=confused) I'm as out in the yard as a postman air guitars in the wind closet tadpoles in the coffee-cup I am the draught in your windows maybe we will meet some day maybe never I only remember how you looked at me but I don't remember your name air guitars...