Blues to Jante
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
- This is not a traditional blues, but the chorus and solo parts are typical 12-bar music. Although I have a coarse voice, I made an exception and sang this song to express my view of the creativity-inhibiting culture in Sweden that now and then pops-up, and is known by the name “the law of Jante”.
I am a person who loves creativity. However, in my working life, I have occasionally encountered the attitude that certain tasks are reserved for certain people, whether they are best suited for the task or not. The ideas from others are suppressed because they do not come from the appointed people. Sometimes ideas are even taken by someone else who turns them into their own ideas. This is a very creativity-inhibiting culture that I hate.
Sometimes, this same attitude in music. Some people believe that certain kinds of music “must” be performed in a certain way. For example, they believe that certain types of music can only be played on certain instruments. Somebody wrote on Facebook that electric violins should not use a “wah-wah”, because that effect belonged to electric guitars. A violin should only sound as a violin, according to this person. In this song I try to show how good it can sound. When playing violin with auto-wah-wah the bow pressure is perfect to control the wah-effect. It is even more natural to use that kind of control than to use auto-wah-wah on an electric guitar. Of course, it's just a matter of opinions. But inhibiting rules and prejudices should be challenged.
A good friend who plays guitar once said to me: “I have always said that it is not possible to play blues on violin, but you have convinced me”. I could not get a better grade, it made me happy to hear. These are the experiences this song is all about.
Here are the full lyrics of the song:
There is a kind of law, that people here obey
The name of it is “Jante”; it makes the people say:
Don’t take any initiatives, go home with your ideas
You should know your place man, we are the domineers
Ideas should come from high above, from guys with special roles
Obey our common values, Obey our special rules
Jante is ruling
Jante is the law
Don't come here by yourself
We are the common law
Jante is the God here
We know that can't be done
Jante is ruling
Jante is the law
They say it can't be done, It would be too bizarre
You cannot play the blues, cause your fiddle ain't no guitar
_Stick to your Vivaldi, that's good for violin
To fiddle with a waw-wah, that just would be a sin
But I say to Jante's followers, damn Jante's law and rule
I'll show you how it's done, just listen, it's so cool
Jante isn't ruling
Jante is no law
I come here by myself
I make my own new law
Jante is no God here
I play the blues for you
Jante isn't ruling
Jante is no law
Jante isn't ruling
Jante is no law
I come here by myself
I make my new own law
Jante is no God
I've played the blues for you
Jante isn't ruling
Jante is no law
Jante is no God
I've played the blues for you
Jante isn't ruling
Jante is no law
Because Jante cannot play the Blues!
More info and me and my music here: www.stefangmus....