schlager - the early days

it’s that time of year again. on saturday evenings restaurant owners scattered around sweden are scratching their heads while looking out at the streets. empty. bartenders are absentmindedly reading old newspapers, already having wiped down the counter thirteen times and given up on looking busy with refilling straws.
n o b o d y is out.

the magnificent schlager, a somewhat european, or perhaps even more scandinavian music phenomenon, is ruling over the common swede. we are all at home, watching melodifestivalen, the tv show where artists compete in music - and which ultimately decides who will represent the country in the eurovision song contest. this used to be a competition in schlager, but has in recent years become a random “sing-a-song”-off, if you will. however, let’s not deal with the new times, but instead reminisce over the good old days, when the eurovison song contest was referred to as schlagerfestivalen.

a schlager is a song. or, actually it’s a genre. it’s difficult to explain, but no need to fear, i will guide you through it. step by step. we'll start with the basics.

step one: a schlager needs a catchy refrain.

to clarify, here is an example. now, please enjoy the winning song of the eurovision song contest of seventy-four. with complimentary pictures of stockholm and a commentator slightly obsessed with blond vikings. because as swedish success stories usually do, it all started with abba.