Oh Gothenburg

[Orchestral Introduction] [Violins in agitation, piano, stern strings] [Verse 1 – Solo Man] A man in Gothenburg declared: “My bakery business? I knead to be spared.” I asked: “Is trade becoming dark?” He said: “No... I just loaf in the park.” [Children’s Choir] Loaf in the park... loaf in the park... Loaf in the park... [Pre-Chorus – Solo Woman] And all the harbor... bowed its head... for that one line... should not have spread... [Chorus – Solo Man + Choir] OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! Where every joke hits iceberg-hard and still gets called “top notch” OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! A city built on rain and salt and puns we don’t deserve [Verse 2 – Solo Man] A fisherman stood by the pier and said: “My herring disappeared.” I cried: “My God! How can that be?” He sighed: “It just swam out... on porpoise... you see.” [Children’s Choir] On porpoise... on porpoise... [solo woman scream] OH MY GOD please shut up! [Pre-Chorus – Solo Woman] And in the seagulls’... hollow cry... one heard the sound... of culture die... [Chorus – Solo Man + Choir] OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! Where every joke is old at birth yet still proclaimed with nerve OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! Where every pun should be illegal yet echoes round the block [Verse 3 – Solo Man] A tram conductor proudly smiled: “I used to drive, but now I’m retired.” I said: “Do you miss the rails and spark?” He said: “No... I’m just trying to stay on track.” [Children’s Choir] Stay on track... stay on track... [Bridge – Quiet, reverent] [Soft piano, trembling strings] [Female Shout] DONT YOU TELL NEXT ONE! [Solo Man] A shrimp seller looked into the rain and said: “I shell not love again...” [Children’s Choir – almost sacred] Shell not... shell not... shell not love again... [Verse 4 – Solo Man] A man sold bread on Hisingen then said: “I loaf around now and again.” The square fell still... the pigeons froze... even the seagull turned and chose... [Children’s Choir] To fly away... to fly away... [Female Shout] ÅHH NEEEJ! [Grand Chorus – Full Orchestra] [Chorus – Solo Man + Choir] OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! Where every man’s a comedian and no one knows when to stop OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! Where harbor winds and tragic men make nonsense feel deserved OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! A tragic town of comic pain magnificently absurd [Final Verse – Solo Man] And if one day the world should end a man in Gothenburg will bend toward the fire and softly smirk: “Well... this has truly stopped the work.” [Children’s Choir] Stopped the work... stopped the work... [Final Chorus – Highest intensity] OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! Sing loudly for the noble fools whose jokes are never cured [Female] I cant take this anymore.... [Children’s Choir] take this anymore... take this anymore... OH GOTHENBURG! OH GOTHENBURG! A symphony of awful lines performed like something pure [Outro – Solo Woman] And somewhere near the harbor wind... another pun... begins... [Children’s Choir – fading] Gothenburg... Gothenburg... GOTHENBURG!