Himlajord (International) assertion single work   lyric/song  
Earth From Heaven; Heaven-blessed Soil
Issue Details: First known date: 1937... 1937 Himlajord
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Himlajord' expresses the pioneer and settler drive to succeed in the new country and celebrates Hallänningars energy. The song also considers a theological question relating to the origins of the land (or soil) - did it come from the mountains or from heaven? Taube's inspiration for the song, Swedish immigrant Gustaf Löfgren, argues that the soil is from heaven. Taube humbly disagrees and suggests a concept he heard while visiting Argentina. Neither man resolves this dispute, Taube notes, however, that Löfgren believed that his prosperity had been supported by celestial intervention.

In the song Taube changes several names in order to fit the rhythm of the music. The most notable of these changes are Löfgren's given name (which becomes John) and Crimson Creek (the real waterway having been called Cameron's Creek).

Notes

  • Gustav Emanuel Löfgren (1860-1932) followed his brother to Australia in 1883. He eventually grew oranges on a 650 acre property at Cameron's Creek, near Mount Crosby, Queensland (16 kilometres from Ipswich). A giant of man, Löfgren, was well-known throughout the Ipswich district for his incredible strength. He also reportedly saved a man from drowning during the 1893 Brisbane flood.
  • A cutting from Löfgren's last remaining orange tree was donated to the town of Falkenberg (Löfgren's birthplace) by Brisbane-based researcher Stig Hokanson. It now grows in a specially constructed greenhouse.
  • A four-sided granite sculpture illustrating the story told in Taube's 'Himlajord' is situated at the entrance to the Falkenberg City Hall. The work was created by Tore Heby.
  • 'Himlajord' was originally released on vinyl by Columbia (Sweden) in 1937 (DS 1060).
  • An English translation of the 'Himljord' lyrics can be accessed through the Enn Kokk website (sighted 19/08/2014)

Works about this Work

Last amended 21 Aug 2014 11:14:10
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