a life for poetry

a life for music

Who's Håvard Rem?

Håvard Rem is a well known Norwegian poet. His first book came out when he was only 18 years old! He had decided to vote his life to poetry...and it was a good choice. He was born in Oslo on the 7th of February 1959. Until now he has published many poetry collections, books, theater pieces, lyrics and much more. His style is very personal and universal at the same time, as he expresses human emotions, dreams and hopes. The reader tends to find himself again in Håvard Rem's poetry, and that's the artist's intention! The poet's mission is to talk about art, religion and knowledge; that's the only way to get a complete picture of the world, and that's the only way to talk about everything in life, from love to wars.

His latests works are "Dvergmål" ( a cllection of 35 sonnetts about the love between a dvarf and a witch), "Himmelsk!", a monography of Bob Dylan and the teaterpiece "Fødsel". He is working on some new books at the moment.

There was a new collaboration in fact between Håvard Rem and Morten Harket: it's the song " To let you win", on a-ha's new album "Minor Earth, Major Sky".

To let you win

(Morten Harket / Håvard Rem)

You know I've always had the strenght to fight

But I got tired of the wars at night

Thinking they would end if I gave in

But I wasn't strong enough

...To let you win

I knew the fight but I didn't know the cost

And how to stop the wheels when they're in spin

I thought you couldn't love a man who'd lost

No, I wasn't strong enough

...To let you win

It used to scare me to wake up wondering

If I'd forgotten what I was fighting for

You said that you were weak and I was strong

Well, I wans't strong enough

...To let you win

(OLD)

New collaboration?

I've listened to an interview to Mr. Harket some time ago. It was a radio session he held in the U.S.A. for presenting "Wild Seed". In that occasion he sang some songs which were not in the album.

Introducing one of them he said: " I think we've had enough "soft songs"... and in the end: "that's another taste of the harder side of Håvard."

Well, I didn't get all the words of the song right (sorry!!!!!), but I think that it is maybe the English version of H. Rem's poem "RETORISK ØVELSE" (Fra "Øvelser i grensesetting, 1993) Any opinions? Can you help me?

I've got informed (thanx Paola!) that the title of the English version may be "Gospel from a heathen". Can anyone confirm that? (thanx Paola!)

I am not an atheist

But I would be an atheist for you

I hold you brother

..........

I'm no believer

but I'll be faithfull, I'll be true

sweet little sister

to protect.........(?)

I gave you my hand

but you handed me a gun

you treat me like a son

I believe no longer in you

I do what I do

I've lost your point of view

I believe no longer in you

your children know it too

Well I'm not a fascist

but I'll be a fascist for you

You call that radical

I'll break the spell of your tabus

I'm not a colour

But I'll be any colour for you

skinhead, redneck....(?)

to rob you the fear

you made the rule

I gave you my hand

and you handed me a gun

You treat me like a son

I believe no longer in you

I do what I do

I've lost your point of view

I believe no loger in you

The children know it too

Retorisk øvelse

Jeg er ikke ateist

men jeg skulle gjerne vært

en ateist for deg

skråsikre menighetsforstander

for å skremme ut demonen

Jeg er ikke muslim

men jeg skulle gjerne vært

en muslim for deg

jålete kvinnesakskvinne

for å verne sæden

i ditt skjød

Jeg er ikke fascist

men jeg skulle gjerne vært

en fascist for deg

halvgamle kulturradikaler

for å bryte makten

i dine tabuer

Jeg er ikke neger

men jeg skulle gjerne vært

en neger for deg

heimfødte fremmedhater

og robbe deg for frykten

du ruger ut i dine barn

Any suggestions?

E-mail me!

Luftguitar 1

Språket

er en luftguitar

Det er ikke så mye

jeg får spilt

Blir ofte bare sittende

og stemme

Håvard Rem, Luftguitar 1, fra "Øvelser i grensesetting", 1993

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