Great reaction, and really glad you digged into this wonderful old classic. However though, the Swedish soldiers were not exactly sitting at home, helping out in the kitchen. They were deployed to the borders around the country - a couple hundred thousand at a time, taking turns - bracing themselves for a looming invasion that could have happened at any time. Staying out of the war wasn't Sweden's decision to make, it was Hitler's. And soldiers would be separated from their families for long periods of time.

Even though Sweden was neutral you have to remember that our neighbours Denmark and Norway were occupied by Nazi Germany on the 9th of April 1940. No one knew for certain that Sweden would not be occupied as well. Hence "beredskapssoldat" - Sweden had to remain vigilant.

Alice Babs - Swing it magistern, is also a song from 1940 I remember watching a documentary about Ulla Billquist where it was mentioned that Ulla was found dead lying on the kitchen floor on a pillow(she died from carbon monoxide poisoning) and beside her was another pillow, it was clear that someone had been lying on the pillow and it seemed that the person had changed their mind in the last minute. Ulla Billquist close friend said she knew who that person was but she had promised herself to never tell, all she could say was that the person that was lying next to her was much more famous than Ulla. It was also very common for gay people to get blackmailed back then. Another friend of hers Hasse Ekman made a movie called "Flicka och hyacinter" wich was said to be about Ulla. Ulla was in a long-term relationship with the singer Zarah Leander and in the movie the main caracter(Ulla) sees the woman that she loves(Zarah) seduce a man right in front of her. After that she decided to kill herself.

As I remember it the phrase ”någonstans i Sverige” refers to the fact that people generally didn’t know where in Sweden their son/husband/brother was stationed and they were not meant to know. If too many people knew about such matters that information could spread, even though people were tauhgt to keep quiet about things of this nature, and be used against Sweden. (In case of an invasion for an example).

Jussi Björling - Till havs 🌊 You have heard him sing christmas music now it's time for a summery one!😉

You should react to ”Bättre och bättre dag för dag” by Ernst Rolf. A real classic!

My grandfather (a farmer in Jämtland) was stationed somewhere in the mountains by the border to Norway ready with an old cannon. So yes, all have to work as soldiers be ready to protect our country if the enemy decides to cross the border. No one stayed at home even if we regarded us as neutral. Even the women worked for the defence.

It is difficult but you have to imagine the terror that Sweden was in at the time, every other "neutral" country had been invaded by Hitler. Sweden trained both norwegians and danish resistance, took in almost every danish jew because of a german officer leaked information. My grandmother remember how scared she was hearing Hitler on the radio and she had a Finnish friend in school, a refugee. According to my grandfather that served in the army, some soldiers were pro Hitler, but the swedish army had plans on executing them if the germans were to invade. With that said, there were more danish and norwegians that joined the SS than swedes. But, of course, Sweden would have been drawn in to the war if the allies had not secured the victory when they did. Thanks to our cooperation with both sides we and allies got information from the swedish telephone wires that the germans used to communicate with Norway and Denmark. Ever heard of the great mathematician Arne Beurling? And another question if not one country in Europe were free of war, who would then take on refugees and could help with the rebuilding of Europe? That is what i am asking myself with this nato joining business.

You should react to Alice Babs, one of our greatest singers ever. React to her first hit "Swing it, magistern", when she was only 16 yea

My grandfather were stationed somewhere in the north of Sweden! I’ve seen pictures from his time being ”called in” for soldier duty. My grandmother, now 97 going on 98 has told me a lot of this time! He was born 1923 and she 1924. They became a couple during the war. Living outside Helsingborg, she took the train home every day after work and she said she hated when the German soldiers shouted and whistled for/at her when their train went by… She was a beautiful blonde but didn’t like their attention…!

Another song about Swedish soldiers stationed (and dying) abroad is "Balladen om den blå baskern" (originally "The Ballad of the Green Beret" with the always amazing Anita Lindblom singing.

O helga natt was recorded 1959, almost 20 years later. And, what "henrikskarstig" said. My granddad who died when I was still a small kid, born 1904 between our two big lakes, was deployed for months at the time in Norrland, somewhere close to the Norwegian border, as I understand. Another song by her with the same vibe is När det ljusnar på andra sidan sundet.

A real summer song: Östen med resten - Hon kommer med solsken

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were mobilized and stationed along the border during the whole war...

Stort tack för att du påminner oss om våran underbara låtskatt!!

NOW we are talking way classic! I love it! A patriot song from WWII.

Good choice and good reaction video. I repeat my suggestion "Är du kär i mig ännu, Klas-Göran" (Lill-Babs, 1959).

Neutrality is no guarantee that you wont ne invaded, Sweden still had to be prepared. The US was also not in the war 1940 but was then attacked by Japan, the same could've happened to Sweden like it did with our neighbours who also were neutral.

one of my fave old swedish songs

The "bird" is a trumpet with a sordine, it makes the trumpet softer and gives it a special sound.

Summer song suggestion: Sommarn som aldrig säger nej, med Malta! 😃 Finns på engelska också.

Yes, this is a true classic. I just want to add that even if Sweden was neutral in WW2, it did not mean it was good times. I remember my grandparents talking about those times and it was really hard for many folks. It is from this period we get "gengasbil" and "barkbröd". War time cooking, if you like. I also know that it was not as bad in Sweden as in many of the war fairing countries, but still.

Some more Towa Carson please. Either "Du vet var jag finns" or "Visa mig hur man går hem" together with Lars Lönndahl.

Jag tittade som alla andra på Tv-serien Någonstans i Sverige när den sändes på sjuttiotalet. Tack vare det programmet blev låten poppis igen. Och där var ju också Loffe med. Har du kollat upp honom?

This was recorded in war times as you stated. This was made to build courage among the people together with lots of other stuff like “En svensk tiger” to remind everyone about the times and to behave responsible.

I didn't know the title of this song, but now I recognise it. 😃 So sweet!

You should react to: Hoffmaestro - Highway Man The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Instant Repeater '99 Evert Taube - Balladen om Briggen Blue Bird Av Hull, in Imperiet's version or Sofia Karlsson

Haha, fantastic. Never thought an American would react to this old one. Great song though, real Swedish classic.

Sweden was NOT neautral in WW2, we were non-combattant. Selling iron ore to Germany and letting German soldiers travel through Sweden to Norway all in order to not give Germanyy a reason to invade us. At the same time we decoded German communications and sent that to the Allies, and let damaged allied planes land in Sweden in order for theAllies not to invade us for helping the Germans. And we did (unofficially) send weapons and soldiers to Finland during the winter war and evacuated a lot of Finnish kids to relative safety in Sweden. Sweden did a lot of shady things to help FInland and by playing both sides somehow we managed to not get invaded. Fun fact: Before the war kids learned German in schools as a second language, after the war they started teaching kids English as the second language and German as a 3rd language.

Mio min Mio ( Gemini )

Hard to get more classic than this.

This is what every woman feels for her man, married or not, when he’s headed off to war. We love them no matter what!

My father, along with a lot other young men was called up and placed somewhere in Sweden to be ready - just in case.

Jag har också några klassiker till din långa lista av låtar. Jan Johanssons version av "Visa från Utanmyra" från jazz på svenska är ljuvlig. Om du vågar dig på Electrik banana band igen så har de en av mina favorit melodier. "Jag ska bli en byråkrat" även barn förtjänar välspelad musik med intelligenta texter. På melloklassiker så rekommenderar jag "Den vilda" av One More Time.

Our soldiers were ready for Nazis or Commies doing a blitz on us. And our volunteer soldiers went and helped our Finnish bros. Oh and we sold stuff to all sides.

My grandfather finished law school some time in the late 30s, and married my grandmother in September 1939, just as Hitler invaded Poland. They got no honeymoon, he had a law education so he was deployed as a military police officer for the duration of the war. In 1940 my uncle was born, along with loads of other kids as everyone realized that the unspeakable could happen, and prevent them from ever getting children. Those wartime kids sometimes had a special mentality, when the outside of your coat is worn out, turn it inside out to make it last a little longer. They are our boomers, (usually referred to as 40-talisterna) there were lots and lots of them, which made them a very influential generation, for better for worse. In 1943, Hitler allegedly got VERY close to order an invasion of Sweden, only calling it off in the last minute. Presumably, he had a short moment of realism or something, realizing that his army was hopelessly over-extended even without invading Sweden, we'll never know.

Now this is a classic

A lot of soldiers were based at the bordet to norway and to Finland. So no they were not home!

My father was out defending and checking our boders … so really get your facts right!

Här är några fler klassiker att reagera på: Snowstorm - Sommarnatt, Janne Lucas - Växeln hallå, Kenneth & the knutters - som en riktig man.

Jag var med i en amatörsånggrupp ett tag och vi sjöng Min Soldat, men i det arret var låten något omgjord. Vi sjöng "ligger här och där och ställer till besvär" och avslutade med "Va? Inget bröllop!? Ja då kan du dra nån annanstans i Sverige!"

To tie into this song you could react to "Harry Brandelius - Ungmön på Kärringön (1940)",. The music is written by Kai Gullmar, who was a very prolific composer with about 500 songs to her credit. She was also living openly as a lesbian and was usually dressed in menswear. Harry Brandelius was one of if not the most popular schlager singer for many years.

Although not everyone still remember this song, that last part "någonstans i Sverige" I feel like many have heard. If you want more queer swedish classic you should listen to Karl Gerhard's Jazzgossen.

Please make a reaction to Öppna ditt fönster as well! It's a good song!

You should also react to "Balladen om den blå baskern" by Anita Lindblom

Do you want to react to Classic Swedish jazz? Try ”Dannys dream” by Lars Gullin. Fäbodjazz.

Karin Boye is another lesbian who killed herself because of the struggles that came with it. Don't remember the year she died, but around the same time. You probably won't come across her though, since she was a poet and not a singer.

Vem kan segla förutan vind - Nina Lizell & Lee Hazelwood. Nina sjunger på svenska, Lee sjunger på engelska.

Det var ledmusik till Någonstans i Sverige med Loffe Carlsson.Tv drama om beredskapstiden i andra världskriget.

I grew up listening to my grannys stories about big cannons protecting the border against Norway who had been invaded by Hitler. I found a lot of military memorabilia in my childhood. The pragmatism of the time was that we're neutral until we know who wins. Shame on us. This song is connected to a brilliant tv series from the 1970's.

Den blev omgjord på engelska och kallades the shrine of st cecilia.

React to Kaah - Innan du går

Hey Jonathan. I like your posts, but please crap the comments about swedens neutrality and mock. it Sit and laugh about it. Never mind about my feelings. My late grandfather (paternal), did his military-sevice around -29. Sudden Hitler had a new idea by invading Denmark and Norway. I know we sold iron-ore to germany during ut. Do you also know how much info was shared with the US and not so great britain.? And do you know that half a batallion froze to death while sleeping in little caves along the mighty Torne-River. My grandpa made it just about. They had no winter-gear, noone was prepared. He woke up in a hole in the sandbanks of Torne älv and his two friends were stiffs, in the true sense. On the other side he saw germans burning everything. He fred some warning-shots and held them off. Jonathan, I love your show, but never make fun of my granskad again, please!? Play Merit Hemmingsson. It is instrumental, bu truly swedish. Jämtlands brudmarsch!

En bra klassiker från 90-talet är TRASTE LINDÉNS KVINTETT och låtar som Ensam igen, Svenska Flaggans dag, Dansa på din grav, Hon Kommer Tillbaks mfl gick i samma genre som "Perssons pack" osv..

Albin-Din soldat

Hoppas att du kan reagera på några klassiska sommarlåtar innan sommaren är över! ☺️🇸🇪🌞 Dessa bör du inte reagera på i höst eller vinter, utan just nu (eller nästa sommar) Ted Gärdestad "Åh, vilken härlig dag" Sven Ingvars "Sommar och sol" Tomas Ledin "Sommaren är kort" Cornelis Vreesvijk "Sommarkort (en stund på jorden)" Sven-Bertil Taube "Änglamark" Sven-Bertil Taube - "Sjösala vals" Sven-Bertil Taube "Calle Schewens vals" Sven-Bertil Taube - "Dansen På Sunnanö" Monica Zetterlund "Att angöra en brygga" Lasse Dahlquist "Brännö brygga" Robert Broberg "Båtlåt" Snowstorm "Sommarnatt" Tommy Nilsson "Dina färger var blå" Uno Svenningson "Vågorna" Mats Paulsson "Visa vid vindens ängar" Stig Olin "Jag tror på sommaren" (Om du hittar dem med klipp från "Allsång på Skansen" så är det värt att välja dem, för det programmet är typisk svensk sommar, det har pågått i 40 år, och ofta är det text, så det är lättare att hänga med, tanken är att man ska sjunga med, alltså allsång.) Sen finns det en massa barnsånger och psalmer som är _så_ somriga och klassiska på skolavslutningarna: Ida - "Idas sommarvisa" (från Emil i Lönneberga) Pippi Långstrump "Sommarsången" Rekommenderar att du väljer nån kör om du lyssnar på nån av dessa klassiska skolavslutningssånger, hellre än att du tar nån känd artist som vill köra sin egen version: "Den blomstertid nu kommer" "En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt" (Rekommenderar versionen från Victorias bröllop) "Nu grönskar det" "I denna ljuva sommartid" "Visa vid midsommartid"

Nutreal Sweden🤔Her sad end.Realky sad.Tht tells a lot about the time.She was Swedens Marlene Dietrich. Sad tht they never met MD was a strong personality.