We, The Infected

The second time Oskar visits his father, you can hear a little song called Dags å välja sida (Time to choose a side) playing in the background while the two of them are having fun with a game. Here's a translation of those lyrics. Thanks to metoo.

It's time to reflect now
It's time to reflect now
How's it going in your own neighborhood
With what they're calling worker's power
It's time to reflect now

(instrumental break)

It's time to stop hiding
It's time to stop hiding
However you wriggle and twirl
Your part of it all is bigger than you think
It's time to stop hiding
It's time to stop dreaming now
It's time to stop dreaming now...

The last line you hear is, "It's time to stop dreaming now." That's where the music stops and Oskar's dream comes to an end. His father's drinking buddy has shown up and now he has to face reality again. It was just too good to last. The song is about choosing sides and this scene is where Oskar finally gives up on his father and chooses Eli.

Makes me wonder about the song Kvar i min bil. Oskar plays it twice in the film and both times he stops the record in the very same spot. Right after the line, “Du måste ge dej av.”

That's digging right deep, gents--thanks for the effort. I thought maybe no stone was left unturned regarding LTROI, but clearly that isn't the case!

Yea thanks for pointing that out.That's one of the many reasons I love this movie (masterpiece).The amount of detail that it has.Tiny little things that catch your eye or ear that many directors wouldn't have bothered with.Plus it's a rocking little song.

ltroifanatic wrote:Yea thanks for pointing that out.That's one of the many reasons I love this movie (masterpiece).The amount of detail that it has.Tiny little things that catch your eye or ear that many directors wouldn't have bothered with.Plus it's a rocking little song.

There are a couple of things I've noticed with the song Försonade in the basement scene. When Eli turns on the tape recorder the first line you hear is "le lite grann" (smile a little) and she responds with a little smile.

The other one is Oskar's reaction to the line, "Ta nu min hand och krama den hårt" (Now take my hand and squeeze it hard). That line seems to be what triggers him into cutting his hand and wanting to become blood brothers.



And here's a silly one. When Eli wanders into the hospital lobby she tells the nurse at the front desk she's looking for her "pappa." The song you hear playing is called Längtans blomma är störst på håll and it was written by Hans Alfredson and Tage Danielsson.

Hans is Tomas Alfredson's "pappa."

Wonderful,wonderful,wonderful ! .

Way cool, JK!

Amazing! The things we continue to find out about this movie, even after all this time, delight me.

I assume the translation of "Du maaste ge dej av" is "You must give you" or "yourself?"

Also, Oskar's father makes a choice here as well.

It seems every sound was chosen most carefully, beyond most movies. Such obsessiveness is rare, Antonioni comes to mind.

Marlow wrote:I assume the translation of "Du maaste ge dej av" is "You must give you" or "yourself?"

"Ge sig av" means depart, leave.

In the context of Per Gessle's song, "du måste ge dig av" thus means "you had to go" or "you had to leave".

Since we're looking at the integration of several background audio selections, I am curious if someone can tell me what is being said on radio when Håkan is cleaning his kit.