Every swede knows the lyrics to ‘Ja må hon leva’, which is the Swedish version of ‘Happy birthday to you’. But did you ever really think about the meaning of the lyrics? Isn’t it quite threatful? Also, the melody is completely different than the English version, which is actually the same in every other language. Swedes just like to be a little bit different… or no…. was it lagom?

Anyhow, we will actually translate a part of the Swedish song so that everyone will understand what we are actually singing to the poor birthday celebrater.

‘I wish she will live
I wish she will live
Yes, she must live for a hundred years!
Of course, she will live
Of course, she will live
Yes, she’ll live for a hundred years!

And when she lived
And when she lived
And when she lived in a hundred years!
Yes, then she’ll be shot.
Yes, then she’ll be shot
Yes, then she’ll be shot on a wheelbarrow forward!’
(actually, in Swedish it is then she’ll be shot, and pushed on a wheelbarrow)

Well, you get the picture. We are threatening to shoot whoever live to a hundred years. In the next courses we will hang them and drown them (in a bottle of Champagne, so it ends a bit better).

Check this clip to see the funny moment when Malin Åkerman explains the song.