Calgon take me away...

I'm drowning in assignments! So begin the final weeks of my school semester...

Escapism. Yes, please. Ever notice how many AOB songs refer to that? Maybe the theme is just as common as love themes in the AOB song catalogue. Who knows. I don't have time to count them.

The Da Capo album is the magnum opus when it comes to Escapism -

"I believe in there's a world down under..."
"But you can't hear me in your dream. You're living in a dreamer's dream"
"Hiding away, running from reality. Who am I? Am I an actor in this game?"
"Try to forget what you're going through."

The album is laced with it. Decide yourself what that means and where it fits into the picture. DC also carries a heavy dose of yearning in both music and lyrics. It's more 'bitter' in a way I can't put my finger on.

Maybe I'll elaborate on those 'Da Capo themes' in a later post. For now, sleep calls.

Fictional characters

Jonas once mentioned that he doesn't like to read books. He also mentioned that he reads newspapers every now and then and enjoys reading reference books. If he didn't mention these facts in an interview, we'd probably draw the conclusion that he was an avid reader, judging by the lyrics he writes. Check this list of fictional characters he has used in song lyrics over the years -

Fictional Characters:
- Baron Munchausen
- Alice in Wonderland
- Snow White
- Catcher in the rye (well, sort of a fictional character)
- Captain Nemo
- Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde

There are probably more. Also, don't forget his mention of Oscar Wilde in "Nattens änglar". (This song wins the prize for most incomprehensible symbolism.)

So, why does Jonas refer to fictional book characters when he doesn't like to read? Maybe he remembers these characters from childhood stories and uses them to set the mood and tone of each song. Maybe he uses them as a cultural reference point.

A baby girl = more problems??

If blog neglect is a crime, I'm guilty. Lock me up. Nearly a month and no update. Shame!

An article from Se & Hör, which was published by Aceisland.de today, notes that Ulf and Johanna are expecting another baby. Great news for the family! ...

But, something stuck out when reading this article and it was the fact that Ulf equated a problematic pregnancy with the sex of the baby. He thinks they will have a girl because the pregnancy has been more troublesome than the first.

"No, she is doing a little bad, that's why we think it's gonna be a girl this time." - Ulf.

Is there a real connection here? Do women who are pregnant with girls have more trouble than if they are pregnant with boys? I've never heard of anything like this in my life.

I think it's just Ulf being Ulf. He has always said he wanted a boy and if he had to try a bunch of times for a boy, he would. Well, he got a boy on the first try. And now, he wants another boy.

"I would rather have another son..." - Ulf.

Obviously, girls are worth less than boys in his mind.

If this new baby does turn out to be a girl, will she be just as loved as a boy might have been? I hope so.