Invader Tim

Every one remember the send up I did of the German Show Exrtra? (If not, it’s in the archives not too far down). Here we go again: more delightful investigations of a culture different than ours. It’s learnin’ time, kiddies.

My MySpace Buddy, Electric Boogaloo has an MSN name Rosa Helikopter. She always has a cuh-razy screen name, so I didn’t think much of it. But eventually, I had to ask about it.

She said it’s this song she jumps around to. I told her to be careful with her jumping, lest she wind up like that “Numa-Numa” kid…but you know, a hot Amazonian, half-naked version…so, ok, NOTHING like that kid. She sent me the .mp3 (after I purchased the CD, drafted a letter to RIAA asking permission, and offered to carry the band’s luggage for a few gigs).

And this song is amazing; it is so goofy and funny. And because it is not in English, it is somewhat hard to tell if it’s meant to be. I have no context here. And in fact, they do go to the poignant place a little as far as tone goes…hmmm. I really need to know what they are saying.

It’s strange in that I got a pretty vivid insight into the German TV show, but this song is confounding.

It seems to be a song that is a declaration of love or friendship to an anthropomorphized helicopter. And it’s mostly happy, but there is an ironic sadness or at least melancholy. Or maybe the narrator is a helicopter. Or it’s a metaphor. So is this geared at adults? Or is this a children’s thing like the slew of anthropomorphized trains, trucks, boats, and other stuff that serves as opiate to the toddler masses?

Context afforded me nothing, so let’s Google.

Boom. Several sites with lyrics…all in Swedish I think…and so does Boogz. I recognize Rosa Helikopter and that’s about it. Well, at the end I notice they are not hollering “Tilde” but something else. And this makes sense. I mean who isn’t a little in awe at the power of the ~ to turn regular Ns into Ns with kind of a “Y” sound attached? Well, I would figure the Swedes—that’s who. They don’t use it. They have a whole host of other strange characters over their letters that magically transform pedestrian sounding stuff into exotic things. The ~ merely serves as a trifle of a curiosity to them.

Google informed me of another lead, however . As is the case with so many of the ordeals in my life, I often find an earthy comfort in the consort of 16-year-old Swedish girls. What can’t they do? It turns out that a 16-year-old Swedish girl, and fellow MySpacer has the VIDEO (Hee!) on her profile. This should clear up all kinds of stuff…Right.

Wrong! It only added more questions. Well, certain rudiments were answered: Through context, I could tell that “Helikopter” was in fact “helicopter,” I mean you never know, but there was a helic(k)opter in the video. It could have been a false cognate though. It could have actually meant a small type of inland field grazing-pony with horns and the ability to breathe fire. But most lieky not.

I do believe there has to be a deeper, metaphorical meaning to this Helikopter business. There must, if there is any order to our universe. God Doesn’t Play Dice! (Cause he’s a figment of the imagination.) Or it’s part of a Swedish idiom lost to my USA ears. “You’re as sexy as a Helikopter!” or “You’re as shrewd at business, and posses a command of actuary tables never before seen in anyone…like a Helikopter!” I don’t know.

One of the main questions the video prompted: when did the Olsen twins hit Sweden? The singers look just like those two scamps…almost exactly, right down to being jailbaity-looking(actually they are more Jenbennnet Ramsey than Olsen—Ewwww. How old are these kids?), and over tired, and coked up, and bored, and not wanting to be there at all as if they were too cool for school. But, unlike their State-side doppelgangers, they wore bulky, “mission accomplished” flight suits instead of slinky cocktail dresses. Instead of letting their flaxen (that’s a fancy word for yeller, right?) hair fly, they wore mammoth flight helmets that made them look kind of like Stewie from Family Guy. And instead of the carefully applied makeup of the Olsens, they wore football player-esque thick lines under their eyes. And when they danced, it was like watching the poor kid in Christmas Story try to move, thanks to their cumbersome flight suits.

Ok, too many other questions to address. I broke down and emailed the 16-year-old girl. And though it may put me on a Swedish Sex offender list, it might also too yield the answers I need to the questions that plague me like…some sort of plague.

I can’t believe you all read this without having seen the video. CLEEEEEEK!