Many Norwegians have a connection to Olav Stedje's breakthrough song from 1981, "Vi Vandrar Saman (Eg følgjer der du går)". But many may not know that the song was originally written in English by Svein Dag Hauge – when he was only 17 years old?
/ 19/06/2014 / Janne SieversMany Norwegians have a connection to Olav Stedje's breakthrough song from 1981, "Vi Vandrar Saman (Eg følgjer der du går)". But many may not know that the song was originally written in English by Svein Dag Hauge – when he was only 17 years old?
Text: KAI LOFTHUS
Believe it or not, the very cozy melody "Vi vandrar saman (Eg følgjer der du går)" is actually apt to irritate some. A journalist who once met the lyricist and composer Svein Dag Hauge was simply angry that someone who spoke the Eastern dialect could write such good Nynorsk. It was a good thing he didn't tell her that it was written when he was 17 years old.
– Maybe I should write it in Norwegian?
Young, promising Hauge moved to Sogn at the age of 12, and early on became a big fan of James Taylor.
– “Vi vandrar saman” was an attempt by me to create something that was as good as “You Can Close Your Eyes” by James Taylor, he says. – I started by writing the text in English. I don’t remember what the content of the text was, but it was nowhere near what it ended up being. So I thought, maybe I should write it in Norwegian? My main target language was Nynorsk at the time, and I think it’s nicer to write in Nynorsk than Bokmål. Then it turned out well! It often happens the other way around, that you first write in Norwegian and think it will be better in English.
– I have a song
Then the song remained in the famous drawer for a few years, until he – at the age of 24 – made an album with Olav Stedje in 1980. They had met a few years earlier, when Stedje was the vocalist in Compact. The album was to be "Ta meg med", his debut in 1981 (Hot Line/Philips, with Audun Tylden as the artist's husband on the record label). In the studio, Hauge demonstrated the importance of saying the words: "jeg har en låt" and not losing faith in it. They tried to record it, but Hauge didn't think the first recording went well, so they left the song.
– One Wednesday in the studio we finished all the others, says Hauge. – I feel like there is still something about “Vi vandrar saman”. Can we try it again? Then there were no problems! It turned out as it should be, but still I didn’t see anything more in it until our technician, Hans Petter Danielsen, said he had to take it home to his wife.
– A kick!
Danielsen, who is now technical director at P4, tells TONO magazine:
– There was a very good and warm atmosphere in the studio when it was made! The guys made nice arrangements, Olav sang fantastically, and it became a song that I was looking forward to taking home and playing for my dear Helene. At that time we worked a lot in the studio with musicians who didn't necessarily have a sense that the arrangement was crucial for a nice sound. Svein Dag had a very sober approach to exactly that, and it helped us get a sound image with room for the composition itself. It was a kick to hear the airy production we managed to create.
Stedje's breakthrough
"Vi vandrar saman" was the song that really took off for Stedje's solo career and got a lot of radio airplay. It debuted at number 6 on Norsktoppen on March 6, 1981 and remained on the chart until the program aired on May 1.
– Olav became a pop star very quickly, says Hauge. – And somewhere in Western Norway, there was once a journalist who wanted to interview me. When I introduced myself, she said: “Now you have to stop kidding; speak your language! Are you from the East and you have written “Vi vandrar saman”?” She got so angry! It was completely devastating for her, like a kind of betrayal.
Later, the song has almost taken on a life of its own. It is used in everything from weddings to films (Sett meg på, for f–n.) Elisabeth Andreassen made a version for her album "Kjærlighetsviser", and disc jockey Tommy Olsen and musician Frank Scott (Agen'da) made a new recording together with Stedje and rapper Knut Brekken called "Venner (Vi vandrar saman)", released by Tylden & Co.
Wimp: http://wimp.no/track/1188564
Spotify: Olav Stedje – We Walk Together (I Follow Where You Go)
beat: http://beat.no/#releases/401121
Or here: