"Ack Värmeland, du sköna" or "Värmlandsvisan" is a Swedish popular song, best known in the English-speaking world as "Dear Old Stockholm".

"Ack Värmeland, du sköna"

The Swedish title may be roughly translated as "Oh Värmland, you beautiful" and the song praises the historical province (landskap)

Värmland Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Name Several Latinized version ...

. The lyrics were written by the Värmlandian Anders Fryxell in his 1822 musical ' (The Värmlandian Girl), and then expanded by Fredrik August Dahlgren for his 1846 work '. The song is sung by the young

Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, better known as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made his final ...

in the 1952 film '' Eldfågeln''. The song was recorded, in Swedish, by Israeli folk duo

Esther & Abi Ofarim Esther & Abi Ofarim were an Israeli musical duo active during the 1960s, consisting of husband and wife Abi Ofarim and Esther Ofarim. They enjoyed particular success in Germany. They had hits in Europe with their songs "One More Dance," "Morning ...

for their 1968 LP ''Up To Date''.

Text

Anders Fryxell's version from ''Vermlands-Flickan'' (1822) Ack, Värmeland, du sköna, du härliga land! Du krona för Svea rikes länder! Ja, om jag komme mitt i det förlovade land, till Värmland jag ändå återvänder. Ja, där vill jag leva, ja, där vill jag dö. Om en gång ifrån Värmland jag tager mig en mö, så vet jag att aldrig jag mig ångrar. Ja, när du en gång skall bort och gifta dig, min vän, då skall du till Värmeland fara; där finnes nog Guds gåvor med flickor kvar igen, och alla ä’ de präktiga och rara. Men friar du där, så var munter och glad! Ty muntra gossar vilja Värmlandsflickorna ha; de sorgsna – dem ge de på båten. Och Värmelandsgossen, han är så stolt och glad, han fruktar för intet uti världen. När Konungen bjuder, då drager han åstad, bland kulor och blixtrande svärden. Ja! Vore det Ryssar till tusendetal, han ej dem alla fruktar, han vill ej annat val, än dö eller segra med ära. Och skulle han ej strida med glädje och med mod, och livet sitt våga, det unga? Där hemma sitter moder och beder för hans blod, med Bruden, den älskade, unga, en Värmelandsflicka, så huld och så skön! För Kung och Land han strider, och hon skall bli hans lön, Ho kan honom då övervinna? F. A. Dahlgren's version from ''Värmlänningarna'' (1846) I Värmeland är lustigt att leva och bo; det landet jag prisar så gärna. Där klappar det hjärtan med heder och tro så fasta som bergenas kärna. Och var och en svensk uti Svea rikes land, som kommer att gästa vid Klarälvens strand, han finner blott bröder och systrar. I Värmeland – ja där vill jag bygga och bo, med enklaste lycka förnöjder. Dess dalar och skog ge mig tystnadens ro, och luften är frisk på dess höjder. Och forsarna sjunga sin ljuvliga sång – vid den vill jag somna så stilla en gång och vila i värmländska jorden.

Melody

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"Dear Old Stockholm"

The song is best known in the English-speaking world for versions by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

artists such as

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

(in 1951),

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

(in 1952 for

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and 1956 for the album ''

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''),

Jutta Hipp Jutta Hipp (February 4, 1925 – April 7, 2003) was a jazz pianist and composer. Born in Leipzig during the Weimar Republic, Hipp initially listened to jazz in secret, as it was not approved of by the Nazi authorities. After World War II, she be ...

on her album At the Hickory House (in 1956),

Paul Chambers Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969) was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop er ...

(in 1957) and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

(in 1963).

References

{{Authority control 19th-century songs Compositions in the Real Book Songs about Stockholm Swedish folk songs