Which song have we voted the top Gyllene Tider song ever? Following on from our Marie and Per ’60 for 60′ countdowns, we thought it would be fun to get the Daily Roxette crew around our virtual table again, listen to the whole back GT catalogue, discuss and vote to find out which song is our favourite. Of course, there were some very different opinions from the group (especially from Thomas) but, generally, we all agree on the final list.

TOP 40 songs
 
#1 Det är över nu (It’s Over Now): How very fitting; it is indeed over now! Gyllene’s comeback song from 1995, which really made the whole machinery come back together again. It was recorded for their forthcoming greatest hits album “Halmstads pärlor.” This song prompted the Stora Torg concert, which prompted the Återtåget ’96 tour. An amazing song, both on the record and live. It was nearly voted summer song of the year in 1995, but it fell on that you can’t really have a summer song that says “it’s over.” Per: “I see before me a much too bright and airtight little room in a sports arena in Japan somewhere. We were about to end Roxette’s ‘Crash!Boom!Bang’ Asian tour and Gyllene Tider were about to release a greatest hits compilation, ‘Halmstads pärlor,’ to start off the Swedish summer 1995. We needed some new awesome songs. And I really looked forward to writing in Swedish again, it was such a long time ago, and in that room in Tokyo or Osaka Det är över nu took shape. Michael Ilbert helped us with the sound and it became something of the best GT ever have done. Det är över nu summoned a totally new, much more modern energy in the band and the chorus was like a punch straight to the chin, just as if Mike Tyson had been the instructor.”
 
#2 Ljudet av ett annat hjärta (The Sound of Another Heart): An in-between-albums-single to keep the Gyllene interest up. It had sold 37,442 copies by December 1, 1981, being released October 24. The single peaked at #3. 37,000 copies of a single back then was basically unheard of, still it didn’t make it to the top. It was also made to promote the movie “Parkliv.” Ljudet was re-recorded in English and the title is “Fever in the Night” but that has never been released, so far. One of the all time greats in our book. Funny how they reversed the Farfisa intro and used that as a fake ending. The recorded version is aces, and being played live it always brings grins to everyone’s faces. Oh the streets are full of people/It’s another summer night/Turn the music way up louder/You turn me on/oh you’re moving right/Hold me tight/Gimme your body and soul tonight/Fever in the night…

 
#3 Faller ner på knä (Falling to My Knees): Now we’re talking! Two days in a row and we have songs from e.p.! One of Gyllene’s best songs ever, and it would’ve been a treat to hear it this summer. But as you all know, it was left out to die in the cold. Some say that it sounds a lot like “Sleeping in My Car” but when Per was confronted with that he said something like “Sleeping in My Car… no… no… that song is in a major key, while this is in a minor key…. uh… no!” The demo of this song is recorded in April 1996, and was recorded by Gyllene Tider for the e.p. released later that year, in time for Återtåget ’96. It started out as a ballad but while being in the studio they realized it’s actually a power-pop song so they rearranged it. Simple as that when you are the Best Band on Earth. Right? Falling to my knees/and say a silent prayer/Praying that your love will go on/and never ever die/I’m falling to my knees… This song was also featured on our Per60 list, but that one was the demo.
 
#4 Harplinge: The Place, the Myth, the Concept… The glorious place where Syd, MP and Anders were born and raised. The place where Gyllene rehearsed in the early years. Located just Northwest of Halmstad. Harplinge was supposed to be sung by no other than… Anders, but he was sick so Per had to do it! The song is basically a description on how to get to Harplinge from Halmstad. Nowadays the road has been changed so the description doesn’t work anymore. Also the “trouble” MP has had in the song is a rather bad car accident he was in. The demo mentions “in this curve MP has burned his rubber” indicating car tires. And “Martin Stjärna” is of course Marie’s ex and former partner in MaMas Barn, Martin Sternhufvud. Harplinge is the noisiest Gyllene song ever released. Even the vocals are distorted! Performed live at least once, at the “secret” gig at Beach Club (nowaday Leffe’s) in 1996.
 
#5 Gå & fiska! (Go Fish!): Badabam! Ze top 5! The Big One from 1996. Mixed in the now gone Europa Studios in Bromma and produced by Michael Ilbert together with Gyllene. A brand new sound to be Gyllene Tider, with computers and keyboards galore, but still with the lovely guitars. The lyrics were written in the US during a Roxette tour. Per passed a store in Alabama where a note was in the window: “Gone fishin’!“. “Great sign” Per thought, “a lyric to be…” Gå & fiska! was almost never released. Kjelle at EMI told Per that the song stunk so he lost his confidence. Then by chance he met the CEO of EMI, Roffe Nygren, in the corridors of EMI humming the song, and he said “That new song of yours, that’s a masterpiece, when is it out?” so they changed their minds. Good thing too… I’m going fishing/Taking a quiet moment/Going out/Out fishing/A chance to breathe in/To breathe out…
 
#6 Solsken (Sunshine): Taken from “Finn 5 fel!” released in 2004. The single peaked at #20. Per’s son Gabriel (7 in 2004) drew the sleeve. Solsken was called “that Sugar Sugar song” in the studio, before the lyrics were written. It does have more than a little Archies feel, if you know what I mean. It has never been performed live, which makes a lot of hearts quite sad, since the song is very spunky and would have worked nicely on stage. (Edit: yes it was performed in 2004, but seeing the footage it’s not strange that we have forgotten about it…) It’s been quite a long time/So long that I hardly recognize/The feelings that are sneeking back again/Where have they been?/Even though it’s night and pretty cold/There’s sunshine where I walk/She spreads sunshine everywhere…
 
#7 (Kom så ska vi) Leva livet (Come on Let’s) Live the Life: A major hit the summer of 1981, also single #2 from “Moderna Tider,” it peaked at #13 which in retrospect seems a little low. The B-side was Leka med elden. Leva livet is yet another showstopper live. In 1981 they had so much fun when MP hooked up his guitar to the Leslie (famous rotating organ speaker) during the tour… Was written by Per and MP in MP’s boy room in Halmstad, in between loads of caviar sandwiches and chocolate milk, true story according to Per… Or at Per’s birthday party. You choose. Oh My God!/It’s hazy!/OK I’ve had some wine/but I know what I’m saying/You look fine…
 
#8 Vart tog alla vänner vägen? (Where Did All the Friends Go?): A B-side, and so high? Yes but it’s a great song. It was released as one of the two B-sides on Sommartider, the other was Tylö sun. This was originally written in English for the Swedish group The Radio with the title “Just Another Heartache” but it was never used. Gyllene recorded it for their English album instead but it has never been released. Who knows what the future has in mind… Where did all the friends go?/Answer me now, friends that you had/Where are they now?/Hey hey summer, goodbye winter time/Which has passed us by/Which has passed us by…
 
#9 Om hon visste vad hon ville (If She Knew What She Wanted): How about that! The other day we had Småstad performed by Pers Garage – today we have the other A-side! Unfortunately for trivia buffs the story is identical: Recorded after Xmas in 1987, because Per as so many times before was bored, in T&A. Per brought a few songs he had “lying around,” Syd brought Danish and MP had fun! Out of pure happiness they wrote a few more songs while being in the studio. Fritte added his magic later. This was released as a 7″ single with Småstad as the other A-side. They are both included on Gyllene’s first compilation album “Instant Hits” released in 1989. There is a video to this song as well, which also is fun, and recorded in Syd’s dad’s workshop and at Tylösand. Sometimes I see she’s not here/She’s walking around fantasizing/For hours floating in a lonely dream/Where I don’t exist/But the way she’s dancing/Gives me another answer/If she knew what she wanted she could get whoever she wanted…
 
#10 Småstad (Small Town): Finally the top 10! And what a way to start it off with – Småstad performed by Pers Garage – Gyllene Tider without Anders Herrlin. Anders wouldn’t participate, it is unknown if he still wasn’t interested in Gyllene Tider of if it was something else. Gyllene had vowed to never use the name Gyllene Tider if all five of the members weren’t in it, ergo Pers Garage. Recorded after Xmas in 1987, because Per as so many times before was bored, in T&A. Per brought a few songs he had “lying around,” Syd brought Danish and MP had fun! Per has once said Småstad is MP’s best song ever. We are bound to agree. It’s sad that Gyllene never got around to play this live. Per did solo, but that’s not quite the same, is it? Out of pure happiness they wrote a few more songs while being in the studio. Fritte added his magic later. This was released as a 7″ single with Om hon visste vad hon ville as the B-side. They are both included on Gyllene’s first compilation album “Instant Hits” released in 1989. There is a video which is fun, and recorded in Syd’s dad’s workshop. Yes some of the lyrics is very similar to parts of John Mellencamp’s Small Town, but you could do worse, right? And I was born in a small town/I grew up and fell in love in a small town/No matter how I twist and turn I always come back again…
 
#11 Break Another Heart: Yet another single that disappeared. It was planned to be single #2 from “The Heartland Café” but vanished into thin air. A promotional 12″ in 200 copies was even released. Break Another Heart was on side A, while Another Place, Another Time was on side 1. Go figure… The song itself was written for Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA fame, but she never recorded it, which likely is a good thing. Not sure she would have made the song justice. Break Another Heart is a song about broken love, obviously. The lyrics are sad and sweet at the same time. Would it have been a hit, had it been a single? Impossible to say. It has been performed live once, on the TV show Måndagsbörsen, backup singers were Marie F, Anne-Lie Rydé and Mia Lindgren. Break another heart, find another fool/Take another heart, run and treat it cruel/Go break another heart into pieces, baby baby/Well I don’t want to know and I don’t want to stay/Go cry to someone else, I will walk away/Go break another heart into pieces, baby baby – not mine!
 
#12 Juni, juli, augusti (June, July, August): Ahhh the summer months! FYI months are NOT capitalized in Swedish, not even on record sleeves… This song is somewhat special too – this is a single off an e.p.! The e.p. even, the one with all the hits – “Gå & fiska,” “Harplinge” and “Faller ner på knä,” the one they “came back” with and tilted the whole year of 1996 for all of Sweden. The lyrics of “Juni, juli, augusti” embraces the whole being of Swedish summer. Swedes live for their summer, since Sweden is fairly cold the rest of the year, and you can certainly feel it in the lyrics. Also, useless knowledge: the title of the latest (probably not last) greatest hits album was lifted from this song. You don’t think I see you so/You walk around with no clothes on/But I think I know all I want/God was good when he made you/I’m staying a little longer/Birch trees become a shadowy grove/A sundance on your grammophone/Keeps the rain away…
 
#13 Händerna (The Hands): Another solid album track, this time taken from “Puls.” There’s not that much to say about this one, since it’s safe to say it’s fairly anonymous. It’s an uptempo number that we feel should have had more attention paid to. “Händerna,” like most songs on “Puls” sound like it’s recorded live in the studio, which basically is true. “Puls” was supposed to be recorded in Abbey Road Studios, but that was canceled, unknown why. Anyway, they recorded the album in Stockholm as per usual and they moved all the recording equipment away from the band, to get that live feeling. It opens up side B on the album. We are too close/to touch each other/and too far away/to feel each other/You feel so big and unreachable/from time and time again/I feel so small/the way only I can feel…
 
#14 När alla vännerna gått hem (When All the Friends Have Gone Home): The famous version is from “Moderna Tider” but it was really released in 1978 on the yellow EP. The yellow EP, also known as the Billy EP was released mainly to stir up some interest among record companies. Paid for by the members of Gyllene Tider. It’s said to have been printed in around 900 copies.Written by Per it’s been The Song which has ended essentially all Gyllene Tider’s concerts ever, and why not, it captures the essence in every sad party ever. On the album version you can hear Gyllene Tider leaving the studio while someone yells “hare krishna.” It is also recorded in English under the name “When All the Lights Have Faded Away” but it has never been released.When all the friends have gone home/and the party is over/since long/and you’re all alone/in your bed/When all the friends have gone home…
 
#15 72: The year is what the title means. 1972. Per was 13 and rode the bus around Halmstad being tired. The red #45! Apart from that the lyrics are a bit “out there.” The demo was recorded July 20, 2002, possibly for “Mazarin.” It was however recorded as “Monster Hangover” Jan. 31, 2002 for Roxette. The demos are the one and same, just different lyrics. Gyllene Tider recorded it for “Finn 5 fel!” in 2004, a solid album track, with a very nice Farfisa riff all over it. Hey ’72, all the bells toll when time comes and goes/I said: Hey ’72, all the bells toll when you go and come/Do you remember?
 
#16 Mannen med gitarr (The Man with the Guitar): A fairly new track, depending on how you see it. This version is taken from the final album, “Samma skrot och korn” but it was originally recorded for “Mazarin.” According to Per it was recorded too late to be included on the album, the demo is however from November 20, 2002. It was instead recorded by Monia Sjöström, with slightly modified lyrics since she’s obviously a woman… The Gyllene version resembles the demo closely, but with added Farfisa and some background vocals. Being Per the song is of course about lost love. It was so long ago/A lot of years but it feels like yesterday/It’s been a long time a long time/But I can smell her hair in the summer wind… Top 15 to go, any guesses/wishes?
 
#17 Teena: Yes, another B-side! This time it’s the amazing “Ljudet av ett annat hjärta” from the late summer of 1981. Teena is of course a girl, but it’s a little unclear if the boy wants her or has lost her. It has never been performed live, but was played on TV as a lip sync performance around Xmas in 1981. Micke Syd loves the drums on this one. Very Max Weinberg-inspired, he says. Apart from that, there’s not much to say about it, except that it’s majorly underrated, of course! There’s some words being said over the solo, but as far as we know no one has been able to decipher it. Per, you may drop in anytime here… I’m standing among the last remnants of July/hidden below clouds/Like the only angel of the summer/Like the last son of the night/Something new to fall in love with/There must be some other direction…
 
#18 Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång (Girl in a Cole Porter Song): This is the second single taken from “Puls.” The title is taken from the movie “Save the Tiger!” starring Jack Lemmon, in which he says the line: “I want that girl in a Cole Porter song!” Per heard it and figured it was a great song title. The single was #1 in Denmark! Released in early December… One copy has been found on dark red vinyl, there are likely a few more as the workers at the pressing plant made these copies “for fun.” If you happen to own one, post a pic of it here in the comments! And Rita Hayworth is the babe on the sleeve. Per once said this was the last of the real Gyllene Tider songs, of course that was before they “rebooted” in 1995. “I Go to Pieces, ” the B-side of this single, is a cover of Peter & Gordon’s hit from 1965 and it features Gyllene Tider under the name Modern Times. Modern Times also recorded the A-side in English with the title “Girl in a Cole Porter Song.” A snippet of that can apparently be found on YouTube they say. This song is gorgeous in any language! Fun fact: this song had been performed live once before they finally played it during the 2019 tour. Not counting the acoustic performances…, and that was on the TV show “Casablanca.”
 
#19 Det är blommor som har fångat dej (It is Flowers that Have Captured You): Now we’re talking! The canceled single, for reasons unknown. Is this Gyllene’s heaviest song? Not sure, but if not it’s at least a big contender. One of the bonus tracks recorded for 1995’s “Halmstads pärlor” and then later included on “Konstpaus.” Per: “The lyrics idea comes from my dear wife (an underrated feminist.) Was written sometime around ’94 up in Stockholm. We tuned down the guitars a full step to get that correct heavy sound. Ilbert and I worked forever to find that Phil Spector/Jeff Lynne-touch in the chorus.” Micke: “This was the last of the new songs. We tried for 3 hours to find a cool arrangement but we just couldn’t & we were under time pressure since Per and Anders were going to South America with that other band they play in. So we dropped it. The day continued with overdubs, the time closed in on midnight and me, Anders, Fritte & MP hung around talking. Ilbert & PG were doing a guitar overdub on a song. Suddenly Ilbert comes down and says: we have an idea for the arrangement and 45 minutes later the song was done. Talk about Instant Hits!”
 
#20 Heartland Café: A gorgeous ballad from the album with the same title. The one song that actually sounds like Gyllene Tider from that album. They were sitting in the control room listening to a mix of the song when MP realized “there’s a mandolin missing from it!” so he went into the studio and added it. Just like that. The lyrics are a bit sad but sweet. I imagine the Heartland Café is located in that small town we always get to hear about. Wouldn’t it have been great to have had a video made on the set of “Teaser Japanse” to this song? Yes, come in from the night/and say goodbye to the pouring rain/Win a few games, have a few laughs and forget why you came/Let time just slip away/and I’ll swear that someday you’ll trade/your tomorrows for one single yesterday… I know I would!
 
#21 Run Run Run: Another song in English! This was written for Rita and the Rip-Off but that band quit before it got recorded. “Black Sails” was the title back then and the demo was recorded the summer of ’82. The demo has a very “Teaser Japanese” sound to it as well. “Run Run Run” was performed on the TV show Måndagsbörsen long before the album was out. Backup singers were Marie Fredriksson, Anne-Lie Rydé and Mia Lindgren, with them on stage they had an extra guitarist and an extra drummer. The video is on TDR’s YouTube, by the way. Go! Go! – She wants you every time that you pass her by/Go! Go! – And wishing you could stay with her by her side/Go! Go! – You got a piece of her heart, now, you shouldn’t refuse/Go! Go! – You came out to win, now you’re bound to lose…
 
#22 Kung av sand (King of Sand): The second single off “Halmstads Pärlor” with the B-side “Du är en gangster, älskling!” ended up at a measly #31 August 18, 1995. This is another showstopper live. Per: “Was written on an acoustic Gibson guitar (like the one Lennon had on the sleeve of the ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy’/’Yesterday’-single) in a hotel room in Sydney in January 1995. Bored? Home sick? I dunno… Herrlin plays exquisite bass, I blow my G-harmonica.” Micke: “Another little Petty-influence. I think the chorus is great and my floor tom is tuned so low it can work extra as a bass drum any day.” Here comes the king of sand/Here comes the king of nothing at all…
 
#23 Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly (Let’s Make Love [listening] to Buddy Holly): Gyllene’s second EMI single. Per claims he wrote it February 24, 1979, together with MP. It peaked at #8 July 11, 1980. It’s a monster live, and also the album version kicks some serious butt. “Buddy Holly” was released on yellow vinyl as well. The song was dubbed in English and Per sent it to Paul McCartney, who owns Buddy Holly’s music, but Per never heard back from The Mac. The English version remains unheard, but the title is said to be just “Buddy Holly.” According to Cosmos Music, it will never see the light of day!
 
#24 Can You Touch Me?: Funny, this is the B-side of the US “Teaser Japanese” single. There’s nothing really to say about this song, it wasn’t a single and it was never performed anywhere, there’s no funny backstory… Sweet melody, not too shabby lyrics, but the production didn’t end up where they wanted it to be. No Farfisa on this album, just the brand new DX7. Can you feel, can you see, can you touch me?/Can I give you the love that’s inside of me/Can I take your heart with me?/Do you know me enough to give it all up?
 
#25 Teaser Japanese: The return of Gyllene Tider after quite a bit of silence. Released on their own label EMI Roxette, there was even a “dance mix” produced… This time they went bigger than ever, and recorded a video set in a Japanese (?) bar in New York City during the ’30s or the ’40s. Very costly, but also very stylish! The song itself was something totally new, with digital drums and featuring a bass solo by Anders. Per was on TV back then explaining how the Yamaha DX7 riff was written, which Japanese scale he used, but the cassette I had the interview on was stolen back in Ohio in 1986 so I don’t remember what he said. “Teaser Japanese,” with a customary Per lyric – just a word jumble really, did fairly well in Sweden, it sold more than 20,000 copies, and it was also released in the US and Holland, both countries using the name “Roxette.” An educated guess is that they sold around 20 copies, combined, in those countries! Atsuko wrote her Japanese poems herself: I wish to say many things – but you are not here/I want to ask you a lot – but you are not here/You promised to be back soon/was it only to comfort me?/I do want to see you again/I beg you to return to me…
 
#26 En sten vid en sjö i en skog (A Rock by a Lake in a Forest): The leading single off “Finn 5 fel! in 2004, together with “Tuffa tider.” This was also planned to have a minimal amount of instruments in the verses, but they gradually changed their minds. One of few Gyllene songs to get a video. It went directly to #1 in Sweden, but caused some controversy among other artists in Sweden who figured it was nonsense lyrics and that only Per Gessle could get away with it, and maybe they are correct, but who cares? From what we can understand the song is about him being left by a girl, but he’s OK since he’s sitting on a rock by a lake in the forest. The song is nice, and kicks serious butt live. Hey hey!/Day turns into night/I need some time by myself/Hey hey!/I’ll be OK/I’m sitting on a rock by a lake in a forest…
 
#27 När vi två blir en (When the Two of Us Become One): Already? Apparently so. One of Gyllene Tider’s biggest hits, if not the biggest. Released in October 1980. “När vi två blir en” had sold over 60,000 copies by December 23, 1980 and sold more than 100,000 copies all in all, stayed at #1 for 16 consecutive weeks and was even #1 in Norway. Written June 30, 1980. The organ hook is all Fritte and the hidden melody in the solo is of course “Yellow Submarine”. “När vi två blir en” was also recorded in English under the name “Beating Heart” and released as Modern Times on a promo 7″ in 1981. This single was the first attempt to promote Gyllene Tider outside of Sweden and they chose the name Modern Times for this project since nobody would be able to pronounce Gyllene Tider abroad. The name was later trashed due to the existence of another band already named Modern Times. Only 300 copies of this single were made and some of these were sent to the EMI offices in Europe to find out any interest in releasing an album by the group. Only EMI Guatemala responded positively, joked Per Gessle. It was released digitally in 2019.
 
#28 Sommartider (Summer Times): Geez, what is there to say about this song?? Released in 1982, it was certainly a hit, but nowhere near as big as Per remembers it. Nowadays it’s an anthem of course. So how did it start? Well, the boys recorded “Puls” and were happy. EMI however, were not. They demanded a “hit” so Per went home and wrote this in anger. Pretty nice eh? He’s of course borrowed quite a lot from Tommy James’ “Mony Mony” but you can do a lot worse. At any rate, they recorded it and when it was more or less done another band visited Gyllene in the studio – Freestyle, another huge band in the early ’80s. They came in and wondered if Gyllene wanted to hear their brand new, unreleased summer hit single. Gyllene said “sure, but don’t you want to hear ours first?” So “Sommartider” was played, Freestyle’s members were numbstruck and their single was never released… true story! Per recently mentioned on TV that the verses were supposed to be only drums and vocals, that sounds like something they should release. Fun trivia: this was also recorded in English under the name “Summer City” but was never released. It probably never will be! “Summer City hey hey Summer City, gimme your heart babe, gimme your hand…”
 
#29 Det blir aldrig som man tänkt sej (It Never Ends Up the Way You Imagined): Now we’re talking, what is this, 180 bpm?? A killer track from “Dags att tänka på refrängen” which also opened up the 2013 tour. A lesser known fact is that this is an older song, revamped. It used to be called “Är det jag?” but what’s still the same is basically the first verse. It was made for “Moderna Tider” but didn’t make the cut. Instead of singing “Det blir aldrig som man tänkt sej” Per sings “Är det jag som är kär dej som är kär i mej som är kär i dej som är kär i mej?” which translates to “Is it me who’s in love with you who’s in love with me… etc”. Fun track indeed.
 
#30 Even If It Hurts (It’s Alright): “Take what you want/take what you need/There’s something I’ll miss but I won’t let it show/‘cos it’s a girl that I used to know/A girl with a heart but it left long ago…” Per is sad again, and no one does it better than him. An album track from “The Heartland Café,” maybe it doesn’t deserve to be at 30, but as we’ve stated earlier; sometimes you can’t control these things. The whole Heartland project was some half-hearted attempt to try something new, but in the end they made the production more boring than ever. Good melodies, decent lyrics, but a production that made people fall asleep. That aside, this song is very nice, even the production is more than OK.
 
#31 Tuff tuff tuff (som ett lokomotiv) ((Tough Tough Tough) Like a Steam Engine): Not really translatable since “tuff” means both “choo” and “tough.” But the guy is tough like a steam engine so let’s go with that. The opening track of “Moderna Tider” and also the opening track of the 1981 tour. A fast, positive track, a good album opener, and “Moderna Tider,” Gyllene’s most successful album, is full of them. The album sleeve is a camera on a tripod. The original title was “Självutlösning” which also is really hard to translate – it means literally “remote shutter release” but in some kind of twisted Swedish it can mean self ejaculation… The name was changed in the 11th hour, to the name of the Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times. “Some are standing still/even though the feet are moving/Some are sick/even though they have gold in every tooth/Others run/from their own reality/Don’t believe them!/You only lose…/Because you have life life life/lots of life/and you are free free free/have loads of time/and it’s fake fake fake/don’t stand still!/move on walk tough (choo) tough tough/like a steam engine”…
 
#32 Vid hennes sida (By Her Side): In June 2019 Gyllene’s final album was released – “Samma skrot och korn.” This song is from there, a typical Per penned, acoustic love ballad, and then again not. Hard to put the finger on it, but we like it a lot. The lyrics contains gems such as “Every day is a totally different day.” Performed by MP and Per on the acoustic guitars with Fritte carefully fondling the Farfisa in the background. Anders is also there with his seriously complex programming. Her eyes smiled, I said I was from town/Maybe I bent the truth a little and acted a little dumb/But all I wanted was to walk by her side for a while…
 
#33 Young Girl: Hey, a song in English! The B-side of the single “Teaser Japanese” from 1983. Amazingly enough released in both Holland and the US. The US version doesn’t have “Young Girl” as the B-side though, EMI USA went with “Can You Touch Me?“. Even if this is from the “Heartland” project it doesn’t sound at all like the rest of the songs on that album. It features rather heavy digital drums by Syd. Originally written for Per’s teenage heroes The Hep Stars but they never recorded it. Bad move. And put your little hand in mine/and stand by my side/Young girl, it’s alright/no ain’t right when the feelings are fine
 
#34 Chrissie, hur mår du? (Chrissie, How Are You?): Back to 1981 and “Moderna Tider” this is one of Gyllene’s best songs ever. Unfortunately it didn’t reach higher than 34 but that’s how life is sometimes. Gyllene performed it this summer, but as so often they cut it and left it by the roadside. Still it was amazing to finally hear it live after so many years, even if the “Nashville-ization” was somewhat unnecessary. The song itself starts slowly with the boy asking Chrissie how she is. He himself is doing great, but maybe a tad lonely. Seems she’s left him, a common theme in Per’s songs. Anyway, he’s doing as well as possible. But when the music really kicks off he admits he’s lying. He’s dying. I’m not really doing swell/I’m waiting for the sun/Because it’s dark here/Night as well as day… And Chrissie, is it your turn, or is it my turn/To pretend this masquerade?/Have you learned from your mistakes?/I haven’t… So sad this song.
 
#35 Kustvägen söderut (Coastal Road South): The road mentioned in this song does exist, it’s basically the one that goes to Harplinge (that’d be North though!) Then on the other hand, it’s a road, by the coast… A nice song from “Puls” with a cool guitar riff and bass drum as the intro, then the rest join in. Anders plays a mean bass and Fritte lays on that organ in the background. One of two Gyllene songs featuring a guitar feedback loop! And I will never come back home again/No I will never come back home again/Don’t sit up and wait my friends/Because I’m never coming back home again… It ends with thunder. Lovely song, innit?
 
#36 Ordinärt mirakel (Ordinary Miracle): Such a typical Per-lyric! Maybe one of Per’s best ever, and the melody is great as well. Listen to Anders playing that bass, it’s like a melody of its own… Taken from the “comeback” album “Finn 5 fel!” in 2004. The five symbolizes this being Gyllene’s fifth album, and of course it doesn’t hurt that they happen to be five in the band. It should have been a single, but wasn’t of course. The demo was released as a B-side, so there’s that. Sometimes I step on us/But I say nice words of course/To my friends/It’s true/You’re so annoyingly pop-pop-popular…
 
#37 Du är en gangster, älskling! (You are a Gangster, Honey!): Per: “The legendary tape was finally found after being MIA for 13 years! Was recorded for the “Puls” album but was left off and is some sort of tour homage with Niklas Strömstedt whispering in the background. I play the harmonica they say. It’s called humor!” Micke: “Almost the same beat as on ‘Puls’ and ‘Teena.’ I listened a lot to Max Weinberg (E-Street Band.) He’s a snappy guy…” Anders: The tape was found in the attic of EMI’s studio, at the bottom of a pile of archived crap. I wonder how it ended up there?” It was finally released on “Halmstads pärlor” in 1995. It may not be a top 40 song and quite unknown, but it’s got a certain cuteness to it and that made our hearts melt! The lyrics seem to have been written during the ’81 summer tour.
 
#38 Kärleken är inte blind (Men ganska närsynt) Love isn’t Blind (But Pretty Nearsighted): Taken from Gyllene’s sophomore album Moderna Tider, but was before that the B-side of the 16-weeks-as-#1-single “När vi två blir en.” Niklas Strömstedt came up with the title of course. The song has never been performed live, which is kind of sad, since it would’ve kicked some serious butt. Love came/one afternoon/I was walkin’/along the city’s only promenade/Old girlfriends, mistresses/came as from heaven/a parade of angels/But it was someone else/I saw there/someone I’ve been long keen on/I fell off my sidewalk…
 
#39 Vanliga saker (Regular Things): Taken from Gyllene Tider​’s last album, Samma skrot och korn, this was performed the first two concerts in Halmstad. After that it was cut and replaced, unfortunately. A rocky piece, with good lyrics, but an even better melody. It has a sweet Farfisa riff which we love of course! She came from space/And said it was us/I wanted to break the code/So I mumbled “Come inside”/I swayed my Strat/Peaked my pulse/So on my mother’s street/She fell, tired/I sang about regular things
 
#40 Kom intill mig (Come Close to Me): The last song on side A on “Moderna Tider” which was released in 1981 and sold over 350,000 copies back then! A piano ballad, because that’s how Per, and many others, did it back then, and still do; end a side on an LP with a ballad. Performed beautifully by MP on the grand piano in EMI Studio 1 in Stockholm, Sweden. Come close to me/Come lie down/Down there the cars are fighting/Up here peace reigns/And we are strong/And we are healthy/Like the first dew of spring…

GT40 for 40 charts – the complete list
 
1 Det är över nu
2 Ljudet av ett annat hjärta
3 Faller ner på knä
4 Harplinge
5 Gå & fiska!
6 Solsken
7 (Kom så ska vi) Leva livet
8 Vart tog alla vänner vägen?
9 Om hon visste vad hon ville
10 Småstad
 
11 Break Another Heart
12 Juni, juli, augusti
13 Händerna
14 När alla vännerna gått hem
15 72
16 Mannen med gitarr
17 Teena
18 Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång
19 Det är blommor som har fångat dej
20 Heartland Café
 
21 Run Run Run
22 Kung av sand
23 Ska vi älska, så ska vi älska till Buddy Holly
24 Can You Touch Me?
25 Teaser Japanese
26 En sten vid en sjö i en skog
27 När vi två blir en
28 Sommartider
29 Det blir aldrig som man tänkt sej
30 Even If It Hurts (It’s Alright)
 
31 Tuff tuff tuff (Som ett lokomotiv)
32 Vid hennes sida
33 Young Girl
34 Chrissie, hur mår du?
35 Kustvägen söderut
36 Ordinärt mirakel
37 Du är en gangster, älskling
38 Kärleken är inte blind (Men ganska närsynt)
39 Vanliga saker
40 Kom intill mej
 
41 Man blir yr
42 When Love’s On The Phone (You Just Have To Answer)
43 Skicka ett vykort, älskling
44 Dags att tänka på refrängen
45 Min tjej och jag
46 Jo-Anna farväl
47 Singel
48 Lova att du aldrig glömmer bort mej
49 Solens vän
50 Hjärta utan hem
 
51 Allt jag lärt mej om livet (har jag lärt mej av Vera)
52 Det hjärta som brinner
53 Heartland
54 Någon att hålla i hand
55 (Hon vill ha) Puls
56 Aftonstjärna
57 Honung och guld
58 Leka med elden
59 Allt det andra
60 Vänta på mej!
 
61 Upphetsad
62 På jakt efter liv
63 Henry har en plan på gång
64 (Dansar inte lika bra som) Sjömän
65 Threnody
66 Fån telefon
67 Vem tycker om dej?
68 För mycket är aldrig nog
69 Tylö sun
70 Ande i en flaska (Gabba gabba gabba come on come on karma karma)
 
71 Speciell
72 Bara i en dröm
73 Beating Heart
74 Tio droppar regn
75 Jag tänker åka på en lång lång lång lång lång resa
76 Jag vänder mej om
77 Ge mig inte det där
78 Vandrar i ett sommarregn
79 Gyllene Tider för rock’n’roll
80 Vän till en vän
 
81 To Play with Fire
82 Tiden är en dåre med banjo
83 Skrot och korn
84 Kiss from a Stranger
85 Anders och Mickes första band
86 Lyckopiller
87 Varje gång det regnar
88 Himmel No. 7
89 Chikaboom
90 Flickorna på TV2
 
91 Som regn på en akvarell
92 Du måste skämta
93 Det kändes inte som maj
94 Bjud till!
95 Vill ha ett svar!
96 Final
97 Revolver upp
98 I Go to Pieces
99 Dreaming
100 Jag borde förstås vetat bättre
 
101 Knallpulver
102 Billy
103 Povel Ramel, Paul McCartney & jag
104 Bäst när det gäller
105 Anytime
106 Tuffa tider (För en drömmare)
107 Marie, Marie
108 Ta mej… nu är jag din!
109 Oh Yea Oh Yea Oh Oh
110 Och jorden den är rund – Swing & Sweet EP
 
111 Har du nånsin sett en dröm gå förbi?
112 Nere på gatan
113 Tylö sun – Early version
114 Låt denna trumslagarpojke sjunga!
115 När ni faller, faller ni hårt
116 Another Place, Another Time
117 Bara vara nära
118 Skäl att tvivla
119 Hej!
120 Hi Fidelity
 
121 Jag drömde jag mötte Fluortanten
122 Ingenting av vad du behöver
123 För dina bruna ögons skull
124 Ingen går i ringen
125 Guld
126 Sista gången jag såg Annie
127 Demon Emptiness
128 24:e december
129 Ny pojkvän
130 Offside!
 
131 Mr. Twilight
132 Vandrande man
133 Du spelar svår att nå
134 Rock On
135 Marie i växeln
136 Åh Ziggy Stardust, var blev du av?