DESCRIPTION:
Tekst: Rudolf Nilsen
Musik: Torgny Björk, Lillebjørn Nielsen, Jon Arne Corell m.fl.
Fra Albummet: På stengrunn

Arbeidsløs jul

Vi som er dømt til livet
i gråbeingårdenes by
feirer idag en solfest
for ham, som er født påny.

Vi har fått tyve kroner
å feire hans komme med!
For dem har vi kjøpt en julegran
og en hel sekk ved.

For dem har vi kjøpt en bayer
og et stykke hestekjøtt.
Det siste skal minne om stallen,
hvor frelseren blev født.

De fattiges herre og mester!
Det var ikke godt for ham.
Han hengtes tilslutt på korset
midt mellem synd og skam.

Godt det er bare en skrøne
at Kristus er kommet påny.
Så blir det en fattig mindre
å nagle på kors i vår by.

Vi i de mørke gater
feirer idag en fest.
Til jul får vi tyve kroner,
til påske: Korsfest! Korsfest!


Unemployed Christmas

We who are sentenced to life
in gråbeingårdenes city
celebrate today a sun party
for him who is born anew.

We've got twenty crowns
To celebrate his coming with!
For them, we bought a Christmas tree
and a whole bag of wood.

For them, we bought a beer
and a piece of horse meat.
The latter should remind stable
where the Saviour was born.

The poor lord and master!
It was not good for him.
He finally hung on the cross
right between sin and shame.

Well it's just a lie
that Christ has come again.
So it becomes a less poor
to nail the cross in our town.

We are in the dark streets
today celebrating a party.
At Christmas we get 20 crowns,
to Easter: Crucify! Crucify!

(20 crowns= money, 20 Norwegian crowns)

Rudolf Nilsen På stengrunn (1925)
http://www.marxists.org/norsk/referen...

Railway Workers Strike of 1923-24 lasted seven months.
Distress was great and the Presidency decided to give a Christmas contribution to the unemployed at the suggestion of Mrs. Karlsen:
"Single kr. 10, -, up to 20 to provide for kr. 20, -, more than 2 to provide for kr. 25, -"

The following year, Rudolf Nilsen wrote "unemployed Christmas again" after the local council would not allocate any money:
"This year we have only the good news to console us."


Gråbeingårdene:
Housing boxes provided just over 700 apartments with over 3,500 inhabitants.
The Housing boxes were built between 1886-1894 by the builder Ole Olsen (1832-1908). The builder had the nickname "Gråbein" because he was considered stingy.

"Gråbeingårdene": Begrepet ble brukt om dårlige arbeiderboliger.


http://www.myspace.com/rudolfnilsen


...