☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about longing for the north and a sense of homeland.
- The swans symbolize freedom and the beauty of nature.
- The singer greets the Arctic Sea and the North Cape and expresses his longing for the north.
- The lines of the lyrics show the emotional depth and poetic language of the song.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song 'Zug der Schwäne' by
Franz Josef Degenhardt are about longing for the North and a sense of belonging to one's homeland. The singer observes swans flying towards the North and wishes that his heart could sway on the waves of the gray Arctic Sea.
In the opening lines, the singer expresses his longing for spring and the sight of the swans. The swans symbolize the beauty and freedom of nature. He would like to fly with them and be greeted by them. The green birch groves and the stones of the North represent the singer's feelings of belonging to his homeland, which he would gladly trade for the beauty of the North.
Throughout the lyrics, the singer asks the swan to convey his greetings to Sweden and to place its feet on the cold stone of the Baltic Sea in his place. This shows the singer's connection to the North and his longing for this land.
The singer also greets the Arctic Sea and the North Cape, and calls out to the archipelagos and fjords. He wants his soul to be like a swan on its way to the North. This expresses his deep longing for the North and his sense of belonging to his land.
Overall, the song lyrics are about a sense of belonging to one's homeland and longing for the North. The swans symbolize freedom and beauty, while the singer sends his greetings to the North and yearns for this land. The lines of the lyrics show the emotional depth and poetic language of the song.