☝️ Key Points
- The song 'The Hand on the Table' describes a drinking ritual where participants must follow certain movement instructions.
- The instructions include placing hands on the table, standing up and putting feet on a chair, lifting the table and then removing the hand from the table.
- Afterwards, there are instructions for drinking and placing the glass on the table.
- At the end of the song, the movement instructions are performed in reverse order.
- The song likely has a social function that promotes community and a sense of belonging.
Interpretation
The text of the folk song 'Hand on Table' seems to be quite simple and repetitive at first glance. At its core, it describes a sequence of movements that is likely associated with a drinking ritual. 'Hand on Table' means that one should place their hand on the table. 'Anner aa' is a dialect expression that means 'the other one too'. The following lines 'Now stand up, stand up ... Put your foot on a chair ... Put the other one too ...' indicate that the participants should stand up and place their feet on a chair. 'Lift the table ... The hand off the table ...' suggests that the table should be lifted and then the hand should be taken off the table. 'Hand on the glass ... The glass up high ... Now drink ...' instructs the participants to drink. After drinking, they should place the glass on the table and put their hands back on the table. At the end of the song, the previous movements are performed in reverse order, until the song ends with the words 'The song is over ... The other one too ...'. Overall, it seems that the song describes a kind of drinking game in which the participants have to follow specific instructions. Additionally, the song likely has a social function in promoting community and a sense of belonging.