Drinking songs

Sweden has a venerable tradition of snapsvisor - songs sung when making a toast at parties -and it it still very much alive. At the Historical museum of Wines and Spirits you can listen to 200 drinking songs, and find the words to some, 2,000 more in a multimedia presentation. The museum accepts entries to its annual Swedish drinking song championships and keep an archive of all submissions.

HERRING AND SILL
Lili Marlene

You can give us herring
And you can give us sill
But you will still be erring
Unless you also will
Give us a glass of Akvavit
That sure smells sweet
To Swedes in heat
It gives the fish its feet
It makes the dish complete
Text: Christer Engström

I SEE THE SNAPS
I See the Moon

I see the snaps and the snaps sees me
down through my hals to my vänstra knee.
Please let the snaps now leave the glass,
go to my mage down.
Over the bottles, over the glass
faces are shining på vårt kalas.
Please let the snaps now leave the glass,
go to my mage down.
Hell and Gore

(Traditional Swedish)
Okänd författare