Hej Tomtegubbar Slå I Glasen is typically played in a jaunty manner. The lyrics are about the Tomte gubbe, a small gnome that in Swedish folklore are sort of a year around santa. They are only really talked about around christmas though. In this song they are drinking and being merry (slå i glasen means hit the glasses together), but the lyrics are all about how we are only here for a fleeting while and that it is a lot of pain and hassle. I find these lyrics to be full of angst about the impermanence of our existence, and I wanted to bring out the feelings underneath rather than the visual of the happy drinking gnome Santas.
credits
from Dark Is Light Is,
released December 13, 2020
Elsa Nilsson - Flutes and arrangement
Jeff McLaughlin - Guitar
Alex Minier - Bass
Cody Rahn - Drums