Tankar vid 50 [English translation]

I have achieved more than I ever dreamed.

I have lived so much that half is forgotten.

But now I am back where I began, my friend;

I am alone again

I turned 50, with adult children.

Trophies hang in a row on the wall.

But the gold records have no value for one

who is alone again.

Fame came, and new friends with it

Yes, the scent of money is well known.

My God, what a party; I don't understand

how I survived.

I don't regret anything, it was worth every penny.

I should do it over with joy again.

and the memories are like a dear old friend

in my loneliness.

I have taken care of my job, my children also,

and friends know exactly where I stand,

but love is like a real catastrophe,

now in hindsight.

I have overindulged in women, and been loved by a few.

They have earned my respect, and all they desired,

but none of them have ever succeeded in understanding

what kind of man I am.

Some are drawn to the excitement which is in my job,

where one travels and parties, but they often give up

when they also see that the stars

pale in the dawn.

Others want to have a man who is in balance,

who loves home and peace, and who knows his place.

But when one has seen half the world, one can never more

let himself be tamed, my friend.

I dream about someone who can give me peace,

who keeps me young, and who gives me passion.

I require everything, the rut is what

I fear the most.

I never will become bitter, it is against my nature.

But I wonder sometimes how this woman looks

who understands that in this safe figure

lives a love animal.

The day is chilly, the autumn is clear.

The sky is unusually beautiful today.

I believe I will do what I

used to do a long time ago;

I walk down to the sea and sit down,

and feel how the wind blows me clean.

Who knows, maybe a new phenomenon will appear

up out of the waves.

• Artist:Björn Afzelius
• Album:Tankar vid 50 (1997)