
"Companions" | "Seuralaiset"
dark, gentle, whimsical, legend, fairy tale, Finnish folk-pop, chanson, ghost story

"Companions" | "Seuralaiset"
dark, gentle, whimsical, legend, fairy tale, Finnish folk-pop, chanson, ghost story
Lyrics
Verse 1
(00:08) Hän peri talon rapistuvan
She inherited a dilapidated mansion
(00:09) pianon kauniin, pystysuoran
and a beautiful upright piano
(00:12) Yksin ollen soittamaan
Being lonely, she taught herself to play
(00:14) Sävelet kaikuivat käytävään
Every note echoed through the hallway
Verse 2
(00:16) Mutta mitä paremmin soitti,
But the better she played,
(00:19) sitä enemmän talo herättiin
the more the house seemed to come to life
(00:20) Hän alkoi kuvitella seuraa
She started to imagine company
(00:23) Tuoksut ja äänet kaikuivat
She smelled perfume and heard voices
Verse 2] [(repeated)
(00:25) Mutta mitä paremmin soitti,
But the better she played,
(00:27) sitä enemmän talo herättiin
the more the house seemed to come to life
(00:29) Hän alkoi kuvitella seuraa
She started to imagine company
(00:31) Tuoksut ja äänet kaikuivat
She smelled perfume and heard voices
Chorus
(00:33) Ikuisuus ei ole pitkä
Eternity is not too long
(00:35) kun ystävät ovat ihania (Niin ihanaa)
when your companions are such a delight (So lovely)
(00:41) He puhuvat hiljaa, ovat lempeitä
They are gentle and speak softly
(00:44) Niin miellyttävää seuraa...
Such pleasant company...
Verse 3
(00:49) Viimein - hän näki heidät
Finally - she saw them
(00:51) He olivat ystävällisiä
They were friendly
(00:53) Heitä oli tusina
A whole dozen of them
(00:55) Tänne kerääntyneinä
Collected here
Verse 4
(00:58) Yksi kuoli koleraan
One died of cholera
(00:59) Yksi putosi portaisiin
One fell down the stairs
(01:01) Yksi kuoli kaksintaistelussa
One died for love in a duel
(01:03) Ja yksi oli liian ujo puhumaan
And one was too bashful to speak
Verse 5
(01:05) Yksi kokkaa herkullista ruokaa
One cooks her delicious food
(01:07) Yksi soittaa duettoja haamuviululla
One plays duets with her on a phantom violin
(01:10) Yksi juttelee teekupin äärellä
One chats with her over tea
(01:12) Talo rapistui - mutta sydän täyttyi
The house falls apart - but her heart is full
Chorus
(01:15) Ikuisuus ei ole pitkä
Eternity is not too long
(01:18) kun ystävät ovat ihania (Niin ihanaa)
when your companions are such a delight (So lovely)
(01:24) He puhuvat hiljaa, ovat lempeitä
They speak quietly, they are gentle
(01:27) Niin miellyttävää seuraa….
Such pleasant company...
Verse 6
(01:32) Mutta eräänä päivänä saapui synkkä ilmoitus
But one day a grim notice arrived
(01:37) jollekulle, jolla ei ollut penniäkään
for someone without a penny
(01:40) Aaveet istuivat olohuoneessa lohduttomina
The ghosts sat in the parlor, disconsolate
(01:45) kun hän luki paperin uudelleen, kyynelten välissä
while she reread the paper, in between bouts of weeping
Verse 7
(01:49) Yksi kuiskasi hiljaa ja lempeästi
One murmured gentle and low
(01:53) Yksi kuivasi hänen silmänsä nenäliinalla
One dabbed her eyes with a tissue
(01:57) Yksi hieroi hänen selkäänsä
One rubbed her back
(02:00) Ja ujo keitti avuliaasti pannullisen teetä
And the bashful one helpfully made a pot of tea
Verse 8
(02:04) Hän katsoi ystäviään kyynelten läpi
She looked at all of them through her tears
(02:06) Sitten, selittämättömästi - hän nauroi
Then, inexplicably - she laughed
(02:09) Kaikki säikähtivät, paitsi hän itse
Everyone was startled, except herself
(02:12) "Ystävät," hän sanoi, "Tulkaa ja kuunnelkaa..."
"Companions," she said, "Gather round and listen..."
Verse 9
(02:17) Nyt aamiaisvieraat
Now bed and breakfast guests
(02:18) kilpailevat huoneesta, jonka tapetit rapistuvat
fight to reserve the room with peeling wallpaper
(02:21) Elokuvaryhmät kuvaavat kolmannessa kerroksessa (Niin kaunista)
Movie crews film on the third floor (So scenic)
(02:28) Ujon muotokuvat myyvät kuin kuumille kiville (Niin kaunis)
The bashful one’s portraits sell like hotcakes (So beautiful)
(02:32) ja leipomosta loppuvat haamumuffinit (Niin maukasta)
and the bakery sells out of ghost muffins (So tasty)
Verse 10
(02:37) Ihmiset lentävät paikalle kaikkialta
People fly in from all corners
(02:39) ja jonot ovat mittaamattoman pitkät
and the lines are immeasurably long
(02:42) kurkistamaan, edes yhdeksi päiväksi,
to gawk, even for a day,
(02:45) maailman kummituksisimpaan taloon...
at the most haunted house in the world...
Bridge
(02:49) Ja kun ovet sulkeutuvat ja rauha laskeutuu
And when the doors close and peace reigns
(02:53) he loikoilevat olohuoneessa aamutakeissaan
they rest in the parlor in their dressing gowns
(02:57) ja nauravat päivän tapahtumille
and laugh about the day
(03:00) Hän, ja ystävät…
She, and her companions...
Chorus
(03:02) Ikuisuus ei ole pitkä
Eternity is not too long
(03:04) kun ystävät ovat ihania (Niin ihanaa)
when your companions are such a delight (So lovely)
(03:11) He puhuvat hiljaa, ovat lempeitä
They speak quietly, they’re kind
(03:14) Niin miellyttävää seuraa...
Such pleasant company...
Outro
(03:17) (Mmmhmm…)
(03:20) Niin lempeitä ja ystävällisiä...
So gentle and kind…
(03:25) (Mmmhmm...)
(03:29) Niin miellyttävää seuraa...
Such pleasant company…
Notes: A woman inherits a dilapidated mansion but soon begins to realize that she’s not alone...
Expanded lyrics/story
A woman who is very ill inherits a vast mansion in poor repair. She's surprised to discover a beautiful piano in excellent condition.
She’s alone in the world and teaches herself piano to keep herself company. As her playing steadily improves, she senses small changes in her environment.
She starts to smell violets, then gardenia perfume, then the scent of dark rose shaving cream. She hears quiet murmurs that sound like people having a conversation. The progress of her illness can make her disoriented, so she’s not frightened; she simply finds it odd.
The other inhabitants of the house finally reveal themselves. They are all ghosts. They’ve passed on in various ways - from sickness, from a duel, etc.
They’re friendly and all have various talents. The bashful ghost paints stunning portraits, the quiet ghost who died of cholera cooks beautifully, the lovestruck duelist plays duets with her on the piano.
She’s happy with her ghost companions in her last days, until one day she receives a notice that heavy taxes are due on the property (and they will lose their home). She and her “company” gather in the parlor. They comfort her as she weeps.
But suddenly she startles everyone - by laughing.
[Spoiler] Deciding to turn a disadvantage into an advantage, she freely admits that the house is filled to the rafters with ghosts of every description, and starts a company to advertise this.
Soon the world beats a pathway to her door - everyone wants to visit "the most haunted house in the world.”
Her home (and the home of her companions) is saved. At night, after the crowds leave, they rest comfortably in the private parlor in their dressing gowns, chatting about the entertaining events of the day.
It’s up to you to decide - are the ghosts simply a manifestation of her fatal illness, signaling the end - or did she really find a group of ghostly companions who’ll all be good company to each other when she also passes over.
(If I have to pick the "true" version - they're real.)
As she’s quite ill, she doesn’t have much longer to live - but it doesn’t bother her to spend eternity with such pleasant company.
