Artist & Tune
Version by Pete Seeger
Version by Lillebjørn
Version by Donovan
Reference
About the Song
"Rainbow Race" is a composed folk song by Pete Seeger.
On 22 July 2011 a Norwegian white supremacist, Anders Behring Brevik, carried out two massacres in Norway. He killed eight people by detonating a car bomb. He then murdered young people attending a Young Workers Camp on the island of Utøya. He blamed left wing parties for what he viewed as the weakening of Norwegian identify by their support for the rights and dignity of non-whites and immigrants.
He was arrogant & unremorseful at his trial in 2012 in Oslo. He said that the "Communist" song "Children of the Rainbow" had been used to brainwash Norwegian young people into turning their back on what he views as true Norwegian (white, Christian) identify. The song he was referring to was a Norwegian translation of "Rainbow Race" by the Norwegian folksinger, Bjørn "Lillebjørn" Nilson.
During Brevik's trial, over 40,000 young people gathered in the central square in Oslo and joined Lillebjørn in singing this song as a way of affirming that they were not held back in any way by Brevik's hatred and fear.
Translation(s)
En himmel full av stjerner
Blått hav så langt du ser
En jord der blomster gror
Kan du ønske mer?
Sammen skal vi leve
Hver søster og hver bror
Små barn av regnbuen
og en frodig jord.
Noen tror det ikke nytter
Andre kaster tiden bort med prat
Noen tror at vi kan leve av
Plast og syntetisk mat
Og noen stjeler fra de unge
som blir sendt ut for og slåss
Noen stjeler fra de mange
som kommer etter oss.
En himmel full av…
Men si det til alle barna!
Si det til hver far og mor:
Ennå har vi en sjanse
til å dele et håp og en jord.
En himmel full av…
English translation of the Norwegian verses:
A sky full of stars
Blue sea as long you can see
An earth where flowers grow
Can you wish for more?
Together we shall live
Each sister & each brother
Little children of the rainbow
And a fertile earth.
Some people think it’s useless
Others waste their time talking
Some think we can live on
Plastic & synthetic food
And some steal from the young
Who are sent to battle
Some steal from the many
People coming after us.
But say it to all the children!
Say it to each father & mother:
We’ve still got a chance
To share a hope & an earth.
- new lyrics by Bjørn "Lillebjørn" Nilson to music by Pete Seeger