Hear Sabaton’s New Swedish-Sung Song (With English Translation)

Swedish power metal battalion Sabaton are back with a stunning video for “Livgardet,” their first new song since the release of 2019’s The Great War album. It’s sung entirely in Swedish and is a tribute to the 500th anniversary of the Swedish Royal Guard — Livgardet.

It’s fitting that Sabaton follow-up The Great War with a song commemorating a historic anniversary as that last record was made to honor 100 years since the start of World War I. Here, they shed their more typical power metal assault in favor of a bombastic five-minutes that are, of course epic, but set to a militaristic drum beat with a rigid, chanting-like vocal cadence.

As for the video, seen below, Sabaton played the part and donned military uniforms that served as a nod to the half-millennium old era.

“Since 2012 and Carolus Rex, we have been looking forward to writing more songs in Swedish, and we felt that we were not done with the history of our fatherland,” said bassist Pär Sundström.

Using this opportunity to serve up a history lesson, the bassist continued, “Over the past years, we have been discussing around topics until something obvious came up. One of the oldest military regiments in the world, the Swedish Royal Guard (Livgardet), was formed in the Sabaton home region in Sweden, Dalecarlia, in 1521 by the legendary Swedish king Gustav Vasa.”

“For the past 500 years, they have evolved with the times and served under various kings and queens around the world and are still active today,” Sundström added, furthering the education of Sabaton fans worldwide.

He added, “We felt that such an anniversary would be worth a song, and we aimed at writing a respectful tribute, an anthem for this Swedish regiment and its legacy. The rich 500 years of history is, needless to say, extremely hard to fit into one song, and that is why we mainly focused on the parts and battles that happened during the age of the Swedish Empire. We aimed to write a respectful tribute, a powerful anthem, for this Swedish regiment and its remarkable legacy.”

Watch the “Livgardet” music video in all its splendor toward the bottom of the page. View the lyrics directly below, which have been presented in Swedish and English (via Google Translate — translation may contain inaccuracies).

Look for the English version of the song to be released April 9.

Sabaton, “Livgardet” Lyrics

Smitt av eld och dalablod
Frusen mark och hjältemod
I en tid av krig de stod

Anor från blott 16 man
Rikets äldsta stridsförband

En tid
Av Krig

Vart vägen än bär
Att beskydda, gardet svär
För konung och rike de viger sitt liv

Knä om knä livgardet går
Kämpat för landsfader vår
Hängiven tjänst i 500 år
Från tåget över Bält
Stred vid Lund, på Narvas fält
De följa uti hjältars spår

Oavsett vem kronan bär
Till sin konung trohet svär
I en tid, av fred, de består

Traditioner i från förr
Vaktar ännu maktens dörr
I frid
Och i strid

Vart vägen än går
Runt vår konung gardet står
För land och för rike de offrar sitt liv

För Sverige i tiden
Dit konungen går
De gör vad som synes omöjligt, vad än framtiden spår

Vart vägen än bär
Att beskydda, gardet svär
För konung och rike de viger sitt liv

Ärat livgardet står
Grundat av landsfader vår
Hängiven tjänst i 500 år
Från tåget över Bält
Stred vid Lund, på Narvas fält
De följa uti hjältars spår

Sabaton, “Livgardet” Lyrics — English Translation (Via Google Translate)

Infected by fire and Dala blood
Frozen ground and heroism
In a time of war they stood

Descended from only 16 men
The kingdom’s oldest military unit

A time
Of War

Wherever the road leads
To protect, the guard swears
For king and kingdom they dedicate their lives

Knee to knee the lifeguard goes
Fought for our country father
Dedicated service for 500 years
From the train across the Belt
Struggle at Lund, on Narva’s field
They follow in the footsteps of heroes

Regardless of who wears the crown
To his king fidelity swears
In a time, of peace, they exist

Traditions from the past
Still guarding the door of power
In peace
And in battle

Wherever the road goes
Around our king guard stands
For country and for kingdom they sacrifice their lives

for Sweden in time
Where the king goes
They do what seems impossible, whatever the future holds

Wherever the road leads
To protect, the guard swears
For king and kingdom they dedicate their lives

The honor guard stands
Founded by our country father
Dedicated service for 500 years
From the train across the Belt
Struggle at Lund, on Narva’s field
They follow in the footsteps of heroes

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