Alle dyr

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a playful, almost surreal deconstruction of animal identity, starting with a whimsical assertion that all animals are made of snow. This initial image is charmingly absurd, transforming a sheep into "living snow that has wool and can bleat" and a hen into a "clucking snowball with feathers." The repetition of "Alle dyr er lagd av snø" (All animals are made of snow) sets a tone of innocent, imaginative observation, creating a childlike wonder about the natural world. This framing suggests a perspective that strips away complex biology to focus on superficial, easily recognizable traits. The core of the song's charm lies in its persistent, inventive redefinition of animals, shifting materials and characteristics with each verse. After the snow phase, the lyrics pivot to "papp" (cardboard), describing an elephant as a "huge pile of cardboard with a trunk" and a dog as "wagging cardboard that can fetch the newspaper." This material shift continues, introducing "ost" (cheese), "sepe" (soap), "stativ" (stand), and "hatt" (hat) in later verses, each paired with bizarre, unexpected animal descriptions. The constant material change, coupled with the exceptions like the elephant and the cat, creates a sense of delightful chaos and challenges the listener to reconsider what defines an animal. The most striking aspect of the writing is its relentless, imaginative absurdity, particularly in the latter verses. The lyrics move beyond simple material swaps to create truly outlandish comparisons: a horse becomes a "whinnying soap with a bridle and saddle," a fish is a "waterproof stand for an aquarium," and a moose is a "church." This escalating surrealism, culminating in the nonsensical "ræpadapapapa" and the final line "Alle dyr er lagd av dyrene" (All animals are made of the animals), is where the song's unique humor and artistic effect reside. It’s a celebration of language's power to reframe reality, suggesting that our understanding of things is often just a collection of arbitrary associations.