In 1968, the feminist group Grupp 8 (Group 8) was founded by eight women in Sweden. It remains to this day one of the most renowned feminist organisations in Swedish history.
In 1971, they released the album "Sånger om kvinnor" (Songs about women) based on songs from a play, with more written specifically for this album. The goal was to describe women's everyday lives in the 1970's, both in the personal and the political. All the lyrics were written and performed by women, but all the musicians and composers were men, which gave rise to criticism from fellow feminists.
The song "Vi måste höja våra röster" (We have to raise our voices) describes how women and girls are constantly accused of speaking too softly, begging the question:
Ska en tjej sitta tyst va? Och bara hoppas Att någon kille Ska säga det hon tänkt Eller ska hon resa sig upp Andas djupt med magen Och skrika ”Om ni bara håller käften och lyssnar Så hör ni nog vad vi vill säga”
Should a girl stay quiet, Silently hoping That one of the guys Will speak her mind for her Or should she stand up tall Breathe in deeply And shout: "If only you would shut up and listen You'd hear what I want to say" There is a video of a live performance of the song by a group of Swedish students, starting with a recitation of the lyrics from the song "Befrielsen är nära!" (The liberation is near!) from the same album, on Youtube:
