ABSTRACT
The text is translated verbatim from a very popular Finnish song of the 1980s. The song has maintained its popularity over the years because of its somewhat vague or symbolic message and an easy singalong tune, which adds to the song’s contradictory messages. When the song was first released one popular interpretation of its protagonist, the Black Angel, was that it represented capitalism. It was easy to arrive at such a conclusion, since the singer/ songwriter was indirectly connected with 1970s left-wing radicalism. Thus when a former cleaner from the National Board of Building and an active trade union member spoke the following words, I could hear the Black Angel soaring in the background:
A member of parliament I know asked me what should be done with that Engel, should we sell it and put it in the stock market. I said go ahead, sell the lot, so that they’ll get the Black Engel for Christmas just as we did back then.
