Monday, 7 March 2011

Blog playlist: best songs in other languages

Allegedly here are other things to do on a Sunday afternoon, but I can't quite see why anyone would choose not to spend it lying on the sofa (or outside when the weather is nice), reading and listening to Huey Morgan followed by Jarvis Cocker on 6 Music.

Assuming that's what all of you were doing on Sunday, all of you have already heard the magnificent Les Cactus by Jacques Dutronc (thank you, Jarvis). But have you seen Michael Jackson dancing to it? (Um, sort of?)



I think you need the lyrics translated as well:

The whole world is a cactus
It is impossible to sit down
In life, there all there is is cacti
I know it because I'm pricking myself
Ow, ow ow, ouch, ow ow ow

In their hearts there are cacti
In their wallets there are cacti
In their feet there are cacti
In their jackets there are cacti
ow, ow, ow, ouch, ouch, ouch, ow

To defend myself from their cacti
I've put cacti too
In my bed, I've put cacti
In my underpants, I've put cacti
ow, ow, ow, ouch, ow ow ow

In their smiles there are cacti
In their stomachs there are cacti
In their hellos there are cacti
In their cacti there are cacti
ow, ow, ow, ouch, ow

The whole world is a cactus
It is impossible to sit down
In life, all there is is cacti
I know it because I'm pricking myself
ow, ow, ow, ouch, ow ow ow

Blog playlist time! Great songs in foreign languages please. Translated lyrics optional. It's a huge category so maybe try to restrict yourselves to ones that are undeservedly underplayed.

13 comments:

Pedro said...

As a big and unashamed fan of the Eurovision I feel there's a huge untapped resource here (and I will defend claims to greatness) but for now I'll limit myself to:
'Je n'ai que mon âme', Natasha St-Pier (France, 2001).
Slightly odd video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65I39BhqPSc

Persephone said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Persephone said...

I deleted my first post because I forgot the link!
Here's a haunting song by the legendary Québecois group Beau Dommage that never gets played in English-speaking countries. This is because the French word for "seal" is "phoque". The first time I heard it, I kept thinking: "This is a beautiful song, but why do they keep using that word, which isn't even a swear word in Québec? And why would they want to do it in Alaska?"

Rough translation of the "joual":

Complainte du phoque en Alaska

Believe me or not / Somewhere in Alaska,
There's a seal who's in the worse way
His girlfriend has left/ To earn her living
In a circus in the United States

The seal is all alone/ He watches the sun which sinks gently behind the glacier
He think of the States/ while crying softly
It's like that when your girlfriend leaves you.

It's not worth the pain/ Of leaving the one you love
To go spin a ball on your nose
That will make the children laugh
But that won't last long
Nobody will laugh when the children have grown.

When the seal feels sad/ He looks at his skin which shines
Like the streets of New York after the rain
He dreams of Chicago/ Of Marilyn Munro
He would like to see his girlfriend do a show.

It's only a story/ I can almost make myself believe it
But sometimes I think it's me
Who is sitting on the ice, my face in my hands
My love has left me and I'm lonely.


Start singing this in a brasserie in Québec and someone will join in.

Billy said...

Dazed and Chinese by Bongwater.

Waffle said...

Can I suggest "Alexandra, Alexandrie" by the disco titan that was Claude François? Please to be watching this epic video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ehERxYUVw


Sample lyric:

Aaah Aaaah

Veils on the girls

Boats on the Nile

I am in your life

I am in your sheets

Alexandra Alexandrie

Where everything starts and finishes

I have a bigger appetite than a Barracuda

I'll drink the whole Nile if you don't stop me.



Do admit.

Michelle said...

Half French, half English??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajHgPWivCTw

CGrades said...

This is a cover, in French, by an Australian band, so may not really qualify. But I'll put L'hotel de Californie by Cat Empire on the table. And here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-43LN-7Cg

Helen said...

I'm afraid I've another French one. During 1995 - 1996 I was at university in France and was PROPERLY fascinated by this video. I
actually got quite into Mylene Farmer. Especially when she's flapping about on the front of a train.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPxjFo9ot3s

Lisa Rullsenberg said...

There's a great Mandarin version of 'Silent All These Years' (Tori Amos song) by Faye Wong. It's great. Sure there must be more... thinking hat on (or rather iPod needs checking out)

Lisa Rullsenberg said...

There are some interesting examples mentioned here Cover Version List

Robert Hudson said...

Life on Mars - Seu Jorge (thank you @lfenner); Petit Pais - Cesaria Evora (thank you @brandreth); Bra Vibrationer - Kikki Danielsson (just for the title)

Marie said...

I am not putting Bra Vibrationer on. I have listened to some of it and I can't risk that anybody else will.

Marie said...

Re Lisa's list - it includes Bowie singing Heroes in German ('Helden'), one of my favourites for YEARS and I never knew where to find it. Thanks!