# Foreign language songs that charted in English speaking countries **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783 "2018-09-23T14:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/61 "2018-09-24T17:31:24Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > [Trio’s Da Da Da](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYcviXK4rg) charted in a number of countries. Oh, I like that one. That was made big (for certain values of “big”) here in the US back in the mid-90s or so via a Volkswagen commercial. It was actually enough to get me to go out and buy the album. Looking online, it seems they hit #118 on the album charts in 1997 with their compilation album “Da Da Da”, and #33 on the dance charts in the US, according to the Wikipedia article, but I see no mention of (the dance chart stat) on Billboard’s website. ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/62 "2018-09-24T17:47:49Z")
There was one partly in German from 1960 [Sailor (Your Home is the Sea) by Lolita.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m8MjverT64) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/63 "2018-09-24T17:52:46Z")
Well, there’s “[Prisencolinensinainciusol](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VsmF9m_Nt8)” by Italian artist Adriano Celentano that charted in Belgium (peaked at #4), France (6), Germany (46), the Netherlands (5), and Italy (5). With the exception of the English words “all right,” it’s not in _any_ language. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/64 "2018-09-24T18:07:28Z")
Peter Gabriel’s Games without Frontiers repeated the main lyric in French “Jeux sans frontiers” and was a top ten hit in the UK. Cab Calloway did Abi Gezind I can't find any mention of how successful it was as a single, but I am throwing it out there because it's such a cool song and video. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/65 "2018-09-24T18:34:19Z")
Canadian rapper Snow’s “Informer” isn’t actually English is it? I mean other than the title word and Marky Mark’s bit. It charted at… (looks it up) …#1 for _seven_ fucking weeks!? With literally no other decent pop music, people must have just been trying to figure out wtf he was saying. Oh, and I’m constantly having to thumbs-down the English “99 Red Balloons” abomination on my 80s Pandora list. Get a clue, algorithm. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/66 "2018-09-25T05:00:35Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > [Je taime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Je_t%27aime..._moi_non_plus)And if I could encourage some scope creep - the opposite of foreign languages is indigenous languages, which may also not be English. The Warumpi Band had the first hit in an Australian Aboriginal language with [Jailanguru pakernu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXZX7VCNl8A) in Luritja. Never heard that before; I like it. And of course there was [Treaty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uszdyMaC2c) from Yothu Yindi. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/67 "2018-09-25T14:58:34Z")
Perry Como’s song from the movie of the Odessa file, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, charted at #92 and included these German lyrics: (Lüge dirigiert die Welt, Ehrlichkeit bringt selten Geld, Jeder möcht’ Sieger sein, wer verliert bleibt ganz allein; Doch manch Will’ ist möglich durch die Fantasie Du stirbst um zu leben und nimmst um zu geben; Einmal im Jahr wird alles wahr Zu Weihnacht vergiss nicht, Vergiss es gewiss nicht. English translation: Lies direct the world, honesty rarely brings money, Everyone wants to be the winner, whoever loses is left alone; But many a Will 'is possible through the imagination You die to live and take to give; Once a year everything becomes true Do not forget Christmas Do not forget it. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/68 "2018-09-25T16:28:12Z")
I forgot about Christmas songs. Bing Crosby hit #45 in 1960 with “Adeste Fideles” with lyrics in both Latin and English. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/69 "2018-09-25T19:28:42Z")
Blondie’s _Denis_ ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/70 "2018-09-25T20:46:38Z")
What about La Macarena? ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/71 "2018-09-25T22:01:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > [Cite for the above](http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/spotlight-0303-2011.aspx) To add to the confusion here the 45 had both versions. Were people buying it to listen to 99 Luftballons or 99 Red Ballons? I personally listened to the former more. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/72 "2018-09-25T23:32:03Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > Asereje (The Ketchup Song) The chorus of “Aserejé” is one of those gibberish examples. Neither Spanish nor English, but a Spanish-speaker’s attempt at making phonetic sense of the lyrics to “Rappers’ Delight.” Kraftwerk had a US #25 hit with “Autobahn” in 1975 and what lyrics it had were all in German. Some people think they’re singing, “Fun fun fun of the Autobahn,” but it’s actually “Fahr’n fahr’n fahr’n auf der Autobahn” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/73 "2018-09-25T23:53:28Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > What about La Macarena? That’s right. Pick that scab. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/74 "2018-09-26T05:17:31Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Blondie’s _Denis_ Speaking of Blondie, one verse of _Sunday Girl_ was in French. That’s true for the album version at least. There was a shorter radio version that I think cut out the French verse. I have no idea which version was on the single. ---
**Author:** ![Sloe\_Moe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/75 "2018-09-26T05:41:49Z")
Asereje in 2002 Maybe not in any chart at the time but sure to have been very famous: Alouette Stille Nact Le Mer Sta Lucia ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/76 "2018-09-26T06:03:16Z")
There was a Romanian language song _Dragostea Din Tel_ by O-Zone that developed a bit of a following because of a goofy video someone put up on YT (search “Numa Numa”). I doubt it came close to even charting in the US, but does that really mean anything these days? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/77 "2018-09-26T06:31:45Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > BTW, “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” (“Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn” in Yiddish) means “You’re Beautiful to Me.” I know 🙂 I took a guess that Yiddish “bay mir” could also mean “at my place”, since it has both meanings in German. Maybe in Yiddish it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/78 "2018-09-26T06:35:18Z")
> [@Sloe\_Moe](#): > > Asereje in 2002 > > Maybe not in any chart at the time but sure to have been very famous: > > Alouette > Stille Nact > Le Mer > Sta Lucia Stille Nacht und Stille Nackt would probably be very different songs. Not completely sure about your new version, which appears to be agnostic regarding “night” vs “naked”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/79 "2018-09-26T06:38:07Z")
Hank Williams’s “Jambalaya” has a few French words thrown in, and hit the charts pretty big I think. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783/80 "2018-09-26T06:42:07Z")
Lionel Richie, in “All Night Long”, sings “Thambolita festivolYA - hey, jumble jumble!”, or words to that effect. Does Louie Louie count as its own foreign language? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-songs-that-charted-in-english-speaking-countries/821783.md?page=5)