# Rock songs with non-English lyrics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 31, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804 "2003-01-31T04:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/41 "2003-01-31T19:26:08Z")
Sublime - Chico me Tipo Sublime - Caress me Down ---
**Author:** ![Semp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Semp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Semp)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/42 "2003-01-31T19:45:04Z")
Thomas Dolby used foreign languages on occassion, French and Hungarian being the ones I can think of off-hand. His best _ahem_ “foreign language” lyric is from the infamous _Airhead_ song: _“Quod erat demonstrandum, baby” Ooh! You speak French!_ Kills me every time I hear it. ---
**Author:** ![dogchow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@dogchow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogchow)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/43 "2003-02-01T00:29:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sköt \* > \*\*And the reason **Rammstein** is “stupid” would be? > > Certainly not because they sing in their _native tongue_, German… \*\* I think they’re stupid because the music is mundane. It has nothing to do with language. I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear in the first post. I really need to learn to proofread.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/44 "2003-02-01T00:37:45Z")
**Trio** , “da da da” used in a Volkswagen commercial Ich liebe dich nicht, du liebst mich nicht, aha (try saying that three times fast!) Ich liebe dich nicht, du liebst mich nicht, da da da et cetera ---
**Author:** ![Ave\_Minerva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@Ave\_Minerva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ave_Minerva)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/45 "2003-02-01T03:00:18Z")
Bowie did German and French versions of Heroes. On the soundtrack to Christiane F. there’s a version that starts out in English and ends in German. Spanish Bombs by the Clash There’s a French version of the Sex Pistol’s Anarchy in the UK on the Great Rock n Roll Swindle. The Beatles released foreign language versions of a lot of their early singles. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/46 "2003-02-01T03:15:23Z")
> [@](#): > > …Grabblar í mold með fingrunum > **Og** munninum, hún er fimm ára > > (No, I have no idea what that means) OG HAPPY SMITE SMITE JOY!!! Er, It’s obviously a prayer or incantation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/47 "2003-02-03T19:07:29Z")
Ok, I’ve thought of a couple more: " Celtic Aggression" by Tonic (ends in Gaelic) “Games Without Frontiers” by Peter Gabriel (French) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/48 "2003-02-03T20:38:18Z")
“Hold on Tight” by ELO has some lines in French: **Accroches-toi a ton reve, accroches-toi a ton reve Quand tu vois ton bateau partir, Quand tu sents – ton coeur se briser Accroches-toi a ton reve.** It seems to be an approximate translation of the opening lyrics in English: **Hold on tight to your dream, Hold on tight to your dream When you see your ship go sailing, when you feel your heart is breaking Hold tight to your dream.** ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/49 "2003-02-03T21:01:52Z")
In John Lennon’s “#9 Dream”, there is a chorus which is either in a foreign language, complete gibberish, or someone’s idea of a joke. It goes “ah bowakawa pusé…” and so on. Also he did a song called “Aisumasen” (“I’m Sorry”), obviously directed at someone in particular. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/50 "2003-02-03T23:01:45Z")
Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” - has a verse in Spanish. Madonna, “La Isla Bonita” - a few Spanish phrases, including the title (of course) ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/51 "2003-02-04T03:10:14Z")
That song by Enigma with the chanting… Sadeness Part…something. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/52 "2003-02-17T20:44:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HenrySpencer \* > [B > Half of **Leonard Cohen** ’s song _The Patriot_ is in French (actually, it’s a cover - I’m trying to find whether the original is all French, or all English, or a combination). Now that I think about it, in a live version of _Bird On A Wire_, he also begins it off with some French. > > Something about Canadians, I guess 😉 \*\* I think you mean \* The Partisan \* which is on his \* Songs from a Room \* album. The song seems to be about the French underground in the Second World War. Beautiful song. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/53 "2003-02-17T21:39:39Z")
Frank Zappa has a few with German lyrics (Sofa, Stick it Out), Jefferson Airplane has a half real, half fake German song (Never Argue With A German if You’re Tired or European Song). ---
**Author:** ![IThinkNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ce73a5/32.png) [@IThinkNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IThinkNot)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/54 "2003-02-17T22:25:36Z")
Doesn’t Moby have some songs in a different language? It’s not prominent, but in the background of “My Weakness” (Track 18 on “Play”) it sounds like maybe Buddhist stuff in the background… … or maybe I’m full of crap. Good song, though. ---
**Author:** ![MikeZ77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@MikeZ77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeZ77)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/55 "2022-10-17T22:42:33Z")
I am hearing this: Que linda me recuerdo a Cuba. La reina de la Mar Caribe. Quiero solo ‘visitarte’ ahí. Y que triste que no puedo, vaya! It sounds like Visitarme, but that doesn’t make grammatical sense. If it is visitarme, then it’s just incorrect Spanish, and it wouldn’t be the first time Spanish got messed up by a foreigner. He’s not going to visit himself to Cuba. Keep in mind that as a US citizen, he was prohibited by the US government from visiting Cuba when the song was written, so he might be making a political point with the last line, that he can’t visit, even though he wants to. It’s beautiful when I remember Cuba, The queen of the Caribbean Sea, I want to go visit you (Cuba) alone, And I am sad that I can’t. Go! He sings other verses in concert, but this is on the CSN album best I can tell. The other responses here are definitely not correct. There is no blood, sangre. Guys! If you don’t know, don’t proliferate (copy and paste) others’ mistakes. And be nice. It is very hard to hear on the album, so don’t start flaming people.Put on some headphones, and see if you agree! If not, reply. He drags out the second word in each line… like Ray-eeh-na for queen. I’ve been listening to this song since the seventies, so hopefully I got it right. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/56 "2022-10-17T23:06:20Z")
Does ‘Louie-Louie’ count? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/57 "2022-10-17T23:15:12Z")
Foreign groups: Sabaton have recorded both English and Swedish versions of some of their songs. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/58 "2022-10-17T23:16:44Z")
Blondie would occasionally sing a line or two in French. Men Without Hats would do whole stanzas in French. In Pink Floyd’s “Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict”, the spoken-word segment is allegedly in English. But Roger Waters does it in such an exaggerated caricature of a Scottish burr that it might as well be Gaelic. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/59 "2022-10-17T23:49:12Z")
Yet to read thread (but didn’t see it in ‘search’) Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer”. (last verse) _Ce que j’ai fait, ce soir-là_ _Ce qu’elle a dit, ce soir-là_ _Réalisant mon espoir_ _Je me lance vers la gloire, okay_ (as well as, of course, the “qu’est-ce que c’est” in the chorus) ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804/60 "2022-10-18T12:40:18Z")
Megadeth - a tout le monde has a few lines in French Queensryche’s “I Don’t Believe in Love” uses the phrase ’ raison d’etre ’ that I had to look up in high school because I had no idea what he meant. The Warning is a Mexican band, and sing mostly in English, but do have a few songs entirely in Spanish, like Narcisista [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-songs-with-non-english-lyrics/151804.md?page=4)