# What's your favorite song in a language you don't understand? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 4, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363 "2022-11-04T17:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/41 "2022-11-05T02:51:07Z")
At the end of the last episode of [We Are Lady Parts](https://www.imdb.com/video/vi483049497/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1) the music over the credits, I eventually discovered, was _Yaar Vekho_ by _Sanam Marvi_. I have no idea what the devotional is about but I listen to it pretty regularly. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SiIu-COuHKw/maxresdefault.jpg "Yaar Vekho | Sanam Marvi | Season 6 | Coke Studio Pakistan") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiIu-COuHKw) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/42 "2022-11-05T02:55:34Z")
_Prisencolinensinainciusol_ is an absolute jam, but I don’t know if it counts given that it’s in a language nobody understands. Supposedly it’s supposed to be what American English sounds like to Europeans. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-VsmF9m_Nt8/hqdefault.jpg "Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VsmF9m_Nt8) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/43 "2022-11-05T03:00:09Z")
For languages that I don’t know at all, _Ue o Muite Arukō_, definitely. As a part-time opera singer, I like a lot of songs in German, Italian, French, and Latin, all languages that I know a little, but not very well, but Japanese is almost entirely alien to me. I do know that for Japanese people, at least of the era, although the words are literally about something else, there is a subtext something like, “OK, we lost the war. But we have to pick ourselves up, because Life goes on.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/44 "2022-11-05T03:11:08Z")
Most songs on Najma’s album Qareeb > **[Najma - Najma - Qareeb - Triple Earth - TERRA 103 - Amazon.com Music](https://www.amazon.com/Najma-Qareeb-Triple-Earth-TERRA/dp/B00TGE2SK6)** > > Najma - Najma - Qareeb - Triple Earth - TERRA 103 - Amazon.com Music "Chordhiya"on Susheela Rahman’s Music for Crocodiles [https://www.google.com/search?q=Chordhiya&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8](https://www.google.com/search?q=Chordhiya&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) Most songs on Dengue Fever’s Debgue Fever > **[Dengue Fever - Dengue Fever (Deluxe Edition) - Amazon.com Music](https://www.amazon.com/Dengue-Fever-Deluxe/dp/B01MT7D0P5)** > > Dengue Fever - Dengue Fever (Deluxe Edition) - Amazon.com Music ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/45 "2022-11-05T03:53:14Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YyKPEX50OBs/hqdefault.jpg "ELIS - Der letzte Tag") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyKPEX50OBs) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/46 "2022-11-05T07:17:04Z")
It’s probably impossible for me to choose and absolute favorite—too many possibilities, jostling for position, none of them I’ve ever thought to rank, formally. But I can at least name the two that came to mind first. #1: Billy ze Kick’s 1997 cover of “Non, Non Rien n’a changé.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ISFXmukrQO4/maxresdefault.jpg "Billy Ze Kick : Non, Non Rien n’a changé (Clip Officiel)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISFXmukrQO4) (This music video is, also, the most 1997 thing I’d seen since 1997.) Second, if a bit cheaty…John Barry’s main titles to _The Last Valley_. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bhLgb7ggcv8/hqdefault.jpg "The Last Valley - Main Title") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhLgb7ggcv8) …taking it’s lyrics from Andreas Gryphius 1636 poem _[Tränen des Vaterlandes](https://war-poetry.livejournal.com/108561.html)_, about the horrors of the Thirty Years War. Not exactly something you can dance to, admittedly. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/47 "2022-11-05T07:33:22Z")
Does gibberish count as a language? If so, then my vote goes to [“Prisencolinensinainciusol”](https://youtu.be/-VsmF9m_Nt8) by Adriano Celentano. It was an experiment to see if a song could be a hit in Italy with gibberish lyrics that _sound_ English. And, listening to it, you can pick out little bits where you can _almost_ understand what the word is. But you can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/48 "2022-11-05T08:04:51Z")
There’s very little I can understand of The Cocteau Twins but I’ve always loved them all the same, the lyrics are idiosyncratic english mostly though indecipherable so that perhaps doesn’t count. Same for Kevin Rowland, what the hell is he talking about here? no-one will ever know. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3ZwWnXuB_eg/hqdefault.jpg "Dexy's Midnight Runners - There, There My Dear") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZwWnXuB_eg) I do like “pulse” by the mad capsule markets, again, it is mangled english but I think it is foreign enough to count [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Al1ihLf_e18/maxresdefault.jpg "The Mad Capsule Markets - PULSE (Official HD Remastered Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al1ihLf_e18) for strictly foriegn language I very much like “links” by Rammstein, great video too. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ph-CA_tu5KA/maxresdefault.jpg "Rammstein - Links 2 3 4 (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph-CA_tu5KA) and at the other end of the scale, “mais si tu dois partir” by Fairport Convention [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YWI29hIqIxY/maxresdefault.jpg "Si tu dois partir") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWI29hIqIxY) ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/49 "2022-11-05T09:24:15Z")
[France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles 1964 HD (Tele Melody) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWRCJhsz5t4&t=2s) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/50 "2022-11-05T09:56:00Z")
There are so many. Te Vaka a group from New Zealand Heilung, Danheim from Scandinavia Otyken Siberian natives ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/51 "2022-11-05T10:18:51Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/a8Rwz6zBJSE/maxresdefault.jpg "Shakira - Suerte (Whenever, Wherever)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Rwz6zBJSE) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/52 "2022-11-05T10:50:44Z")
I know a little French (I took it for a year in high school), but buggered if I can understand a word of what she’s singing: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q3Kvu6Kgp88/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHOBYAC4AOKAgwIABABGFYgYyhlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDnaIgkWkRkwvuQ7C0XYhCmC4lD0g "Edith Piaf - Non, Je ne regrette rien") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88) ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/53 "2022-11-05T11:29:13Z")
I often like the opening/closing music in anime – but I can’t think of a specific example. Brian ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/54 "2022-11-05T11:32:55Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > **“SukiyakI” by Kyu Sakamoto.** You beat me to it. That’s the first song that came to my mind. I love it as much now as I did in 1963. Its haunting sound has always pulled at my heart strings. > > One time I was in a store and that song played on the PA system. When it came to the whistling part, people all over the store began whistling! > > By the way, the original (and best) lyrics as sung by Mr. Sakamoto are not the lyrics A Taste of Honey sang in the 1970s. Completely different. Back in the '90s, I was co-hosting a drive-in radio show with a woman (American) who spoke fluent Japanese after having lived and worked in Japan. “Sukiyaki” came up in rotation, and we thought it was so pretty we played it twice in a row with her providing a simultaneous translation the second time. Those were fun days! 😊👍 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/55 "2022-11-05T11:36:14Z")
Since its mid-90s release, I’ve loved every song on this Putumayo assemblage, so I can sing every syllable of every one — but I only know what I’m singing for the handful in Spanish. (The languages include Shona and Luganda). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EcJabdwvHk8/hqdefault.jpg "Putumayo Blend Music From the Coffee Lands") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcJabdwvHk8) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/56 "2022-11-05T12:58:28Z")
While watching The Queens Gambit I discovered Tut Tut Tut Tut. Apparently that’s the sound of a busy signal. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-sN21hNaeEA/maxresdefault.jpg "Gillian Hills - Tut Tut Tut Tut (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sN21hNaeEA) ---
**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:** [November 5, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/57 "2022-11-05T16:23:23Z")
Swedish, anyone? Not a type of music I normally listen to, but I do like this group. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/P-WsV0jG0gM/maxresdefault.jpg "Sabaton - Gott Mit Uns (Swedish) (lyrics) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-WsV0jG0gM) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BmctbOf6cTE/hqdefault.jpg "Carolus Rex - Vår konung") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmctbOf6cTE) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/58 "2022-11-05T16:31:21Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > _Prisencolinensinainciusol_ is an absolute jam, but I don’t know if it counts given that it’s in a language nobody understands. Supposedly it’s supposed to be what American English sounds like to Europeans. This was going to me my contribution, as well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/59 "2022-11-05T16:55:50Z")
I completely missed you listing this. My bad. I should have +1’d it. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/60 "2022-11-05T17:56:19Z")
So many it’s hard to pick. Here are a few: Spanish: Mecano, “Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DtEZTXBLgng/maxresdefault.jpg "MECANO - "Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar" (1981).wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtEZTXBLgng) Japanese: Perfume, “Flash” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q6T0wOMsNrI/hqdefault.jpg "[Official Music Video] Perfume 「FLASH」") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6T0wOMsNrI) Korean: Twice, “Likey” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/V2hlQkVJZhE/hqdefault.jpg "TWICE "LIKEY" M/V") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2hlQkVJZhE) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363.md?page=4)