# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/81 "2022-11-07T04:46:50Z")
I have no idea how I even found this, it is so far outside of what I listen to: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/t1SOtBE-BE4/maxresdefault.jpg "Den svenska björnstammen - Vart jag mig i världen vänder/ Musikhjälpen 2021") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1SOtBE-BE4) Not sure if this one counts because half of it is in English but the as for the Italian part, I have no idea what she is saying but I want to marry her, straight up: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZuwYMifXwvc/maxresdefault.jpg "Arianna - Bella Vita feat. Shaggy (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuwYMifXwvc) I think this is Egyptian, the song is from the end of a Moon Knight episode: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4_vtOKcfCG8/maxresdefault.jpg "Ahmed Saad Ft. 3enba & Double Zuksh - El Melouk ( Music Video ) احمد سعد وعنبة و دبل زوكش - الملوك") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_vtOKcfCG8) ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/82 "2022-11-07T08:20:23Z")
Love Rammstein, love Falco. But I speak German, so they don’t count. Same for Spanish and French. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0ZqDFxBCvgk/hqdefault.jpg "Goran Bregovic - Mesecina [High Quality Sound]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZqDFxBCvgk) Fell in love with this because of the movie Underground. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/374_UFvwhyg/hqdefault.jpg "Manu Chao live - "Sidi H'bibi" - Baionarena") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=374_UFvwhyg) Love Manu Chao and Mano Negra. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bz8iEJeh26E/hqdefault.jpg "Sigur Ros - Glósóli [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz8iEJeh26E) Always thought this was Icelandic, turns out he invented his own language. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAR_koI79iw/hqdefault.jpg "Mau Mau - Adorè") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAR_koI79iw) They sing in the Piedmont dialect of Italian. ---
**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 7, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/83 "2022-11-07T13:43:33Z")
Manu Chau famously sings almost-gibberish in multiple languages … at least he did when he was big when I lived in Mexico in 2002. Songs that skip between French, Spanish, and more. The Spanish parts, at least, were real words and phrases, but connected in ways that weren’t native to the language. Like Captain Beefheart in English! ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/84 "2022-11-07T19:38:10Z")
Lhasa de Sela. I don’t understand the lyrics but they sure are powerful. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bygJ05Jr1CU/maxresdefault.jpg "El Desierto") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bygJ05Jr1CU) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/85 "2022-11-07T20:25:59Z")
Here’s a song from one of the most famous french singers I’d never heard of (this song sold a million copies within 12 hours of its release in 1970). It becomes more powerful and heartbreaking the more you know about the backstory (involving the Holocaust and possible child abuse). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nHWiw7lRdPQ/hqdefault.jpg "L'aigle noir - Barbara - French and English subtitles.mp4") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHWiw7lRdPQ) ---
**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 7, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/86 "2022-11-07T21:21:36Z")
I LOVE the Italian rapper/pop/electro-funk singer Jovanotti, but i can only understand 10% of his lyrics (thanks to my Spanish). Here’s a catchy song of his from the mid-1990s; the title means “Lucky Guy”: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sCe0tuqPKiU/hqdefault.jpg "jovanotti - ragazzo fortunato") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCe0tuqPKiU) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/87 "2022-11-07T23:05:58Z")
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this one at first, but I need to add Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot - “Bonnie and Clyde” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6GPm5_X3Ykg/maxresdefault.jpg "Serge Gainsbourg Brigitte Bardot - Bonnie and Clyde HQ HD 1080p") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GPm5_X3Ykg) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/88 "2022-11-08T15:20:03Z")
I know some Spanish, but not enough to sing along with this (not like I’d want to. I’m too busy dancing around the house). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Wz4xLHujVZU/hqdefault.jpg "SANTANA - Toussaint L'Overture Live in Mexico City, 1993 HQ 720x544") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4xLHujVZU) ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/89 "2022-11-08T15:44:05Z")
Porque te vas (as used in the movie Cria Cuervos) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q8y-O4Wha1w/maxresdefault.jpg "Porque te vas - Ana Torrent en Cría cuervos [HD] | FlixOlé") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8y-O4Wha1w) Raffaella Carra - A Far L’amore Comincia Tu [1977] [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EI-SLSEHkYc/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeA4AC6AKKAgwIABABGHIgQigxMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCjQGKzEohAK0IW2TyZ8A6hUM-GPg "Raffaella Carra - A Far L'amore Comincia Tu [1977]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI-SLSEHkYc) ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/90 "2022-11-08T22:16:42Z")
I have loved “World Music” since the 1970s. Here are several interesting songs (in no particular order). **Guabi Guabi - Arlo Guthrie** This African folk song was originally recorded by George Sibanda circa 1950. It was popularized in the US by Arlo, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and others. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7ZH3qNTBVTs/maxresdefault.jpg "Arlo Guthrie - Guabi Guabi - Guthrie Center - Oct 7, 2012") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZH3qNTBVTs) (Song begins at 3:55) **The Click Song - Miriam Makeba** Who can resist this song - also from Africa - with sounds that do not exist in European languages? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ye1GczKVnMk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Click Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye1GczKVnMk) **Mailaka - Johnny** Yet another African song. It’s from the album _The Moon & Banana Tree_, a collection of various artists from Madagascar. I like every song on this album, but that’s my favorite. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AsqVerqOX6A/maxresdefault.jpg "Mailaka") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsqVerqOX6A) **Mal Hombre - Lydia Mendoza** I love this song from the soundtrack of _Crazy Heart_. I understand a little Spanish, but many people don’t. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IpejsYhqN7M/hqdefault.jpg "Lydia Mendoza - Mal hombre (1934)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpejsYhqN7M) **The Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choice** In the late 1980s, I bought the album _Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares_ (on cassette). What an unusual sound! I like many of the tracks, but this was what was available as a video. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/S4iFF79zBJQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares - Ergen Deda (Live on KEXP)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4iFF79zBJQ) **Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto** Somebody beat me to this delightful ditty. I bought a 45 of this song in 1963 when I was in high school. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/91 "2022-11-09T00:55:01Z")
This has been my favorite foreign language song since I was eight years old in 1958. I still love it and don’t care what anybody says. Domenico Modugno: **“Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu”** [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7wWiC0e3b2I/hqdefault.jpg "Domenico Modugno - Volare ( Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu ) ( 1958 )") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wWiC0e3b2I) My second favorite is much more recent: Mohammed Rafi: **“Jaan Pehechan Ho”** which I first encountered in the 2001 film _Ghost World_ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XnBbjc5hmho/hqdefault.jpg "Jaan Pehchan Ho - Mohammed Rafi | Shankar Jaikishan | Gumnaam | Dance Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnBbjc5hmho) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/92 "2022-11-09T01:01:37Z")
Dunno why I love this song (Malhari) from a Bollywood movie. No clue what they are saying but they really seem in to it. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l_MyUGq7pgs/maxresdefault.jpg "Malhari Full Video Song | Bajirao Mastani | Ranveer Singh") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_MyUGq7pgs) ---
**Author:** ![Drsunflower1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drsunflower1/32/12711_2.png) [@Drsunflower1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drsunflower1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/93 "2022-11-09T07:28:20Z")
I talked to my husband about this thread and he immediately came up with this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ROmlFJamIuY/hqdefault.jpg "Wolf Hunt - Vladimir Vysotsky") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROmlFJamIuY) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/94 "2022-11-09T21:47:34Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ohTi8lbeok/hqdefault.jpg "Os Mutantes - A Minha Menina") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohTi8lbeok) ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/95 "2022-11-10T11:59:18Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J43T8rEOg-I/maxresdefault.jpg "Amadou & Mariam (feat. Manu Chao) - Sénégal Fast Food (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J43T8rEOg-I) Amadou and Mariam (with a lot of help from Manu Chao) ---
**Author:** ![InfraBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infrablue/32/6366_2.png) [@InfraBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InfraBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/96 "2022-11-12T03:59:52Z")
Yeah, _Jaan Pehechan Ho_ was a Bollywood revelation in that movie. The song that completely floored me, though, was Skip James’ _Devil Got My Woman_. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/97 "2022-11-12T04:06:54Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > I love everything from Buena Vista Social Club especially Ibrahim Ferrer. I was lucky enough to see him in person. Surprised no one has explicitly mentioned this song [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tGbRZ73NvlY/hqdefault.jpg "Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGbRZ73NvlY) ---
**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 12, 2022, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/98 "2022-11-12T04:19:24Z")
Another favourite: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pbSOlpFliFg/maxresdefault.jpg "FlashMob 2013 - Namur en Mai - Imep - Traviata") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbSOlpFliFg) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/99 "2022-11-12T15:35:30Z")
There are also some good answers in this thread from a few years back. > [@Foreign language song that moves you...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-language-song-that-moves-you/778974): > > … Even if you don’t understand the words. I’m American - I don’t speak or understand french - but this song really resonates with me: [[ZAZ - Eblouie par la nuit (Clip officiel)] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDcgOpUp2nc) ---
**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:** [November 12, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363/100 "2022-11-12T15:40:44Z")
> [@Drsunflower1](#): > > Fell in love with this because of the movie Underground. Great song, great movie, great soundtrack. I got a chance to see Goran Bregovic here in Chicago around five years ago. Wonderful show! I also got to see Boban Markovic in Budapest about twenty years ago in Budapest at a New Year’s show a little down the street from my flat. Balkan brass music is so energetic and fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-song-in-a-language-you-dont-understand/974363.md?page=6)