# Why doesn't anyone ever sing with an accent from their native country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084 "2003-12-26T04:50:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/21 "2003-12-27T13:19:58Z")
ONE MORE… I am sorry about this: Myni=Munci ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/22 "2003-12-27T14:04:33Z")
The Libertines sing with a cockney accent. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/23 "2003-12-27T16:14:51Z")
Most artists that perform in english are doing so so that they can sell more albums in the big markets of USA, the UK and mainland Europe, obviously. If you are going to make a name for yourself singing in english it makes sense to sound english, no? This has always been the case here with the exception of **Björk** , but then again she’s just wierd. **Sigur Rós** releases all their songs in Icelandic except the newest CD wich is tacfully sung in gibberish, but when they released _Ágætis Byrjun_ they had actually performed a few songs live in english, including at least one of the songs used in _Vanilla Sky_ - devout sigur rós fans can PM me if they want to hear them. It does seem that recently more bands have started to perform in their native language or with thick accents so that people can hear where they’re from, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/24 "2003-12-27T16:34:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by commie\_sho \* > \*\*I’ve noticed it’s more common to have accentless English singing from European countries…most Japanese and Korean popular singers put gibberish English sentences with horrible accents in the middle of their songs, which makes one want to stab one’s own eye out with a crab fork. \*\* I rather disagree with the reaction (in general I actually like the odd bits of English in J-Pop (I haven’t heard a whole lot of Korean music) - finding it either cute or amusing (occasionally both in the same song).), but, you’re right that the accent’s usually pretty thick. It’s not only when they’re singing in Japanese - Puffy AmiYumi and Shonen Knife, two Japanese bands with North American carreers (and thus a good body of songs done in English for an English speaking audience) have really thick accents when they’re singing in English. (SK has a song called Devil House - pronouncing it ‘Debiru Haussu’, and if you’ve ever seen the Teen Titans cartoon, you’ve heard Puffy - they do the opening theme.) ---
**Author:** ![MinniePurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@MinniePurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinniePurl)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/25 "2003-12-27T23:58:06Z")
There is a scene in the movie “The Commitments” that addresses this. An Irish band is practicing to play American soul classics, and the backup singers are singing in their Irish accents. Someone yells at them “Don’t use your own accents! It’s ‘Ride, Sally, Ride’ not ‘Roide, Sally, Roide’!” ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/26 "2003-12-29T09:23:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sqube \* > \*\*While I was watching the NBA on ABC, some other people in the house were watching World Idol. I popped in a couple times and noticed there were people singing from all over. However… none of these people had any sort of accent from their native land or, if they did, I didn’t notice it while they were singing. Is there any particular reason that people don’t sing with an accent from whatever country they happen to come from? \*\* Guy Sebastian, the singer from Australia, doesn’t have a heavy Australian accent, IMHO, even when he’s talking. But then, anecdotally, I find many South Australians generally don’t. The singer who Sebastian beat in the Australian Idol series final, however, sang with a very heavy rural (and if the truth be told slightly nasal) Australian accent. ---
**Author:** ![gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb8c5e/32.png) [@gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gentle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/27 "2003-12-30T03:48:40Z")
**UselessGit** , I see your weird Björk accent and raise my weirder [Morten Abel](http://www.mortenabel.com/) accent. It’s not American, it’s not British, it’s not Norwegian, what is it? As for Sigur Rós, they have admitted their lack of proficiency in English – their interviews in English are pretty painful to listen to – and as a result prefers to stick with what they know, ie. Icelandic and gibberish. Emiliana Torrini, the Icelandic-Italian singer – best known for her performance of _Gollum’s Song_ at the end credits of _The Two Towers_, and for her voice work on Thievery Corporation’s _The Richest Man in Babylon_ – also sings with a distinctly Icelandic accent, and sounds eerily Björkish at times. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/28 "2003-12-30T06:11:49Z")
I remember that I could hear Klaus Meine’s German accent a bit in the Scorpions’ music. Same with Udo Dirkscheider of the group Accept. And don’t forget that current Techno guy who calls himself Kompressor. I read an interview with Klaus Meine, several years ago, in which he explained why he sings in English and not German. He said something like, “If you try to combine a harsh language like German with harsh music like heavy metal it comes out sounding like ‘krrrunnnch’.” ---
**Author:** ![Snake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Snake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2003, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/29 "2003-12-30T07:29:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GMRyujin \* > \*\*I’ve heard the lead singer for Nightwish sing in English with an occasionally noticeable Finnish(?) accent on the words. \*\* Man does she kick ass or what ???!!! ---
**Author:** ![Strychnos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Strychnos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strychnos)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/30 "2004-01-04T05:57:53Z")
Nightwish’s singer Tarja Turunen is Finnish and she’s a Classically trained opera singer. ---
**Author:** ![Rodrigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Rodrigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodrigo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/31 "2004-01-04T06:31:02Z")
In Spanish a similar effect happens. In Spanish-language rock you can hardly tell the difference (unless they group’s Argentinian or Uruguayan and not always even then). In more popular ( I mean country or area-specific) music such as Salsa, Tango, Huayno, Vallenato, Ranchera, etc., the opposite happens, you sometimes exagerate your accent to sound “right”, even if it is not you own. In my own, humble, case, I’m a second-language speaker of English and I speak with a London accent, but in many cases if I sing in Karaoke, I sing it in the song’s accent, i.e. if a sing “New York New York” (badly) I’ll say “York” and not “Yohk” as I would when I speak. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/32 "2004-01-04T06:39:39Z")
it doesn’t matter if it’s english or some other language - the singer learns to correct it if it means more money for them, those that don’t other sounds good that way or is forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/33 "2004-01-04T06:48:54Z")
that would be **either**. anyway, an example would be the exodus of hong kong singers after '97 to the mandarin markets. those that failed to correct their accents is forgotten, while some who does so correctly, retain their accents in speech while some do not. ---
**Author:** ![unfound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/0ea827/32.png) [@unfound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unfound)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/34 "2004-01-04T07:03:36Z")
Steve the Elf is right, classically trained singers (I kinda sorta am) are taught intonation for the language they are singing in, and that masks the accent. Except… I have a Bernstein conducted version of “West Side Story” on CD starring Jose Carreras and his accent is TERRIBLE. They had to get someone else to do the spoken parts for him. I saw a documentary of Bernstein making the recording, and he basically calls Carreras an idiot for not being better at the accent. So, it doesn’t always work. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/35 "2004-01-11T13:38:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gentle \* > \*\***[…]I see your weird Björk accent and raise my weirder [Morten Abel](http://www.mortenabel.com/) accent. It’s not American, it’s not British, it’s not Norwegian, what is it?[…]** Now that is strange stuff. I heard a sample on the website and I think he was saying “you don’t have to be gay to…” something. Strange stuff.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![seaworthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@seaworthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaworthy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/36 "2004-01-11T18:12:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by phraser \* > \*\*The Proclaimers. > > Broad scottish accent, english language lyrics. \*\* I suppose this isn’t really relevant, but I always thought the proclaimers were welsh. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/37 "2004-01-11T21:11:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rodrigo \* > In Spanish a similar effect happens. > > In Spanish-language rock you can hardly tell the difference (unless they group’s Argentinian or Uruguayan and not always even then). I beg to differ. Costeños (People from the coast of Mexico and such) as well as the Carribbeans have very distinctive accents. (“No voy a trabajar” becomes “No vo’a tabaja” etc.) Spanish people also have their own lisping accent thing. Argentinians sing like the Italian/Spanish crossbreeds they are (although granted, it isn’t always noticeable). I’ll take your word on the Uruguayans. Generally, though, I can tell whether a singer is from Mexico (and specifically, which region of Mexico) or not much easier than where an English singing group is from. > [@](#): > > In more popular ( I mean country or area-specific) music such as Salsa, Tango, Huayno, Vallenato, Ranchera, etc., the opposite happens, you sometimes exagerate your accent to sound “right”, even if it is not you own. True. Damn shame Celia Cruz is dead. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084/38 "2004-01-11T21:19:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by seaworthy \* > \*\*I suppose this isn’t really relevant, but I always thought the proclaimers were welsh. \*\* No, they’re from Leith (Edinburgh area), hence album title _Sunshine on Leith_. And hence really, really thick Scottish accents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-anyone-ever-sing-with-an-accent-from-their-native-country/221084.md?page=1)