Your favorite song in your native (non-English) language

Cafe Society
1

With the end of the year nearing, the Dutch radio shows are flooded with top 1000 lists, best of '09s, and more filler. MOst of these songs are in English, but smetimes a really good Dutch songs comes by. I’m always think it’s a waste that these songs are available to a very limited audience because of its language. Therefore this thread. Name your favorite non-English song, link it to YouTube so we can all listen, and preferably give a translation so we know what it’s about.

I present you ‘Over the Wall’ by Het Klein Orkest. It’s a song from the 80s about the seperation of Berlin. It’s one of the best Dutch songs ever and I get chills whenever I hear it.

Over the Wall

East Berlin, Unter den Linden
People walk past flags and banners
Where Lenin and Marx still stand on their pedestals

And everyone works, hammers and sickles
While the guard is changed in parade march
Forty years of socialism, much has been achieved

But what is a prosperity state when it’s surrounded by walls
When you have to be frightened and careful with your opinion
What is a prosperity state, what is it worth
When someone who’s different is declared crazy…

2

One of my favorite Finnish artists is a duo called PMMP. Incredibly, they first met each other on an Idols-type show called Popstars, and were initially not taken too seriously when they came out with their first single. However, since then, they’ve developed into possibly one of the strongest live performances in Finland and have gained a lot of respect for their song-writing and lyrical ability. They have a very distinctive style, and many of their songs are quite melancholy (quite Finnish, actually…). I have four examples here which are currently among my favorite songs.

This song is about a break-up. “Päiväkoti” means day care center.

PMMP - Päiväkoti

*No-one is coming anyway
I’ll sit here for a while
I can’t go outside yet
I would be voiceless and weak there.
Today you won’t answer my phone call
Yes, today you’ve gone away.

We would be drinking our morning coffee right now
We’d be watching the playground from the window
I apologized to you, twice even
who will give me kisses in the mornings now?

Today I’m not your girl
Today I don’t know where you are*…

3

Too many to choose for, for me (Hebrew, in Israel) – I’ll try to narrow it down later.

However, in the meanwhile – IANAM, etc., but I believe that in the past the Moderation Staff has strongly frowned at the practice of quoting the full lyrics of songs. I do not know how they will react to the posting of translations. It may be a better idea to find a site with the (translated) lyrics and link to it, if you can find one.
Again, IANAM, this is not an official statement, YMMV, some restrictions apply, may be subject to local taxes… :slight_smile:

4

You are correct, Noone Special – our respect for the copyrights of others extends to translations of those works.

People, please provide no more than a snippet of the lyrics here. You can link to full lyrics (or to a YouTube or other performance), but for here, only a verse or two.

Thanks for your cooperation.

ETA: the relevant portion of the rules, from here:

5

It was not a problem in this thread, so I assumed it wouldn’t be a problem here either. Apologies for the transgression.

In case people are wondering what the full translation of Over de Muur is, it can be found here.

6

As **Noone Special **said, there are far too many Hebrew songs to choose from. Here’s just one of my favorites:

*In my dream I was back in high school
At a Purim party
Waxmann was standing shyly in the corner,
This was before he started his wanderings.
“I though you were in India”, I told him
"I *am in India," he said,
“And you’re in India too
Don’t you feel strange?
We’re just passing through here
Look around
This is not our party
Are you listening?”
“I’m listening”, I told him
“And I really don’t know this song.”
“That’s right”, said Waxmann,
“And your time’s up.”

“Time’s Up”,Ehud Banai and the Refugees.

7

No one reported that post. Now that you have, I snipped those lyrics also. :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks for your cooperation.

8

Aren’t you cute :wink:

9

OK, I guess it’s my turn:

“Last Summer” from Temporary Sanity – a “One hit wonder” even by Israeli standards:

*"This is my last summer with you
With the first rains I will disappear

…

So remember you promised not to cry,
Because the sky is huge and the tears are small,
Close your eyes every first rain
And think
Of me"*

And for pure rock, you still can’t beat Shalom Hanoch – Waiting for Mashiah
Still as topical as ever, almost 25 years later… The song is about the Israeli 1982 market crash. “Waiting for Mashiach” means “waiting for something to happen,” but could also refer to a person with the last name Mashiach – and the whole song plays on this.

*"… The police man said
'There was an accident,
And therefore,

Mashiach isn’t coming;
Mashiach isn’t calling, either.’

‘Who had an accident?’ Asked Artzieli Jr.
‘The country did’ replies the poor policeman
‘The market crashed, people are jumping from the roof.
Mashiach jumped too, and they say he was killed’

…
‘Mashiach is in the sky,
And we’re here, without the money’

…

‘Bitter December’ screamed the headlines
And the Finance Minister gave an interview on the Nightly News
‘The public are idiots, so the public will pay.
What comes easy,
Will just as easily go’

The little guy
Has to pay big…"*