Songs in English Vs Native languages

[Barklessdog]

Lately I have been favoring bands & songs sung in their native languages.

It all started with Rammstein with me. I find both German and Japanese has a more harsh or strict sound/tone to it vs English. Each languages has its own flow or tone in you will, that I find refreshing. Half the times lyrics are terrible, nonsense (REM) or been said a 1000 times already (Teenage love) when you can understand them anyway. When you can't understand the lyrics they take on  different dimension (Louie Louie)

The song "Bride"
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=21165584

http://youtube.com/watch?v=doTBT46wMvA&feature=related

From Finland
http://www.myspace.com/tuvaluofficial

Japan
http://youtube.com/watch?v=A4L7DooT5T4&feature=related

[Chris P.]

English is just more natural for pop music. It's just the language. I have lots of favourite Dutch bands (*), but most of them (if not: all of them) sing in English. In Dutch is sounds like cabaret to me. Strange: English love songs are sometimes very childish, but I can handle them. But translated in Dutch they sound like childrens songs.
'I Love You Cos I Do' is a great song, but translated it doesn't do it for me.

I'll find some nice Dutch bands though. I'll post some Van Dik Hout and De Dijk soon.

My favourites (Uwe knows some of them) are The Outsiders, Daryll-Ann, Moke, Supersub, Johan, Sweet d'Buster and Herman Brood & His Wild Romance. The last one made a great Dutch song with his fake band De Breedbekkikkers. If I've got time I'll post some.

[gweimer]

Roxy Music's "Bitter-Sweet" made very dramatic use of German in the last chorus.

[Chris P.]

At this forum you just have to copy and paste the normal YouTube URL. The 'embed' code isn't necessary.

[hieronymous]

Kraftwerk have a song called "Pocket Calculator" that they recorded in German, English, French and Japanese - I love the Japanese version (called "Dentaku") and can't stand the English version - it just sounds trite to me. So here's the German version ("Taschenrechner") and the Japanese version:



"Dentaku" was recorded in Tokyo and you can hear the crowd go nuts and singing along.

[gweimer]

At this forum you just have to copy and paste the normal YouTube URL. The 'embed' code isn't necessary.

I'm getting there.  It took me a couple tries to figure it out.  Thanks!   

[Dave W]

I always liked the Wally Tax Outsiders. Not to be confused with the "Time Won't Let Me" Outsiders from the US.

[Basvarken]

"Ne Me Quitte Pas" from Jacques Brel is one of the most intense songs I have ever heard. Every time when I hear/see this I get cold chills down my back.

The despair in his voice/lyrics/performance are breathtaking. "Even" when translated into English it still holds up.

[gweimer]

I didn't realize that Les Variations were still around.  They recorded in English, and we covered one of their songs, "Superman Superman" years ago.




And there's always El Tri.  In a restaurant I worked in, we found the Polish kitchen prep crew grooving to them.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

I'll take Twist An' Shout over La Bamba on most days.

[SKATE RAT]

I prefer when bands sing in their native language.

[Barklessdog]

Proof that what you imagine is better than the real thing!

Turtle! Turtle!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0x9CIYnU2E&feature=related

[uwe]

I like the way Russian sounds sung - great anthem btw too, my favorite: