Lost in Translation

While the global music industry traditionally thrives on songs written in the English language, there have been a lot of acts - past and present - who experiment with idea of sending their messages using another language.

Of course, these days any song written and performed in any language can get enough exposure to a wider audience, thanks to the internet and the concept of the global village. But back when the internet was not even a blip in the consciousness of the record-buying public, English was the language that artists perfunctorily used if they wanted a shot at the international market. Come to think of it, in a lot of ways it still is.

I know there must be a hundred old songs out there performed in languages other than English that managed to make some sort of dent on the international music scene . Unfortunately for me, I don't have enough time to look them all up. So let's just go with the next best thing: let's take a look at the songs THAT I CAN REMEMBER (WHILE MY BUTT IS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER) that have, entirely or partially, non-English lyrics or songs whose history or origin isn't really English.

So here we go...

1. My Way

This old chestnut, popularized by Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra, has English lyrics but French origins. The melody is adopted from the French song "Comme D'habitude" and was composed by Claude Francois and Jacques Revaux. The original French lyrics were written by Francios and Gilles Thibaut. It was U.S. pop sensation Paul Anka who provided the song's English lyrics, although his words had nothing to do with the original French version.

Anyway, as additional trivia, "My Way" has been covered over the years by many artists as disparate as Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the late legendary Sid Vicious. It is also said that it is the most frequently played song at British funerals. (According to one interview, J.K. Rowling said that "My Way" would be the song she would want to play at Professor Dumbledore's funeral.) Here in my beloved country, "My Way" is often the related cause of death or injury to a lot of poor souls who sing it in seedy karaoke/videoke bars that are usually full of drunk, short-tempered, razor-wielding hooligans. I guess these morbid connections are but fitting as "My Way" is said to be a song about a person who's nearing death.

2. Sukiyaki

This song by the late Japanese artist Kyu Sakamoto holds a unique place in American pop music history: it is the only Japanese song to not only chart but also reach No. 1 in the Billboard singles chart. Originally recorded in Japanese with the title "Ueo Muite Arako" ("I Look Up When I Walk"), it was given English lyrics after an English record company boss heard it while on a trip to Tokyo. Recognizing that most British DJs would find it difficult to pronounce the song's original title, the exec decided to change the title to something more familiar to radio listeners. Hence, "Sukiyaki" , a kind of Japanese stew that has absolutely nothing to do with the song. So this exec then had jazzman Kenny Ball record the new version which became a UK Top 10 hit.

It was around this time that Washington state DJ Rich Osborne got a copy of the original version of the song and started playing it on air. Despite the language barrier, "Sukiyaki" became a huge hit for Kyu Sakamoto.

3. La Bamba

Originally a Mexican folk song, La Bamba became one of the first entirely non-English hits during the infancy of rock n roll when seventeen year-old Ritchie Valens (real name: Ricardo Valenzuela) recorded it around the start of his short but action-packed career. Despite misgivings by his manager who was worried they might offend the Spanish-speaking population by reworking a beloved folk song into a raucous rock n roll outing, Valens insisted on releasing the song in vinyl, citing that Nat "King" Cole also injects some Spanish into some of his lyrics. (Come to think of it, yeah, I did hear Cole sing in Spanish in one of his songs. I just can't remember what song it was right now.)

For a better appreciation of the song and the artist, I suggest you guys go see the late 80's bio-pic "La Bamba" starring Lou Diamond Philips as Ritchie Valens.

4. Govinda

After listening to the 90's hit "Govinda", it's not improbable that you'll be asking your self: Are the members of Kula Shaker George Harrison's kids? Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. The band, led by singer/guitarist Crispian Mills (son of 60's British actress and hitmaker Hayley Mills), evokes the same ethereal eastern mysticism and psychedelia that characterized much of Harrison's music during the latter part of The Beatles life. Like Harrison, Kula Shaker's decidedly Indian influence came after Mills went on a spiritual pilgrimage to India.

Written entirely in the Indian language, "Govinda" is haunting and mood-heavy, and sticks inside your head like a mantra for inner peace. I dunno what the lyrics mean - yet (I still have to look it up). But if you're in the mood for 60's style psychedelia with exotic, mysterious lyrics and tabla players, "Govinda" is it.

5. 99 Luftballons

The 80's wouldn't have been what they were without this radio staple. Recorded in both its original German version and in English, Nena's "99 Loftballons" is a song about the ugly business of war. While its English version has been more popular and has been inevitably covered by other subsequent acts, the German version, says those in the know, is still lyrically better and more fluid. I dunno. I'll have to learn German first before I make any comments on that.


So, that's it for now. If I get to dig up some dirt on some other related songs, I'll post it ASAP.

See ya.