Favourite non-English songs

[cuthbert]

I think this topic might make a good future Songcrafters festival candidate.

[64Guitars]

I think this topic might make a good future Songcrafters festival candidate.

Yes, except most of us here speak only English, so we wouldn't be able to sing these songs (not properly anyway). They'd have to be collabs with the few members who speak the language. So I think there probably wouldn't be many festival submissions. Too bad though because there are some great songs here that would be fun to do. I'd love to hear danieldesete and Hilary do "Je t'aime... moi non plus".

[cuthbert]

Yes, except most of us here speak only English, so we wouldn't be able to sing these songs (not properly anyway).

There've been plenty of bands without English speakers that phoneticized English lyrics in songs, and vice-versa. But yeah, it could be difficult if facility with the language was desired or expected.

Could be fun to try!

[64Guitars]

Could be fun to try!

Okay, I'll add it to the list of festival suggestions for future consideration.

[Hilary]

I think this topic might make a good future Songcrafters festival candidate.

Yes, except most of us here speak only English, so we wouldn't be able to sing these songs (not properly anyway). They'd have to be collabs with the few members who speak the language. So I think there probably wouldn't be many festival submissions. Too bad though because there are some great songs here that would be fun to do. I'd love to hear danieldesete and Hilary do "Je t'aime... moi non plus".

Oh I was gonna do that one with Bruno 

Seriously though, having just done Le Pénitencier - it's really tricky!

[danieldesete]

Do it with Bruno Hilary, I'll close my eyes. 


Joe le taxi went up to number 3 in the UK charts, I thought somebody would mention it, but I guess none of you is very proud of that today...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJI99zQYgGQ

[peterp]

Czech

Mandrage - Šrouby a matice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnppNUyhltY

Bit popish maybe more scenery music.
Tereza Kerndlová - Přísahám

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgjty6CTlRc

Tereza Kerndlová - Schody z nebe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NarGPAeha50

[64Guitars]

Not a lot of lyrics, especially relative to the length of the album version, but what lyrics there are are in German.

Kraftwerk - "Autobahn"  (highway) [1975]
#11 in the UK; #12 in Canada; #25 in the US

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPgaz3Re0ik

[64Guitars]

I don't remember this one but apparently it reached #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and #7 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. And it made it to #16 on Toronto's CHUM chart.

Miriam Makeba - "Pata Pata"  (touch touch) [1967]
Sung in the Xhosa language of South Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87S_wbCsNbQ

[64Guitars]

Here's another one that I don't remember. Apparently, it reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Toronto's CHUM Chart. An English cover of this song was Petula Clark's first #1 single in the UK.

Lolita - "Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)"  Sailor (Your Home is the Sea) [1960]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m8MjverT64