SOME FAVORITE NON-ENGLISH SONGS OF THE WORLD

freerepublic ^ | 3/4/24 | michael.sf

[Michael.SF.]

France

** La Marseillaise – Scene from Casablanca selected more for the video clip than anything else.

** Dominique -Sœur Sourire (The Singing Nun)

** Je Ne Regrette Rien -- Edith Piaf

** La Mer (Beyond the Sea) – Charles Trenet

Italy

** Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) -- Domenico Modugno

** Prisencolinensinainciusol -- Adriano Celentano-- This one deserves a comment: It was written by the Italian singer, but contains no English or Italian words. It mimics what English sounds like to a non-English speaking Italian.

Japan

** sukiyaki -- Kyu Sakamoto

Mexico

** la bamba-- ritchie valens I found no video of Richie Valens performing this song.

Cuba

** guantanamera -- joseito Fernandez

Germany

** Mackie Messer (Mack the Knife) – Lotte Lenya Note: In Bobby Darren’s famous version he pays tribute to Lotte Lenya in the revised lyrics

[jonascord]

If you hunt a little, you can find a rendition in the original Portuguese.

My understanding is that she had to learn the English version phonetically. She was a last minute substitution in the recording studio, in Rio.

[dfwgator]

Family Guy did Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Popeye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4opT_5u7k4

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Russian - Дорогой длинною (Those were the Days)

[Buttons12]

I’ll take anything by Edith Piaf, Nana Moustaki, or Yana Gray.
Here’s Gray singing the original song that in America became “Those Were The Days” :

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

[Buttons12]

And for ye historians, both German and British soldiers enjoyed Lili Marleen, in WW2. Even longer, Muss i denn, which was often sung when a German ship was launched. (Elvis version = “Wooden Heart”). I believe Aupres de ma Blonde goes back to the 18th c. and was still quite popular in WW1.

[crusty old prospector]

‘Twas a joke. I hate that song.

[Mathews]

99 Luftballoons.

[PghBaldy]

Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano https://youtu.be/N8NcQzMQN_U?si=XND1ToK4qzj9gt1i

[Pilsner]

O Fortuna from Carmina Burana

[Pilsner]

How about a cover of Horse With No Name in Classical Latin. No really, check it out. It's good.

[Alas Babylon!]

LOL! I watched your link. Ali at the end LOLOLOL!

Here’s the SNL one I mentioned:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSaO5-cTEq8

[Pilsner]

Hmmm. Two songs in Latin makes me look rather more educated, or nerdy, than I am. How about Angel of the Morning in German? Der Engel der Verbannten, Juliane Werding

[GingisK]

This is the tear-jerker version: Last scene

[steelie]

My favorite as well.

[Paal Gulli]

No, your thread's title isn't any more deserving of attention that anybody else's. Mind your manners.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

Je Suis Malade- Original by Frenchman Serge Lama, but perfected by the Belgian powerhouse Lara Fabian.

Ne Me Quitte Pas- Belgian Jacques Briel

Deutschland- Rammstein (Germán)

Mein Herz Brent (Piano Version)- Rammstein (German)

Gloomy Sunday- Rezso Seress (Hungarian).

[wardaddy]

Guantanamera Cuba

The ay yeye yeye yeye Mexico song

Three little birds Jamaica

Whiskey in the jar Ireland

Just off the top of my head

[wardaddy]

Garota do Ipanema

Brasil

[wardaddy]

That jewish number?

Hava nagila

[KarlInOhio]

L'amour est bleu, either Vicky Leandros singing or Paul Mariat and orchestra performing, the latter was #1 in '68 I think. FYI Leandros was Greek, but best known for this French song.

A Greek living in Germany singing a French song for Luxembourg on Eurovision.

Unlike the English version where every color mentioned was associated with a bad emotion, the French version is generally happy (with some sadness for temporary absence). For example, blue is not the color of sadness but the color of the clear sky playing in your lover's eyes. It's a rhyme of bleu, jeux and yeux.