the german version sounded much more interesting and confident, where the english translation sounded like.... a translation.
La Vache Que Pleure - Kate & Anna McGarrigle Wonderful, slightly left-field french canadian folk album from 2003. Here's the music video for one of the songs Petit Annonce Amoureuse .
“Mbube” — Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds (1939) The Zulu-language original that would evolve into The Weavers' "Wimoweh" (1952) and The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (1961). Watch The Lion's Share [trailer] on Netflix for the full story.
I happened to post the song recently on a favorite French-language song thread, so I have the translated lyrics queued up. They're hilarious and charming: A Little Love Announcement Je cherche une homme qui a cinq pieds trois Moi je n'suis pas fille du Roi Ou bien ca va Ou ca va pas S'il vous plait repondez-moi I'm looking for a man who is five foot three I'm not the King's daughter, how well it's going Or it's not going Please answer me Qui annonce recoit reponse Qui demande a recompense Who announces receives response Who asks for a reward Mais je n'ai que cinq pieds deux Pourtant je ne suis pas boiteux C'est tu trop C'est tu trop peu Repondez pour l'amour de Dieu But I'm only five foot two Yet I'm not lame It's you too It's you too little Answer, for the love of God J'en ai assez d'etre seul chez-moi C a creve le coeur et puis le foie J'eloigne les chiens J'effraie les chats J'fais peur aux petits enfants I'm tired of being alone at home It bursts the heart and then the liver I drive the dogs away I scare cats I scare little children Je ne fume que du bon tabac J'aime les souris, j'hais les rats A deux ou trois Ou quatre pattes Vilains ou bien aristocrates I only smoke good tobacco I love mice, I hate rats Two or three Or four legs Villains or aristocrats Cinq deux, cinq trois Oeil de verre, jambe de bois Militaire Debonnaire Mais surtout du savoir faire Five two, five three Glass eye, wooden leg Military Debonnaire But above all, know-how
“Baiser Canon” — Vive la Fête (2009) Glam synth-pop/rock, full of hooks, from the Belgian music duo Vive la Fête (singing in French).
Nice! I out up "Entre La Jeunesse et la sagesse" in that thread Oh WOW thank you for the translation that's amazing. I've never had access to a translation that wasn't literal. This makes me love the song even more!!!
“Jaan Pehchan Ho” — Mohammed Rafi (1965) From the 1965 movie Gumnaam, 2001’s Ghost World, and then again in a 2011 Heineken beer TV ad.
I wouldn't be able to think of what is my favourite non-English song is. But the other day this song played on random order from a playlist of mine and I enjoyed it greatly. 'Fasl' by Kabul Dreams, from Afghanistan. If this is in Dari (language), then it's possible that I might be able to understand it later in the year as I have booked myself onto a Farsi language course.
“鄧麗君高山青 (Girl Of Ah Li Shan)” — Teresa Teng (1971) Not your typical Chinese pop, but a traditional Taiwanese folk song given a '60s-style pop/rock arrangement, and it's really good.
Children's Songs of Spain - Karen James & Isabelita Alonso A lesser known album from Folkways. It's educational, ment to teach Spanish to American Youth. The singers are Canadian Folk Musician Karen James and her mother, Spanish born folk musician Isabelita Alonso. Just a lovely mother-daughter duo having some fun.