Songs in other languages ?

[HurricaneBob]

Heres somthing ive always wondered about, since i dont speak any other languages or write too many lyrics. If you take an american song and sing it in german, will it still rhyme? Or vice versa? Somthing to think about or the answer may be right in front of my face. How do language barriers cope with song writing across the world.

[RobTheDrummer]

Bobby, this is a typical drummer question...I always thought deeper though...like, do animals think in languages? Sorry that was a bit off topic and odd....I don't think it would still rhyme because they have different ways of phrasing and sentence structure. Although, some rammstein like du hast can be translated ok, at least the chorus...I don't know, that's a messed up question...it's messing with me man!!! Get it away!!!

[Brian of the Clan Plush]

Thats wild that you brought that up, and used German as your example, because I just heard that classic 80's tune 99 Luft Balloons, by Nena and it brought it up that very same question for me. I was under the impression that the song first hit in Germany (in German, duh) and later an english version was released in the US. But many of the english lines rhyme, and those same lines don't rhyme in German, so I'm like what the....?

[Jim Price]

I can think of a few cases of songs sung in two languages, but I do not know if the lyrics meant the same thing in both languages, or were different messages for each language. I know the French band Trust did English and French language versions of their early albums (including Repression, the album containing the song "Antisocial," later covered by Anthrax). Also, in their early years before Tony Harnell became their singer, TNT did several songs in both English and their native Norwegian. (I have their original import album, sung in Norwegian, including their song "Harley Davidson," which was later sung in English when they released their first album over here.)

On sort of a related note, I know that in several cases of non-English-speaking artists releasing English language hits, the artists actually learned the lyrics phonetically, without actually understanding what they were singing. Two examples of this were Shocking Blue's original version of "Venus" in 1970 (they were from the Netherlands and couldn't speak a word of English), and Los Bravos' 1966 hit "Black Is Black" (they were from Spain, and also couldn't speak English at the time they recorded that song).

[RobTheDrummer]

Jim, you are a maniac man....they don't call you the professor for nuthin!

[ToonaRockGuy]

Don't forget about Loudness, JP!!

REE ARE ROUDNESS!!! RET'S ROCK!!

Those guys were f-in FUNNY.

[songsmith]

My buddy, Curt Morningstar used to be into a Spanish band, Baron Rojo, who cantado en Espanol, but I understand later material was in English. He was always a fiend for that early-80's import metal, and his brother Mark had a sweet deal when he managed the record dept. at Miller's in Huntingdon...pretty much free "demo" records! He has many hundreds of bands you've never EVER heard of, as well as early Motley Crue and Pantera with the first singer.---->JMS

[Jim Price]

I have two Baron Rojo albums, one Spanish and one English. I think I mail-ordered them long ago, back when I used to read about all those Euro-metal bands in Kerrang!. (I still have a nice big stack of Kerrang! mags from the 80's stacked in my closet.)

The Music Hut in Altoona used to be great for getting import albums back in the day. And when they closed up shop in the 80's, I remember going in there and buying import albums for one or two bucks; I even got an autographed Raven album, and paid only a buck for it!

[Ron]

If you take an american song and sing it in german, will it still rhyme?

Impossible (Unmöglich)

[Brian of the Clan Plush]

(I still have a nice big stack of Kerrang! mags from the 80's stacked in my closet.)

Holy crap! I think JP should get a grant from the NEA to create a Rock Museum....I can only imagine what else he's got stacked in closets and attics and down in the fruit cellar.....his knowledge of music trivia alone would be worth the price of admission. (and some of those hats he wears should be in a museum anyway)

[DMFJ03]

Getadelt wird wer Schmerzen kennt
vom Feuer das die Haut verbrennt
Ich werf ein Licht
in mein Gesicht
Ein heißer Schrei
Feuer frei!

...translation...

Whoever knows pain becomes criticized
from the fire that burned up the skin
I throw a light
in my face
A hot cry
fire at will!

[Ron]

Thanks for the proof, J
Are those Rammstein lyrics?

[Craven Sound]

Why do Rammstein lyrics rhym in both languages? Du Hast, Engel etc. rhyme in both languages. Or is it just me?

[esa]

Some music is maid to rhyme in whatever language. Six different words can have the same meaning, it's pretty easy to find words that will work with it.
Also, don'tcha think that not all songs have rhymes to them...so getting changed over to another language should be quite easy...

And yes, Ron, those were Rammstein lyrics.

[DMFJ03]

As Esa said, yes, those are Rammstein lyrics.

And to push this point further...

Some music is maid to rhyme in whatever language. Six different words can have the same meaning, it's pretty easy to find words that will work with it.
Also, don'tcha think that not all songs have rhymes to them...so getting changed over to another language should be quite easy...

When Rammstein did Engel and Du Hast (English Versions) the songs, while along the lines of being the same thing - we're changed to fit American styling. Some meanings were changed, pharses were different...etc. To sing a straight word by word translation would make no sense because alot of German is spoke backwards compared to what we are used to.

Hopefully that helps...

[Brian of the Clan Plush]

so back to my example of 99 Luft Baloons, since it didn't rhyme in the original language, but did (mostly) rhyme in English, does that imply that at least this particular artist (or their label) thought that the song would "sell" better if it rhymed? Are foreign audiences more open to "free form" lyrics? are American audiences addicted to "formulaic" songsmithing?

....we'll explore this and many other mysteries.....next time on NOVA!

[DMFJ03]

To the best of my knowledge, 99 Luft Baloons, did rhyme when it was in German. My sister listened to it all the time. Plus, if you listen to GoldFinger's cover of the song, he sings the second to last verse in German and it rhymes.

Then again, maybe since I listen to Rammstien so much, it is sounds like rhyming anymore...