Would you listen to music in a language you didn't understand?

coolblaze · 12-03-2009, 08:37 AM

I listen to non-english music almost every day

million dollar basher · 12-03-2009, 01:22 PM

Not sure why this is in the "Punk" Forum--seems like it would be more appropriate to place it in "World Music", but I digress.
Yeah, some of my favorite music in high school was non-english. Stereolab was one of my favorites, especially because they seemed to directly influence one of my favorite American groups, The Rentals. Also, Dead Can Dance was a great group to listen to, creepy and ominous stuff.

Psy-Fi · 12-13-2009, 12:19 AM

Music is a universal language, everyone can understand it, The lyrics are of secondary importance to me.
If you limit yourself to listening to music only in a language you understand, you will miss out on a lot of interesting musical experiences.

bardonodude · 12-14-2009, 03:18 PM

i do this all the time with yelle and that one nofx song thats in french...well other bands too but thats just a general reference

Zaqarbal · 01-05-2010, 08:54 AM

Hmmm... I don't know what to think about this. On one hand, I could agree with NumberNineDream:

Quote:

Originally Posted by NumberNineDream

I do a lot and mainly Spanish and German songs. Not understanding the language makes me focus more on the melody and the performance of the artist. But I do usually search for the lyrics' meanings (or just the lyrics) when I get obsessed with the song.

Tho a lot of times I memorize a song entirely by sound without understanding a single word (usually I'd be pronouncing everything wrong, but who cares as long as I'm singing along

)

For example, this funny cover of Wonderwall is based on that idea:

Authors and listeners of the cover don't care about what lyrics say. It could be anything.

On the other hand, many times I've thought that, without understanding the lyrics, a song cannot be fully appreciated. Also: What happens with rhyming songs? The same Wonderwall, for instance. Or Voy en un coche, which I mentioned in other thread yesterday. It's a catchy song, and, as Molecules said, "Spanish is f*cking hot".

So, many people would like it. But there is something more: the rhyme.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaqarbal

Spanish.................................................English

Voy en un coche que robé anoche......... I go in a car that I stole last night
a un tipo listo que iba a ligar..................from a smart guy who tried to get off with me
Es un spyder con dos asientos,...............It's a two-seat spyder,
coge doscientos sin apretar....................it gets to 200 easy.

Los camioneros cuelgan sonrisas.............Truck drivers hang smiles
del parabrisas cuando me ven.................on the windshield when they see me.
Soy la Princesa de la autopista.................I am the Princess of the highway
y hasta los polis besan mis pies...............and even the cops kiss my feet.

Quiero llegar muy lejos,..........................I want to go very far,
casi casi hasta el final,............................almost, almost right to the end,
donde nadie da consejos,........................where no one gives advice,
pasando la frontera.................................passing the border
con un calavera......................................with a skull
tatuada en el cristal................................tattooed in the glass.

Rhyme? Lost in translation.

The point is that, to value the merit of making a rhyme, you also have to know the meaning of the words. It's not simply a matter of phonetics. Obviously, you can be aware of the similarity between sounds. But if you don't understand the language, you don't know how difficult or how simple is to integrate music and lyrics into a coherent whole.

Do you know what I mean?

indietrash3 · 01-06-2010, 02:57 PM

haven't read the whole thread but posting to say that music's an international language. while I do appreciate being able to get the lyrics, the melody will always come first to me. so, yes I listen to music that has lyrics in languages I don't know.

årolilja · 01-06-2010, 03:00 PM

I listen to some bands whose lyrics I'm glad I don't understand.

24Nathan · 01-14-2010, 10:52 PM

Original question: Yes. The English language is not on my checklist for a good song.

Scissorman · 01-22-2010, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NumberNineDream

I do a lot and mainly Spanish and German songs. Not understanding the language makes me focus more on the melody and the performance of the artist. But I do usually search for the lyrics' meanings (or just the lyrics) when I get obsessed with the song.

Tho a lot of times I memorize a song entirely by sound without understanding a single word (usually I'd be pronouncing everything wrong, but who cares as long as I'm singing along

)

Edit:

Here's an example, from an album I memorized entirely and still don't know that's which language:

LoL that is Serbian

NumberNineDream · 01-22-2010, 03:24 PM

^ Bah I know. It just confused me, cause the whole film goes on about the ex-Yugoslavia and such.
Any other Serbian music you know, cause I can't get enough of it.

01-06-2010, 03:00 PM	#57 (permalink)
årolilja Groupie Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Norway Posts: 6	I listen to some bands whose lyrics I'm glad I don't understand. __________________ I sort of have nothing to say and if I did I'd say nothing at all.

01-22-2010, 03:24 PM	#60 (permalink)
NumberNineDream Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: The land of the largest wine glass (aka Lebanon) Posts: 2,200	^ Bah I know. It just confused me, cause the whole film goes on about the ex-Yugoslavia and such. Any other Serbian music you know, cause I can't get enough of it. __________________ Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do cats eat bats? Do cats eat bats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats?Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Do bats eat cats? Welcome to the Black Lodge

12-03-2009, 08:37 AM	#51 (permalink)
coolblaze Groupie Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6	I listen to non-english music almost every day

12-03-2009, 01:22 PM	#52 (permalink)
million dollar basher Music Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: trapped in a basement Posts: 184	Not sure why this is in the "Punk" Forum--seems like it would be more appropriate to place it in "World Music", but I digress. Yeah, some of my favorite music in high school was non-english. Stereolab was one of my favorites, especially because they seemed to directly influence one of my favorite American groups, The Rentals. Also, Dead Can Dance was a great group to listen to, creepy and ominous stuff.

12-13-2009, 12:19 AM	#53 (permalink)
Psy-Fi Aficionado of Fine Filth Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: You don't want to look in there. Posts: 6,884	Music is a universal language, everyone can understand it, The lyrics are of secondary importance to me. If you limit yourself to listening to music only in a language you understand, you will miss out on a lot of interesting musical experiences.

12-14-2009, 03:18 PM	#54 (permalink)
bardonodude Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 1,367	i do this all the time with yelle and that one nofx song thats in french...well other bands too but thats just a general reference

01-06-2010, 02:57 PM	#56 (permalink)
indietrash3 Groupie Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 45	haven't read the whole thread but posting to say that music's an international language. while I do appreciate being able to get the lyrics, the melody will always come first to me. so, yes I listen to music that has lyrics in languages I don't know.

01-14-2010, 10:52 PM	#58 (permalink)
24Nathan Groupie Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Central USA Posts: 19	Original question: Yes. The English language is not on my checklist for a good song.