Songs with European language lyrics

[I P Knightley]

Need a bit of inspiration here for a playlist.

 

I'm looking for songs that which are sung either entirely or partly in a language from mainland Europe and I'm a bit thin on the ground.

 

So far, I've got:

Joe le Taxi - Vaness Paradis

Asereje - Las Ketchup

Should I stay or should I go - The Clash (Spanish BVs in the chorus)

Hold on Tight - ELO (one verse/chorus in French)

Wooden Heart - Elvis (German verse)

Sadeness - Enigma

Rock me Amadeus - Falco

 

I'd rather not resort to Wooden Heart and, perhaps worse, Chanson d'Amour, so was hoping that there would be some inspiration from the collective big brain of JKB.

 

 

Edit: And Kraftwerk - how could I forget Kraftwerk?

Edited April 5, 2019 by I P Knightley

[gjcc]

La Macarena.  

[Darren]

You can get an entirely German version of David Bowie's Heroes.

[gjcc]

Julio Iglaseas - Begin the Beguine

[gjcc]

 

[I P Knightley]

12 minutes ago, Darren said:

You can get an entirely German version of David Bowie's Heroes.

I'm going a-hunting for that.

[NANOJAMBO]

Didn't Blondie have a hit single with "foreign" lyrics  (I don't mean French Kissin'). Struggling to remember it - Denis, FFS. 

 

Michelle by the Beatles has a lot of French lyrics.

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by NANOJAMBO

[gjcc]

1 minute ago, NANOJAMBO said:

Didn't Blondie have a hit single with "foreign" lyrics  (I don't mean French Kissin'). 

Was just about to post that. 

Edited April 5, 2019 by gjcc

[Gulpener]

Nena- 99 Luftballons

[Jambo-Jimbo]

Desireless - Voyage Voyage

Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Hit me with your rhythm stick (one line)

Agnetha Faltskog - I don't know how to love him (pre Abba days, from the Swedish version of Jesus Christ Superstar)

 

[Dboy]

 

[NANOJAMBO]

2 minutes ago, Dboy said:

 

Let's make some noise !!!!!!!!!!!!!! (In deutsch, natch). 

 

Seriously, I lol'd at that. 

[AndyNic]

Christine and the Queen's 

[Dboy]

Just now, NANOJAMBO said:

Let's make some noise !!!!!!!!!!!!!! (In deutsch, natch). 

 

Seriously, I lol'd at that. 

 

Heard it played on Radio 2 the other day (not necessarily this version) and thought - that fits the bill!

 

[NANOJAMBO]

4 minutes ago, Dboy said:

 

Heard it played on Radio 2 the other day (not necessarily this version) and thought - that fits the bill!

 

The English lyrics are really depressing. ?

[millerjames398]

Paul young,,,senza una dona...

[I P Knightley]

8 minutes ago, Dboy said:

 

Heard it played on Radio 2 the other day (not necessarily this version) and thought - that fits the bill!

 

There had to be a good reason for you coming up with that song so quickly!

 

One of my favourite protest/folk songs, along with Eric Bogle's.

[William H. Bonney]

 

[Morgan]

The Beatles - Michelle

[Boris]

 

 

[William H. Bonney]

Wait, sorry, I think I misunderstood the thread. 

[Craig_]

Ca Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrand 

 

Anything by Kraftwerk (apart from the English versions obv) 

[Boris]

 

 

[Boris]

 

[Boris]

 

[Ribble]

A few offspring songs have foreign lyrics, 1-6 count in for pretty fly for a white guy is in spanish for example, OC Guns also has spanish at the start.

 

A toute le monde by Megadeth

 

Do you remember me - Santana

 

My Cherie amour - Lionel Ritchie

 

 

[Boston Jambo]

This one from the Argentinian movie Nueve Rieinas. Excellent flick by the way.

 

 

[I P Knightley]

37 minutes ago, Dino Velvet said:

Wait, sorry, I think I misunderstood the thread. 

If you accidentally put up some mucky photos of attractive ladies, I'll accept that just as much as a good foreign language song. An easy mistake.

[William H. Bonney]

3 minutes ago, I P Knightley said:

If you accidentally put up some mucky photos of attractive ladies, I'll accept that just as much as a good foreign language song. An easy mistake.

 

Ha. No I put up a random song by a European artist but I think you’re looking for English songs recorded in another language 

[Swanny17]

La Bamba - Los Lobos

La Isla Bonita  - Madonna

Lady Marmalade - several artists

[Jambo-Jimbo]

As someone posted a song by Francoise Hardy, I thought I'd post this one from her.

 

Or this version from 20 years later.

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by Jambo-Jimbo

[Jambo-Jimbo]

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by Jambo-Jimbo

[EH11_2NL]

1 hour ago, Gulpener said:

Nena- 99 Luftballons

Hmmmm......Nena and her hairy armpits....

[Ron Burgundy]

Trio ..........Da Da Da

[Shanks said no]

Young Parisians Adam and the ants

 

edit - contains the line

Alors... et maintenant

Edited April 5, 2019 by The Frenchman Returns

[Shanks said no]

11 with French lyrics 

 

https://frenchly.us/11-english-songs-with-french-lyrics/

 

1. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

French Lyric: “Je veux ton amour, et je veux ta revanche. Je veux ton amour…”
Translation: “I want your love, and I want your revenge. I want your love…”

Lady Gaga, a pop singer originally from New York City, isn’t the type of person you’d expect to speak French; however, she is actually fluent in the language. The addition of French lyrics into “Bad Romance” makes the flirty song more romantic.

2. Blondie – Call Me

French Lyric: “Appelle-moi mon cherie, appelle-moi.”
Translation: “Call me, my darling, call me.”

This 80s bop is a great dance hit, so you might have been too busy dancing to realize Blondie is singing in French during the bridge. Debbie Harry uses French in many of her songs.

3. ABBA – “Voulez-Vous”

French Lyric: “La question c’est voulez-vous.”
Translation: “The question is do you want to?”

Contrary to popular belief, ABBA was around long before Mamma Mia, and “Voulez-Vous” is one of their greatest hits to date. This upbeat, fast-paced song makes everyone want to get up and dance.

4. The Beatles – “Michelle”

French Lyric: “Michelle, ma belle / sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble / très bien ensemble.”
Translation: “Michelle, my beauty / are words that go very well together / very well together.”

Written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, this love ballad had to include the most romantic language: French. In 1967, “Michelle” won song of the year at the Grammy’s; we can’t say that’s because of the French lyrics, but they definitely don’t hurt.

5. Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”

French Lyric: “Psycho killer / Qu’est-ce que c’est?” and “Ce que j’ai fait, ce soir là / Ce qu’elle a dit, ce soir là / Realisant mon espoir / Je me lance, vers la gloire.”
Translation: “Psycho killer / What’s that?” and “What I did last night / What she said last night / Realizing my hope / I throw myself toward glory.”

You’d never know that “Psycho Killer” isn’t supposed to be a love ballad with all that French in there. This Talking Heads hit uses the romantic language in a hateful way, as opposed to with a romantic intent.

6. Lana Del Rey – “Carmen”

French Lyric: “Mon amour, je sais que tu m’aimes aussi / Tu as besoin de moi, tu as besoin de moi dans ta vie / Tu ne peux vivre sans moi / Et je mourrais sans toi / Je tuerais pour toi.”
Translation: “My love, I know that you love me as well / You need me, you need me in your life / You can’t live without me / And I’d die without you / I’d kill for you.”

Known for being emblematic of the genre “Hollywood Sadcore,” Lana Del Rey loves to sing about her lost love and youth in a haunting, melodic voice. “Carmen” is no exception, and the French lyrics in the song give it another dimension of romance and sadness.

7. Dusty Springfield – “If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas)”

French Lyric: “Ne me quitte pas / Il faut oublier / Tout peut s’oublier.”
Translation: “Don’t leave me / We have to forget about it / Everything can be forgotten.”

Adapted into English from the original French lyrics, most versions of this sad but optimistic ballad keep a verse of the French words in the song, to connect to its roots. Dusty Springfield’s version is the classic compromise; half French, half English.

8. Prince – “Girls and Boys”

French Lyric: “Vous étiez de l’autre côté de la salle / Vous dansiez si fort / Je sentais votre parfum / Votre sourire me dit que nous devrions nous parler / Sur la piste de danse, baby.”
Translation: “You were on the other end of the room / You were dancing so hard I could smell your perfume / Your smile tells me we should talk / On the dance floor, baby.”

This is only about a third of the French lyrics in this song. Prince, ever the seducer, clearly knew that French was the way to a woman’s heart. With an entire verse in the language of love, this song is sure to entice any prospective love interest.

9. Electric Light Orchestra – “Hold On Tight (To Your Dream)”

French Lyric: “Accroches-toi a ton reve / Accroches-toi a ton reve / Quand tu vois ton bateau partir / Quand tu sens ton coeur se briser / Accroches-toi a ton reve.”
Translation: “Hold on tight to your dream / Hold on tight to your dream / When you see your ship go sailing / When you feel your heart is breaking / Hold on tight to your dream.”

ELO isn’t the type of band you’d think would have a French song; their futuristic sound isn’t exactly romantic. However, “Hold On Tight” is a classic, and the addition of a second language only makes this song more interesting.

10. Kylie Minogue – “Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi”

French Lyric: “Je ne sais pas pourquoi.” (x9)
Translation: “I don’t know why.”

Australian-British popstar Kylie Minogue is nicknamed the “Princess of Pop” for her contributions to music, but this song is slightly more melancholic than her others. The addition of the lamenting French lyrics show how heartbroken Minogue is over her lost love.

11. Blondie – “Denis

Edited April 5, 2019 by The Frenchman Returns

[Sawdust Caesar]

Blur - To The End. They did a version in French

 

The Monkees - Hey Hey We're The Monkees was recorded in Italian for their TV show being shown in Italy.

 

Franz Ferdinand - Darts of Pleasure - some lines in German

Edited April 5, 2019 by Sawdust Caesar

[Dawnrazor]

The Sisters of Mercy - Marian. 

"Was ich kann und was ich konnte
Weiss ich gar nicht mehr
Gib mir wieder etwas schones
Zieh mich aus dem meer
Ich whore dich rufen Marian
Kannst do mich schreien horen
Ich bin hier allien
Ich whore dich rufen Marian
Ohne diene hilfe verliere ich mich in diessem ort"

[neilnunb]

Already mentioned but one of my all time favourites so feck it

 

 

[neilnunb]

What about the inspiration for Saint Etienne's 'He's on the Phone'

 

 

[Boris]

 

[Ray Gin]

 

 

[trotter]

2 hours ago, Gulpener said:

Nena- 99 Luftballons

 

Or Goldfigers' punk-rock version of it. Mostly sung in English apart from one verse in German. And it's bloody good.
 

 

[Ray Gin]

 

[Jambo-Jimbo]

 

[Paolo]

[Paolo]

3 hours ago, Gulpener said:

Nena- 99 Luftballons

 Now that is a great shout. 

[Shanks said no]

Spanish

 

13 of the Biggest Spanish Language Crossover Hits

 

| © 2017 Universal Music Latino

CHRISTIAN KOCH

 

UPDATED: 20 JULY 2017

 

Save to Wishlist

‘Despacito‘ might have some creepy lyrics when translated into English (Luis Fonsi’s seduction technique seems to involve “breathing on your neck slowly” and “signing the walls of your labyrinth and make your whole body a manuscript”. REALLY?) but there’s no denying this breezy fusion of Spanish guitar and dembow-lite rhythm is the sound of summer2017.

 

 

 

 

 

At the time of writing, the hook-up between reggaeton swagmeister Daddy Yankee, Puerto Rican crooner Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber has notched up ten weeks at number one in the US and nine weeks in the UK. But what’s truly remarkable about ‘Despacito’s’ success is that such chart-slaying mega-hits aren’t usually sung in another language (even Biebs himself seems to have struggled with the Spanish vocab, shouting the word “Dorito” when forgetting the lyrics).

Spanish language songs might make rare cameos in the charts but when they do strike, it’s often with an El Niño like force. From ‘Feliz Navidad‘ to ‘Macarena‘ (yes, we had to include it), here are some of the most momentous crossover cancións sung in Español…

1. ‘La Bamba’ – Los Lobos (1987)

Ay caramba! No Mexican holiday resort is complete without some dodgy mariachi troupe springing up to warble this mescaline-soaked traditional wedding song.

Originally a posthumous hit for teen singer Ritchie Valens (he perished in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly), it was revived three decades later by Los Angeles Chicano outfit Los Lobos for a biopic of Valens’ life. In the summer of 1987, it hit number one in both the UK and US (where it was the first all-Spanish sung record to hit the top slot).

2. ‘Begin the Beguine‘ – Julio Iglesias (1981)

Enrique’s hairy-chested padre hit number one in the UK with his take on Cole Porter’s ballroom classic in December 1981. At the time, Iglesias was regarded as pure Costa del Cheese: the aural equivalent of a Spanish lothario waiter wooing middle-aged women by softly crooning Latin lingo into their ears while plying them with cheap sangria.

To modern ears, however, ‘Begin the Beguine’ has a proto-Balearic charm, all shimmering guitar riffs, Copacabana catchiness and La Movida disco flourishes. As floaty as a billionaire’s superyacht bobbing around on the Med.

3. ‘Bamboléo‘ – The Gipsy Kings (1988)

Maybe because it’s the go-to track for TV music supervisors when they want to spice up the salsa section of Strictly Come Dancing, but ‘Bamboléo’s‘ ubiquity has slightly eroded its appeal. But back in the late 1980s, this flurry of flamenco, handclaps and waving-castanets-in-the-air-like-you-just-don’t-care was a massive global hit propelling these slightly portly band of brothers (it’s actually a reworking of a Venezuelan cowboy song made famous by Simon Diaz) into world music superstars.

The Gipsy Kings (who are actually French but with Catalan heritage) have since sold nearly 20 million records, their coffers topped up nicely when Snoopy danced to ‘Bamboléo’ in the recent The Peanuts Movie.

4. ‘Macarena‘ – Los Del Río (1996)

The pinnacle of Nineties naffness or a so-bad-it’s-good classic? Whatever your take, there’s no denying ‘Macarena’s‘ success. In the summer of 1996, it was number one in the US for a staggering 14 weeks, spawning a worldwide dance craze even stiff politicianswere forced to shuffle along.

Even stranger, its stars were a pair of middle-aged Spanish entertainers who’d spent 30 years appearing on cheesy TV shows in their home country (they’re now millionaires so wealthy they probably dine on swan paella).

‘Macarena’ remains a big guilty pleasure (apparently Sia’s a fan), with the power to induce arrhythmic hip-shaking and bottom-shaking in tipsy uncles at weddings to this day. Weird fact: the hit version samples both Alison Moyet and 1990s’ Liverpudlian outfit The Farm.

5. ‘Gasolina‘ – Daddy Yankee (2005)

Twelve years before loaning his swagger to ‘Despacito‘, Daddy Yankee opened the reggaeton floodgates with this invigorating grind-a-thon. Credited with furthering the appeal of the genre beyond the barrios of Mr Yankee’s native Puerto Rico, ‘Gasolina’ was a Top 5 hit in the UK during the summer of 2005.

Its appeal still lives on today. Earlier this year, the world was fooled for around five minutes after believing this viral videosupposedly showing Thom Yorke belting out the track after too many rum’n’cokes.

6. ‘La Tortura’ – Shakira (2005)

Given her penchant for madder-than-a-box-of-dart-frogs lyrics (she felt “abused like a coffee machine in an office”) in ‘She Wolf‘, while ‘Whenever, Wherever‘ saw her congratulating her breasts on being “small and humble so you don’t confuse them with mountains”), Shakira could be warbling about any old Latino cobblers in this reggaeton-with-accordions duet with Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz.

Instead, it’s a relatively straightforward song (well, apart from the bit where Shakira ponders why she “can’t ask an elm tree to bear pears”) about an emotionally torturous relationship. It became the Colombian chanteuse’s biggest Spanish-speaking hit (23 in the US, number one in Hungary) outside Latin America upon its 2005 release.

7. ‘Rico Suave‘ – Gerardo (1991)

Like Vanilla Ice if he’d ran through the Pirates of the Caribbean dressing-up box, Gerardo became Ecuador’s biggest musical export since panpipe covers bands when he scored a number seven hit in the US with this “I’m good with the ladies, I am” boast-a-thon in spring 1991.

However, the self-proclaimed “Latin Elvis” proved to be a one-hit wonder (despite Weird Al Yankovic’s reworking ‘Rico Suave‘ as ‘Taco Grande‘) and later became an A&R man who helped nudge Enrique Iglesias into the charts. Gerardo’s now a Christian youth pastor in Kansas City, recently talking about his foot fetish to Rolling Stone magazine here.

8. ‘Oye Como Va‘ – Santana (1971)

The signature tune of Cuban mambo maestro Tito Puente was given a new lease of life with this organ-drenched adaption by bristly-moustachioed Carlos Santana and his band. A top 20 US hit in 1971, it became a Latin rock staple and features more hooks than a piñata superstore.

9. ‘Feliz Navidad‘ – José Feliciano (1970)

A Christmas song that’s about as wintry as a poolside piña colada, this was only a hit in the Spanish-speaking world when Puerto Rican troubadour Feliciano first released it in 1970. However, in the digital era, ‘Feliz Navidad‘ has become a present-unwrapping playlist favourite, which is probably why it reached 44 in the US and scraped into the UK charts last Christmas.

It’s been covered by artists such as Michael Bublé (of course), The Glee cast, David Hasselhoff and Ariana Grande, who posted this a capella version with her family.

10. ‘El Watusi‘ – Ray Barretto (1963)

The song which defined New York City’s boogaloo (a fusion of R&B and mambo) craze of the early 1960s, this compulsive dance-floor number from Harlem-born bandleader Barretto became the first Latin tune to become a Top 20 Billboard hit.

Later used to create rising boiler-point suspense in Al Pacino 1990s’ gangster flick Carlito’s Way.

11. ‘Bailando‘ – Enrique Iglesias (2014)

Its street dance video has been viewed a mathematician-troubling 2.2 billion times on YouTube. Meanwhile the Spanglish version of the song (which features bellowing rent-a-dancehall-star Sean Paul) has topped the charts across the globe (it was strangely big in Eastern Europe) and became the first non-English top-10 radio hit since ‘Macarena‘ 20 years ago.

The song itself – about Enrique falling in love with some woman with nifty dance moves – is so sun-soaked, you can practically feel the sweat oozing down your back. As far removed from Enrique’s insipid ‘Hero’ balladeer days as it’s possible to be.

12. ‘Summer of Love’ – Lonyo (2000)

Sadly forgotten garage reworking of a track by Venezuelan salsa king Oscar D’León, this was a top 10 UK hit in summer 2000 (which wasn’t the summer of love, more a solstice of bland Irish boybands, Billy Bass singing fish and panic-petrol buying). With its jaunty Latin chorus, this deserves to be filed alongside Len’s ‘Steal My Sunshine‘ and Sweet Female Attitude’s ‘Flowers‘ as true fin-de-siècle pop classics.

13. ‘The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)’ – Las Ketchup (2002)

Much-ridiculed UK number one from Spanish family pop group which sold seven million copies and topped the charts in 27 countries. Sounding not unlike unlike some Spanish students mangling Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ at karaoke, this ditty has sadly nothing to do with tomato sauce.

Instead, it’s about a pimping, magical gypsy called Diego who prowls nightclubs at midnight hoodwinking women he’s a Rastafarian. The musical equivalent of a sorry-looking souvenir sombrero, it proved to be catchier than travellers’ diarrhoea. As for Las Ketchup themselves, they recorded one more album before splitting shortly after representing Spain in 2006’s Eurovision.

[CavySlaveJambo]

Queen - Las Palabras del Amor

Also seeing as it was in the Pop Charts 

Freddie Mercury and Monserrat Caballe - Barcelona 

[Shanks said no]

Greek

 

(From a trip to Lesbos)

 

seriously though you have to have some Nana and a bit of Dennis 

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by The Frenchman Returns