International covers of Anglophone songs during the Counterculture

If you're from the US, UK, or other Anglosphere nations (except, perhaps, Canada), it is likely that nearly all of the music you're familiar with are songs in the English language that originate almost exclusively from other Anglosphere nations.

Maybe that's not surprising.

What surprised me, however, is just how many covers of English-language songs have been made in a plethora of other languages since the rise of Rock and Roll (1950s) and the Counterculture era (~1960s-1990s). Not just from EU nations, but from around the world. Have you ever heard the reverse—a popular song that was translated into English from some other language? (I actually found one—sort of—keep reading!)

I think people in the US may have a tendency to think of the Counterculture, hippies, and psychedelic vibes as "their thing" (even though major icons such as the Beatles were British, for example). We rarely stop to appreciate just how global the Counterculture was. This can most clearly be felt through the music.

Was this the first time in global history where there was a truly global cultural phenomenon? Certainly many cultures tried to emulate Western customs—from the so-called Meiji "enlightenment" in Japan in the 1800s to Chinese pop singers in the 1920-40s. I presume the average person in those nations, however, was not won over to the haughty poshness of Western ways.

It was only with the Counterculture (and its rejection of fundamental Western traditions) that many youth subcultures around the globe shared a milieu or zeitgeist or whatever you want to call it. (This eventually morphed into early cyberculture, but that's another conversation).


A great website to listen to music from different decades throughout the globe is https://radiooooo.com/. Maybe the staff at Radiooooo just have a preference for including international covers of Anglosphere songs, but I've found a decent number of them on there!

Searching the internet, I actually haven't been able to find a lot of discussion about the topic of foreign language song covers.

I found a few playlists:

CoverHeaven - Adaptations - Versions of popular songs in different languages (than the original). [199 songs].
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL5M2OPdM4mcXUePCd1lpPFIalzeZLgkC

(CoverHeaven puts a lot of information about the history of the songs in the descriptions to each of the videos they uploaded in their playlist, so be sure to check it out).

James Haardïïng - Familiar songs in foreign tongues (foreign language covers of English songs). [359 songs]. (This one has a good mixture of different languages).
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3gVeUlX15AQISV5Xvp6pYr

doristhethinkasaurus - foreign language covers. [237 songs]. (It seems like most if these are in French and Spanish).
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2lOByVUHIuYGiaYOtdGFdw

infinitejester - L'etrange Musique. [285 songs]. (This also has a lot of French and Spanish language covers).
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0j9OgD1rfiWdXwBmrrduvy

Birgitta Bellman - Foreign Language Cover songs. [323 songs].
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2weNrcsICtWRcwuurtbZ0C

Justin Grasseschi - Foreign coverrs of English music. [125 songs].
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eKFUKa47yAFFi1dgK7lya

Max Ward - Foreign Covers & Versions. [107 songs].
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1aj5HobiguB3SRI39zNZ5B

Mushface - Foreign Covers FTW. [654 songs].
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6hiqvDtTt0JycQcsmM5jUI

And a low-activity Reddit subforum which appears to be a single person posting their finds. The post titles are the original (typically English) song titles and singers.
https://old.reddit.com/r/multilangs/

This was the only other Reddit thread on this topic with any substantial discussion. It revolves around covers by recent South Korean singers, many of which are present-day songs:
https://old.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/52soru/what_are_you_favourite_foreign_language_covers/

Besides these, there's a few random forum posts and articles with less than a dozen songs each. As well as a few articles and forum threads about the same singer singing their song in multiple languages (which is not the topic of this article).

I also came across some song/discography websites where you can search to see if a particular song has multiple covers, e.g.:

https://secondhandsongs.com/

https://www.whosampled.com/

https://www.allmusic.com/

Let's take a look at a few of the songs I've found from non-Western nations. Hopefully we can generate some more discussion on this fascinating topic.

And, don't worry, we look at some original retro songs from around the world on a different page.

If you speak one of these languages or happen to know the lyrics to one of these songs, please upload them to a website like lyricstranslate.com to help spread this music.

Lastly, I don't speak Chinese and don't want to just assume which songs are in Mandarin or Cantonese, but if someone leaves a note, I will update the table below.

List of the 34 songs that appear on this page.
Language Location Cover song Original song
Khmer Cambodia / Australia Cambodian Space Project - House Of The Rising Sun (2014) The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (1964)
Khmer Cambodia Sinn Sisamouth - នៅតែសង្ឃឹម (1960s/70s) The Beatles - Hey Jude (1968)
Khmer Cambodia Korn Phnao and Pen Ran - Pnhaeu Samnieng (1960s/70s) The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Khmer Cambodia Pou Vannary - ហួសហើយបង (Huos haenuy bong) (1970s) Carole King - It's too Late (1971)
Chinese Hong Kong 張露 (Chang Loo/Zhang Lu) - 靜心等 (1958) Merle Travis - Sixteen Tons (1948) /
Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons (1955)
Chinese Hong Kong(?)
/ Singapore(?)
Grace Hong - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1968) Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1934)
Chinese Hong Kong Deanie Ip - 心肝房客 (1987) Earth, Wind and Fire - September (1978)
Chinese Hong Kong / China Faye Wong - 掙脫 (1996) The Cranberries - Dreams (1992)
Chinese Taiwan Pauline Lan - 週末夜天使 (1984) Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (1983)
Darija
(Arabic)
Morocco Fadoul - Al Zman Saib (1970s) Free - All Right Now (1970)
Darija
(Arabic)
Morocco Fadoul - Sid Redad (1970s) James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (1965)
Arabic Libya نجيب الهوش - ياعين دلّي (Najib Alhoush - Ya Aen Daly) (1970s/80s) Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (1977)
Korean South Korea 정윤선 (Jung Yoon-sun) - 사랑해요 (1979/1981) Frankie Valli - Grease (1978)
Vietnamese USA Linda Trang Đài - Em vẫn chờ (1986) Sandra - Maria Magdalena (1985)
Hindi India Sharon Prabhakar - Duniya Hai Chakkar (1982) Boney M. - Ma Baker (1977) /
Mohammed Hanesh - Sidi Mansour (1975)
Hindi USA Asha Puthli - Chipko Chipko (1990) Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (1987)
Japanese Japan Seiji Tanaka and Keiko Mizukoshi - ホテル・カリフォルニア (1977) Eagles - Hotel California (1976)
Japanese Japan Saori Minami - オー・シャンゼリゼ (1971) Jason Crest - Waterloo Road (1968) /
Joe Dassin - Les Champs-Élysées (1969)
Japanese Japan Seiji Tanaka - ザッツ・ザ・ウェイ (1976) KC and the Sunshine Band - That's the Way (I Like It) (1974)
Japanese Japan 金沢 明子 (Akiko Kanazawa) - イエロー・サブマリン音頭 (1982) The Beatles - Yellow Submarine (1966)
Malay Singapore Trio Manja - Tanpa Cintamu (1978) Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love (1977)
Chinese Singapore 方羽 & The Travellers - 重溫詹夢 (1971) Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman (1968) /
Santana - Black Magic Woman (1970)
Chinese Singapore(?) 南虹 (Nam Hong) - 偶然遇見你 (1973) Paul Anka - She's a Lady (1970) /
Tom Jones - She's a Lady (1971)
Chinese Singapore 凌雲 (Rita Chao) - 划小船 (1970) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary (1969)
Chinese Malaysia(?) 鄧光榮 - 浪子的眼淚 (1970) The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (1964)
Chinese Malaysia 張小鳳 (Zhang Xiao Feng) - 我深深地愛上你 (1966) The Beatles - Eight Days a Week (1964)
Chinese Indonesia 爱慧娜 (Ervinna) - Please Mr. Postman (1970s) The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman (1961)
Indonesian
(Malay)
Indonesia Adi Bing Slamet - Bandit (1980s) Michael Jackson - Beat It (1982)
Indonesian
(Malay)
Indonesia Marini & The Steps - Mainkan Musikmu (1970s/80s) Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music (1976)
Indonesian
(Malay)
Indonesia /
Singapore
The Commandos - Penyesalan (1970) Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
Indonesian
(Malay)
Indonesia Dewi Puspa - Dari Itu Ke Itu (1970s/80s) Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (1977)
Indonesian
(Malay)
Indonesia Dewi Puspa - Jangan Biarkan (1978) The Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow (1976)
Indonesian
(Malay)
Indonesia Yayah Ratnasari, Tating Sariningsih, and Euis Wasiat - Don't Let Me Down (1982) The Beatles - Don't let Me Down (1969)
Wolof Senegal Touré Kunda - Nobel (2000) Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight (1981)


Ok, ok, this is from the 21st century, so it doesn't technically fall under the theme of this page. I include it because I think it gives an important perspective to think about and is a good way to begin our musical travels.

For each of these songs, I want us to think about broader context of what a particular country and the world were going through when a song was released.

Cambodian Space Project - House Of The Rising Sun (2014)

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (1964)

(Originally a folk song of unknown authorship).

The Cambodian Space Project was formed in 2009 by Cambodian singer Channthy Kak (Srey Thy) and Australian musician Julien Poulson, who had an interest in Counterculture-era Cambodian music.

The link to their website has much more information about their life and history. Sadly, Channthy died in a car crash in 2018.

As for Cambodia, what was life like during the Counterculture and what led up to Poulson, me, and many others becoming interested in its music?

How many times has House of the Rising Sun appeared in US movies about the Vietnam War? ...How often have we seen the other side of that war?

From 1969-1973 US operations in the Vietnam War reached into Cambodia. Despite being a relatively unknown theater of war in the US, during these four years the US dropped more tons of bombs on Cambodia than it did during the entire Pacific campaign in WWII. It dropped three times as many bombs on Cambodia as it did on mainland Japan.

(See the research by Taylor Owen and Ben Kiernan, who have even mapped where each bomb landed, using declassified documents):

Taylor Owen and Ben Kiernan. (April 27, 2015). Making More Enemies than We Kill? Calculating U.S. Bomb Tonnages Dropped on Laos and Cambodia, and Weighing Their Implications. The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus, Volume 13, Issue 17, Number 3, Article ID 4313.
https://apjjf.org/Ben-Kiernan/4313.html

Taylor Owen. (October 12, 2006, updated May 27, 2020). Bombs Over Cambodia. The Walrus.
https://thewalrus.ca/2006-10-history/
https://gsp.yale.edu/sites/default/files/walrus_cambodiabombing_oct06.pdf

In the 1960s and 1970s, Cambodia had an impressive Counterculture music scene. Apparently King Norodom Sihanouk even joined in by writing his own rock-influenced songs.

However, the music came to an abrupt end in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge seized power. The Khmer Rouge engaged in one of the most brutal slaughter campaigns in modern history, with as many as 1/4th of the entire nation's population perishing. The regime practiced an extreme form of communism, and anyone who was suspected of being an "intellectual," artist, or otherwise a non-proletariat was at risk of being murdered. Many prominent Cambodian Counterculture musicians, such as Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, and Sinn Sisamouth were murdered during this period.

Ironically, it was the newly-united communist Vietnam which ended the Khmer Rouge's tyranny. The final year of US bombing in Cambodia was intended to impede the Khmer Rouge from seizing the capital and gaining the upper hand in the Cambodian Civil War. Khmer Rouge officials would later credit the US bombing campaign for massively increasing recruitment rates. (In the 21st century, pro-"War on Terror" US officials, such as Donald Rumsfeld, have also acknowledged that the "War on Terror" breeds more terror than it stops—yet there is no end in sight for this strategy).

In late 1978, Vietnam went to war with Cambodia and managed to install a new government in the nation's capital by January 1979. However, fighting throughout the country continued into the late 1990s. Strangely, Vietnam faced international condemnation from the same Western nations who have spent nearly the entire 21st century engaging in regime changes for alleged crimes many orders of magnitude less than what the Khmer Rouge had committed. Under the weight of international sanctions and diplomatic isolation, Vietnam withdrew from Cambodia in 1989.

To add further irony—despite Vietnam officially remaining communist to this day, the US and Vietnam have close diplomatic relations. China (who supported the Khmer Rouge) briefly invaded Vietnam (who was supported by the USSR) in 1979, leading to long-strained tensions between the two nations.

Returning to Cambodia, it seems interest in the Cambodian Rock genre has gained a resurgence since the 1990s. And not just in the original songs, but the entire psychedelic rock genre performed in the Khmer language and Cambodian-themed Counterculture-style graphics.

With all the chaos, perhaps music gives us a way to forget the troubles for a moment, think of better times, and imagine better days to come.

Album cover of Cambodian Space Project. Close-up of a Cambodian woman singing.

Now let's take a look at some of the original hits that established Cambodian Rock as a genre.

Sinn Sisamouth - នៅតែសង្ឃឹម (1960s/70s)

The Beatles - Hey Jude (1968)

នៅតែសង្ឃឹម⁣

រាត្រី នេះសែនសប្បាយ អូនមើលហ្វូងផ្កាយ
រះរាយពេញមេឃា ឱ្យស្រណោះៗដល់អនុស្សារ
យើងបានរួមស្នេហា ដូចផ្ការីកថ្មី។

រស្មី នៃក្ដីសង្ឃឹម ដូចភ្លៀងរលឹមរោយលើផែនដី
មើលរលក បោកប្រដេញពេញជលស័យ ស្ដាប់សត្វបក្សី
ស្ដីពីសង្ឃឹម។

បើក្ដីសង្ឃឹមប្រែជាអភ័ព្វ
ដូចថ្ងៃស្ងៀមស្ងប់ គ្មានសព្ទសំនៀងសាសង
ឆ្លើយឆ្លងនៃធម្មជាតិ បើមេឃនៅតែមិនស្រទំ
ដូចឃ្មុំគ្មានញាតិ បុព្វជាតិគ្មានគន្ធា ដូចផ្កាក្រៀមស្រពោន។

សង្ឃឹម បងនៅតែមាន បើសិនកល្យាណ
អូននៅតែញញឹម បើបុប្ផា បុប្ផានៅស្រស់ប៉ប្រិម
ទោះមេឃខ្ពស់សន្លឹម ចិត្តនៅតែប្រាថ្នា។

បើក្ដីសង្ឃឹមប្រែជាអភ័ព្វ
ដូចថ្ងៃស្ងៀមស្ងប់ គ្មានសព្ទសំនៀងសាសង
ឆ្លើយឆ្លងនៃធម្មជាតិ បើមេឃនៅតែមិនស្រទំ
ដូចឃ្មុំគ្មានញាតិ បុព្វជាតិគ្មានគន្ធា ដូចផ្កាក្រៀមស្រពោន។

ស្នេហាដូចទឹកហូរខ្ចាយ រស់ដូចហ្វូងផ្កាយ
សប្បាយនឹងមេឃា ដួងព្រះចន្ទចាំងច្បាស់ឆ្លុះលើនភា
ដែលសត្វលោកប្រាថ្នា ស្នេហាធម្មជាតិ។

Neuwtai Sangkhum

reatrei nih senosabbay aun meul hvaung phkay
reah reay penh mekhea aoy sranaoh dl anoussaear
yeung ban ruomosnehea dauch phkarik thmei.

rosmei nei kdei sangkhum dauch phliengorlum roy leu phendei
meul rolk baok bradenh penh cholsay sdab satv baksaei
sdeipi sangkhum.

bae kdei sangkhum brecha aphp
dauch thngai sngiemosngab kmean sapt saamnieng sasang
chhlaeyochhlang nei thommocheate bae mekh nowte min sratom
dauch khmoum kmean nheate bopvchate kmean konthea dauch phka kriem srapon.

sangkhum bng nowte mean baesen kalyean
aun nowte nhnhum bae bobpha bobpha now srasabbrem
toh mekh khpasasanlum chett nowte brathnea.

bae kdei sangkhum brecha aphp
dauch thngai sngiemosngab kmean sapt saamnieng sasang
chhlaeyochhlang nei thommocheate bae mekh nowte min sratom
dauch khmoum kmean nheate bopvchate kmean konthea dauch phka kriem srapon.

snehea dauch tukhaur khchay rsa dauch hvaung phkay
sabbay nung mekhea duongopreahchant chang chbasa chhloh leu nphea
del satvalok brathnea snehea thommocheate.

Still Hoping

Tonight, I'm happy to see the stars
The sky is full of memories
We fell in love like new flowers.

A ray of hope like rain on earth
Watch the waves, chase the whole river, listen to the birds
On hope.

If hope turns to misfortune
Like a day of silence without vocabulary
Correspondence of nature if the sky is still cloudy
Like a bee without relatives, without ancestry, like a withered flower.

I hope you still have it if the universe
I still smile if blossoms are beautiful
Even though the sky is high, my heart is still longing.

If hope turns to misfortune
Like a day of silence without vocabulary
Correspondence of nature if the sky is still cloudy
Like a bee without relatives, without ancestry, like a withered flower.

Love is like water flowing, living like a star
Enjoy the sky, the moon shines brightly on the sky
That creatures aspire to love nature.

Hey Jude

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey, Jude, don't be afraid You were made to go out and get her The minute you let her under your skin Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain,
Hey, Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool
Who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder

Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah

Hey, Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in,
Hey, Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you,
Hey, Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder

Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah nah yeah

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it better, better, better, better, better... oh!

Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude
Nah, nah nah, nah nah, nah, nah, nah nah,
Hey, Jude


Korn Phnao and Pen Ran - Pnhaeu Samnieng (1960s/70s)

The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1964)


Pou Vannary - ហួសហើយបង (Huos haenuy bong) (1970s)

Carole King - It's too Late (1971)

I've also seen her named spelled Poev Vanary and Peou Vannary, although her Wikipedia page is spelled as Pou Vannary.


張露 (Chang Loo/Zhang Lu) - 靜心等 (1958)

Merle Travis - Sixteen Tons (1948)

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons (1955)

After the end of WWII, the end of Japanese occupation in Hong Kong was marked by a return to British colonial rule. With the resumption of the civil war between the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party, Hong Kong received a large influx of refugees in the late 1940s and into 1951.

Britain feared the Chinese Communist Party (who had unified the mainland by 1949) would try to liberate Hong Kong as well, however, this did not occur.

The meaning of the lyrics is completely different! It sounds like something the mining company would have written.

靜心等

你何必要說苦 何必要說苦
快向前走 找尋你的生路
找尋生路 要跨穩步
要跨穩步 才到安樂土

你要靜心等 振作精神
要一步又一步 振作你的精神
要快快灑開大步 把難關渡
要求幸福 必須挨盡辛苦

你要做大丈夫 要做大丈夫
快抬起頭 還要高聲歡呼
你灑開大步 就沒攔阻
要灑開大步 才到安樂土

你要靜心等 振作精神
要一步又一步 振作你的精神
要快快灑開大步 把難關渡
要求幸福 必須挨盡辛苦

你何必要說苦 何必要說苦
快向前走 找尋你的生路
找尋生路 要跨穩步
要跨穩步 才到安樂土

你要靜心等 振作精神
要一步又一步 振作你的精神
要快快灑開大步 把難關渡
要求幸福 必須挨盡辛苦

要求幸福 必須挨盡辛苦

Jìng xīn děng

nǐ hé bì yào shuō kǔ hé bì yào shuō kǔ
kuài xiàng qián zǒu zhǎo xún nǐ de shēng lù
zhǎo xún shēng lù yào kuà wěn bù
yào kuà wěn bù cái dào ān lè tǔ

nǐ yào jìng xīn děng zhèn zuò jīng shén
yào yī bù yòu yī bù zhèn zuò nǐ de jīng shén
yào kuài kuài sǎ kāi dà bù bǎ nán guān dù
yào qiú xìng fú bì xū āi jǐn xīn kǔ

nǐ yào zuò dà zhàng fū yào zuò dà zhàng fū
kuài tái qǐ tóu hái yào gāo shēng huān hū
nǐ sǎ kāi dà bù jiù méi lán zǔ
yào sǎ kāi dà bù cái dào ān lè tǔ

nǐ yào jìng xīn děng zhèn zuò jīng shén
yào yī bù yòu yī bù zhèn zuò nǐ de jīng shén
yào kuài kuài sǎ kāi dà bù bǎ nán guān dù
yào qiú xìng fú bì xū āi jǐn xīn kǔ

nǐ hé bì yào shuō kǔ hé bì yào shuō kǔ
kuài xiàng qián zǒu zhǎo xún nǐ de shēng lù
zhǎo xún shēng lù yào kuà wěn bù
yào kuà wěn bù cái dào ān lè tǔ

nǐ yào jìng xīn děng zhèn zuò jīng shén
yào yī bù yòu yī bù zhèn zuò nǐ de jīng shén
yào kuài kuài sǎ kāi dà bù bǎ nán guān dù
yào qiú xìng fú bì xū āi jǐn xīn kǔ

yào qiú xìng fú bì xū āi jǐn xīn kǔ

Meditate and Wait

Why do you need to say pain, why do you need to talk about pain
Go ahead and find your way
Find a way to survive
It takes a steady stride to reach the land of peace

You have to meditate and wait to cheer up
Step by step to lift your spirits
Take big strides quickly to overcome the difficulties
To seek happiness, one must endure hardships

You want to be a man, be a man
Raise your head and cheer loudly
You take big strides, you won't stop
It takes a big stride to reach the paradise

You have to meditate and wait to cheer up
Step by step to lift your spirits
Take big strides quickly to overcome the difficulties
To seek happiness, one must endure hardships

Why do you need to say pain, why do you need to talk about pain
Go ahead and find your way
Find a way to survive
It takes a steady stride to reach the land of peace

You have to meditate and wait to cheer up
Step by step to lift your spirits
Take big strides quickly to overcome the difficulties
To seek happiness, one must endure hardships

To seek happiness, one must endure hardships

Sixteen Tons

Some people say a man is made out of mud
A poor man's made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one morning when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number 9 coal
And the straw boss said, "Well-a bless my soul!"

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

I was born one morning, it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an old mama lion
Can't no high-toned woman make me walk the line

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

If you see me comin' better step aside
A lot of men didn't, a lot of men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't getcha then the left one will

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store


Grace Hong - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1968)

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1934)

The song Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town was first written and performed in 1934, although we may be more familiar with the various covers that were sang in the 1960s and '70s.

Have you ever wondered how Christmas is celebrated around the world? It is actually one of the world's most widespread holidays, even among those who are not Christian.

Unfortunately, much of its recent spread over the past few decades has been driven by flashy consumerism, rather than the spirit of charity and love that makes Christmas beautiful.

Ultimately, both Christmas and Chinese New Year have their origins as a celebration of the end of the winter solstice. Although Christmas is not too widely celebrated in China, Hong Kong apparently has some of the world's most spectacular Christmas celebrations, according to random travel websites. These same websites also mention Christmas in mainland China has become associated with giving a gift of apples. Interesting.


Deanie Ip - 心肝房客 (1987)

Earth, Wind and Fire - September (1978)

心肝房客

若你的心肝 現有空房
可否長期讓我租房
很想長年在你心窩裡躺

不須有燈光 房內也光光
房雖少 仍然是最寬敞
你心肝 長年是我首選套房

(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)

你是房 我是床 暖或寒也在旁
雨或晴也在旁 老邁時也在旁
到盡頭也共航 一直往 Yeah

即使你心中 暫缺空房
即使旁人在你心肝
可否仍然讓我天天拜訪

知否我天天由長夜到天光
眼光光 難眠沒法心安
我多想長年在你心窩裡燙

(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)
(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)

世界裡一等套房和金屋 金房 也不及你心合我躺 Wow Wow

(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)
(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)
(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)
(Ha..ha..ha..散芬芳 日子可以全部散芬芳
若批准我長住在心肝 互通心聲看月光)

Xīngān fángkè

Ruò nǐ de xīngān xiànyǒu kòng fáng
Kěfǒu chángqí ràng wǒ zūfáng
Hěn xiǎng chángnián zài nǐ xīnwō lǐ tǎng

Bù xū yǒu dēngguāng fáng nèi yě guāng guāng
Fáng suī shǎo réngrán shì zuì kuānchǎng
Nǐ xīngān chángnián shì wǒ shǒuxuǎn tàofáng

(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)

Nǐ shì fáng wǒ shì chuáng nuǎn huò hán yě zài páng
Yǔ huò qíng yě zài páng lǎomài shí yě zài páng
Dào jìntóu yě gòng háng yīzhí wǎng Yeah

Jíshǐ nǐ xīnzhōng zhàn quē kōngfáng
Jíshǐ pángrén zài nǐ xīngān
Kěfǒu réngrán ràng wǒ tiāntiān bàifǎng

Zhī fǒu wǒ tiāntiān yóu chángyè dào tiānguāng
Yǎnguāng guāng nán mián méi fǎ xīn'ān
Wǒ duō xiǎng chángnián zài nǐ xīnwō lǐ tàng

(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)
(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)

Shìjiè lǐ yī děng tàofáng hé jīnwū jīn fáng yě bùjí nǐ xīn hé wǒ tǎng Wow Wow

(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)
(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)
(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)
(Ha..ha..ha..Sàn fēnfāng rì zǐ kěyǐ quánbù sàn fēnfāng
Ruò pīzhǔn wǒ zhǎngzhù zài xīngān hùtōng xīnshēng kàn yuèguāng)

Heartfelt Tenant

If your heart and liver have vacancies
Can I rent a house for a long time
I really want to lie in your heart for many years

No lights are required, the room is also bright
Although the room is small, it is still the most spacious
Your heart and soul have been my first choice suite for many years

(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant
If you allow me to live in the heart and liver, communicate with each other and see the moonlight)

You are the room, I am the bed, warm or cold by the side
Rain or shine is also beside me when I'm old
We will sail together to the end, go all the way to Yeah

Even if there is a vacancy in your heart
Even if others are in your heart
Can you still let me visit every day

Do you know that I go from night to day every day
Eyes can't sleep, no peace of mind
I want to burn in your heart for many years

(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant
If you allow me to live in the heart and liver, communicate with each other and see the moonlight)
(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant
If you allow me to live in the heart and liver, communicate with each other and see the moonlight)

The first-class suite and the golden house in the world are not as good as your heart, I lie down Wow Wow

(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant
If you allow me to live in the heart and liver, communicate with each other and see the moonlight)
(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant
If you allow me to live in the heart and liver, communicate with each other and see the moonlight)
(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant
If you allow me to live in the heart and liver, communicate with each other and see the moonlight)
(Ha..ha..ha.. fragrant, all the days can be fragrant

September

Do you remember the
21st night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away

Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing
As we danced in the night
Remember how the stars stole the night away

Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day

Ba duda, ba duda, ba duda, badu
Ba duda, badu, ba duda, badu
Ba duda, badu, ba duda

My thoughts are with you
Holding hands with your heart to see you
Only blue talk and love
Remember how we knew love was here to stay

Now December found the love we shared in September
Only blue talk and love
Remember the true love we share today

Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day

There was a
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - golden dreams were shiny days

The bell was ringing, aha
Our souls were singing
Do you remember
Never a cloudy day

There was a
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day

There was a
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - golden dreams were shiny days

Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya
De ya


Faye Wong - 掙脫 (1996)

The Cranberries - Dreams (1992)

Faye Wong moved to Hong Kong in 1987, beginning her career in music shortly thereafter.

In 1997, Hong Kong was to become reunited with China, ending 156 years of direct British control over the region. Macau followed in 1999, ending 442 years of Portuguese control.

掙脫

說再見 當愛已成謊言 結束吧 別留戀
心已倦 路越走越遙遠 你的心 已不見

曾愛的分不清對錯 我以為流的淚會值得 以為我會快樂
不想再為愛失眠 讓黑夜包圍我每一天 解開心頭的怨

啦 啦啊啦 啦啦啦 啦啊啦 啊 啊 啊

情已滅 愛恨只剩糾纏 說甚麼都太晚
夢難圓 路已到了終點 揮手告別昨天

我放棄對你的思念 愛已像風箏斷了線 飛不回我身邊
現在才學會掙脫 掙脫對愛情的困惑 我想我夠灑脫

夢中見 最後一絲眷戀 留待夢中相見
從今天 飛出你的世界 不在乎走多遠
走多遠

啊 啦 啦啊啊啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦
啦 啦 啦啊啊啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦
啦 啦 啦啊啊啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦
啦 啦 啦啊啊啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦啦 啦啦

zhēng tuō

shuō zài jiàn dāng ài yǐ chéng huǎng yán jié shù ba bié liú liàn
xīn yǐ juàn lù yuè zǒu yuè yáo yuǎn nǐ de xīn yǐ bù jiàn

céng ài de fēn bù qīng duì cuò wǒ yǐ wèi liú de lèi huì zhí dé yǐ wèi wǒ huì kuài lè
bù xiǎng zài wèi ài shī mián ràng hēi yè bāo wéi wǒ měi yī tiān jiě kāi xīn tóu de yuàn

la la a la la la la la a la a a a

qíng yǐ miè ài hèn zhǐ shèng jiū chán shuō shén me dōu tài wǎn
mèng nán yuán lù yǐ dào le zhōng diǎn huī shǒu gào bié zuó tiān

wǒ fàng qì duì nǐ de sī niàn ài yǐ xiàng fēng zhēng duàn le xiàn fēi bù huí wǒ shēn biān
xiàn zài cái xué huì zhēng tuō zhēng tuō duì ài qíng de kùn huò wǒ xiǎng wǒ gòu sǎ tuō

mèng zhōng jiàn zuì hòu yī sī juàn liàn liú dài mèng zhōng xiāng jiàn
cóng jīn tiān fēi chū nǐ de shì jiè bù zài hū zǒu duō yuǎn
zǒu duō yuǎn

a la la a a la la la la la la la la la la
la la la a a la la la la la la la la la la
la la la a a la la la la la la la la la la
la la la a a la la la la la la la la la la

Let Go

Say goodbye
When love has become a lie
Just end it
No regrets
Weary heart
Treading a long path with no end
Your heart is out of sight

Once I loved until I couldn't tell right from wrong
I thought the tears would be worth it
Thought I would be happy
Now I'm fed up with losing sleep for love
With the darkness that shrouded my days
Set my mind free of resentment

La la ah la la la la la ah la ah ah ah

Feelings have faded
From love and hate to hindrance
It's too late to say anything now
Dreams seldom come true
The road has come to an end
Wave goodbye to yesterday

I'm giving up my longing for you
Our love has snapped like the string of a kite
That will never fly back to my side
Now I have to learn to let go
Let go of the love I could never understand
I think I might as well be free

See you in my dreams
The last thread of yearning
Save it for a meeting in our dreams
Starting today
I'm flying out of your world
I don't care how far I go
How far I go

Ah la la ah ah la la la la la la la la la la
La la la ah ah la la la la la la la la la la
La la la ah ah la la la la la la la la la la
La la la ah ah la la la la la la la la la la

Dreams

Oh, my life
Is changing every day
In every possible way
And oh, my dreams
It's never quite as it seems
Never quite as it seems

I know I've felt like this before
But now I'm feeling it even more
Because it came from you
Then I open up and see
The person falling here is me
A different way to be

Ah
La ya
La la ya
La-ah-ah

I want more
Impossible to ignore
Impossible to ignore
They'll come true
Impossible not to do
Impossible not to do

And now I tell you openly
You have my heart so don't hurt me
You're what I couldn't find
A totally amazing mind
So understanding and so kind
You're everything to me

Oh, my life
Is changing every day
In every possible way
And oh, my dreams
It's never quite as it seems
'Cause you're a dream to me, dream to me

Ah, la-a-la-ah, la la la
La-a-la-ah, la-ah ah ah
Ah, la-a-la-ah, la la la
La-a-la-ah, la-ah ah ah


Pauline Lan - 週末夜天使 (1984)

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (1983)

By 1911, the Qing dynasty of China had collapsed, and China entered into a prolonged period of fragmentation and civil war.

Following the end of the Qing dynasty, China was turned into a republic led by the Kuomintang party, although the central government did not have firm power over the "warlords" who held the real power over various provinces. They also had opposition from the Chinese Communist Party, who launched an uprising in 1927.

To make a long story short, the Chinese Communist Party consolidated their control over mainland China in 1949 and the remnants of the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan (which had been a territory of Japan from 1895 to 1945). Although the Republic of China (Taiwan), the People's Republic of China (the mainland), and nations such as the US officially hold the stance that there is "One China," Taiwan has been de-facto independent since 1949.

During the exodus in 1949, the Kuomintang placed Taiwan under martial law and governed autocratically until martial law was repealed in 1987. Taiwan had been making democratic reforms since the 1970s, but it was not until the repeal of martial law that they had fully succumbed to it.

Would you have ever imagined that people would be busting out the dance moves to Billie Jean in such an environment?

Cassette cover of Pauline Lan. Chinese woman in 1980s clothing with Michael Jackson's white glove.

周末夜天使

穿过了昨天今天时光的空隙
让那声音划破黑夜直到黎明
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight
今夜令人神往
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

穿过跨越了理想现实极端的冲突
抛开那寂寞重重压力的包袱
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

发热的旋律 是我的情歌
请放开你的嗓门唱
在热烈拍子中 尽情的放松
不必有顾忌 尽情快乐的跳 嘿
来吧 Baby 不要停
来吧 Baby 今夜令人向往
周末夜的天使们
情绪永在高潮
周末夜的天使们

穿过了昨天今天时光的空隙
让那声音划破黑夜直到黎明
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight
今夜令人神往
一幕幕陶醉浮在眼前

跨越了理想现实极端的冲突
抛开那寂寞重重压力的包袱
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

发热的旋律 是我的情歌
请放开你的嗓门唱
在热烈拍子中 尽情的放松
不必有顾忌 尽情快乐的跳 嘿

来吧 Baby 不要停
来吧 Baby 今夜令人向往
周末夜的天使们

来吧 Baby 不要停
来吧 Baby 今夜令人向往
周末夜的天使们

情绪永在高潮
周末夜的天使们

情绪永在高潮
周末夜的天使们

来吧 Baby 不要停
来吧 Baby 今夜令人向往
周末夜的天使们

情绪永在高潮
周末夜的天使们

来吧 Baby 不要停
来吧 Baby 不要停
来吧 Baby 不要停

Zhōumò yè tiānshǐ

Chuānguòle zuótiān jīntiān shíguāng de kòngxì
Ràng nà shēngyīn huà pò hēiyè zhídào límíng
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight
Jīnyè lìng rén shénwǎng
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

Chuānguò kuàyuèle lǐxiǎng xiànshí jíduān dì chōngtú
Pāo kāi nà jìmò chóngchóng yālì de bāofú
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

Fārè de xuánlǜ shì wǒ de qínggē
Qǐng fàng kāi nǐ de sǎngmén chàng
Zài rèliè pāizi zhōng jìnqíng dì fàngsōng
Bùbì yǒu gùjì jìnqíng kuàilè de tiào hēi
Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng
Lái ba Baby jīnyè lìng rén xiàngwǎng
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen
Qíngxù yǒng zài gāocháo
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Chuānguòle zuótiān jīntiān shíguāng de kòngxì
Ràng nà shēngyīn huà pò hēiyè zhídào límíng
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight
Jīnyè lìng rén shénwǎng
Yīmù mù táozuì fú zài yǎnqián

Kuàyuèle lǐxiǎng xiànshí jíduān dì chōngtú
Pāo kāi nà jìmò chóngchóng yālì de bāofú
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

Fārè de xuánlǜ shì wǒ de qínggē
Qǐng fàng kāi nǐ de sǎngmén chàng
Zài rèliè pāizi zhōng jìnqíng dì fàngsōng
Bùbì yǒu gùjì jìnqíng kuàilè de tiào hēi

Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng
Lái ba Baby jīnyè lìng rén xiàngwǎng
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng
Lái ba Baby jīnyè lìng rén xiàngwǎng
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Qíngxù yǒng zài gāocháo
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Qíngxù yǒng zài gāocháo
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng
Lái ba Baby jīnyè lìng rén xiàngwǎng
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Qíngxù yǒng zài gāocháo
Zhōumò yè de tiānshǐmen

Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng
Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng
Lái ba Baby bùyào tíng

Weekend Night Angel

Passing through the gap between yesterday and today
Let that sound cut through the night until dawn
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight
Tonight is fascinating
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

Through conflicts that span the extremes of ideal reality
Let go of the burden of loneliness and pressure
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

The hot melody is my love song
Please sing with your voice open
Relax to your heart's content in the warm beat
Don't have any scruples. Dance happily. Hey
Come on baby don't stop
Come on baby, tonight is desirable
weekend night angels
Emotions are always at a high
weekend night angels

Passing through the gap between yesterday and today
Let that sound cut through the night until dawn
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight
Tonight is fascinating
Scenes of intoxication float before your eyes

A conflict that spans the extremes of ideal and reality
Let go of the burden of loneliness and pressure
Go Dance, Go Dance, Tonight

The hot melody is my love song
Please sing with your voice open
Relax to your heart's content in the warm beat
Don't have any scruples. Dance happily. Hey

Come on baby don't stop
Come on baby, tonight is desirable
weekend night angels

Come on baby don't stop
Come on baby, tonight is desirable
weekend night angels

Emotions are always at a high
weekend night angels

Emotions are always at a high
weekend night angels

Come on baby don't stop
Come on baby, tonight is desirable
weekend night angels

Emotions are always at a high
weekend night angels

Come on baby don't stop
Come on baby don't stop
Come on baby don't stop

Billie Jean

She was more like a beauty queen
From a movie scene
I said, "Don't mind, but what do you mean
I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round?"
She said I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round

She told me her name was Billie Jean
As she caused a scene
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round

People always told me, "Be careful of what you do.
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts."
And mother always told me, "A-be careful of who you love,
And be careful of what you do
'Cause the lie becomes the truth."

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son

For forty days and for forty nights
Law was on her side
But who can stand
When she's in demand
Her schemes and plans
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round
So take my strong advice
Just remember to always think twice
(Do think twice, do think twice.)

She told, "My baby, we'd danced 'til three."
Then she looked at me
Then showed a photo of a baby cry
His eyes looked like mine, oh, no
Do a dance on the floor in the round, baby

A-people always told me, "Be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts."
(Don't break no heart.)
A-but she came and stood right by me
And just the smell of sweet perfume
And this happened much too soon
And she called me to her room

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
(No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.)
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son

She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son

No, no, no

Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
(No, there's not me, baby.)
But the kid is not my son
(No, no, no, no, no, no, no.)
She says I am the one (No, babe.)
But the kid is not my son, no, no, no

She says I am the one
You know what you did
She says he is my son
Breaking my heart, babe
She says I am the one

Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
She is the one
Billie Jean is not my lover
She is the one
Don't call me Billie Jean
Billie Jean is not my lover
She is the one
She stumbled onto the scene
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover


Fadoul - Al Zman Saib (1970s)

Free - All Right Now (1970)

In the early 1900s, France began a military campaign to control Morocco and partitioned the nation with Spain.

In 1947, after many in Morocco had begun demanding independence, Sultan Mohammed V began a public campaign to secure independence. France had him deposed and exiled in 1953, but this sparked armed rebellion. Negotiations between Mohammed V and France were reopened, leading to independence in 1956.

In 1961 Hassan II became king and, after dabbling with democracy, he led a largely autocratic government. Beginning in 1973, King Hassan II began an economic policy of "Moroccanization" which decolonized economic assets owned by non-Moroccans. Multiple coup attempts and the "Years of Lead" against dissidents apparently did not stop the music, however.

This song was the first song released by Habibi Funk Records (which is something I'd recommend checking out if you're into Counterculture era music from the Arabic-speaking world, and not only for covers).

"Habibi Funk Records is a reissue record label based in Berlin, Germany dedicated to music from the Arab world.[1] It was co-founded by Jannis Stürtz, who also works as a DJ using the name Habibi Funk.[1][2] The label is mostly known for its albums and accompanying booklets of Arabic funk and soul bands from the 1960-80s.

Jannis Stürtz first became interested in the music of the region while visiting Casablanca, Morocco in 2002.[1] Habibi Funk's first release was al-Zman Saib (الزمان صعيب), a 1970s reinterpretation of British rock group Free's song "All Right Now" by a Moroccan group called Fadaul et les Privileges (فضول).[1]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habibi_Funk_Records


Fadoul - Sid Redad (1970s)

James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (1965)


نجيب الهوش - ياعين دلّي (Najib Alhoush - Ya Aen Daly) (1970s/80s)

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (1977)

In 1951 Libya gained its independence and was ruled by King Idris I until a young Muammar Gaddafi carried out a socialist revolution in 1969.

In 1975, Gaddafi published a book outlining the nation's ideology. With the enactment of these socialist policies throughout the 1970s, Libya saw a tremendous rise in income, literacy, public health, welfare benefits, and public works projects.

Do you think Gaddafi ever went to a disco?

ياعين دلّي

يا عين ما دامك غريبة دلي
و رانك علي دير المليحة تولّي
يا عين ما دامك غريبة دلي

و رانك علي دير المليحة تولّي
ها ها
ها ها
يا عين ما مر الفراق تريته
يدبل بنى آدم حق بعد ريته
يا عين ما مر الفراق تريته

يدبل بنى آدم حق بعد ريته
ها ها
ها ها
لو كان يا عين الكلام يجيبك
نفارق و لا نسمعش والي عيبك
لو كان يا عين الكلام يجيبك

نفارق و لا نسمعش والي عيبك
ها ها

ها ها
ما توجعك يا عين غير الذلة
و الصبر ما كيفه دوا للعلة
ما توجعك يا عين غير الذلة

و الصبر ما كيفه دوا للعلة
ها ها
ها ها
يا عين ما مر الفراق تريته

يدبل بنى آدم حق بعد ريته
يا عين ما مر الفراق تريته

يدبل بنى آدم حق بعد ريته
ها ها

ها ها

Ya Aen Daly

ya eayin ma damak gharibat dly
w rank eali dir almalihat twlly
ya eayin ma damak gharibat dly

w rank eali dir almalihat twlly
ha ha
ha ha
ya eayin ma mara alfiraq tiriatah
yadbal banaa adam haqin baed riatih
ya eayin ma mara alfiraq tiriatah

yadbal banaa adam haqin baed riatih
ha ha
ha ha
law kan ya eayn alkalam yujibuk
nufariq w la nasmaeish wali eibk
law kan ya eayn alkalam yujibuk

nufariq w la nasmaeish wali eibk
ha ha

ha ha
ma tawjaeuk ya eayn ghayr aldhila
w alsabr ma kayfah dwa lileila
ma tawjaeuk ya eayn ghayr aldhila

w alsabr ma kayfah dwa lileila
ha ha
ha ha
ya eayin ma mara alfiraq tiriatah

yadbal banaa adam haqin baed riatih
ya eayin ma mara alfiraq tiriatah

yadbal banaa adam haqin baed riatih
ha ha

ha ha

I love you

O eye, as long as you are strange to me
And Rank Ali Deir Al-Maliha Take Over
O eye, as long as you are strange to me

And Rank Ali Deir Al-Maliha Take Over
ha ha
ha ha
Oh eye, what has the separation passed you have seen?
The children of Adam will turn right after they have seen him
Oh eye, what has the separation passed you have seen?

The children of Adam will turn right after they have seen him
ha ha
ha ha
If it were, O eye, words would answer you
We part and we don't hear you and your fault
If it were, O eye, words would answer you

We part and we don't hear you and your fault
ha ha

ha ha
What hurts you, O eye, but humiliation?
And patience is how it cures the disease
What hurts you, O eye, but humiliation?

And patience is how it cures the disease
ha ha
ha ha
Oh eye, what has the separation passed you have seen?

The children of Adam will turn right after they have seen him
Oh eye, what has the separation passed you have seen?

The children of Adam will turn right after they have seen him
ha ha

ha ha

Stayin' Alive

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm,
I've been kicked around since I was born.

And now it's all right. It's OK.
And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man.

Whether you're a brother
Or whether you're a mother,
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the city breakin'
And everybody shakin',
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.

Well, now, I get low and I get high,
And if I can't get either, I really try.
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes.
I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose.

You know it's all right. It's OK.
I'll live to see another day.
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man.

Whether you're a brother
Or whether you're a mother,
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the city breakin'
And everybody shakin',
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive.

Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah.
Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help me, yeah.
Stayin' alive.


정윤선 (Jung Yoon-sun) - 사랑해요 (1979/1981)

Frankie Valli - Grease (1978)

Per capita, the North and South Korean economies were roughly equivalent to each other until the early 1970s, but South Korea had risen to one of the top 15 largest economies by 1989 (due largely to US-bloc economic injections outpacing communist-bloc injections into North Korea, and poor economic management in North Korea).

1979-1980 was marked by assassinations and a coup in South Korea, but that didn't stop American music from reaching it. After decades-long political instability from a series of coups, military dictatorship, and autocracies, South Korea gave in to the temptation of democracy in 1987.

사랑해요

이제야 보았어요 당신을
내 작은 가슴에 가득히 심었어요

그러나 말할 수는 없어요
아직은 아직은
사랑이 무엇인지
생각해요

누군가 말했어요 사랑은
언제나 슬프게 혼자만 남는다고

그러나 당신에겐
기쁨만이 가득차 있어요
언제나 기쁨 만이
가득해요

내 마음은 언제나 당신곁에
이것이 사랑인가요

이제야 보았어요 당신을
내 작은 가슴에 가득히 심었어요

그러나 말할 수는 없어요
아직은 아직은
사랑이 무엇인지
생각해요

내 마음은 언제나 당신곁에
이것이 사랑인가요

당신의 까만 눈동자가 말해주네요
영원토록 사랑한다고

누군가 말했어요 사랑은
언제나 슬프게 혼자만 남는다고

그러나 당신에겐
기쁨 만이 가득차 있어요
언제나 기쁨 만이
가득해요

내 마음은 언제나 당신곁에
이것이 사랑인가요

허이

내 마음은 언제나 당신곁에
이것이 사랑인가요

Salanghaeyo

ijeya boadeoyo dangsineul
nae jageun gaseume gadeukhi simeodeoyo

geureona malhal suneun eobeoyo
ajigeun ajigeun
sarangi mueodinji
saenggakhaeyo

nugunga malhaedeoyo sarangeun
eonjena seulpeuge honjaman namneundago

geureona dangsinegen
gippeummani gadeukcha ideoyo
eonjena gippeum mani
gadeukhaeyo

nae maeumeun eonjena dangsingyeode
igeodi sarangingayo

ijeya boadeoyo dangsineul
nae jageun gaseume gadeukhi simeodeoyo

geureona malhal suneun eobeoyo
ajigeun ajigeun
sarangi mueodinji
saenggakhaeyo

nae maeumeun eonjena dangsingyeode
igeodi sarangingayo

dangsinui kkaman nundongjaga malhaejuneyo
yeongwontorok saranghandago

nugunga malhaedeoyo sarangeun
eonjena seulpeuge honjaman namneundago

geureona dangsinegen
gippeum mani gadeukcha ideoyo
eonjena gippeum mani
gadeukhaeyo

nae maeumeun eonjena dangsingyeode
igeodi sarangingayo

heoi

nae maeumeun eonjena dangsingyeode
igeodi sarangingayo

I love you

I saw you now
planted in my little chest

but I can't say
not yet yet
what is love
think about it

someone said love
I'm always sadly left alone

but for you
only full of joy
Always full of joy
full

my heart is always by your side
is this love

I saw you now
planted in my little chest

but I can't say
not yet yet
what is love
think about it

my heart is always by your side
is this love

Your black eyes tell me
I love you forever

someone said love
I'm always sadly left alone

but for you
only full of joy
Always full of joy
full

my heart is always by your side
is this love

hey

my heart is always by your side
is this love

Grease

I solve my problems and I see the light
We got a lovin' thing, we gotta feed it right
There ain't no danger we can go too far
We start believing now that we can be who we are
Grease is the word

They think our love is just a growing pain
Why don't they understand, it's just a crying shame
Their lips are lying, only real is real
We stop the fight right now, we got to be what we feel
Grease is the word

(Grease is the word, is the word that you heard)
It's got a groove, it's got a meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling

We take the pressure and we throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believing now that we can be who we are
Grease is the word

(Grease is the word, is the word that you heard)
It's got a groove, it's got a meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Now, grease is the way we are feeling

This is a life of illusion
Wrapped up in trouble
Laced with confusion
What are we doing here?

We take the pressure and we throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believing now that we can be who we are (be who we are)
Grease is the word


Linda Trang Đài - Em vẫn chờ (1986)

Sandra - Maria Magdalena (1985)

Lynda Trang Đài was born in 1968 in the northern part of South Vietnam. Earlier that year, North Vietnam had launched the Tết Offensive, which many credit as a turning point where the US public began losing support for the war. According to her Vietnamese-language Wikipedia page, her family fled Vietnam in the 1970s and relocated to the US, where she began her music career.

After the war, Vietnam banned music which it deemed insufficiently revolutionary or sympathetic to Western tendencies. By the late 1990s, many of these restrictions were eased.


Sharon Prabhakar - Duniya Hai Chakkar (1982)

Boney M. - Ma Baker (1977)

In the 1970s and 1980s, India went through a tumultuous period. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in 1975, ruling by decree until she was ousted in an election she scheduled in 1977.

In 1978, she regained a seat in congress, but was arrested on shoddy charges in 1979—automatically expelling her from congress. To highlight the absurd instability of democracy, Gandhi regained popularity after her arrest and she became Prime Minister once more in 1980!

Starting in 1982, the state of Punjab began demanding more autonomy and a small group of Sikhs began an armed uprising. In 1984, Gandhi ordered the military to attack the Golden Temple—the holiest site in the Sikh religion—where the rebels had been operating. The temple was heavily damaged and many pilgrims in the area were killed by the Indian military. Not long after, two of Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards assassinated her, which in turn led to widespread riots and murders of Sikhs across India.

That's not something we often think about when hearing the fun groove of a disco song.

Ma Baker

FREEZE! I'm Ma Baker - put your hands in the air,
gimme all your money

- This is the story of Ma Baker, the meanest cat
from ol' Chicago town

She was the meanest cat
In old Chicago town
She was the meanest cat
She really moved them down
She had no heart at all
No no no heart at all

She was the meanest cat
Oh she was really tough
She left her husband flat
He wasn't tough enough
She took her boys along
'cos they were mean and strong

Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she taught her four sons
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - to handle their guns
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she never could cry
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - but she knew how to die

They left a trail of crime
Across the U.S.A.
And when one boy was killed
She really made them pay
She had no heart at all
No no no heart at all

Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she taught her four sons
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - to handle their guns
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she never could cry
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - but she knew how to die

she met a man she liked
she thought she'd stay with him
one day he formed with them
they did away with him
she didn't care at all
just didn't care at all

- Here is a special bulletin.
Ma Baker is the FBI's most wanted woman.
Her photo is hanging on every post office wall.
If you have any information about this woman,
please contact the nearest police station...

- Don't anybody move! The money or your lives!

One day they robbed a bank
it was their last foray
the cops appeared too soon
they couldn't get away
and all the loot they had
it made them mighty mad
and so they shot it out
Ma Baker and her sons
they didn't want to hang
they died with blazing guns
and so the story ends
of one who left no friends

Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she taught her four sons
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - to handle their guns
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she never could cry
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - but she knew how to die

Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she taught her four sons
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - to handle their guns
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - she never could cry
Ma Ma Ma Ma - Ma Baker - but she knew how to die

Boney M. itself is an intruiging band. It was formed by German producer Frank Farian (who wrote the songs and sang the male vocals, but did not perform live), and the face of the band consisted of four Caribbeans: Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat, and Bobby Farrell from Aruba. The latter two did not sing for the studio albums.

The song Ma Baker took its name from Kate Barker, who was the mother of several gang members who were notorious during the Great Depression in the USA.

As for the song's composition, Wikipedia says it was inspired by a Tunisian folk song (although they don't provide a source):

"Frank Farian's assistant Hans-Jörg Mayer discovered a popular Tunisian folkloric song, "Sidi Mansour" while on holiday, and rewrote the song into a disco track."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Baker

Who would have guessed?

I believe it though—you can hear the resemblence to the 1975 rendition linked below.

Mohammed Hanesh - Sidi Mansour (1975)

Boney M. - Ma Baker (1977)

Perhaps we have found our rare example of a popular non-Western song that was taken up into English. The lyrics of Ma Baker, of course, have no relation to Sidi Mansour. It's a shame they couldn't come up with anything better than a song about a gang.

"Numerous variants of the song exist with similar lyrics dating back hundreds of years. The song is dedicated to the Sufi saint Sidi Mansour Abou Daliah, who lived and died in Tunisia in the 15th century.[1]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_Mansour_(song)#History

In 1956 Tunisia obtained independence from France, although France retained control of the important port of Bizerte. The French had been using the city as a base during their war to suppress Algerian independence. By the early 1960s, both Bizerte and Algeria were liberated from French control.

Under autocratic rule, Tunisia pursued a series of socialist and populist societal policies. In the early 1970s, Tunisia received proposals to unite with Algeria, Libya, or even to form a larger confederation of nations along the southern Mediterranean. However, these idealistic proposals were soon abandoned.

سيدي منصور

يا ... يا... يا يا ... يا يا ... يا ... يا ... عيوني

الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا ،

سيدي منصور يا بابا و نجيك نزور يا بابا

الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا ،

الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا

سيدي منصور يا بابا و نجيك نزور يا بابا

هاي هاي هاي أشهد بالله يا بابا، ما عشقت سواه يا بابا

جرح الحبيب يا بابا علاش صعيب يابابا ،

شحال يتيم يا بابا، ملهوف عليك يابابا

و أشهد بالله يا بابا ما عشقت سواه

و نجيك يا سيدي و نجيك يا سيدي،

بشموع في إيدي بشموع في إيدي

و النار في قلبي و النار في قلبي ، تحرق وريدي تحرق وريدي

الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا، الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا

سيدي منصور يا بابا و نجيك نزور يا بابا

ياي ياي ياي و كحيل العين يا بابا ، حلو الخدين يا بابا

حلو و مغرور يا بابا ، وعيونه بحور يا بابا ،

و غرقت معاه يا بابا

عذبني جفاه يا بابا ،

كحيل العين يا بابا ،

أخذ قلبي الى فين يا بابا

سيدي واسيني سيدي واسيني ، إحكي و حاكيني إحكي و حاكيني

صبّر لي حالي صبّر لي حالي ، على اللي ناسيني على اللي ناسيني

الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا ، الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا

سيدي منصور يا بابا و نجيك نزور يا بابا ، أشهد بالله يا بابا ،

ما عشقت سواه يا بابا

و نجيك نزور يا بابا

، الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا سيدي منصور يا بابا

الله الله يا بابا و السلام عليك يا بابا ، سيدي منصور يا بابا

و نجيك نزور يا بابا

Sidi Mansour

Alah allah ya baba wa slam alik ya baba
Alah allah ya baba wa slam alik ya baba
Sidi mansour ya baba, wa ndjik en zour ya baba

Alah allah ya baba wa slam alik ya baba
Alah allah ya baba wa slam alik ya baba35
Sidi mansour ya baba, wa ndjik en zour ya baba

Ashed bi allah, ya baba
Maashekte siwah, ya bab
Sharhe el halim, ya baba
Ala djezeen, ya bab
Wa shal ifeed, ya baba
Manhouf alih, ya baba
Wa Ashed bi allah, ya baba
Maashekte siwah
Wendjik ya sidi
Wendjik ya sidi
Mish moufedine
Mish mourfedine
Wa nnar fi galbi
Wa nnar fi galbi
Tahreg waredi
Tahreg waredi

Alah allah ya baba wa slam alik ya baba
Alah allah ya baba wa slam alik ya baba
Sidi mansour ya baba, wa ndjik en zour ya baba

Wa kaheel el ain, ya baba
Helw el khaddine, ya baba
Helw ou mabrouh, ya baba
Wa ayouno khoul, yabab
wa ghrekt maah, yababa
adjebni shbab, ya baba
wa kaheel el ain, ya baba
ana galdi rfed
sidi ya sidi
sidi ya sidi
ahki ou hakini
ahki ou hakini
saffarli hali
saffarli hali
ali ansini
ali nasine

Ashed bi allah, ya baba
Maashekte siwah, ya bab
Sidi mansour ya baba, wa ndjik en zour ya baba

Sidi Mansour

oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
sidi mansour oh father
i'll come to visit you my father

god be my witness my father
i've never loved someone but him
the sorrow caused by my beloved
its cure is difficult my father
what my state is my father
i'm exiting for him my father
and god be my witness
i've never loved someone but him

i'll come to you my master
i'll come to you my master
with candles in my hands
with candles in my hands
and the fire in my heart
and the fire in my heart
burns my veins
burns my veins

oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
sidi mansour oh father
i'll come to visit you my father

the one with black eyes my father
with beautiful cheecks
beautiful and fascinating
his eyes are like the sea
and drowned with him
his absence tortured me
the one with black eyes
where did he took my heart

my master,ease me
my master ease me
speak and tell me
make me resist
the one who forgot me
the one who forgot me

oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
sidi mansour oh father
i'll come to visit you my father

god be my witness my father
i've never loved someone but him
god be my witness
i've never loved someone but him
sidi mansour oh father
i'll come to visit you my father

oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
oh god oh god ,my father
greetings be upon you
sidi mansour oh father
i'll come to visit you my father

the one with black eyes
the one with beuatiful cheeks


Asha Puthli - Chipko Chipko (1990)

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (1987)


Seiji Tanaka and Keiko Mizukoshi - ホテル・カリフォルニア (1977)

Eagles - Hotel California (1976)

In the final years of WWII Japan suffered catastrophically. Nearly every major city was reduced to rubble from persistent firebombing raids by the US—including the capital of Tokyo, where over 100,000 perished in a single attack. This is not mentioning the more than 100,000 who died as human test subjects for two atomic bombs.

Although the defeated Axis powers of Europe were dismembered during their occupation, the US allowed Japan to reindustrialize, and by 1968 Japan was the second-largest economy in the world (where it would remain until 2011, when it was displaced by China).

I don't know how Japanese citizens felt about US suzerainty, but the any feelings from the war and occupation didn't stop the Counterculture from being embraced.


Saori Minami - オー・シャンゼリゼ (1971)

Jason Crest - Waterloo Road (1968)

Joe Dassin - Les Champs-Élysées (1969)

The English song Waterloo Road was covered in French, under the title Les Champs-Élysées, which apparently became a big enough hit to reach Japan.

After being liberated in WWII, the French establishment seemed to have learned little. It immediately began a series of wars to hold on to its colonies, most notably in Indochina and Algeria.

France was defeated in the First Indochina War in 1954, leading to the partition of North and South Vietnam, and eventually the US-led Vietnam War. Taking advantage of the French defeat, Algerians began their war for independence in 1954. In 1960, a wave of independence of French African colonies began, which did not include Algeria. Over 2 million Algerians were sent to concentration camps during the war, and pro-colonial French generals even staged a coup in 1961 in an attempt to stop President Charles de Gaulle from ending the war through independence negotiations.

In 1968, France was rocked by civil unrest, during which time many government officials believed the government was on the brink of collapse, and that communist and anarchist protesters were on the brink of staging a revolution. Although such a political revolution never occurred, some commentators declared it succeeded in a social revolution against the conservative establishment.

The UK was also covetous of its colonies, but it allowed some, such as India, to leave without a major fight. In terms of social life, by the 1960s the UK had become an important nucleus for the Counterculture—particularly in music.

Waterloo Road

Walkin' down the street today
I saw a girl across the way
I asked her where she's goin' and
She said "come with me"

She took me down this avenue
Where I met the folks she knew
And there we stopped and chatted and
We passed the time away

Down Waterloo Road
Down Waterloo Road
Friday night, Saturday
Any night, or any day
You'll find what you're lookin' for
Down Waterloo Road
Goin' down the cellar where
We met this happy fella
Playin' cakewalks on his guitar
All night long

His picking sound is scratchy, but
His music was so catchy
That we all got up and joined him and
We sang this song

Down Waterloo Road
Down Waterloo Road
Friday night, Saturday
Any night, any day
You'll find what you're lookin' for
Down Waterloo Road

Now the birds are cheepin' and
We all feel kinda sleepy
The mornin' tide is rising and
The moon has gone

But still, the feeling lingers
And still, I hear the singers
As I walk along the avenue
And I sing this song
Down Waterloo Road
Down Waterloo Road
Friday night, Saturday
Any night, any day
You'll find what you're lookin' for
Down Waterloo Road

Down Waterloo Road
Down Waterloo Road
Friday night, Saturday
Any night, or any day
You'll find what you're lookin' for
Down Waterloo Road

Les Champs-Élysées

Je me baladais sur l'avenue,
le cœur ouvert à l'inconnu.
J'avais envie de dire bonjour
à n'importe qui.
N'importe qui, ce fut toi,
je t'ai dit n'importe quoi.
Il suffisait de te parler
pour t'apprivoiser.

Aux Champs-Élysées.
Aux Champs-Élysées.
Au soleil, sous la pluie,
à midi ou à minuit,
il y a tout ce que vous voulez
aux Champs-Élysées.

Tu m'as dit : « J'ai rendez-vous
dans un sous-sol avec des fous
qui vivent la guitare à la main
du soir au matin. »
Alors je t'ai accompagnée.
On a chanté, on a dansé
et l'on n'a même pas pensé
à s'embrasser.

Aux Champs-Élysées.
Aux Champs-Élysées.
Au soleil, sous la pluie,
à midi ou à minuit,
il y a tout ce que vous voulez
aux Champs-Élysées.

Hier soir deux inconnus
et ce matin sur l'avenue
deux amoureux tout étourdis
par la longue nuit.
Et de l'Étoile à la Concorde
un orchestre à mille cordes,
tous les oiseaux du point du jour
chantent l'amour.

Aux Champs-Élysées.
Aux Champs-Élysées.
Au soleil, sous la pluie,
à midi ou à minuit,
il y a tout ce que vous voulez
aux Champs-Élysées.

Aux Champs-Élysées.
Aux Champs-Élysées.
Au soleil, sous la pluie,
à midi ou à minuit,
il y a tout ce que vous voulez
aux Champs-Élysées.

On the Champs-Elysees

I was walking on the avenue
My heart open to the unknown
I wanted to say hello
to anybody
Anybody was you
and I said anything to you.
Speaking to you was enough
to soften you.

On the Champs-Elysees
On the Champs-Elysees
In the sun, in the rain
At midday or at midnight
There's everything you want
On the Champs-Elysees

You told me, "I have a date
In a basement with some mad guys
Who play guitar
From dusk til dawn"
So I went with you
We sang, we dansed
And we didn't even think
of kissing.

On the Champs-Elysees
On the Champs-Elysees
In the sun, in the rain
At midday or at midnight
There's everything you want
On the Champs-Elysees

Last night, two strangers
And this morning on the avenue
Two lovers, dazed
by the long night
And from l'Etoile to the Concorde
An orchestra of a thousand chords
All the morning birds
sing of love

On the Champs-Elysees
On the Champs-Elysees
In the sun, in the rain
At midday or at midnight
There's everything you want
On the Champs-Elysees

On the Champs-Elysees
On the Champs-Elysees
In the sun, in the rain
At midday or at midnight
There's everything you want
On the Champs-Elysees


Seiji Tanaka - ザッツ・ザ・ウェイ (1976)

KC and the Sunshine Band - That's the Way (I Like It) (1974)

The album appears to have been reissued in 2018 (which is the date it's given on Spotify and Youtube), but Discogs.com lists at as being from 1976.


金沢 明子 (Akiko Kanazawa) - イエロー・サブマリン音頭 (1982)

The Beatles - Yellow Submarine (1966)

イエロー・サブマリン音頭

街の外れに
船乗りがひとり
酒を片手の
冒険話

行こう ぼくらも
七つの海へ
波に潜れば
不思議な旅さ

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, 潜水艦

みんな集まれ
深海パーティー
バンドも歌う

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, 潜水艦

楽な暮らしさ
笑顔で生きて
空は青いし
渚は緑

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, 潜水艦
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, 潜水艦

Ierō sabumarin ondo

Machi no hazure ni
Funanori ga hitori
Sake o katate no
Bōken-banashi

Yukō boku-ra
Nanatsunoumi e
Nami ni mogureba
Fushigina tabi sa

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, Sensuikan

Min'na atsumare
Shinkai pāti
Bando mo utau

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, Sensuikan

Rakuna kurashi-sa
Egao de ikite
Sorahaaoi shi
Nagisa wa midori

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, Sensuikan

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, Sensuikan

Yellow Submarine Ondo

On the outskirts of the city
one sailor
drink in one hand
adventure story

Let's go, we too
to the seven seas
if you dive into the waves
a strange journey

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, Submarine

everyone gather
deep sea party
the band sings

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
yellow submarine

easy life
live with a smile
the sky is blue
beach is green

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
yellow submarine

Yellow Submarine

In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines
So we sailed up to the sun
Till we found a sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

And our friends are all aboard
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

(Full speed ahead Mr. Boatswain, full speed ahead
Full speed ahead it is, Sergeant.
Cut the cable, drop the cable
Aye, Sir, aye
Captain, captain)

As we live a life of ease
Every one of us has all we need
Sky of blue and sea of green
In our yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine


Trio Manja - Tanpa Cintamu (1978)

Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love (1977)

I can't find too much information written on this band in English, but according to Malay-language Wikipedia, it appears the three members were Jamaliah Arshad, Hamidah Ahmad, and Aida Ahmad. This album was released by the Singapore division of EMI.

After over a decade of a bloody struggle for independence, Malaysia gained full independence from the UK in 1963. In 1965, Singapore, then a state of Malaysia, was expelled from the nation, becoming independent. In the decades following its independence, Singapore rose to prominence as a major economic center in the region.

Album cover of Trio Manja's album Untok Mu Sayan. Three Indonesian women wearing dark clothes.

方羽 & The Travellers - 重溫詹夢 (1971)

Fleetwood Mac - Black Magic Woman (1968)

Santana - Black Magic Woman (1970)

Believe it or not, over 75% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent, according to official statistics. They constituted the largest ethnic group in the British colony of Singapore all the way back to the early 1800s, and are also the second-largest ethnic group in Malaysia.

These individuals spoke different Chinese languages from the southeastern coast of China, particularly Hokkien. By the 1980s, school systems stressed English as a primary language of instruction, and promoted Mandarin Chinese over other Chinese languages.

In 1964, a series of "race riots" broke out in Singapore between ethnic Chinese and ethnic Malays. This instability was a key moment leading to Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia. A subsequent riot happened in 1969, although the nation seems to have smoothed out tensions enough in order to be an economic power house from the 1970s onward.


南虹 (Nam Hong) - 偶然遇見你 (1973)

Paul Anka - She's a Lady (1970)

Tom Jones - She's a Lady (1971)

A woman singing about her love for another woman, or a case where Chinese speakers don't understand the English part and English speakers don't understand the Chinese part? You decide.

LGBT life was apparently on the rise in Singapore in the 1970s. According to the Wikipedia page, there was even a Chinese-language film from Hong Kong featuring female lovers which became popular in Singapore, one year before this song was released.

偶然遇見你

我是意外遇見你,
一見你就愛上你的溫柔美麗。
我是意外遇見你,
我靜靜地看上你那花容艷麗。

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
你的嬌美和你的甜蜜,
我是多麼愛你。

自從那天遇見你,
一見你就讚笑你聰明伶俐。
一雙明亮的眼睛,
水汪汪地閃耀像明亮星星。

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
你的嬌美和你的甜蜜,
我是多麼愛你。

靜靜地,俏俏地,永遠陪伴着你,
奉上我的真情意,一切都屬於你。
只是和你在一起,永遠相親相愛,
生活愉快,永遠永遠屬於我和你。

我是意外遇見你,
一見你就愛上你的溫柔美麗。
我是意外遇見你,
我靜靜地看上你那花容艷麗。

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
你的嬌美和你的甜蜜,
我是多麼愛你。

Yeah, Yeah, She's A Lady,
Wo Oh Oh, She's A Lady...

Wo Oh Oh, She's A Lady,
Yeah, Yeah, She's A Lady,
Wo Oh Oh...,
She's A Lady....

ǒu rán yù jiàn nǐ

wǒ shì yì wài yù jiàn nǐ,
yī jiàn nǐ jiù ài shàng nǐ de wēn róu měi lì。
wǒ shì yì wài yù jiàn nǐ,
wǒ jìng jìng de kàn shàng nǐ nà huā róng yàn lì。

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
nǐ de jiāo měi hé nǐ de tián mì,
wǒ shì duō me ài nǐ。

zì cóng nà tiān yù jiàn nǐ,
yī jiàn nǐ jiù zàn xiào nǐ cōng míng líng lì。
yī shuāng míng liàng de yǎn jīng,
shuǐ wāng wāng de shǎn yào xiàng míng liàng xīng xīng。

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
nǐ de jiāo měi hé nǐ de tián mì,
wǒ shì duō me ài nǐ。

jìng jìng de, qiào qiào de, yǒng yuǎn péi bàn zhe nǐ,
fèng shàng wǒ de zhēn qíng yì, yī qiè dōu shǔ yú nǐ。
zhǐ shì hé nǐ zài yī qǐ, yǒng yuǎn xiāng qīn xiāng ài,
shēng huó yú kuài, yǒng yuǎn yǒng yuǎn shǔ yú wǒ hé nǐ。

wǒ shì yì wài yù jiàn nǐ,
yī jiàn nǐ jiù ài shàng nǐ de wēn róu měi lì。
wǒ shì yì wài yù jiàn nǐ,
wǒ jìng jìng de kàn shàng nǐ nà huā róng yàn lì。

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
nǐ de jiāo měi hé nǐ de tián mì,
wǒ shì duō me ài nǐ。

Yeah, Yeah, She's A Lady,
Wo Oh Oh, She's A Lady...

Wo Oh Oh, She's A Lady,
Yeah, Yeah, She's A Lady,
Wo Oh Oh...,
She's A Lady....

Met You by Chance

I met you by accident,
I fell in love with your gentle beauty as soon as I saw you.
I met you by accident,
I quietly looked at your beautiful face.

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
your beauty and your sweetness,
how I love you.

Since the day I met you,
As soon as I see you, I admire your cleverness.
a pair of bright eyes,
Watery shining like bright stars.

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
your beauty and your sweetness,
how I love you.

Quietly, pretty, always with you,
With my sincere love, everything belongs to you.
Just to be with you, to love each other forever,
Happy life, forever and ever for me and you.

I met you by accident,
I fell in love with your gentle beauty as soon as I saw you.
I met you by accident,
I quietly looked at your beautiful face.

She's A Lady, Wo Oh Oh,
She's A Lady.
your beauty and your sweetness,
how I love you.

Yeah, Yeah, She's A Lady,
Wo Oh Oh, She's A Lady...

Wo Oh Oh, She's A Lady,
Yeah, Yeah, She's A Lady,
Wo Oh Oh...,
She's A Lady....

She's a Lady

Well she's all you'd ever want
She's the kind I'd like to flaunt and take to dinner
Well she always knows her place
She's got style, she's got grace, she's a winner

She's a lady
Whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
Talkin' about that little lady, and the lady is mine

Well she's never in the way
Always something nice to say, oh what a blessing
I can leave her on her own
Knowing she's okay alone, and there's no messing

She's a lady
Whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
Talkin' about that little lady, and the lady is mine

Well she never asks for very much and I don't refuse her
Always treat her with respect, I never would abuse her
What she's got is hard to find, and I don't want to lose her
Help me build a mountain from my little pile of clay
Hey, hey, hey

Well she knows what I'm about
She can take what I dish out, and that's not easy
Well she knows me through and through
She knows just what to do, and how to please me

She's a lady
Whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
Talkin' about the little lady, and the lady is mine
Yeah yeah
She's a lady
Listen to me baby
She's a lady
Whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
And the lady is mine
Yeah yeah yeah
She's a lady
Talkin' about this little lady
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
She's a lady
I can't live without that little lady
She's a lady


划小船

春天的花開得美麗
景色如茵,鳥兒枝上啼
春風蕩漾,天上白雲飛翔
把一切的煩惱都忘記
情侶雙雙對對
劃著船兒找刺激
努力,努力,努力划著小船

河上風光多麼旖旎
劃上情河,愛意在心底
哥兒看著妹時,妹把頭低
紅著臉兒顯得更美麗
好像有意無意
一聲哥哥'我愛你'
努力,努力,努力划著小船

Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river

春天的花開得美麗
景色如茵,鳥兒枝上啼
春風蕩漾,天上白雲飛翔
把一切的煩惱都忘記
情侶雙雙對對
劃著船兒找刺激
努力,努力,努力划著小船
努力,努力,努力划著小船

Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river
Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river

huà xiǎo chuán

chūn tiān de huā kāi dé měi lì
jǐng sè rú yīn, niǎo ér zhī shàng tí
chūn fēng dàng yàng, tiān shàng bái yún fēi xiáng
bǎ yī qiè de fán nǎo dōu wàng jì
qíng lǚ shuāng shuāng duì duì
huà zhe chuán ér zhǎo cì jī
nǔ lì, nǔ lì, nǔ lì huà zhe xiǎo chuán

hé shàng fēng guāng duō me yǐ nǐ
huà shàng qíng hé, ài yì zài xīn dǐ
gē ér kàn zhe mèi shí, mèi bǎ tóu dī
hóng zhe liǎn ér xiǎn dé gèng měi lì
hǎo xiàng yǒu yì wú yì
yī shēng gē gē'wǒ ài nǐ'
nǔ lì, nǔ lì, nǔ lì huà zhe xiǎo chuán

Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river

chūn tiān de huā kāi dé měi lì
jǐng sè rú yīn, niǎo ér zhī shàng tí
chūn fēng dàng yàng, tiān shàng bái yún fēi xiáng
bǎ yī qiè de fán nǎo dōu wàng jì
qíng lǚ shuāng shuāng duì duì
huà zhe chuán ér zhǎo cì jī
nǔ lì, nǔ lì, nǔ lì huà zhe xiǎo chuán
nǔ lì, nǔ lì, nǔ lì huà zhe xiǎo chuán

Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river
Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river

Boating

Beautiful spring flowers
Beautiful scenery, birds chirping
The spring breeze is rippling, the white clouds are flying in the sky
forget all troubles
couple in pairs
boating for excitement
effort, effort, effort rowing the boat

What a beautiful scenery on the river
Draw on the river of love, love in the bottom of my heart
When the elder brother looked at the younger sister, the younger sister lowered her head
Red face looks more beautiful
It seems to be intentional or unintentional
'I love you' brother
effort, effort, effort rowing the boat

Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river

beautiful spring flowers
Beautiful scenery, birds chirping
The spring breeze is rippling, the white clouds are flying in the sky
forget all troubles
couple in pairs
boating for excitement
effort, effort, effort rowing the boat
effort, effort, effort rowing the boat

Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river
Rowing, rowing, rowing on the river

Proud Mary

Left a good job in the city
Workin' for the man every night and day
And I never lost one minute of sleepin'
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been

Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river

Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis
Pumped a lot of 'pane down in New Orleans
But I never saw the good side of the city
'Til I hitched a ride on a river boat queen

Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river

Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river

If you come down to the river
Bet you gonna find some people who live
You don't have to worry cause you have no money
People on the river are happy to give

Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river

Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river


鄧光榮 - 浪子的眼淚 (1970)

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (1964)

(Originally a folk song of unknown authorship).

The Youtube channel description attributes the album to Malaysia, but this Discogs.com page says it was released in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong (which apparently constituted a Chinese-language market area that record companies were marketing to back then).


張小鳳 (Zhang Xiao Feng) - 我深深地愛上你 (1966)

The Beatles - Eight Days a Week (1964)


爱慧娜 (Ervinna) - Please Mr. Postman (1970s)

The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman (1961)

She also sung the original song in English, although it almost sounds like she's suppressing the urge to burst into laughter the whole time:

爱慧娜 (Ervinna) is an Indonesian musician who sung in the Chinese language. According to her Wikipedia article, she was one of the most prolific Indonesian musicians of her era.

In the mid-1960s, Indonesia had gone through a ruthless purge against communists. Subsequently, the nation realigned to a new ideology. As an ignorant outsider skimming Wikipedia pages, it seems to me that the new ideology had comparable emphasis on socialist welfare and justice ideals, just without that whole alignment to the communist bloc thing. In any case, that didn't seem to affect the Indonesians who just wanted to sing Mr. Postman.

Album cover for Ervinna's cover of Please Mr. Postman. Indonesian woman's face over the wings of a cartoon bird delivering a letter. Album cover of Ervinna Top Hits; Charlie and His Boys volume 6. 1970s style graphics.

As we can see from the translation, the lyrics were changed only subtly, yet the meaning of the song changed quite dramatically! It seems that this time the postman delivered a mysterious love letter, written by none other than himself.

帶信的人

遠方來了一位年靑人
爲我帶來一封信
啊!哟
他來到我門前
啊!哟...

笑一笑地說有一個人
在遠方想念我
要我把信打開來
看後給他回話

好回去把話一句一句吿訴他
爲什麽事兒眞意外
眞是奇怪,眞是例外
我的門前來了一位神秘的年靑人
啊!哟...
神秘的帶信人
啊!喂哟...

他這樣的冒味
眞教我心跳,教我懷疑
一來無名再又沒有姓
我又怎能怎能相信年靑的人
啊!哟
神秘的帶信人
快告訴我,你在想什麽

不要讓時光一刻一刻溜走
時光一走不能回頭
請你吿訴我
你心里想什麽
我知道是你在愛我

dài xìn de rén

yuǎn fāng lái le yī wèi nián qīng rén
wèi wǒ dài lái yī fēng xìn
a! yō
tā lái dào wǒ mén qián
a! yō...

xiào yī xiào de shuō yǒu yī gè rén
zài yuǎn fāng xiǎng niàn wǒ
yào wǒ bǎ xìn dǎ kāi lái
kàn hòu gěi tā huí huà

hǎo huí qù bǎ huà yī jù yī jù gào sù tā
wèi shén mó shì ér zhēn yì wài
zhēn shì qí guài, zhēn shì lì wài
wǒ de mén qián lái le yī wèi shén mì de nián qīng rén
a! yō...
shén mì de dài xìn rén
a! wèi yō...

tā zhè yàng de mào wèi
zhēn jiào wǒ xīn tiào, jiào wǒ huái yí
yī lái wú míng zài yòu méi yǒu xìng
wǒ yòu zěn néng zěn néng xiāng xìn nián qīng de rén
a! yō
shén mì de dài xìn rén
kuài gào sù wǒ, nǐ zài xiǎng shén mó

bù yào ràng shí guāng yī kè yī kè liū zǒu
shí guāng yī zǒu bù néng huí tóu
qǐng nǐ gào sù wǒ
nǐ xīn lǐ xiǎng shén mó
wǒ zhī dào shì nǐ zài ài wǒ

The Postman

There was a young man from afar
Who carried a letter for me
Ah! Oh
He came to my door
Ah! Oh...

He smiled and said that someone
Missed me far away
And asked me to unfold the letter
And reply to him after reading it

So that the postman could told him it all
Why it was unexpected
So strange, out of expectations
Ah! Oh...
The mysterious postman
Ah! Eh-oh...

He was so abrupt
That made my heart race and made me doubt
He addressed no name or surname
How could I trust such a young man
Ah! Oh
The mysterious postman
Do tell me, what you are thinking about

Don't let time go by like this
Because the past just can't be brought back
Please do tell me
What you are thinking about
I know that you love me

Please Mr. Postman

(Wait) Oh yes, wait a minute, Mr. Postman
(Wait) Wai-hey-hey-hey-it, Mr. Postman

(Please, Mr. Postman, look and see) Whoa yeah
(Is there a letter in your bag for me?) Please, please, Mr. Po-oh-ostman
('Cause it's been a mighty long time) Whoa yeah
(Since I heard from this boyfriend of mine)

There must be some word today
From my boyfriend so far away
Please, Mr. Postman, look and see
Is there a letter, a letter for me?
I've been standin' here waitin', Mr. Postman
So so patiently
For just a card or just a letter
Sayin' he's returnin' home to me

Please, Mr. Postman
(Please, Mr. Postman, look and see) Whoa yeah
(Is there a letter in your bag for me?) Please, please, Mr. Po-oh-oh-ostman
('Cause it's been a mighty long time) Whoa yeah
(Since I heard from this boyfriend of mine)

So many days, you've passed me by
You saw the tears standin' in my eye
You wouldn't stop to make me feel better
By leavin' me a card or a letter

Please, Mr. Postman, look and see
Is there a letter, oh yeah, in your bag for me?
You know it's been so long
Yeah, since I heard from this boyfriend of mine


Adi Bing Slamet - Bandit (1980s)

Michael Jackson - Beat It (1982)

The music video, starting at 1:09, is required viewing:

No MJ dance moves though, I want a refund.

Album cover of Bandit by Adi Bing Slamet. Indonesian man in a red jacket reminiscent of Michael Jackson.

Marini & The Steps - Mainkan Musikmu (1970s/80s)

Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music (1976)



Dewi Puspa - Dari Itu Ke Itu (1970s/80s)

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (1977)

The cassette cover clearly says 10 November 1976, however, apparently the original song was first released in November/December 1977 as part of the soundtrack for the film Saturday Night Fever. So, who knows when this cover was actually released.


Dewi Puspa - Jangan Biarkan (1978)

The Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow (1976)

Jangan Biarkan

malam ini
ayo nikmati sepuas mungkin
berdua saja bercengkerama
terlena dalam dekapan cinta

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan bohongi
perasaanmu untuk bercumbu
hanyut bersama pelukan mesra

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan biarkan
malam 'kan berganti jangan biarkan
hati tersiksa menanggung rindu

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan biarkan
malam 'kan berganti jangan biarkan
hati tersiksa menanggung rindu

malam ini
ayo nikmati sepuas mungkin
berdua saja bercengkerama
terlena dalam dekapan cinta

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan bohongi
perasaanmu untuk bercumbu
hanyut bersama pelukan mesra

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan biarkan
malam 'kan berganti jangan biarkan
hati tersiksa menanggung rindu

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan biarkan
malam 'kan berganti jangan biarkan
hati tersiksa menanggung rindu

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan biarkan
malam 'kan berganti jangan biarkan
hati tersiksa menanggung rindu

jangan biarkan waktu berlalu jangan biarkan
malam 'kan berganti jangan biarkan
hati tersiksa menanggung rindu

Do Not Let

tonight
come on, enjoy it as much as possible
just the two of us chatting
lost in love's embrace

don't let time pass don't lie
your feelings for making out
drifting away in a loving embrace

don't let time pass don't let it go
the night will change, don't let it happen
the heart is tormented by longing

don't let time pass don't let it go
the night will change, don't let it happen
the heart is tormented by longing

tonight
come on, enjoy it as much as possible
just the two of us chatting
lost in love's embrace

don't let time pass don't lie
your feelings for making out
drifting away in a loving embrace

don't let time pass don't let it go
the night will change, don't let it happen
the heart is tormented by longing

don't let time pass don't let it go
the night will change, don't let it happen
the heart is tormented by longing

don't let time pass don't let it go
the night will change, don't let it happen
the heart is tormented by longing

don't let time pass don't let it go
the night will change, don't let it happen
the heart is tormented by longing

Let Your Love Flow

There's a reason for the sun-shining sky
And there's a reason why I'm feeling so high
Must be the season when that love light shines all around us

So, let that feeling grab you deep inside
And send you reeling where your love can't hide
And then go stealing through the moonlit nights with your lover

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show and you'll know what I mean
It's the season

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine and you'll know what I mean
That's the reason

There's a reason for the warm sweet nights
And there's a reason for the candlelights
Must be the season when those love rights shine all around us

So, let that wonder take you into space
And lay you under its loving embrace
Just feel the thunder as it warms your face, you can't hold back

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show and you'll know what I mean
It's the season

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine and you'll know what I mean
That's the reason

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show and you'll know what I mean
It's the season

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine and you'll know what I mean
That's the reason


Now here's one that sounds quite different from the original.

Yayah Ratnasari, Tating Sariningsih, and Euis Wasiat - Don't Let Me Down (1982)

The Beatles - Don't let Me Down (1969)


Since this was released so recently, maybe it doesn't quite count. Nevertheless, it's worth a listen.

Touré Kunda - Nobel (2000)

Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight (1981)

According to the following page, Touré Kunda's cover was released in 2000 and is sung in the Wolof language:
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/4159/versions

The band Touré Kunda released their first album in 1979 and are from Senegal.

In 1960 Senegal gained independence from France, and split from Mali (to which it had been united during the final years of French colonialism). In 1982, Senegal and The Gambia attempted to form a union, but this fell through by 1989. In 2000, when this album was released, The Socialist Party which had governed Senegal since its independence lost the presidential election.



Groovy.

That's much more authentic and lively than your emperor forcing your prep academy to teach you to "appreciate" Bach.

Do you think average people in Anglosphere countries back then realized the impact their nations' music was having around the globe?

I suppose not, because, while writing this article, I can already imagine the hordes of angry old men chastising me for being a pie-in-the-sky hippie kumbayaing with the world. These sentiments of international communication and friendship only seem like unobtainable utopian fantasies if you've never experienced the true depth of the internet. So many of those same people who were teens and 20-somethings during the Counterculture only learned how to use the internet in the past decade so they can post mindless nonsense on Facebook and their local newspaper website...

It would have opened up many doors for the world if, for example, American youths of the Counterculture realized Chinese youths were rocking out to the same tunes.

If those doors did not open up for the youths back then, they certainly have for the youths during the internet era. Now we can write, speak, and video chat directly with people from across the globe, instantly. We have a window into their lives and they have a window into ours. (And the window is also wide open for all of the world's governments to take a totalitarian grasp of all of our communications in a way the KGB or Stasi could only dream of—but that is a different topic, sigh).

Anyway, the rise of blogs, forums, chat rooms, Youtube, streaming platforms, and multiplayer games have made it abundantly clear that sometimes we have more in common with a random stranger from all the way across the globe than our own family members or neighbors.

I don't think that we pause, consciously reflect upon, and appreciate the world's interconnectivity enough.

At no other point in human history have young people grown up with the ability to make friends with people their age from all across the globe. As an internet dweller, I think I have always had more international friends than friends I had met face-to-face.

Could this be the antidote to the tribalistic propaganda poisoning the minds of the older generations? Maybe, but, on the other hand, with the way that things are going the world will probably be doomed by the time the current generation of young people are allowed to take over the reigns.

Unless we get a Counterculture 2.0 to finish what the first one started. I can only presume that the next Counterculture will come from a non-Western nation.

This is not exactly a cover, but I will leave off with this.

Be sure to check out the page which contains original Counterculture music from around the globe.

"Tomorrow will be Better (simplified Chinese: 明天会更好; traditional Chinese: 明天會更好; pinyin: Míngtiān huì Gènghǎo) is a Taiwanese Mandopop charity record written by Brendan Graham, Rolf Løvland and Lo Ta-yu and sung by over 60 artists. It was recorded on 15 September 1985 and released on 25 October 1985 and was directly inspired by the UK charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? and We Are the World in order to raise money for World Vision International to help with aid to Africa."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Will_Be_Better

明天会更好

轻轻敲醒沉睡的心灵
慢慢张开你的眼睛
看看忙碌的世界
是否依然孤独的转个不停

春风不解风情
吹动少年的心
让昨日脸上的泪痕
随记忆风干了

抬头寻找天空的翅膀
候鸟出现它的影迹
带来远处的饥荒
无情的战火依然存在的消息

玉山白雪飘零
燃烧少年的心
使真情溶化成音符
倾诉遥远的祝福

唱出你的热情
伸出你的双手
让我拥抱着你的梦
让我拥有你真心的面孔

让我们的笑容
充满着青春的骄傲
为明天献出虔诚的祈祷

谁能不顾自己的家园
抛开记忆中的童年
谁能忍心看那昨日的忧愁
带走我们的笑容

青春不解红尘
胭脂沾染了灰
让久违不见的泪水
滋润了你的面容

唱出你的热情
伸出你的双手
让我拥抱着你的梦
让我拥有你真心的面孔

让我们的笑容
充满着青春的骄傲
为明天献出虔诚的祈祷

轻轻敲醒沉睡的心灵
慢慢张开你的眼睛
看看忙碌的世界
是否依然孤独的转个不停

日出唤醒清晨
大地光彩重生
让和风拂出的音响
谱成生命的乐章

唱出你的热情
伸出你的双手
让我拥抱着你的梦
让我拥有你真心的面孔

让我们的笑容
充满着青春的骄傲
让我们期待着明天会更好

Míng tiān huì gèng hǎo

qīng qīng qiāo xǐng chén shuì de xīn líng
màn màn zhāng kāi nǐ de yǎn jīng
kàn kàn máng lù de shì jiè
shì fǒu yī rán gū dú de zhuǎn gè bù tíng

chūn fēng bù jiě fēng qíng
chuī dòng shǎo nián de xīn
ràng zuó rì liǎn shàng de lèi hén
suí jì yì fēng gàn le

tái tóu xún zhǎo tiān kōng de chì bǎng
hòu niǎo chū xiàn tā de yǐng jī
dài lái yuǎn chù de jī huāng
wú qíng de zhàn huǒ yī rán cún zài de xiāo xī

yù shān bái xuě piāo líng
rán shāo shǎo nián de xīn
shǐ zhēn qíng róng huà chéng yīn fú
qīng sù yáo yuǎn de zhù fú

chàng chū nǐ de rè qíng
shēn chū nǐ de shuāng shǒu
ràng wǒ yōng bào zhe nǐ de mèng
ràng wǒ yōng yǒu nǐ zhēn xīn de miàn kǒng

ràng wǒ men de xiào róng
chōng mǎn zhe qīng chūn de jiāo ào
wèi míng tiān xiàn chū qián chéng de qí dǎo

shéi néng bù gù zì jǐ de jiā yuán
pāo kāi jì yì zhōng de tóng nián
shéi néng rěn xīn kàn nà zuó rì de yōu chóu
dài zǒu wǒ men de xiào róng

qīng chūn bù jiě hóng chén
yān zhī zhān rǎn le huī
ràng jiǔ wéi bù jiàn de lèi shuǐ
zī rùn le nǐ de miàn róng

chàng chū nǐ de rè qíng
shēn chū nǐ de shuāng shǒu
ràng wǒ yōng bào zhe nǐ de mèng
ràng wǒ yōng yǒu nǐ zhēn xīn de miàn kǒng

ràng wǒ men de xiào róng
chōng mǎn zhe qīng chūn de jiāo ào
wèi míng tiān xiàn chū qián chéng de qí dǎo

qīng qīng qiāo xǐng chén shuì de xīn líng
màn màn zhāng kāi nǐ de yǎn jīng
kàn kàn máng lù de shì jiè
shì fǒu yī rán gū dú de zhuǎn gè bù tíng

rì chū huàn xǐng qīng chén
dà de guāng cǎi zhòng shēng
ràng hé fēng fú chū de yīn xiǎng
pǔ chéng shēng mìng de lè zhāng

chàng chū nǐ de rè qíng
shēn chū nǐ de shuāng shǒu
ràng wǒ yōng bào zhe nǐ de mèng
ràng wǒ yōng yǒu nǐ zhēn xīn de miàn kǒng

ràng wǒ men de xiào róng
chōng mǎn zhe qīng chūn de jiāo ào
ràng wǒ men qī dài zhe míng tiān huì gèng hǎo

Tomorrow will be better

Softly knock on and arouse your heart from slumber,
Slowly open up your eyes.
See if the busy world
Is still rotating alone and endlessly.

The spring breeze not understanding amorous feelings,
Blows on then bestirs the heart of youth;
Dried the tear marks of yesterday
And let it go with the memory.

Looking upwards for the wings in the sky,
The trace of migratory birds emerges,
Bringing us the messages about famine
And ruthless war fires that still exist afar.

The white snow melts on the Jade Mountain,
Igniting the heart of youth.
Dissolving the true feelings into music notes,
Confiding the blessing far away.

Sing your passion out,
Reach your hands out,
Let me embrace your dream;
Let me hold your face of true heart.

Fill our smiles
With the pride of youth;
Pray devoutly for tomorrow.

Who can disregard his own homeland
And cast his childhood in memory aside?
Who can tolerate the sorrow of yesterday
To take our laughter away?

Youth doesn't understand the mortal world,
Rouge is ash-stained;
Let the long lost tears
Moisten your countenance.

Sing your passion out,
Reach your hands out,
Let me embrace your dream;
Let me hold your face of true heart.

Fill our smiles
With the pride of youth;
Pray devoutly for tomorrow.

Softly knock on and arouse your heart from slumber,
Slowly open up your eyes.
See if the busy world
Is still rotating alone and endlessly.

Sunrise wakes the morning up,
The earth restores its color.
Let the ensemble of breezes
Form a melody of life.

Sing your passion out,
Reach your hands out,
Let me embrace your dream;
Let me hold your face of true heart.

Fill our smiles
With the pride of youth;
Let's expect; Tomorrow will be better.