"You're right," Max Prendergast (alias The Joker) said to Emma Peel, "it IS a rather brutal language." He was referring to a German-language tune that he played over and over to drive her crazy. Emma was quite upset. German vocals are a bit alarming. It can't be helped. The language can be harsh, and when a German vocalist gets worked up, it can be downright frightening.
The sixteen samples here should be burned (to CD-R) and put on the shelf next to your Hogan's Heroes and Stalag 17 DVD's. It's amusing, alarming, foreboding and also funny stuff. Call it "fun with stereotypes," but don't take it too seriously. Most German singers aren't overboard at all (check the blog for an illfolks tribute to the late great Greta Keller). But this bunch? Ach du lieber! Sung in German...
1. Paranoid - you can bet this duo has glowing eyes with no pupils.
2. In the Year 2525 - who better than Germans to forecast a hideous future?
3. House of the Rising Sun - more like der Phantom of the House of the Rising Sun
4. What a Day for a Daydream - and in the night, they love the sound of shattered glass.
5. Wooly Bully - why does a German call to dance seem more like a call to march?
6. Paint it Black - very dark, and with thumping Hungarian violins!
7. Yellow Submarine - yah, take a look, in front of us is der Lusitania!
8. Sloop John B - these guys sound like they'd be more at home on the Bismarck.
9. Runaway - deep-voiced dark paranoia-noir, enough to pop Fritz Lang's good eye
10. Leader of the Pack - are they singing "Zion force a stool?" Slay me, frauleins.
11. The Witch - she'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too.
12. Lola - German vocals sound ZO decadent. Go ahead Goebbels, dress up as Dietrich.
13. Don't Ha Ha - what or who are they viciously laughing at? Gooba Gooba!
14. Son of a Preacher Man - she's more likely to want an atheist in leather boots.
15. Gloria - her name was Gloria, not a Jewish name at all, and he killed her anyway.
16. Shout - speeded up vocals with harsh cries of "Aus! Aus! Aus!" Ow!
Raus!
Hit Songs Sung Horribly in German
This sounds like my kind of Teutonic Tunes & Kraut Kulture. Let me know if you haven't heard Marlene Dietrich's fine foreboding interpretation of "Puff The Magic Dragon", and I'll locate a copy. Good, scary fun for kids of all ages.
ReplyDeleteWas that on the same album as her "Blowin' in the Wind?" That was posted here many months back. Ah, Marlene. As Col. Klink would say, Miss Dissed...ah...Dismissed....
ReplyDeleteThese tunes must be scary indeed, if you`re not familiar with the german language.
ReplyDeleteBut even if you are: Quite a lot of singers back then had the bad manner to sing with a fake english accent, cruel even to today`s german`s ears...
But be thankful you don`t understand the lyrics- some are so stupid, you wouldn`t believe it !
One thing, though:
Several acts are not germans-
like Karel Gott (Czech), Bill Ramsey (UK), G. Dlugi (Swiss)...
So they are not prime examples to rant about the german language.
And no, it`s not about Zion.
"auf seinem Feuerstuhl" means
"on his hot bike"