Do you wish you could sing along to foreign-language prog songs?

[soundsweird]

Being a singer, it does kind of bug me that I can't sing along to some of my favorite songs of all time. There are a few lines that I can sing phonetically here and there, but short of learning Italian, French, German, etc., I guess I'm out of luck...

[3LockBox]

Couldn't you just make up your own words? Who's gonna know?

[ThomasKDye]

I'm going to be tagged as a terrible human being, but I can't listen to songs in a foreign language. I have to be able to sing along in my head or "for real" in order to enjoy it. If it's a phrase or a partial verse here or there, like "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" that's fine, but an entire song in another language breaks my brain.

Couldn't you just make up your own words? Who's gonna know?

Yeah, and I can't scat to it either. It's just a level of disconnect that keeps me from relating to the music. It's because of this that I try to bend over backwards to get instrumental prog from other countries, like Solaris from Hungary.

[progeezer]

I figure this is a little story that's relevant here:

I've been singing for audiences since I was 12, and when the Italian language song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" (later bastardized into the Anglo version "Volare") became a hit in the US I actually learned how to sing it as a kid phonetically even though I couldn't speak the language because my mom loved the melody and loved when I sang it to her.

Fast forward 55 years or so. Kay (my late sig other) and I go to Italy to visit Venice, Aldo Tagliapietra & Florence in that order. While in Venice, we take a gondola ride. Kay asks the gondolier if he sings like many gondoliers. Of course, he does and starts singing "Nel etc.". I start singing along and his eyes get wide as hell & he asks, "you speak Italian?" & I tell him "no" & how I know the song.

He starts yelling to the other gondoliers (in Italian) about my singing, and I wind up doing the 1st verse & one chorus for about 4 other full gondolas & get applauded (while red-faced Kay sinks down in the boat).

[Zaragon]

Sometimes, such as on the explosive chorus at the 4:10 mark of this song by Maxophone, or with the swelling verses of this romantic sounding number by Octobre.

[JKL2000]

I'm going to be tagged as a terrible human being, but I can't listen to songs in a foreign language. I have to be able to sing along in my head or "for real" in order to enjoy it.

Not a terrible human being at all, but this is kind of surprising, especially if you enjoy instrumental music. I would think you'd be able to think of vocals in another language as another instrument.

Personally, I don't wish I could sing along, but I'd like to understand more than I do. But having taken a few years of French and one of Latin, I get by with some of it.

But I love listening to vocals in a language like Portuguese, which I understand none of but it sounds beautiful. It lends added mystery to Prog. But I can understand this being very subjective, with people really having little control over their preferences.

[JKL2000]

I figure this is a little story that's relevant here:

I've been singing for audiences since I was 12, and when the Italian language song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" (later bastardized into the Anglo version "Volare") became a hit in the US I actually learned how to sing it as a kid phonetically even though I couldn't speak the language because my mom loved the melody and loved when I sang it to her.

Fast forward 55 years or so. Kay (my late sig other) and I go to Italy to visit Venice, Aldo Tagliapietra & Florence in that order. While in Venice, we take a gondola ride. Kay asks the gondolier if he sings like many gondoliers. Of course, he does and starts singing "Nel etc.". I start singing along and his eyes get wide as hell & he asks, "you speak Italian?" & I tell him "no" & how I know the song.

He starts yelling to the other gondoliers (in Italian) about my singing, and I wind up doing the 1st verse & one chorus for about 4 other full gondolas & get applauded (while red-faced Kay sinks down in the boat).

Good story! Everyone remember this for Progday!

[3LockBox]

I figure this is a little story that's relevant here:

I've been singing for audiences since I was 12, and when the Italian language song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" (later bastardized into the Anglo version "Volare") became a hit in the US I actually learned how to sing it as a kid phonetically even though I couldn't speak the language because my mom loved the melody and loved when I sang it to her.

Fast forward 55 years or so. Kay (my late sig other) and I go to Italy to visit Venice, Aldo Tagliapietra & Florence in that order. While in Venice, we take a gondola ride. Kay asks the gondolier if he sings like many gondoliers. Of course, he does and starts singing "Nel etc.". I start singing along and his eyes get wide as hell & he asks, "you speak Italian?" & I tell him "no" & how I know the song.

He starts yelling to the other gondoliers (in Italian) about my singing, and I wind up doing the 1st verse & one chorus for about 4 other full gondolas & get applauded (while red-faced Kay sinks down in the boat).

Just did Venice with the wife (actually a Mediterranean/Adriatic cruise to many ports) Our gondolier did not sing, even when prompted.

[moecurlythanu]

Hilarious, Geez.

[Mister Triscuits]

Fuggiresti!

[rcarlberg]

I'm going to be tagged as a terrible human being, but I can't listen to songs in a foreign language.

And I cannot read to music if the lyrics are in English!

[JKL2000]

I can't listen to Prog unless the singer has an outrageous accent.

[Zeuhlmate]

I figure this is a little story that's relevant here:

I've been singing for audiences since I was 12, and when the Italian language song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" (later bastardized into the Anglo version "Volare") became a hit in the US I actually learned how to sing it as a kid phonetically even though I couldn't speak the language because my mom loved the melody and loved when I sang it to her.

Fast forward 55 years or so. Kay (my late sig other) and I go to Italy to visit Venice, Aldo Tagliapietra & Florence in that order. While in Venice, we take a gondola ride. Kay asks the gondolier if he sings like many gondoliers. Of course, he does and starts singing "Nel etc.". I start singing along and his eyes get wide as hell & he asks, "you speak Italian?" & I tell him "no" & how I know the song.

He starts yelling to the other gondoliers (in Italian) about my singing, and I wind up doing the 1st verse & one chorus for about 4 other full gondolas & get applauded (while red-faced Kay sinks down in the boat).