Songs in another language

[earthmama1]

Do some of you like songs that are not in your language and you have no idea what they are saying but you like the song anyways? Maybe because of the beat or the way the persons voice sounds?

[basmae]

Definitely!!  There are a number of french songs that I like to sing along to even though I have no clue what the song is about.  I find that you don't really need to know the meaning of a song to find it personal to you or to even like it.

[Dora M]

Oh yes, very much so. I listen to a lot of Spanish bands since I met my Latin American boyfriend a couple of years ago. It is such a fun way to improve your Spanish by reading the lyrics and trying to understand what they are actually trying to convey. But often I don't really care all that much for the words, I just get carried away by the rhythm and the energy of the song... makes me feel like dancing.  :grin:

[g2narat]

I can relate to this! There are tons of songs that are so catchy even though I don't understand a word they are saying. It's nice knowing the meaning of a song and being able to relate to a song on a n emotional level. But sometimes, even though you have no idea what the singer is saying, you can't help but follow the tune! 

[Baburra]

Definitely. I love pop songs, and I think they are pretty much similar in all countries in terms of the beat and style, which is why I usually do seek out songs from other countries to diversify my library. Sometimes, I will look for the definition online, but admittedly it's not really enough for me to comprehend the lyrics to a point where I'm satisfied, but it's enough for me to just know the topic of the song at least.

[Denis Hard]

I had a friend who used to listen to Arabic songs most of the time and since I visited him often I kind of got hooked. So these days, out of force of habit, I still listen to 'Arabic' songs even though I know only a few Arabic words.

[JohnSword]

Music certainly crosses all boundaries. There are many songs I enjoy that are in a language I don't understand.

At the same time, I do think that one is unable to truly enjoy a song without understanding the lyrics. I guess it's one of the reasons people learn a language.

[Peninha]

I am Portuguese and most songs I listen are in English, so it's not hard to guess that most songs I listen to are in English. Apart from the music being good, I love to listen to the lyrics, trying to understand what they are saying, pretty stimulating!

[sidney]

Yes of course! I love Rammstein's songs and a bunch of other songs that I think are in Danish. I immediately liked the beat, so I kept listening to them even if I don't even know the meaning of what they're saying.

[dorannmwin]

I am just a music lover in general. I like all kinds of music if the use of the instruments and the beat is something that appeals to me. There are a lot of times that I don't even pay attention to the lyrics so it is quite natural for me to say that I like music of other languages even when I don't know exactly what they are saying.

[Nyandroid]

I have many songs that I like that are sung in a different language.  I am usually attracted to slow tempo songs like Zitten's (Korean indie band) song, "Feel Alright".  Another good song by them is "TV Show" and more energetic, too.  This is just a small fraction of the list of foreign music that I love.

When listening to these songs I'm usually centered around the melody and rhythm because I play an instrument myself.  Sometimes the vocals even enter my subconscious and I get a certain feeling or pleasure from it even though I have no idea what they are singing

[Hanaseru]

I like songs in other languages mostly for the sound of the melody.  Eventually, I'll pick up a few words here and there (especially if I'm learning the language that the song is sung in)

[darknessassassin]

I love Spanish songs and I loved them before I started taking Spanish course. So yes, I loved them despite the fact that I didn't know the meaning of the words. I think Spanish just sounds so delightful.

[Rosa]

Yes, whenever I watch movies and I see the guys, whom I assume are Spanish, dressed in broad hats and waste bands I get drawn to those songs, especially when they sing to a female and play an instrument too.

[diprod]

I love Japanese songs even though I can't understand them. Their melodies speak volume and that's what usually catches my attention. Music is indeed a universal language.

[Kandikkal]

I heard Romanian for the first time in my life in a song by a little girl. I immediately fell in love with the girl and the language . It was a song named Gita by a cute girl named Cleopatra Stratan. I have tried to get all the songs by her afterwards. I don't understand what the words mean. The Gita song had an English version too. That helped me to understand the original. I suggest you guys to hear it too.

[babyleans]

yes, all the time. actually sometimes the language makes me like the song even more. to learn the language and then listen to the song when you understand what it actually means is an even better feeling.

[Trellum]

Yeah, there are so many songs I really like even tho I don't understand a word of it.  I did that a lot when I didn't understand a word of English, I mostly imagined what the singers were talking about or searched for the lyrics of those songs to be very sure   I still do that with the songs that are in a language I don't understand.  I think it's a very common thing

[Anju]

I love k-pop. Some people make fun of me for it but... I just love the sound of it.

Korean music is 20% of the reason why it drew me into learning Korean.

[harpy]

While we're in the topic of songs sung in another language, I thought I'd remind native English speakers not living in Europe that the Eurovision songs are out. Some of them are sung in a language other than English (unfortunately, most are in English so it's not helping us foreign language learners). You could translate some of the Eurovision 2014 songs for fun. It's a good way to learn new words, improve your pronunciation, and practice your writing skills.

Now, to answer your question, the first foreign song that I enjoyed singing over and over again was Wilhelmus-- the national anthem of the Netherlands. Haha, I'm nuts, but I enjoy that song a lot!

[TheStoryteller1]

I actually have songs in more than 15 languages on my mp3(including korean, chinese, indian, romanian, etc.). I love to listen to songs that I like, language is secondary. And then it's even more satisfying to find the translation of a favorite song from whatever language, and add the meaning to the song.

It's like a magic trick, that adds another layer to the song. I love that. And that can actually get you started on learning that language as well. That's how I started learning English.

[Peninha]

I actually have songs in more than 15 languages on my mp3(including korean, chinese, indian, romanian, etc.). I love to listen to songs that I like, language is secondary. And then it's even more satisfying to find the translation of a favorite song from whatever language, and add the meaning to the song.

It's like a magic trick, that adds another layer to the song. I love that. And that can actually get you started on learning that language as well. That's how I started learning English.

This is pretty interesting actually, how did you get in touch with songs sang in so many different languages? I'd like to say the same, but basically I listen songs in English, Portuguese and some Spanish and that's pretty much it. And Gangnam style of course.  :grin:

[TheStoryteller1]

This is pretty interesting actually, how did you get in touch with songs sang in so many different languages? I'd like to say the same, but basically I listen songs in English, Portuguese and some Spanish and that's pretty much it. And Gangnam style of course.  :grin:

At certain point the music channels in my country were mixing things a bit more, so I got to some Indian and Spanish songs etc. But also, after that I went to international university. It's a small university, but we have 60% international students, and from at least 36 different countries by this point. And during that period I worked abroad 2 summers too, and I was at places in States where other students from different countries came to work for the summer.

Songs are in a way like pictures to me, they have memories in them. So every time in university, I picked song here and there, from different new friends with various nationalities, and each new place I went as well. And each of those songs has memory for me too.

[eppie]

I have lots of songs in another language (aside from English and Filipino songs) on my MP3 player.  Mostly Japanese songs from anime series like Naruto.  I learned about these songs from my son and I find the rhythm/melody very nice to hear too.

[lizbeth19hph]

I love the melody of Korean love songs and although I cannot understand some words and phrases, I do get to enjoy the rhythm of the songs. I believe it's not just the lyrics of the song that can endear you to it but the music itself and the sound of the voice of the one singing.