Monday, October 5, 2009

Music Videos: Zombies, Raincoats, and Herring

Manfred posted a cute & catchy music video: a woman with sunflower petals wrapped around her face sings "Zombies on Your Lawn". (What is it about zombies that call out for comedy? "I know your type: tall, dark, and dead..."Maybe it's all just due to Shaun of the Dead?)
He also wonders if Finland has an answer to Abba, and my Finnish correspondent had already alerted me to the answer:
Ultra Bra--"a 1990s act that developed from a pastiche of the funky 1970s left-wing bands into a really unique phenomenon in the Finnish music scene."

However, Ultra Bra is considerably less famous than Abba as they only ever sang in Finnish, a language so obscure--meaning no disrespect--that the online translator I use doesn't translate it.
My Finn friend tells me this video of "Sinä lähdit pois" [translation below] with marvelous yellow raincoats is a classic. I like it a lot, even though without knowing what the words say, it looks like it might be an ad for FinnAir.

These cheap and cheerful vids encourage me:
Fly Off the Wall Productions' next project is to write a little song and make a music video based on the Finnish proverb, "A herring is quite small to serve for Christmas dinner", which we feel is due for revision as it is blatantly and possibly illegally unfair to small things.
Due out by Christmas, of course.

Musically, I admit we're a bit challenged, but my mother forced me to play the piano for two whole years--I was never, ever the least bit grateful like everyone promised me I was going to be, until now--and bink was in a punk band in the 80s for two minutes, so I think we can bang something out on Garage Band, or just go a capella.
No one expects musical excellence from people wearing herring head costumes, right?
Plus, I figure if we employ something in cheery yellow, we're set.

It would be great to have a chorus of herring, for the refrain: would anyone like to join in?
Date of mandatory "make your own herring head" workshop to be set later.

[My Fly movies (Orestes & The Making Of) are now both burned to a DVD! So they'll be released after the premieres, Oct. 10 & 17--you're all invited!-- and The Disinherited too. God and youTube willing. Bad marketing, I know, piling everything up like that; but I am an Artist not a Business Person.]

Google provides this questionable translation of the lyrics to "Sinä lähdit pois."

Did you get you Off

O'clock in the morning neither of us is not tired anymore to celebrate
O'clock in the morning neither of us is not tired anymore to celebrate
Tired eyes, käheät votes
behind which the sun does not warm
behind which the sun does not warm
You you left off
I watched the balcony
moving further away from your back
kiersit vesilammikot
and I suppose you do not worry about this distinction
Bushes, all the birds are singing in the morning until seven
Bushes, all the birds are singing in the morning until seven
Tired eyes, käheät votes
behind which the sun does not warm
behind which the sun does not warm
You you left off ...
Last night's drink
breakfast changes
I added the coffee

OK, and here's the correct translation, from The Finnish Friend:

"You went away"

In the small hours neither of us is in the mood for partying
In the small hours neither of us is in the mood for partying

Tired eyes, hoarse voices,
in the background the sun that doesn’t warm
in the background the sun that doesn’t warm

You went away
I watched on the balcony
your back as you walked away
you walked around the puddles
and I guess you won’t regret us breaking up like this

All the birds in the bushes sing in the morning before it’s 7 o’clock
All the birds in the bushes sing in the morning before it’s 7 o’clock

Tired eyes, hoarse voices,
in the background the sun that doesn’t warm
in the background the sun that doesn’t warm

You went away
I watched on the balcony
your back as you walked away
you walked around the puddles
and I guess you won’t regret us breaking up like this

The last drink of the night
turns into a breakfast,
I added some coffee to it

You went away…

6 comments:

Rudyinparis said...

I volunteer 2 baby herrings (the extra-small variety of herring) as well as two adult-size herring, if you need!

Fresca said...

Yes please! And ... can you all sing in Finnish?

bink said...

Are you sure this Ultra Bra song isn't an ad for FinnAir? I think the lyrics must really translate:

You went away on an early morning flight.
Leaving me standing in the rain.

I'm embarrassed this is the last way you'll see me...
through the plane window...
standing with with my friends
wearing matching raincoats.

If I'd know they were all going to wear yellow
I'd have worn my red jacket.

If Jurge had know we were all going to wear yellow
he'd have worn black.

Now we look like some rubber duckie convention
and this is how you will always think of me...
as you fly way
and we splash in the puddles on the runway.


I

Fresca said...

BINK: This is too excellent.
I'm posting it on its own.

momo said...

I poured the coffee.
It has an existentialist ring in the Google version.

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