h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm like you, I always have a song in my mind - well, nearly always.
At the meet last week, I found myself singing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOEXOBx9eVc

Gnomon looked at me and said: Having fun, are you?

Oh, go on then. Have one on me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNroVBNQCYE

But yes, Carrickfergus can be remarkably sticky. A godawful morose song, but I was amused to see Brian Kennedy's version - with camp little wink to camera when he reached the line "come all you young men, and lay me down". I think he and the author were thinking of different things, but who knows?

I searched for the song now. Can't say I am familiar with the melody (let alone the lyrics).

You guys are awful. And I get that with 'Carrickfergus' - some of those lines, like 'I wish I could find a handsome boatman' are just asking for it...

In revenge, you can have this splendid montage I found today while trying to explain 'Master and Commander' to Bel...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9tc7ibHhqU&feature=related

You haven't seen this one yet, Bel, and it's, well, indescribably lovely....

Brilliantly cut and combined. Thanks for the link.

Good one.

Ever heard it in French? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JH3cBuANjY

I'm not sure why they painted it green...

Maybe there aren't enough words which rhyme with jaune?

Mer, vert? That's a good one.

Have another sad one. But preferable to Carrickfergus, anyway!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9xu_k411Lw

Yes, sad, and beautiful. Good melody, too.

Hello folks! Dmitri I loved your piece. Great videos you folks are posting here! King Bomba, I love that song by Sofia Karlsson. I'm gonna get myself some of her music.

Here are four vids of South African music:

'Spirit of the Great Heart' - Johnny Clegg and his band Savuka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_9xtCbRgH4&feature=related

Johnny Clegg, the 'White Zulu', started the first multi-racial band in South Africa, Juluka, and initially had more success overseas than here as a result of idiotic and restrictive apartheid policies, but he's now recognised as one of our best musicians. He blends African and European elements.

'Kinders van die Wind' (Children of the Wind) - Laurika Rauch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lOiTQy6APA

I know this song by heart and often sing it!

The Click Song by Miriam Makeba ... Dmitri you might enjoy this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxkiXALQjU&feature=PlayList&p=6B4EDF1BEF87CC31&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1

This is a wedding song in Xhosa, featuring a few of those 'click' sounds we spoke of elsewhere, which is a linguistic influence on tropical African languages from the original South African Khoi-San peoples.

'Burnout' by Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9bRWYfPOMQ

Here you see a mix of traditional African sounds, rythms and harmonic progressions, with 'pop' music style! A catchy hit from the eighties.

Thanks for the links, Willem.

Those are cool, Willem - thanks. I love that Miram Makeba, of course, but I'd never heard 'Kinders van die Wind', what a beautiful song.

Now, that's what I mean - since us 'folies' aren't listening to whatever's on the satellite hit parade, we need to tell each other what we hear. Just like in the old days BEFORE satellite hit parades...

For some reason, this one was in my head this morning, maybe somebody will like it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IUgPq6bA0M&feature=related

This is turning into a great thread. Thanks Willem, I'm going to look deeper into those.

Here's one...well, an old song, but I'm not sure if the person who made the clip was being weird inadvertently or intentionally...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKfALughEZo

(But right now I'm stuck with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZJHZLFCwjE ...)

Dmitri yes I did like the no-mermaid song!

Heh heh cute Chihuahua video King Bomba! And quite a good live video by The Cranberries ... I like them too. Of course the song will be stuck ... in your head ... Zombie!

Can anyone tell me ... would it be legal and so on for me to post my own translation of the lyrics of 'Kinders van die Wind' here?

I'm not sure, Willem. I wouldn't think it breaches copyright, but who knows?

I'm currently stuck with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-mCm7V7Jxo

(don't lynch me).

There was a question about one of t6he characters of the tv series in the cryptic crosswords this morning.

Hee hee! Now why would we want to lynch you Bel? In fact I'm very happy you posted that ... Maja the Bee was translated into Afrikaans as well, the song too - I wish there was one on YouTube! It was nice to see the German version. Anyways I liked it much when I was a kid, brought back some nostalgic memories.

My sister's cat is called Maja!

And those of us who didn't watch it don't mind, because it doesn't get stuck...

I know, I'll post something truly evil. One that Americans will hate me for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfR7qxtgCgY

(I had to turn the sound off so Elektra wouldn't hear it. She has no sound card on her computer, so we're safe. )

OOh!

That took me right back to my childhood!

Oh, and that isn't fair, because that wasn't the song that was running through my head. The one that was running through my head this morning is much prettier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVO9rN5Bk1A

(Yes, that's Brent Spiner, Commander Data, as Franz, and Mandy Patinkin.)

Willem, if you've never seen that musical by Stephen Sondheim, you really should. The characters are all figures in Seurat's famous painting.

My favourite song is 'Finishing the Hat':

http://www.sweetslyrics.com/605332.Sunday%20in%20the%20Park%20With%20George%20movie%20-%20Finishing%20the%20Hat.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJ1RNOyazg&feature=related

By the way, maybe you could post the translation a verse at a time? I'd love to see it.