Iama`s Weird Al Song Translations

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Iamabrawler
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Post by Iamabrawler »

So yeah, here it finally is, the oh-not-as-famous-as-the-Albuquerque-Holiday-Inn-but-still-more-or-less-famous Weird Al Song Translations.

Officially, I`ll begin posting them next weekend. Well, maybe I`ll post the first one sometime this week, but anyway, for now I`ll post what is done and what is left to do.

DONE:
I`ll Sue Ya - French title: J`vais te Poursuivre
The Night Santa Went Crazy - French title: La Nuit Père Noël Devint Fou
Ode to a Superhero - French title: Ode à un Superhéros
Dare to be Stupid - French title: Ose être stupide
Eat It - French title: Mange ça
Fat - French title: Gros
Christmas at Ground Zero - French title: Noël à Ground Zero
Do I Creep You Out - French title: Est-ce que je te dégoûte
I Love Rocky Road - French title: J`adore Rocky Road
Jurassic Park - French title: Parc Jurassique
Smells Like Nirvana - French title: Ça sent le Nirvana
Achy Breaky Song - French title stays the same
It`s All About the Pentiums - French title: Y en a que pour les Pentiums
Virus Alert - French title: Alerte Virus
UHF - French title stays the same
Ringtone - French title: Sonnerie
Nature Trail to Hell - French title: Le sentier de l`Enfer
Genius in France - French title: Génie en France
This is the Life: Ça c`est la vie
CNR - French title stays the same
Spy Hard - French title stays the same
Velvet Elvis - French title: Elvis de Velours
eBay - French title stays the same
Midnight Star - French title stays the same

Written but not typed yet:
You`re Pitiful - French title: T`es Lamentable
I Think I`m a Clone Now - French title: Je Crois être un Clone là

Nothing done yet but I seriously think about doing it:
Albuquerque
Everything you Know is Wrong

For a good reason, I`ll never do the polka medleys, because they`re teh mix of many songs and if I change the lyrics I might as well change the original meaning and it will complicate things and... well, it`s gonna get complicated, and anyway I`m specialized in translating Weird Al songs.
"So I went in my garaage, got in my care
And I drived, talking with my blue teeth
My boyfreind told me don't cree
Come to my houss, don't worraye,
we'll talk about this togeedurr."
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TMBJon
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Post by TMBJon »

:lol: The titles are already hilarious. Can't wait to read the lyrics to some of these!
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
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Iamabrawler
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Post by Iamabrawler »

Anyway, how I work:

First of all, I learned English during the five past years, so I`m almost bilingual. That step is way behind.

Step 2: I must have listened to the song at least 27 times. Nah, actually it`s at least 10 times. But if I really like it, I might listen to it about twice Weird Al`s favorite number. THat will give me pointers.

Step 3: If it`s not done yet, I watch the lyrics on LyricsWiki to make sure I got it all right.

Step 4: Then, I start thinking about it.
Let`s see... Hmmm... In Midnight star, a lot of things end in "ar", so that must be the main rhyming in the translation as well. Plus, Midnight Star is a journal in the song, so its name shouldn`t change. Lemme think about it.... for car, we quebecers say "char". That would fit in the lyric "aliens from outer space are sleeping in my car".
And what rhymes like "ar"? Well, there are all the "oir" verbs like savoir, voir, croire, boire... Hmmm... I wanna know, I wanna know... know is savoir in French. Thus... Let`s see, I often have to keep some English terms (we say aliens instead of extraterrestrials...)
The lyrics would seem soemthing like that:
"Des aliens venant de l`espace dorment dans mon char
Midnight star, je veux savoir, je veux savoir"
And so I go on until I have about 25% done.

Step 5: I write it up on a separate sheet, and then I take the original lyrics in its entirety if I don`t know them already. I put the translated part aside, and I begin the hardest step: translating the rest. It is a hard task since it must still fit with the rest. The most difficult is always the very first lines of the song, since that`s what begins it (duh!). I need to use my brain, and not a crappy French-English dictionary which would make me lose time. I try translating it word per word. If teh sentence structure is incorrect, I switch it up a bit. If it doesn`t rhymes, try finding words to change the rest. If the rythm differs, that`s more complicated.

Step 6: Rythm
First of all, we Quebecers very frequently use contractions in our language. As an example, we don`t say "tu sais", we say "tsé". There`s a way to play on that to fit the rythm. "Je t`avais" could become "j`t`avais".
Sadly, I need to use proper French in my translations and it complicated things. I leave the reader into thinking what parts are contracted so that it fits the rythm. Of course I try it once in a while (mostly when my parents aren`t there because my singing is awfully awful), but this set apart it`s okay.

Step 7: Try it!
I try it first, following the French lyrics with the English song, trying not to switch constantly between the two languages. I think the contractions so that it goes well, and when needed I just add up one or two syllabus if needed (just enough to make not too much change) and if I finish it without any changes, then "tourlou!" It`s finished!

Step 8: Voilà!
I just have to post it on the forum. At first I was posting them on an European forum but now also English-speaking people will discover them. Sounds difficult but this can work for any song. The main step is to know both French and English at your best. Of course I gotta sacrifice a joke once in a while but the way I say other things make up other jokes. That`s the fun of translating.
"So I went in my garaage, got in my care
And I drived, talking with my blue teeth
My boyfreind told me don't cree
Come to my houss, don't worraye,
we'll talk about this togeedurr."
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Post by weird_el »

Couldn't Midnight Star be L'Etoile de Minuit?
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TMBJon
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Post by TMBJon »

Sounds like a really interesting process.

El, he said he wanted to keep "Midnight Star" since it was about an ostensibly existing publication which would be an English proper noun.
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
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JCM
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Post by JCM »

Wait, did you say you use two sheets of paper to translate one song? Instead of using front and back? Do you know how many trees you're killing? :x:

Also, I have to see the language of humor clash with the language of love.
How old was that last signature? I mean, really?
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Mashed Potato
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Post by Mashed Potato »

Hahaha les titres sont vraiment drole!

J'ai hate a voir ca! :whoot:
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Iamabrawler
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Post by Iamabrawler »

JCM @ October 06, 2009 06:15 pm wrote: Wait, did you say you use two sheets of paper to translate one song? Instead of using front and back? Do you know how many trees you're killing? :x:

Also, I have to see the language of humor clash with the language of love.
Well, usually I still use two sheets of paper, some songs are long. I`d rather use two sheets right away than losing the sheet #2.

Anyway, yesterday before leaving the computer I had enough time to type eBay (which is not my biggest success) and also Midnight Star.

Language of love? Uh... You never heard François Pérusse`s Vive l`Amour. If you want to learn French insults, you`re in for a huge lesson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9qA6F0fiY8&feature=fvw I dunno which anime they used for the clips.
And the quebecer version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFleVYHK ... re=related "ai-je entendu quelques mots anglais?" Yep.
"So I went in my garaage, got in my care
And I drived, talking with my blue teeth
My boyfreind told me don't cree
Come to my houss, don't worraye,
we'll talk about this togeedurr."
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Iamabrawler
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Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:57 am
Location: Somewhere in Quebec

Post by Iamabrawler »

Now I`m bored, so I`ll just add the first song, as a preview. I must say that it`s not my best one (I think Genius in France is my translated masterpiece) but for a very first it`s okay.

The rythming isn`t equal everywhere but don`t forget to say "j`veux" (one) instead of "je veux" (two), it`s always a little trick to get used to, but after a short while it goes easy.

1.J`vais te poursuivre
Translated from: I`ll Sue Ya
Notes: As said earlier, not my best one. Though it`s a good start, I hope I`ll reach 40. Impossible are you saying? After thinking about it, I have found two or three lines for about 10 more Weird Al songs (I`ll put that in the To-Do List).

J`poursuis Taco Bell, car j`ai mangé 500,000 Chaloopas et j`ai grossi
J`poursuis Panasonic, car dans leur micro-ondes j`ai fait sécher mon animal de compagnie
J`poursuis EarthLink, car je les ai appelés et ils ont osé me planter là
J`poursuis Starbucks car j`ai échappé un frappuccino sur moi, et c`était froid
J`poursuis ToysRUs, car j`ai avalé une Nerfball, et j`ai bien failli mourir
J`poursuis Petko, car j`ai mangé un sac de litière à chat, et ça me fait souffrir
J`poursuis Coca-Cola yo, car j`ai mis mon doigt dans la bouteille, et c`est resté coincé
J`poursuis Delta Airlines, ils m`ont vendu un billet pour le New Jersey, j`ai été, c`était nul à c****!

Si tu m`oublies à un rencart
Si tu me livres ma pizza trente secondes en retard
J`vais te poursuivre, suivre, ouais j`vais te poursuivre
Pour-suivre, trouve-toi un bon avocat
J`vais te poursuivre, suivre, ouais j`vais te poursuivre
Hé ouais, j`vais te poursuivre toi!

J`poursuis Duracell, ils m`ont pas dit de pas me fourrer leurs 2A dans le nez!
J`poursuis Home Depot, car ils m`ont vendu un marteau que je me suis échappé sur le pied
J`poursuis Dell Computers, car j`ai pris un bain avec mon ordi, et il est brisé
J`poursuis Fruit of the Loom, car quand je porte leurs bobettes sur la tête, j`ai l`air d`un attardé!
J`poursuis Verizon, car je dois payer quand mon portable est en mode « roaming »
J`poursuis Colorado, car je trouve qu`il ressemble un peu trop au Wyoming
J`poursuis Norman Marcus, car ils mettent leurs décorations de Noël bien trop hors saison
J`poursuis Ben Affleck… … …awwww, est-ce qu`il me faut une raison?

Si je me casse le genou en plein vol à l`étalage
Si je me brise les jointures quand je te frappe au visage
J`vais te poursuivre, suivre, ouais j`vais te poursuivre
Pour-suivre, trouve-toi un bon avocat
J`vais te poursuivre, suivre, ouais j`vais te poursuivre
Pour-suivre, hé ouais, j`vais te poursuivre toi!

J`vais te poursuivre
J`vais prendre tout ton argent
J`vais te poursuivre
Si tu me regardes bizarrement (X4)

J`vais te poursuivre
Hahahahaha
J`vas te poursuivre
Hein, kessé qu`t`en penses?
J`vais te poursuivre
Hahahahaha
Surprise!
J`vais te poursuivre!


Other notes about weird words:
rencart: French European name for a date.
kessé: "qu`est-ce" in Quebecer.

For the need of it I often mix Quebecer and Europe French, mostly special words that we find in either language but not in the two. Like slang words from Quebec and France, in a way.
"So I went in my garaage, got in my care
And I drived, talking with my blue teeth
My boyfreind told me don't cree
Come to my houss, don't worraye,
we'll talk about this togeedurr."
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TMBJon
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Post by TMBJon »

Amazing!!!! Very well done!
One question - what is the curse word you had to censor out???
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
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