Top 10 Non-English Favorites
A collection of non-English songs guaranteed to get stuck in your head.
Despite not speaking anything other than English, quite a few non-English songs have found their way into my all-time favorites over the years. Songs I’ve had on repeat, full-blast while on the train to work in the morning without a clue about what was actually being said.
On repeat, full-blast while on the train to work in the morning without a clue about what was actually being said…
I feel like this is one of the more pure ways to enjoy music — knowing hardly anything about the artist or what they’re singing about but still feeling something from it, even if it doesn’t match the lyrics.
Though to be fair, this isn’t uncommon even with songs that are in English, so I really don’t know what my point was, I had to write something. Anyway…
This is a list of 10(ish) songs [in approximate chronological order] — spanning multiple languages, decades, and genres — that I think anyone who loves music can appreciate, regardless of what language they speak. If you’ve liked anything I’ve posted in the past, I’m sure you’ll find an earworm or two here. Be sure to also check below for the Honorable Mentions and supplementary tracks not included on the Spotify playlist.
Ankhon Hi Ankon Mein - Geeta Dutt & Mohammed Rafi
I first heard this song while working at an Indian newspaper in NYC. They were really into old Bollywood songs (listening and singing) and every once in a while one of the melodies wafting over the cubicles would get stuck in my head. I’ve always found the way Indian singers bend and modulate notes to be intriguing, and there’s no shortage of that on this song. “Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Ishara Ho Gaya” is a song from the 1956 movie CID.
Geeta Dutt (23 November 1930 – 20 July 1972) was an Indian playback singer and famous Hindi and Bengali classical artist, born in Faridpur before the Partition of India. She’s considered as one of the best of all time among playback singers for Hindi films.
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent, notable for his versatility and range.
Bonnie and Clyde - Brigette Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg
I first heard this song on a random mixtape that got mixed in with my collection back when I was in high school. I didn’t even know who was singing it until well into my 20s — it was always just this song that reminded of a specific time growing up.
Written by Serge Gainsbourg, the song tells the story of the outlaw couple Bonnie and Clyde. It’s based on an English language poem written by Bonnie Parker herself a few weeks before she and Clyde Barrow were shot, entitled "The Trail's End".
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot (28 September 1934), is a former French actress, singer, and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the best known sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s.
Serge Gainsbourg (2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative and scandalous releases which caused uproar in France, dividing public opinion.
NOTE: It was a toss up between this song and "Un jour comme un autre"… but I’ve already mentioned that song in the Brazzaville post. So, “Bonnie & Clyde” it is, even though it’s the more well-known of the two.
Fai Yen - Ream Daranoi
Ream Daranoi (Thai: เรียม ดาราน้อย) is a singer from Thailand.
That's it. I couldn’t find any other information about her. If you happen to know anything else, leave a comment below.
I originally found this on a compilation called Sound of Siam, Vol 1 - Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975, which actually has a bunch of great songs on it, but this is my favorite.
Flowers on the Pond / 'Komping Pouy' - Ros Serey Sothea
Another song found on a compilation (Dengue Fever presents Electric Cambodia) by someone I can’t find very much information on.
Ros Serey Sothea (1948 – 1977) was a Cambodian singer active during the final years of the First Kingdom of Cambodia and into the Khmer Republic period. Despite a relatively brief career she’s credited with singing hundreds of songs and ventured into acting, starring in a few films.
Details of her life are relatively scarce. She disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime of the late 1970s. The circumstances of her fate remain a mystery, with multiple sources making contradictory claims. Whatever the cause, Sothea most likely died during the Khmer Rouge regime, though her remains have never been discovered.
Panik - Métal Urbain
I found this band while exploring the early years of electronic music. They were one of the first punk bands to use a synthesizer and drum machine, later influencing post-hardcore bands like Big Black.
In 1977, their first single "Panik" was named "Single of the week" by New Musical Express. They had an enthusiastic but small audience, and received little exposure outside of France. Lead singer Clode Panik left in December 1978, though the band continued to gig and record with Eric Debris on vocals until 1980.
Mera Pyrar Shalimar - Secret Chiefs 3
From their 2000 album Hurqalya: 2nd Grand Constitution and Bylaws. This is a remix/cover of the song “Mera Pyrar Shalimar” sung by Asha Bhosle and written by Rahul Dev Burman for the 1978 film Shalimar. The SC3 version is good, but there’s also something magical about the original version — especially paired with the visuals from the movie aaaand the good version gets deleted right after I posted this. Awesome. Oh well, here’s just an audio version for anyone who cares.
Carmensita - Devendra Banhart
I stumbled upon this while going down some random youtube rabbit hole. I knew nothing about Devendra Banhart, but the combination of Spanish lyrics with Indian mythology/imagery was captivating — the song was pretty catchy, too. It seems like he usually sings in English, but IMO, Spanish suits his voice better.
Devendra Obi Banhart (born May 30, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and visual artist born in Texas, and raised in Venezuela & California. In 2000 he dropped out of the San Francisco Art Institute to pursue a musical career. From 2007 to 2008, Banhart was romantically linked to actress Natalie Portman — who starred in the music video for "Carmensita", a cheeky homage to Hindu mythology and Bollywood in general.
Unter den Wolken - Sport
Sport is a German band from Hamburg. They’re described as “hard rock”, but beyond the crunchy guitars, this album is actually quite melodic and wouldn’t be out of place on a compilation of 2nd-half-of-the-90s alternative bands, even though it came out a decade later (2008). They seem to still be active in 2022, despite their bassist recently dying of cancer.
Las Nieves del Kilimanjaro - Trajano!
Trajano! was an art rock band from Madrid that broke up in 2019. I’m not sure why… all coverage of them just seems to stop and their Facebook post officially announcing it doesn’t give much insight either. They also seemed to go from a 4-piece to a 3-piece without explanation. Though, maybe because everything about them is in Spanish I’m missing out on something using online translators.
Their first album — “Antropología” — was actually recorded here in Brooklyn at the RubberTracks Studio in 2013 (NOTE: not actually sure what that was all about: RubberTracks is some weird culture incubator/native advertising project by Converse [owned by Nike] that seems to have pivoted to a more “urban” demo before quietly disappearing in 2017).
They’re another band that wouldn’t sound out of place on a compilation 10 years prior, along side bands like Interpol or Franz Ferdinand.
The song I actually wanted to use, but isn't on Spotify: “Árpád descansa” (2016)
Olimpo - Lois
Lois Brea’s post-Trajano! [lead vox, guitar] solo project from 2020... kind of a Jerry Paper or Mac DeMarco vibe to it, with a lo-fi approach to production. I like it, or at least this song.
Honorable Mentions (not included on the Spotify playlist)
The Partisan - Leonard Cohen
It's really good, one of my all-time favorites… but most of it is in English. Only the last verse is in French.
Vanish - Swarrrm
I assume it's Japanese, but it could literally be any language... or just gibberish. I can’t find any lyrics online. Plus, it's not on Spotify and they really don't have anything there I liked enough to substitute.
Flower Called Nowhere - Stereolab
Until I made this list, I seriously thought this song was in French. It wasn't something I listened to obsessively like other songs on this list, but I have listened to it at least, IDK, 100 times since the 90s and I never noticed that every single word of it is in English. Listening to it now after reading the lyrics I can't hear why I thought it was French. Whoops!