Even if you don't speak a foreign language, I'm sure you hear a French speaker and know, "that sounds like French". Same goes for many other languages. But have you ever wondered how English sounds to a non-English speaker? In 1972, Italian singer songwriter Adriano Celentano released the song Prisencolinensinainciusol comprised entirely of Italian nonsense words that sound uncannily like English would, if you couldn't understand the words. And now thanks to the mahic of YouTube, you can hear the song along with its gloriously funky music video:
It kinda sounds like Bob Dylan singing the Black Keys, but with words that are almost, but not quite, identifiable. Now for the mind-blowing part: watch the same video again, but this time with subtitles provided by YouTube user emeryemery:
It's like someone slipped a Babel Fish into your ear. It's the same song, and the same Italian words, but now the words are suddenly comprehensible English ... still nonesense, but definitely worlds. It's quite the mind-twist. It's kind of the same effect as the Bad Lip Reading videos, where perfectly ordinary speeches by politicians get converted into nonsense.
That's all for this week. Enjoy your weekend!
"comprised entirely of Italian worlds [sic] that sound uncannily like English would, if you couldn't understand the words".
Actually not! Good ol' Adriano just made a song with complete nonsense words: they are not Italian, they just sounds like what English sounds to an Italian.
Also related (from ~9:00 on): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_jwq9ph8k
Posted by: nico | April 06, 2012 at 12:23
Thanks for the info, nico! Obviously I'm not an Italian speaker :). I've updated the post above.
Posted by: David Smith | April 06, 2012 at 12:26
If it seems familiar, this might be why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpX_WGkbcnE
Posted by: Matt Frost | April 06, 2012 at 14:02
The song is cool. I did not understand the lyrics completely. It's cool to hear the sound of the English Language when you don't understand it.
Posted by: Jester Freeman | April 15, 2012 at 22:38