German punk anyone?

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sowhat
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Re: German punk anyone?

Post by sowhat »

Thanks a ton, Jeana. Now it really makes sense. I was wondering what on Earth had Yoko done to the poor elevator. :)
And yes, translation can sometimes be a huge pain in the lower parts cause some phrases and set expressions may not have exact equivalents in other languages.
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Re: German punk anyone?

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English has got to be the most punk of all languages. It follows no set rules, changes the meaning of words depending on context, and is by far the most corrupted with slang. Get a Scotsman, A Cockney, a New Yawker, Baaaston New Englander ,louisiana crawdad, midwest country boy, and a west coast surfer brah in the same room, and see what you get. :lol: :lol: :lol:

This doesn't even include the many kinds of people in America that barely speak any english, I feel sorry for anyone that has to learn this language, as it really doesn't make much sense as far as languages go.

I used to gig a lot in Europe, especially Germany, and people would always ask me about how their english sounded. I explained to them that we really didn't speak english in america, and not to be so worried if their grammer usage was correct. I explained to them that the english we speak here is like a hand grenade, as long as you get it in the general area, people will understand.

And then there are those who understand you perfectly, yet have no idea what you're talking about. Depending on your age, they are called either parents, or teenagers! :D
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Re: German punk anyone?

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whojamfan wrote:English has got to be the most punk of all languages. It follows no set rules, changes the meaning of words depending on context, and is by far the most corrupted with slang.
Mmmm, well, i'd say the same can be applied to Russian as well. Not to mention no set rules and "more exceptions than rules", slang, dialects, changes of meaning and even intonation that may change the meaning to the exact opposite, we also have much more curse words (which, as some state, taken together, make up another language) than there is in English. :twisted: Well, of course i may be missing some of them. :wink:
And perhaps the same can be applied to quite a few other languages, but since i am not a polyglot, i cannot say for sure.
A local joke, translated (the best i can).
Professor: There are languages in which double negation means negation. There are languages in which double negation means confirmation. But there's no language in which a double confirmation means negation.
Student (dryly): Oh yes, of course!
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Re: German punk anyone?

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:shock: I had no idea about the Russian language, so please forgive my ignorance. I do not know which language is harder, so I really can't make that judgement. I only know that English is a booger of a language, and have just learnt, so is Russian. Closest I ever came was Nadsat, but then after the Ludivico technique, I was cured! :twisted:

Sorry forgot to take my meds............. :roll: :D :roll:
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Re: German punk anyone?

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Well, some say Russian is very hard to learn and that English is more logical and economic, so to speak, and that's why it became the international language for business. But i think one has to know both to perfection to be able to judge which one is harder. There are lots of nuances in both that non-native speakers may not know or feel. And that may be applied to any language, i suppose.
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Re: German punk anyone?

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Aw, Russian can't be all that difficult, can it? I mean, look at all those little kids that can speak it living in St. Petersburg, or Moscow. :lol:

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Re: German punk anyone?

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jimk wrote:Aw, Russian can't be all that difficult, can it? I mean, look at all those little kids that can speak it living in St. Petersburg, or Moscow. :lol:

JimK
Two Russian tourists in Finland, looking at a three year old child talking to his Mom in Finnish — the young lad's speaking that language much better than they do. One of the tourists says to another:
— Hey, look, this guy's so small and yet a Finn already!
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Re: German punk anyone?

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Ugh out of all the languages... I'm pretty close to fluent in 3 (english, german, and spanish), English is the silliest. It's sentence structure is backwards from other languages. It's words are confusing. Do you know how long it took for me when I was learning it in Kindergarten to understand the difference between words such as ore, oar, and or. Also take words such as Bow. All spelt the same way, but it has 7 different meanings. Yeah a little confusing. I think it's purely the most widely used language because even if you speak it poorly most people still understand.

Also, I don't think it's the language so much that makes a song punk. I think English falls last in impressionable and remembered punk. For one reason. The anghst behind is often false. Most American kids who have been in a band and call themselves punk, so so and sing about life being tough because their parents don't understand them. Well duh. Welcome to life. However take Mexico, Germany, Russia, England, etc. Now these are kids who have grown up in environments and in lifes were tragedy is not simple being misunderstood. Tragedy and angst comes from repression of individuality, and conformity that for generations has been pushed onto them.

The second music has no meaning behind it is the second it loses everything that makes it what it is. Look at American bands such as Weezer or Green Day. Technically they started out falling into the punk genre of music. But then something happened. They started making money. And once your pockets are full of money it's kinda hard to be angry at the world isn't it.

American's have recently had tragedy in the current generation. But for the most part today we simply have no concept of it. Where as the rest of the world faces it constantly. And because it's so recent in many countries history they're more likely to pick up into the polotics effecting their countries, and to be more empathetic towards the politics and problems of other countries.

And afterall i think that's what defines great punk. It's a, angsty release of pressure. be it from hardships to political battles. right?
So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb.


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Re: German punk anyone?

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English falls in last in impressionable and remembered punk because the angst behind it is often false? Are you kidding me, all American tragedy is simply being "misunderstood", and American punks are only "faking toughness because their parents don't understand them?" What do you base that on?

I can't get political on this forum, or I would give you a list as long as your arm about oppression, injustice, and other valid human rights issues. There are many real tragedies and situations that provide plenty of fuel for even your "interpretation" of what punk is or should be. Are you one of those people who expects a band to play for free, and then call them a "sell out" if they get paid?

Where have you been to label a whole country as having angst that is often false? You say we have no concept of tragedy, again, where have you been to come to that conclusion?

Sorry, Mexico, Germany, Russia, and England do not own the franchise on unfortunate environments, and I find it offensive to imply that Americans are mainly just a bunch of posers. We have real problems just like everybody else, most of it is just covered up by the media.

The repression of individuality and conformity has been forced on us for generations, make no mistake. Hardships and political battles, we've never had any of those? Oh I wish I could get political, but I've agreed to abide by the rules of the forum.

I'm not trying to be mean spirited here, but I really feel the need to question your statements.
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Re: German punk anyone?

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Well, i think every language has its "goods" and "bads", and it is hard to say which one is "sillier" (or "smarter", or anything). As well as any country. We've all had our good and bad moments. Repression of individuality? As i see it now, from my own experience, "consumerism" policy can be as (if not more) effective in repression of individuality as the policy of restriction. I do not think American kids were in a much safer environment than us kids from ex-USSR (maybe the peculiarities of unsafety were different), and the description of Americans as "burgerheads" (sorry guys, no offence meant, just quoting an ex University mate) must be as far from the truth as the description of Russians as "permanently drunk polar bear riders".
However, even if it was 100 % true — do you remember Simon & Garfunkel's "Richard Cory"? Not a punk song but illustrates the point, imho. Personally i've never been rich but i do not think rich and satisfied cannot feel angry or willing to break or ruin something. Money as such doesn't make anyone happy or satisfied, happiness and satisfaction comes from the inside, not from pieces of paper or metal. Try eating too much sweets and you'll feel intoxicated and in need of a salted cucumber. But i think i've already mentioned that in some other thread.
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Re: German punk anyone?

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I suppose....well i know, that my opinion of american youth is biased. Well america in general. I was born here but when I started school didn't understand the difference between the english and the german I spoke so it was one language. And I grew up with a fully German name. SO people constantly asked me where I was from....and I've spent most of growing up telling people I was German, only to have them ask me if that meant I was a Nazi. And considering my family came here to escape that, and that an entire concentration camps list of exicuted peoples all share my last name, I grew up feeling the kids around me to be ignorant. And found it overflowed into their music and lifestyles. Also, having children of my own who are Mexican/German American, I have to face what my children so as well. So, when the kid down the street or the new up and coming punk band around here sings about causes and the problems of society, and I happen to know for a fact that he's livved here his entire life, and playing on his forth set of drums that his parent bought for him because they are the currently "in" drums, and will be leaving at the end of the night in the BMW or Mercedes that his Parents also bought for him...it tends to lose it's impact in my mind. But like I said...I know perfectly well I'm being biased.

And it doesn't apply to all Punk in America either. There are exceptions. Older punk bands. The first ones who came out I would count as exceptions to the rules. It's mostly just the younger ones coming out and working there way up. Or I shouldn't say working their way up. Most of the band anymore coming out of Portland are buying their way up. Which I suppose is my biggest irk. Becuase theirs guys who are okay paying to get their stuff out there because they come from money while there's these guys who are awesome, and they can't get there stuff out anywhere because they're working their butts off just to afford the day to day. maybe older people pick up on them, but teens anymore only care about what's cool, and what the mass population or money is telling them to do.

But as I said purely biased....anyways we're way off topic now, but...

A couple other german punk band to check out sheena would be Donots. They sing mostly in English but it still has that undercurrented accent of being spit on in German.
So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb.


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Re: German punk anyone?

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Very cute kid Jeana :D
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