Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Goombay Dance Band and Nicole: Germany Invades Britain ... With Cloying Folk Music!

Where Hitler failed, German '80s musicians succeeded.

While Kraftwerk may have brought the more modern side of German music to the British public, two other artists managed to bring the village hootenanny side of German music into the UK charts. According to Wikipedia, the Goombay Dance Band's music was "a mixture of Caribbean soca or calypso and western pop." Or, to put it another way, "Seven Tears" might be the "Fernando" of the '80s. Although I suppose it doesn't sound particularly "German," listening to this song, for whatever reason, makes me want to put on a pair of lederhosen and build a cuckoo clock.



By contrast, listening to Nicole's "A Little Peace," Germany's first Eurovision Song Contest winner, makes me want to frolic in a fresh, dew-covered meadow with the Von Trapp family. Seriously, where did they find this girl? Nicole is like the perfect vision of everlasting Aryan purity.



But, just as I'm about to blame Germany all over again for the slaughter of millions, the beatific sound of Nicole singing "I feel I'm a leaf in the November snow/I fell to the ground, there was no one below/ So now I am helpless, alone with my song/Just wishing the storm was gone" fills my ears and makes me forgive all. Oh Germany, how can I stay mad at you?

2 comments:

Herr Zrbo said...

For 'Ein Bisschen Frieden' I like how the crowd applauds each time she switches languages as if it were some impressive feat of gymnastics.

Also, I feel that Eurovision reminds me of American Idol. You'd think that the competition would create a situation in which the best song would move to the front (or in Idol's case, the best singer). Instead it seems to bring the broadest, blandest talent to the front. I've yet to hear a Eurovision (or Idol) winner that wasn't a bore. Well, Kelly Clarkson is alright.

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