G&TV: Azzek Op Vakantie Gon Quickies Posted by Ian Symes on 20th June 2018, 20:23 Hello and welcome once again to G&TV. It’s a shorter than usual video this month, but an incredibly interesting, and ever so slightly surreal, one. Full credit must go to our very own Darrell, who recently discovered the existence of a cover version of The Chicken Song – the parody novelty single, with lyrics by Rob and Doug, which originated in Spitting Image and later reached number one in the UK charts – recorded by a Belgian band called De Strangers. After Darrell tweeted about this, Ben Baker then went and dug out the video… This performance, we’re informed by this Belgian website, took place on the 1st July 1986, less than a month after the original version vacated the top spot back home. It’s certainly fun to watch that familiar melody being belted out by eager middle-aged Belgians, but we’re not sure how much of Rob and Doug’s work survived alongside composer Philip Pope’s. De Strangers were a satirical group who (according to Dutch Wikipedia via Google Translate) usually took existing tunes and added their own Antwerp dialect lyrics. We did mange to find the lyrics online, but Google struggles to translate them, other than something mildly disconcerting about Arabs. I don’t suppose we have any native Antwerpians on hand to clarify? In the meantime, we’ll leave you with the cover art to the single, seared into your eyes forever. UPDATE (21/06/2018): We now have an English translation of the lyrics! And yes, we can confirm that they’re virtually unrecognisable from Rob & Doug’s version. Many thanks to Scarlet Nat for providing the translation. Every year again I prepare my suitcase I step in an aeroplane Because they won’t see me here anymore Most of the time the weather sucks here. I’m more than done with it all that coldness and wetness I want to be in Spain.. or otherwise with the Arabs doesn’t make a difference to me.. as long as it’s warmer than here. When I go on holiday I want sun every day because I like to profit from good weather I lay bronzed-burned on a deck chair on the beach Every day I feel a gentleman I’m like a millionaire Wearing my swimming trunks and my big sunglasses you should see me go there I do just what I want I’m having a blast with a Sangria in my hand That pleases me more than our hot tea at home. And you never here complaints here no nagging and pecking and I say every day I regret that I don’t live here. When I go on holiday I want sun every day because I amuse myself best with good weather I have here thankyouverymuch every day another love That’s for me as a bloke a piece of cake. Take the aeroplane don’t listen to Armand Pien (the weatherman) and have no fear Go to the south just like me throw that umbrella with the old winter coat Go then if possible to the sun, like everyone When I go on holiday I want sun every day because I like to profit from the good weather la la la la la..
I have only just realised that the bloke top left looks the spit of the pop-science journalist Ben Goldacre.
That is the most craply 80s single cover I’ve ever seen. It looks like one of my old French textbooks, which were already ancient when I used them in high school 11 years ago.
I’ve asked my three dutch friends what they make of it in translation. And you know what they say, sir: “if you’ve got three dutch friends, you’re a rich man”.
OK, next question. Does anyone have a decent voice, a microphone and an instrumental version of the track? We need to hear the English translation of the lyrics crammed in to the tune…
all that coldness and wetness the weather sucks here. I’m more than done with it I want to be in Spain.. or otherwise with the Arabs I want sun every day I lay bronzed-burned with a Sangria in my hand no nagging and pecking I want sun every day I want sun every day
Where the weather is brilliant I can fuck up some lyrics And nobody will care Unlike at home where they notice How brilliant it will be I can’t wait
The dutchies (passed on the left hand side) said that its hard dilect to understand for the dutch also. It’s a song about airplane and sangria drinks. “Chorus is something like this … When I go off on holiday I want all day sun because I profit yet so good of the good weather I am brownish On a lounger on the beach I’m feeling myself every day a millionaire” A song about living the highlife in the sun but being bored of it. I don’t think the reference to felling himself should be taken as a rude joke.
OK, next question. Does anyone have a decent voice, a microphone and an instrumental version of the track? We need to hear the English translation of the lyrics crammed in to the tune… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWVm8A-VQeY Microphone, Check, Kareoke link (see above). Decent V…. oooh. Fucking off now. Bye. Anyone else available? A frog with nodule disease that’s only in it’s early stages, would do.
The dutchies (passed on the left hand side) said that its hard dilect to understand for the dutch also. It’s a song about airplane and sangria drinks. “Chorus is something like this … When I go off on holiday I want all day sun because I profit yet so good of the good weather I am brownish On a lounger on the beach I’m feeling myself every day a millionaire” A song about living the highlife in the sun but being bored of it. I don’t think the reference to felling himself should be taken as a rude joke. A friend of mine already translated it :)
I’ve been watching Victoria Wood as Seen on TV because it’s one of the best sketch shows ever, and have just been reminded that The Chicken Song wasn’t the first comedy song whose lyrics mention a deckchair being put up somebody’s nose. VW performs a duet with Denis Lawson in episode 2 of the first series. It’s a song about a relationship that’s gone sour, and there’s a bit that goes like this: You know, since I teamed up with you There’s so much I’ve wanted to do Shove an old garden hose Up one side of your nose And maybe a deckchair too The episode first aired in January 1985, and the episode of Spitting Image in which The Chicken Song first appeared was broadcast the following year, so it’s entirely possible that Rob or Doug had heard ‘So Pissed Off With Love’ before they wrote their nonsense lyrics.
