Como o Macaco Gosta de Banana; José Cid

As the monkey likes banana, I like you! This is the translation of the title and the chorus of the song composed by this Portuguese singer born in Chamusca, Santarém. His musical style varies between pop music and progressive rock, passing by love ballads. Cid became internationally known after the recording of his opera-rock album “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus and Marte” in 1978. This album got the amazing feat of being between the “100 best progressive rock albums of all time” by Billboard magazine. But, as might be expected, it had mediocre sellings.

Quite different from the songs from his ‘78 concept album, “Como o Macaco...” is turned over to the general public, since it is quite crude and simple in all aspects. Cid revealed twice that he regretted having written this song, the first one in the “Jornal de Notícias” and the second in the dominical magazine “Pública”, both from Portugal:

“Há frases de que se arrependa?
Uma única: ‘Como um macaco gosta de banana eu gosto de ti’.”

This song was released as a single in 1982. According to some blogs and news sites, it had some little success in Australia and South Africa. In Brazil it has been covered by the band “João Penca e Seus Miquinhos”, which was as much or less successful as the remake.

A minha palmeira é muito porreira, eu sei
Mas no meu deserto tu foste o oásis que achei
Tu ficas louquinha quando tiro a casca à banana
Ficas tão tontinha que a tua cauda abana

Como o macaco gosta da banana eu gosto de ti (de banana!)
Escondi um cacho debaixo da cama e comi, comi (de banana!)
Minha macaca gira e bacana, o teu focinho é que não me engana
Pois se a macaca gosta da banana tu gostas de mim
Como o macaco gosta da banana eu gosto de ti

Um orangotango transformou um Tango num Rock
É a nova moda que põe Portugal em amok
Quem foi ao ataque foi o chimpanzé e o saguini
Minha macaquinha, estão apanhadinhos por ti

Como o macaco gosta da banana eu gosto de ti (de banana!)
Escondi um cacho debaixo da cama e comi, comi (de banana!)
Minha macaca gira e bacana, o teu focinho é que não me engana
Pois se a macaca gosta da banana tu gostas de mim
Como o macaco gosta da banana eu gosto de ti

Walk Like an Egyptian; The Bangles

“Walk Like an Egyptian” is the first song from The Bangles to reach #1 on the charts around the world. It did it in U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Australian, Dutch and German Singles Chart, reaching 2nd and 3rd places in many other countries. According to Wikipedia, it was the first song of an all-women band that peaked the Billboard’s top.

Songfacts stated that the “songwriter Liam Sternberg wrote this. He got the idea when he was on a ferry boat, and saw people struggling to keep their balance. The way they held out their arms and jerked around made it look like they were doing Egyptian movements, and if the boat moved suddenly, they would all topple over.”

But The Bangles’ girls didn’t like to play this song. One of the reasons was that “Walk Like an Egyptian” was a cover, not theirs. Another reason is that it supposed to be just a fun song and not a top hit. We can see this in an interview for PopEntertainment.com:

“‘I was coming from the point of view of a songwriter,’ admits singer/guitarist Vicki Peterson. ‘I wanted to be given respect and recognition as [one]. I thought the band itself had a point of view and a voice and something to say that was being underestimated by our label. I kept looking to bands like R.E.M., who never went outside the band, really, to write. Maybe I’ve since learned that was not actually true. But, the perception was, it was the band’s voice. I wanted that for the Bangles.’

“Particularly weird was the number one smash ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’. The band had heard the demo sung by singer Marti Jones and thought it would be fun to record. But, suddenly, they were best known for the song that was a bit of a novelty. Their fourth single, ‘Walking Down Your Street’ was the Hoffs composition and became a minor success. Then as a soundtrack single for the movie Less Than Zero, the group recorded Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’, which just missed hitting the top spot.”

Well, below I put the original videoclip in which Debbi Peterson pretends to be whistling when there is a synthesizer doing it.

All the old paintings on the tombs
They do the sand dance dont you know
If they move too quick (oh whey oh)
Theyre falling down like a domino

All the bazaar men by the Nile
They got the money on a bet
Gold crocodiles (oh whey oh)
They snap their teeth on your cigarette

Foreign types with the hookah pipes say
Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh
Walk like an egyptian

The blonde waitresses take their trays
They spin around and they cross the floor
Theyve got the moves (oh whey oh)
You drop your drink then they bring you more

All the school kids so sick of books
They like the punk and the metal band
When the buzzer rings (oh whey oh)
They're walking like an egyptian

All the kids in the marketplace say
Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh
Walk like an egyptian

(whistling)

Slide your feet up the street bend your back
Shift your arm then you pull it back
Life is hard you know (oh whey oh)
So strike a pose on a cadillac

If you want to find all the cops
Theyre hanging out in the donut shop
They sing and dance (oh whey oh)
Spin the clubs cruise down the block

All the japanese with their yen
The party boys call the kremlin
And the chinese know (oh whey oh)
They walk the line like egyptian

All the cops in the donut shop say
Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh
Walk like an egyptian
Walk like an egyptian

Music; Gigi D’Agostino

Gigi D’Agostino is one of the most famous Italian DJ of all time. He shares with Benny Benassi the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa of the electronic music. But how he has a song with whistling, he’s my favorite of both. uhuhu

“Music” is a song from D’Agostino’s 1999 album, L’Amour Toujours. In that same album there is one of him best known songs, the eponymous “L’Amour Toujours (I’ll Fly With You)”.

Because the name of the song has been impossible to find out about it. When I type “music” has a lot of information related to the “dance music” and nothing about the tune in question. Too bad...

I've got to kind of learn the music
Music, music, music
Music, music, music
Music, music, music

Holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence
'Cause when I'm holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence

Holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence
'Cause when I'm holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence

Never leave his side
Never leave his side
Never leave his side
In silence

Never leave his side
Never leave his side
Never leave his side
In silence

I've got to kind of learn the music
Music, music, music
Music, music, music
Music, music, music

Holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence
'Cause when I'm holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence

Holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence
'Cause when I'm holding your hands
I can feel it's love and I am falling in silence

Never leave his side
Never leave his side
Never leave his side
In silence

Never leave his side
Never leave his side
Never leave his side
In silence

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard; Paul Simon

The reason I didn’t update “Me and Julio…” yet is that I was seeking for a decent videoclip and didn’t find it. Well, finally I did. So, let’s go to the introdutions!

“Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” was composed by the genial Paul Simon in 1971, one year after his breakup with Art Garfunkel, and released on his first solo album, the eponymous “Paul Simon”, ‘72. There is a lots of speculations about the meaning of the crime that the protagonist and Julio realized in the schoolyard. Asked what “Mama Pajama” means, Simon has stated in a interview for the Rolling Stone magazine that "I have no idea what it is... Something sexual is what I imagine, but when I say ‘something’, I never bothered to figure out what it was. Didn’t make any difference to me”.

Paul Simon made a videoclip for it in 88. I am posting this official one and a great performance in a live show. Beyond these, ‘cause I’m very generous, I’m giving to you the link of a Sesamo Street episode in which he sang with the kids. Enjoy it!

The mama pajama rolled out of bed
And she ran to the police station
When the papa found out he began to shout
And he started the investigation
Its against the law
It was against the law
What the mama saw
It was against the law

The mama looked down and spit on the ground
Everytime my name gets mentioned
The papa said oy if I get that boy
Im gonna stick him in the house of detention
Well Im on my way
I dont know where Im going
Im on my way

Im taking my time
But I dont know where
Goodbye to rosie the queen of corona
See you, me and julio
Down by the schoolyard
See you, me and julio
Down by the schoolyard
Me and julio down by the schoolyard

In a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest
Come to get me released
We was all on the cover of newsweek
And Im on my way
I dont know where Im going
Im on my way

Im taking my time
But I dont know where
Goodbye to rosie the queen of corona
See you, me and julio
Down by the schoolyard
See you, me and julio
Down by the schoolyard
Me and julio down by the schoolyard

Ce Jeu; Yelle

From September to October, from Mexico to France. And from France, Yelle.

Yelle is the name of a french electropop band or a pseudonym of the singer who leads the trio, Julie Budet, formed also by GrandMarnier and Tepr, I don’t know. “Porquoi Yelle? Je m’appele Julie, donc aucun rapport! Ça vient de Yel, pour enjoy your life. On l’a féminisé en rajoutant un “e”, parce cue Yel était déjà le nom d’un groupe belge…”

In her debut album from 2007, it’s the song “Ce Jeu”, which moreover became a single in 2008, peaking #15 in the radios of the France.

They are saying she has a Kate Perry’s style and look, but I can’t stop to think she’s more like a French Gwen Stefani.

Fou et telemement evident
Que je n'trouve plus de sens
A ce jeu excitant
Si bon mais si lassant
Tu aimes me manipuler
Et j'aime en faire autant
Nous sommes tout deux victime
De ce doux jeu d'amants

Je f'rais l'effort, je te connais par coeur
Il suffit que je t'ignore
Pour que tu revienne en pleure
Je m'occupe de toi
Tu repars c'est ça
Toujours le même schéma
Et j'anticipe a chaques foi

Fou et telemement evident
Que je n'trouve plus de sens
A ce jeu excitant
Si bon mais si lassant
Tu aimes me manipuler
Et j'aime en faire autant
Nous sommes tout deux victime
De ce doux jeu d'amants

Passion, émotion
Et correction d'équations
J'agite la solution
Mais j'ai toujours la même sensation
C'est telement evident
Que je ne trouve plus de sens
A ce jeux excitant
Si bon mais si lassant

Je ne veux pas d'un amour sans faille
Trop parfait tu ne m'interresse pas
Folle de toi surtout quand tu pars
Fou de moi j'y vais de ce pas

Fou et telemement evident
Que je n'trouve plus de sens
A ce jeu excitant
Si bon mais si lassant
Tu aimes me manipuler
Et j'aime en faire autant
Nous sommes tout deux victime
De ce doux jeu d'amants

Je me perd parfois
Souvent c'est bien fait
Et tu caches ta joie
Parce que tu m'a eu
Comme une proie bête et gentille
Qui ne tire pas d'leçons
Du piége grossier et facile
D'un charmant garçon

Mais c'est vraiment trop facile
Des qu'tu sourie tu m'fascine
Comme un aimant sur un fil de fer
Tendue et abile
Mais c'est vraiment trop facile,
C'est ma pomme qui te fascine
Je tourne le dos pour partir
Tu sais qu'elle n'est pas acide.

Fou et telemement evident
Que je n'trouve plus de sens
A ce jeu excitant
Si bon mais si lassant
Tu aimes me manipuler
Et j'aime en faire autant
Nous sommes tout deux victime
De ce doux jeu d'amants