A Thai Pop Song

[howeird]

I've mentioned before that there's a Thai woman singer named Ploy whose work I enjoy a lot. Ploy is Thai for "Gem" or "Jewel". The first album of hers I bought is called Worm Eye's View (sic), and has quite a few catchy numbers. Thinking about them on the ride home from work today, it dawned on me that the reason I like her songs is they not only have catchy tunes, the lyrics are at about a 3rd grade level, so I can understand most of them.

There are two I like best. One is called "Dee Muan-gahn" which translates as "mutually good". We don't have an exact analog in English, which is a shame because it's a very happy phrase. The way you would use it is like this:

You are happy to see your SO, so you tell him/her/it you feel Dee Muan-gahn. "Dee" means "good" and "Muan" means "the same" or "equal to" and "gahn" makes it into an adjective. Another way to use it is someone says they fell good, you say you feel Dee Muan-gahn. And it implies you feel that way because the other person is there, or the other person is happy.

The other song I like for the contrast between the snappy tune and the message. Ploy has a very perky voice when she sings upbeat tunes, so the punch line comes like an O. Henry twist-at-the-end story. Here's a [very] rough translation:

Some people like to go see a movie
Some like looking at flowers
Some sit and watch TV

Some folks like to go to Siam*
Some folks like to swim
Some folks like to buy a CD

Who will go along which road
They'll do whatever is their story
They'll do whatever they will do, but
I like reading a book.

Some folks like to go plant rice
Some like to drink water
Some like to play soccer

Some folks like to go shopping
Some folks like to play chess
Some would rather sleep

Who will go along which road
They'll do whatever is their story
They'll do whatever they will do, but
I like reading a book.

I'd like to be near the sky
When you read a book
Then the world is small

Sometimes I'm a teacher
Or a cowboy or a doctor
Or I can be a chemist

I can try to be a soldier
Or a fisherman in the water
Or a bird in the sky

Who will go along which road
They'll do whatever is their story
They'll do whatever they will do, but
I like reading a book.

* Siam Square - a big shopping/entertainment complex

Comments

[peace-corps-grl.livejournal.com]

This is going to sound strange. But is there anyway you could e-mail me some Thai MP3s? My students have to do a presentation and we are in need of some good Thai music.

[howeird]

Sure, I can do that. I see you have a gmail account, so they should fit into your mailbox okay.