Finnish is a bit of an oddity language wise. Most European languages have the same root, and therefore have a lot of similarities, but Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian and a bunch of minority languages spoken only in rural Russia have taken a separate path. This lovely picture demonstrates these connections.
This difference really hits home when it comes to vocabulary. Because of Britain's long history of immigration our vocabulary isn't a million miles from that of the Spanish or French or German. The inconsiderate Finnish forefathers however didn't bother to visit back when it was all the rage and now, 1000 years later, I find myself with endless lists of completely alien vocabulary to memorise. The problem is that you can't just hit and hope like you can with Spanish; you either know the word or you don't and that means learning them. All of them.
Normally I'm not a big fan of cover versions. They are usually about as interesting as karaoke night and generally indicate that the artist has:
a) run out of ideas
b) sold out
c) fallen in love with the sound of their own voice so much that they think their boring karaoke versions are worth bothering us with
d) all of the above
There are exceptions of course. Stevie Wonder blows this one out of the water
And Wilson Pickett and Duane Allman do the same here.
Ouch!
However. I do have a soft spot for foreign-language covers. Everyone has a copy somewhere deep in their computer of Seu Jorge singing Bowie covers. Of course you do, they're great. There's something wonderfully exotic yet accessible about a song you recognise filled with strange words.
Finland has a great selection of cover versions. Listen to the radio long enough and you'll hear them, they play them all the time. I've managed to scramble to my phone and catch a few on Shazam. Here are my Top 3.
My Finnish isn't good enough yet to understand the lyrics. I'll probably go off them when it is. Anyway, if these songs have terribly offensive lyrics in them then I apologise.
Number 1. Let's not mess around. Straight in at number 1 this sexy gem from Markku Aro. Go play it to your wife/significant other and thank me later.
Number 2. Tumppi & Problems? Love old school punk? Love this.
Number 3. Replacing Tom Waits Neigh-Bour-Hood with the name of Helsinki's hippest drinking area, Kal-Li-O, Sir Elwoodin hiljaiset (is that a real knighthood?).
