Edit: sadly, the band ALFORNA has split up, and one of the songs that I originally posted, has been removed from Youtube. The other song is still there, so I leave this post.
Many students complain that when they visit a foreign country, they can’t understand a word, even if they have learned the language.That’s normal, as (especially in the beginning) you learn easy sentences, for example, basic standard German. In real life, however, language evolves, and we’re adding new words, filler words, dialects, etc … That’s what makes a language interesting.
Last week I felt like one of these language learners. I came across Alforna, a Thrash Metal band from Austria. Listening to some of their music I notice that two songs were not in English. ‘Oooh, they’ve got German songs’, I thought … except I didn’t understand a single word. You may – of course – argue, that they are a Thrash Metal band, where you don’t need to understand the lyrics 😉
But I wanted to know. So I contacted them and they sent me the lyrics ….. and I still didn’t really understand them! It wasn’t German, it was Tyrolean!
Alforna is from Kufstein in Tyrol, and in Tyrol they have their own dialect, which is different to the Austrian language. Anybody who would want to go to Austria and be able to communicate, would need to learn German and then, when there, learn those words/ phrases which are different to standard German. But Tyrolean is like a different language. There is even a German – Tyrolean dictionary! Have a look at it. Do you recognise any words?
As for Alforna’s music, If you’re not a Thrash Metal fan you have my permission to leave this blog post. If, however, you do like a bit of Heavy Metal, enjoy the two Tyrolean Thrash Metal songs (with lyrics). Let me know if you understood any of the lyrics. After reading them several times I now understand most of it 😉
Ma soi net toan des was de Ondan sogn,ma kimb ja eh söwa drauf
und wenn´s sie sieß scho eibütn,dann soin se sieß gfälligst söwa toa
Ma soi noch Vorn und net noch Hintn schaun,von vorn do kimb wos auf di zua,
und wenn du net gscheit aufpasst donn konns da passiern daß amoi gscheit krocht.
Wos Gestern wor des bringt da nix schau vieri
wei fia des wos gwen is du Morgn nix mehr kriagst.
Dawei worn scho de Ondan do wo bei dir no Gestan wor
und de fia di nix mehr übrig lassn.
schau vieri …………ned zrugg..
Str. Ma soi net toan des was de Ondan sagn,ma kimb ja eh söwa drauf
und wenn´s sie sieß scho eibütn,dann soin se sieß gfälligst söwa toa
Ma soi noch Vorn und net noch Hintn schaun,von vorn do kimb wos auf di zua,
und wenn du net gscheit aufpasst donn konns da passiern daß amoi gscheit krocht.
Ref. Jo wei wos Gestern wor des bringt da nix schau vieri
wei fia des wos gwen is du Morgn nix mehr kriagst.
Dawei worn scho de Ondan do wo bei dir no Gestan wor
und de fia di nix mehr übrig lassn.
schau vieri …………ned zrugg..
Drauf gschiss´n
—— wos Gestern woar des bringt da nix schau vieri
wei fia des wos gwen is du Morgn nix mehr kriagst.
Dawei won scho de Ondan do wo bei dir no Gestern wor
und de fia di nix mehr übrig lassn.
schau vieri …………ned zrugg..
ned zrugg
ned zrugg
ned zrugg