‘Blew, away’ … God Hates Ireland … ¿Sabes que eres un gafudo de mierda? 29th of September, 2007 POST·MERIDIEM 09:10

Ora convivo con una’austriaca,
Abbiamo comprato un tinello marron
Ma la sera tra noi non c’è quasi dialogo
Io parlo male il tedesco, scusa, pardon,
Io non parlo il tedesco, scusami, pardon…

Paolo Conte is well known in Italy, and you’d recognise his ‘Via con me’ as a jazz standard (go watch that animated video if you speak some Spanish, it’s awesome). He mostly sings in Italian, but switches to English for stretches here and there perché è più cool.  And something that’s had me laughing today is his impressive incompetence at it in a song called ‘Blue Haway’ [sic]—not the lyrics above, they’re from another song which appealed to me because I identified with speaking German badly—where his attempt at a chorus goes ‘Blew, away, / I dreamin’ a dream / Just away / Dreamin’ a dream / Away, away, blew in far away / Blew away’. Awesome.

(Which is not to say I dislike him in general—my drinking and listening habits are those of a retired ex-military type, I’ve been told, and that I’m a huge fan of this seventy-year-old crooner is one more datum in support of that.)

In other good news, I learn that the old country has raised the ire of Fred Phelps, the well-known face of the worst-case-scenario for religious freedom; he and his Westboro Baptist Church picket funerals, theatres, pop concerts, American football games and الله knows what else, and write off their expenses for this against the tax they pay. If Phelps hates you, you’re doing something right.

Phrase of the day: ‘Cuatro ojos! Cuatro ojos! Capitán de los piojos’ is a schoolyard taunt in Spain directed at people wearing glasses.