An unexpected effect of listening to music through my computer’s speakers is a better stereo image than I’m used to. That’s how I noticed for the first time that Loituma’s joyously goofy song Ievan polkka has four vocal parts, not three: the female lead and the male accompaniment are in the center, with two female voices, singing almost but not quite the same part, in the wings. (Maybe it’s one woman singing the same part twice but adlibbing.)
If any of you understand Finnish, by the way, I’d love to have a transcription and a translation.
Ok my english isn’t so good but I’ll try to explain the song.
Ievan polkka is all about sex. It’s also a lovestory. A yong man makes love to an old woman’s daughter who is singing religious songs in the next room. Old woman is in denial about the fact that her daughter is now becoming a woman, who is having several men “laskempa vieraan laiasta laitaa” and tries to not to hear her daughters noises in the other room. In the end of the song a man saves the daughter from shame and asks to marry the daughter.
The lyrics leave all modern “britneys” and “janet jacksons” look like nuns. The song is something that would be banned in the hippocratic usa.
thank you! so is Ieva the name of the daughter, or what?
Hi, Anton!
Look here for english translation: http://www.music.ucsb.edu/classes/musc175_f05/loitumalyrics.htm
Watch Loituma perform it live: http://www.tvfolk.net/artistVideo.php?ID=420&resolution=high
If you want so see more than just the live performance visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvVBCNcL_A&search=loituma