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Quiz about To Latvia and Back Found in Translation

To Latvia and Back - Found in Translation Quiz

Lyrics English -> Latvian -> English using an online translator...Easy target? Probably. Original idea? Absolutely not. Funny? Darn tootin'! No obscure songs appear in this quiz, and no Latvians were harmed in its production.

A multiple-choice quiz by ing. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
ing

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
311,139

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
1359

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Before being translated into Latvian and back into English, which ABBA song did the following lyrics begin life as part of?

"...you can jive, there is see of huskys of your life/
this girl, looks after this scene, buries a queen dances/

Friday night and lungs is a low/
x-raying out of for place to go/
in what them in a gap the correct music, reaches in oscillation/" Hint

"Dancing Queen"

"Waterloo"

"Fernando"

"Knowing Me, Knowing You"

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. After "the treatment" of being translated into Latvian and back into English, Bryan Adams sounds a little something like this:

"...you hold my comin' back for anymore/
kid you are all that I want/
when you are lyin' here in [my] hands/
I am findin' exactly hardness to suppose/
we are in sky/"

Which of his songs does this selection grace? Hint

"Cuts Like a Knife"

"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"

"Summer of '69"

"Heaven"

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Like I could do this sort of translating into Latvian and back into English thing without The Beatles...but which of their songs are we destroying here?

"...Invent what you talk./
you can get exactly wrong and still you think that exactly there is alright./
Invent what I talk,/
we can decide exactly and gets exactly direct, whether in speech a decent night./
We can decide exactly,/
we can decide exactly./" Hint

"Fool on the Hill"

"We Can Work It Out"

"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"

"Penny Lane"

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The Beach Boys' lyrics tend to be pretty straight forward before being translated into Latvian and back into English, but after?

"The...east coast girls are hip/
me indeed those of hands styles they carry/
and southern girls with a road them in speech/
they hammer in me outside when I am down there/"

From which bouncy tune might that be? Hint

"Help Me Rhonda"

"California Girls"

"Little Deuce Coupe"

"Good Vibrations"

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Imagine the syrupy but oh so sensual sax which accompanies these Billy Joel words after being translated into Latvian and back into English:

"Not carry out replacement, to try and please me/
you never drop me before/
not present you are too known/
and me not see you anymore/
I am necessary not to abandon you in time of troubles/
we never can be this distant/
I took the decent times, me who take ill the bad times/
me who take ill you only road you are/"

What did Billy think this song was called? Hint

"We Didn't Start the Fire"

"Piano Man"

"Just The Way You Are"

"My Life"

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Elton John loves dressing up, but who is he translating into Latvian and back into English and saying he is here?

"And I think exactly are gonna to be spirit, long time/
'sesame land carries me 'round from new to find/
I am not man them mentally I am in houses/
oh, no, no, no/" Hint

"Daniel"

"Candle in the Wind"

"Tiny Dancer"

"Rocket Man"

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. If you thought I was above translating U2 - one of the biggest bands in the world - into Latvian and back into English, you are of course wrong:

"I wait for you/
hand adroitness and bed of fate/
twist on nails it pins me to expect/
and I expect....without you/"

How does Bono whine this one? Hint

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

"With or Without You"

"Where the Streets Have No Name"

"Angel of Harlem"

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Paul Simon is surely one of the poets of popular music, even after being translated into Latvian and back into English.

"When you have tired, sensible a bit,/
when tears are in your eyes, me who dry ill them fully;/
I am on your edge. When times reach rough/
and friends only can be not found.../"

Who could ever forget this song...but which song? Hint

"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"

"Mrs Robinson"

"I Am a Rock"

"Bridge Over Troubled Water"

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. David Bowie's lyrics can be a little tricky to get; who knows, translating them into Latvian and back into English might even help:

"I [got] an ear from soil control/
oh no, in not speech is exactly correct/

They got from of reports action man/
'I am a lucky person, hopes you are lucky persons also/
there is loved me and I am necessary love'/
Opposite following of details/"

Did it help - which song do these words come from? Hint

"Ashes to Ashes"

"Modern Love"

"Let's Dance"

"Heroes"

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Elvis never sounded so good as when he'd been translated into Latvian and back into English:

"When they talked to you were extraordinary classified,/
well, that it was only taradiddles./
When they talked to you were extraordinary classified,/
well, that it was only taradiddles.../"

Which of Mr Presley's songs is full of taradiddles? Hint

"Hound Dog"

"Suspicious Minds"

"Can't Help Falling in Love"

"Heartbreak Hotel"

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Before being translated into Latvian and back into English, which ABBA song did the following lyrics begin life as part of? "...you can jive, there is see of huskys of your life/ this girl, looks after this scene, buries a queen dances/ Friday night and lungs is a low/ x-raying out of for place to go/ in what them in a gap the correct music, reaches in oscillation/"

Answer: "Dancing Queen"

It started out like this, of course:

"you can jive, having the time of your life/
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the Dancing Queen/

Friday night and the lights are low/
Looking out for the place to go/
Where they play the right music, getting in the swing/"

I get the bit about "correct music, reaches in oscillation," and I love "buries a queen dances," but if anyone can tell me how we get from "having the time of your life" to "there is see of huskys of your life" I'll give them...well, nothing, but I'll be really impressed!

Acknowledgements are due to FT player hootch for the "Lost in Translation" Portuguese/Dutch/German quizzes in the same vein, and also to the ABC TV (Australia) music quiz show "Spicks and Specks," for their occasional English -> Japanese -> English lyrics segment, also called "Lost in Translation."

2. After "the treatment" of being translated into Latvian and back into English, Bryan Adams sounds a little something like this: "...you hold my comin' back for anymore/ kid you are all that I want/ when you are lyin' here in [my] hands/ I am findin' exactly hardness to suppose/ we are in sky/" Which of his songs does this selection grace?

Answer: "Heaven"

And who can honestly say they haven't wanted to put Bryan Adams through some sort of treatment at some time in their life? This little ditty comes from the early, credible part of his career, ie before he discovered how much money could be made from performing schmaltzy love themes for Hollywood blockbusters...

"...You keep me comin' back for more/
Baby you're all that I want/
When you're lyin' here in my arms/
I'm findin' it hard to believe/
We're in heaven/"

3. Like I could do this sort of translating into Latvian and back into English thing without The Beatles...but which of their songs are we destroying here? "...Invent what you talk./ you can get exactly wrong and still you think that exactly there is alright./ Invent what I talk,/ we can decide exactly and gets exactly direct, whether in speech a decent night./ We can decide exactly,/ we can decide exactly./"

Answer: "We Can Work It Out"

"...Think of what you're saying./
You can get it wrong and still you think that it's alright./
Think of what I'm saying,/
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night./
We can work it out,/
We can work it out./"

Is it any less funny for being kinda obvious? I don't think so. In some ways the closer the translation (without being exact, of course), the more the difference stands out. Like when you hold clothes of nearly the same colour together and get that flickering thing in your eyes. Hoity-toity, ain't we getting deep!

4. The Beach Boys' lyrics tend to be pretty straight forward before being translated into Latvian and back into English, but after? "The...east coast girls are hip/ me indeed those of hands styles they carry/ and southern girls with a road them in speech/ they hammer in me outside when I am down there/" From which bouncy tune might that be?

Answer: "California Girls"

"I elect them all can be California girls" - need I say more? Oh, except of course for

"Well east coast girls are hip/
I really dig those styles they wear/
And the southern girls with the way they talk/
They knock me out when I'm down there/"

5. Imagine the syrupy but oh so sensual sax which accompanies these Billy Joel words after being translated into Latvian and back into English: "Not carry out replacement, to try and please me/ you never drop me before/ not present you are too known/ and me not see you anymore/ I am necessary not to abandon you in time of troubles/ we never can be this distant/ I took the decent times, me who take ill the bad times/ me who take ill you only road you are/" What did Billy think this song was called?

Answer: "Just The Way You Are"

"Don't go changing, to try and please me/
You never let me down before/
Don't imagine you're too familiar/
And I don't see you anymore/
I wouldn't leave you in times of troubl/
We never could have come this far/
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times/
I'll take you just the way you are/"

It really is a very sweet love song. Who knows how many relationships could be saved if we could learn to say "me who take ill only road you are" to each other?

6. Elton John loves dressing up, but who is he translating into Latvian and back into English and saying he is here? "And I think exactly are gonna to be spirit, long time/ 'sesame land carries me 'round from new to find/ I am not man them mentally I am in houses/ oh, no, no, no/"

Answer: "Rocket Man"

All together now:

"I am rocket man/
rocket man, his fuse burns out high here only/"

Or the boring old way Elton sings it:

"And I think it's gonna be a long, long time/
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find/
I'm not the man they think I am at home/
Oh, no, no, no/
I'm a rocket man/
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone/"

7. If you thought I was above translating U2 - one of the biggest bands in the world - into Latvian and back into English, you are of course wrong: "I wait for you/ hand adroitness and bed of fate/ twist on nails it pins me to expect/ and I expect....without you/" How does Bono whine this one?

Answer: "With or Without You"

Really I'm a big U2 fan, I've seen them in concert and everything. It's just that I stopped listening after about 1990 when they really started to believe their own publicity. "With or Without You" is still one of the most beautifully bittersweet love songs I've ever heard, and Bono had such a way with words (remember when their songs actually had words?)

"I wait for you/
Sleight of hand and twist of fate/
On a bed of nails she makes me wait/
And I wait....without you/"

8. Paul Simon is surely one of the poets of popular music, even after being translated into Latvian and back into English. "When you have tired, sensible a bit,/ when tears are in your eyes, me who dry ill them fully;/ I am on your edge. When times reach rough/ and friends only can be not found.../" Who could ever forget this song...but which song?

Answer: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"

Surely it would be churlish of me to suggest that some "modern" songs sound like they might actually have been written in this translatory manner, for all the sense they make. But I've never been above pettiness, so that is exactly what I am suggesting!

Perhaps not Mr Simon's most poetic stanza, but not too shabby at that:

"When you're weary, feeling small,/
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;/
I'm on your side. When times get rough/
And friends just can't be found.../"

9. David Bowie's lyrics can be a little tricky to get; who knows, translating them into Latvian and back into English might even help: "I [got] an ear from soil control/ oh no, in not speech is exactly correct/ They got from of reports action man/ 'I am a lucky person, hopes you are lucky persons also/ there is loved me and I am necessary love'/ Opposite following of details/" Did it help - which song do these words come from?

Answer: "Ashes to Ashes"

By the way, when you do these translations, an occasional word doesn't translate back into English, so if you've seen square brackets appear, the word inside replaces a Latvian one.

Now, Mr Bowie would have it as:

"I heard a rumour from Ground Control/
Oh no, don't say it's true/

They got a message from the action man/
'I'm happy, hope you're happy too/
I've loved and I've needed love'/
Sordid details following/"

Personally I'm kinda loving "soil control."

10. Elvis never sounded so good as when he'd been translated into Latvian and back into English: "When they talked to you were extraordinary classified,/ well, that it was only taradiddles./ When they talked to you were extraordinary classified,/ well, that it was only taradiddles.../" Which of Mr Presley's songs is full of taradiddles?

Answer: "Hound Dog"

"When they said you was high classed,/
well, that was just a lie./
When they said you was high classed,/
well, that was just a lie.../"

Elvis has abandoned building...

Source: Author ing

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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