I would like to be a fish

When I was volunteering as a speaker in a non-profit radio in Italy i had this program in which I would speak about the lyrics of the songs. Some Big hits (sometimes the biggest) have no sense at all. But one of the things that always bothered me is when the meaning of the song is obvious and nobody seems to pay attention. Mothers, little kids singing or humming along. Why? How can you sing when you don’t know what are you singing about? If you like to sing a song don’t you like to know what are you singing? But the thing that really bothers me is that not only usually people don’t share the point of view or the message the song is sending. Most of the times they do not even know what the message is, or if there is any. Is there any sense in songs like:

Mum mum mum mah/Mum mum mum mah/I wanna hold em' like /they do in Texas Plays/Fold em' let em' hit me raise it baby stay with me /(I love it)\Love game intuition\(…)Can't read my/No he can't read-a my poker face/(she’s got me like nobody)/P-p-p-poker face, /p-p-Fuck Her face/(Mum mum mum mah)/P-p-p-poker face, p-p-Fuck Her face.

In the movie “music and lyrics” a 2007 American romantic comedy film, written and directed by Marc Lawrence, the character of Sophie fisher(played by Drew Barrymore) while writing the song for the musician Alex Fletcher(Hug Grant) says something that really explains my point of view about music and lyrics:

Alex Fletcher: It doesn't have to be perfect. Just spit it out. They're just lyrics
Sophie Fisher: "Just lyrics"?
Alex Fletcher: Lyrics are important. They're just not as important as melody.
Sophie Fisher: I really don't think you get it.
Alex Fletcher: Oh. You look angry. Click your pen.
Sophie Fisher: A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. Sex.
Alex Fletcher: I so get that.
Sophie Fisher: But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magical.

To cut it short (I believe there is a lot to say about this matter)I will just take as example as song: Burbujas de amor of Juan Luis Guerra. From his Album .Album: Bachata Rosa, 1991.

As it is a song in Spanish here you have the original lyrics and the link of youtube if you wish to listen to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb-DQviyAG0&feature=fvst

Burbujas de Amor

Tengo un corazón,

mutilado de esperanza y de razón

Tengo un corazón que madruga donde quiera.

Ese corazón

se desnuda de impaciencia

ante tu voz,

Pobre corazón,

que no atrapa su cordura.

Quisiera ser un pez

para tocar mi nariz en tu pecera

y hacer burbujas de amor por donde quiera,

Pasar la noche en vela,

mojado en ti

un pez...

Para bordar de corales tu cintura

y hacer siluetas de amor bajo la luna,

saciar esta locura...

Mojado en ti...

Canta corazón

con un ancla imprescindible de ilusión.

Sueña corazón,

no te nubles de amargura.

este corazón,

se desnuda de impaciencia

ante tu voz

pobre corazón

que no atrapa su cordura.

Quisiera ser un pez

para tocar mi nariz en tu pecera

y hacer burbujas de amor por donde quiera,

pasar la noche en vela,

mojado en tí un pez.

Una noche

para hundirnos hasta el fin,

cara a cara,

beso a  beso,

y vivir,

por siempre,

mojado En ti

Here translation from Spanish to English goes like this:

Bubbles of love

i have a heart
Maimed of hope and reason
I have a heart that rises early wherever

And this heart
It strips of impatience
Before your voice
Poor heart
That does not catch your sanityI would like to be a fish
To touch my nose in your fishbowl
And make bubbles of love everywhere
Spend all nightWet in you

A fish
For your waist embroidery hibiscus
And make bubbles of love under the moonSatisfy this madness
Wet in you

Heart Sing
With an essential anchor of hope
Heart sounds
Cloud of bitterness Do not

And this heartIt strips of impatience
Before your voice
Poor heart
That does not catch your sanity

I would like to be a fish
To touch my nose in your fishbowl
And make bubbles of love everywhereSpend all night
Wet in you

One night
To sink to the endFace to face
Kiss Kiss
And live
Forever
Wet in you

Aren’t there many things I could say about this song? Think that kids at school get dressed like fishes and sing this song for the annual representation at school.  6 years old kids singing I would like to be wet IN you.

I agree the song is fine. I like it personally, but this double meaning is not even double anymore. Is just ONE big sexual meaning.  I want to spend all night wet in you, what can that mean?

But is not as easy as it looks. Now there are also videos of the songs. I watch the video and I see a man (the singer) watching from his doorstep a girl dancing under the rain. Than the girl start to dance with a younger, better looking man. This happens always under the rain. Here the question: If the Singer wants to be a fish, why is he waiting in a dry place with a big impermeable jacket? And why is this woman dancing with another man? Then the singer comes and hugs her under the rain. There are also amazing special effect of a little gold fish swimming on the screen while the singer…let’s call him Juan (his name)…while Juan sings. Now the biggest questions of all: which kind of fishes have you been dealing with, in your life Juan? No fish ever satisfy my madness by making bubbles of love to me. No fish ever has been wet IN me, if not chewed and DEAD IN me! Why do you wanna be a fish? Why do you wanna touch with your nose my fish bowl!? What kind of allegory is this?

This and many more other questions we could do to Juan.

I do like music and lyrics and I think they are like the external and the internal part in every person. What you want to show is the music. The lyrics are what you are inside. Well if this is true Juan, I think inside you are CONFUSED! And now I am confused to.