Carnival version of "Everybody Knows" (Cadiz, Spain)

[jarkko]

From Daniel in Cadiz:

I´m writing to you in order to send you what I consider the rarest LC cover ever so far. I´m from Cádiz, Spain and here during Carnivals, amateur people meet to sing in the city streets in a funny, cinical, humourous and critical way. They both write their own songs or cover famous songs worldwide. I was so shocked when 10 days ago one of these groups made an own cover of Everybody knows in the street!! I found it at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icsQqqfgyBU

I´m a English teacher for adult students here in Cádiz and I´ve done a translation of the lyrics for you in case you want to post both the link to youtube and the translation at leonardcohenfiles.
(I´m attaching the word file with the translation too)-

I´m a Cohenite since I was 15 (now I´m 35 next month) and fortunately I could attend The Future Tour in Madrid and after the concert I had an unforgetable chat with Mr.Cohen for about 20 minutes. I hope to be at the 2008 tour again. I´m an amateur songwriter and writer an I admire Jikan the best. I´m also sending you the links to my sites in case you want to have a look and listen (though they´re in Spanish):

http://www.myspace.com/devuelta2007
http://www.myspace.com/devuelta2007bis
http://www.portalatino.com/danielgranado

This is the translation I made for you and all the Cohenites:
(
“EVERYBODY KNOWS”

Intro words:

Well, this song is not by us, it´s a song by Leonard Cohen. The original song is called “Everybody Knows” which translated into Spanish means “You´re going to eat shit”

Everybody wants a large big house
Everybody wants retirement benefits
Everybody wants to have two cars
And a very big TV screen in the living room
Everybody wants to have to pay too many instalments
And “the more you work the better you get”
And then I say “You´re going to eat shit”
(This Spanish idiom means that “you´re going to get none of these things)
Everybody believes in Democracy
Everybody believes that you´ve got to vote
Everybody believes in left and right
As though they weren´t both the same
Everybody believes in Economy
And that Capitalism is the best thing
And then I say “You´re going to eat shit”
Come on, think of it,
Think of it better
That they´re fooling us all
Come on, accept it, and recognise it
That you´re already eating shit.
Everybody believes in the Great Beyond
Everybody believes in Salvation
Everybody believes that the Pope is good
Everybody believes in his blessing
Everybody believes they´re going to Heaven
Everybody believes in God
And then I say “You´re going to eat a shit”.
Everybody wants to be more beautiful
Everybody wants to show off
Everybody wants to be thin
Everybody wants to take out some years
Everybody wants to be younger
Everybody wants to have many love affairs
And then I say “You´re going to eat shit”.
Come on, think of it,
Think of it better
That they´re fooling us all
Come on, accept it, and recognise it
That you´re already eating shit.

[Sue]

It's great, thanks to Daniel for sending it. Another YouTube video describes this group as an 'ilegal chirigota' and the part these play in the Cadiz carnival is made clear in a Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_C%C3%A1diz

The tradition of singing satirical ditties in the street seems to have died out in English speaking countries, more's the pity. It reminds me of 'La vaca loca' by Manu Chao (can also be seen on YouTube):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNW4Hl-BRpo

But why did nobody in the UK think of writing a song about 'Mad Cow disease'??

[ForYourSmile]

The first thing to say: that it is not an Alberto Manzano's adaptation.

For the purists, it is a different way of Everybody Knows. In my opinion Cohen wrote one of the most intelligent lyrics, well, to say intelligent lyrics for a Cohen work is a redundancy.

I have laughed very much , thank you Daniel. I feel very proud of these genial Andalusian brothers. They have the republican Spanish flag. (Do not confuse the Spanish republicans with those of USA.)

Just to clarify, The Plastic Surgeons (the name of the group) do not say "shit", they say "mojón" literally "You´re going to eat a milestone / signpost / landmark". Notice the shape, it's not a flat bullshit. The meaning is correct in the Daniel's translation.

Sue ~ I live in Spain and still I have not been in the Carnivals of Cadiz, what sorry! I like Manu Chao too.

Daniel si lees esto ~ me he descojonado, muchas gracias, he visitado tus sitios y me ha gustado mucho tu música, la estoy escuchando en este momento, muy crítico, realmente interesante, estoy muy de acuerdo en lo que dices y como lo dices. Adelante!

[Sue]

Just to clarify, The Plastic Surgeons (the name of the group) do not say "shit", they say "mojón" literally "You´re going to eat a milestone / signpost / landmark". Notice the shape, it's not a flat bullshit. The meaning is correct in the Daniel's translation.

Thanks absolutely for this clarification. In fact they are saying "You're going to eat a large turd"