Koledy! Polish Christmas Carols!

[Dogmudgeon]

Are you tired, bored, or fed-up with the same old Xmas musick? This year, EVERYONE seems to have a cover of "Happy Xmas, War Is Over" out, and "Baby, It's Cold Outside" has been played to death -- and they even dubbed wingnut Martina McBride onto the Dean Martin original.

You need to listen to something new. You need to listen to some Polish Christmas music.

I "discovered" kolędy last Christmas. Polish pop bands do some fan-sumptu-tastic Christmas songs, and no one in the non-Polish-speaking world has heard of them.

The Poles take Christmas seriously. Instead of being the season of the ritual worship of Moola, the deity of Capitalism, the Poles celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of a little Jewish cult that first came to prominence by making elderly Italian aristocrats wear wacky clothing. (This is especially true of the Pope, kind of like a Christian Dalai Lama.)

Now, I know what you're thinking. You probably remember the last time you heard a pop song in Polish -- Bobby Vinton's atrocious 1970s vintage Melody of Love, a chart hog that sounded like a 1920s drinking song with guitar, released to cash in on the popularity of Archie Bunker and Polish jokes.

Trust me on this one. You are going to fall in love with at least one or two of these songs, and be running to the translation websites to figure out what they are singing about. Waste not a minute more -- click here. It will take you to Polskastacja, a big pop music station. You can click through right there.

Now, one word of warning -- they ALSO play a lot of the same old English-language crap that we've heard over and over. Face it, half the world thinks that if it speaks English, it's worth listening to. The Poles are fond of Feliz Navidad and they have several versions. But give them a few minutes -- something will soon be on in Polish.

Here's a list of my favorites. I've gotten some quick translations from online translation pages. Polish speakers, if you find any mistakes, please post corrections!

Maly Krol (Little King) -- Jan Bo (from Lady Pank)
W Twoich Oczach (In Your Eyes) -- Lady Pank (Punk Lady)
Swiety Czas (Christmas Time) -- Pin
Kiedy Sa Swieta (When (the time is) Holy) -- Krzysztof Krawczyk (from Czerwone Gitary) (he could be the Polish Tom Waits)
Zima Tuz (Winter (something)) -- Andrzej Rybinski
Tacy Kolednicy (These Christmas Carols) -- Marysia Sadowska
Kto Wie? (Who Knows?) -- De Su

... the popular sleigh ride song ...
Z Kopyta Kulig Rwie (Sleigh Ride On Fast Hooves) -- Skaldowie; Quligoscy

... and my personal favorite last year ...
Jeden Dzien W Roku (One Day a Year) -- Czerwone Gitary (Red Guitars)

... and this year's ...
Dzis Taki Dzien (Today Is That Day) -- De Mono

Se this year, but the ooo back in Yule. Listen to some Polish Christmas songs -- that's kolędy, pronounced "ka-LEN-dee".

--p!
Wesołych Świąt!

[spindrifter]

1. Thanks for the melodies!