Bist du allein von allen freunden verlassen
Dann geh in die stadt
Downtown
Da wo das leben über allen den strassen sowie lichter hat
Downtown
Vergiß im bunte neon schein die stunden deiners oben
Und hör die großstadt melodie

Sei wieder froh
Da ist alles für dich da
Da wirst du dinge erleben
Die sind wunderbar
Come on, Downtown...

At this point, I should admit that my German is a little rusty, so take these transcriptions with a grain of salt. But it doesn't matter to me that I can't understand everything in these songs. I can hardly understand the words to English tunes when I hear them. Besides, it's the combination of familiar melodies with not-quite-familiar words that entertains me when I listen to this disc.

Probably one of my favorite tracks is "Warten und Hoffen" (Waiting and Hoping) by Dusty Springfield. Her enunciation is so crisp that she sounds almost comfortable with the German, and the phrasing and lyrics of this classic seem at home in their new language.

Sometimes the translation into German doesn't seem to work very well. Brenda Lee's "Kansas City" is one such example. It's a quintessential American song, and hearing her sing "Ja, ja, in Kansas City / Labst du mir das gosser glück, o-ho yeah" just doesn't sound right, even though I find myself humming along to the tune in the car.

If you enjoy 60s pop and rock music and have an interest in collecting peculiar things, well, this is the CD. Long before David Bowie sang "Helden," there was Roy Orbison, Pat Boone, The Temptations, Dave Colman, Manfred Mann, and others belting out their hits in German, presumably to adoring fans on the Continent. It might not be the thing you'll turn to for everyday inspiration, but it could provide just the right diversion from time to time. The songs are funny, at least.