Question National front disco lyrics

Alfie75280

Hang the DJ!
What is the protagonist known as in ‘The National Front Disco?’ I and I’m sure everyone else thought it was ‘David’ but upon discovering the Japanese CD version from 1992 (the only physical copy with printed lyrics I believe) reads ‘Davie the wind blows’ in the first line. Anyone got any info on this?
 

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Yes, the Japanese lyric liners are notorious for typos and mistakes - extremely doubtful it means anything other than that.
FWD.
 
Yes, the Japanese lyric liners are notorious for typos and mistakes - extremely doubtful it means anything other than that.
FWD.
But the typo is consistent throughout the lyrics. It seems strange that it would be misprinted each time even with the unreliability of Japanese CDs. Surely the Japanese lyrics were translated from the original English transcript?
 

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I looked into the Japanese translation for David with returns "debiddo"
Assuming the above is correct in that a translator was handed the English lyrics to translate into Japanese, and considering the consistency of the potential typo, it seems unlikely that it isn't actually Davie who is our unconfirmed protagonist!
 
The first release didn’t come with lyrics. So the Japanese translation could be a mishearing.
The first release in Japan did so surely as they are the only official source of the lyrics they are correct? Especially as it is repeated three times so unlikely an error when added with the fact that when morrissey sings the line it sounds as if he could be saying either.

When the lyrics were translated into Japanese surely the translator would’ve been given the English lyrics to translate so they would be what were printed making them correct.
 
Repeating something doesn't make it more valid. There is no certainty regarding how lyrics appear in Japanese products and no definitive process whereby things are done in a way to match your reasoning.
This type of error has been observed in Smiths translations prior too.
The archive here will show people discussing the unreliability of said.
EG:
Post in thread 'They'll seduce your heart...' https://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/theyll-seduce-your-heart.85333/post-820904

@Kewpie would be better placed to mention the cultural reasons as to why lyric sheets are important in Japan and why mistakes are more likely.

If you have "Rare Tracks" - another CD with lyrics only in Japan, you will see many errors in the lyric booklet featuring English versions of the songs next to the Japanese versions (so God knows what they say if mistranslated). I believe this is exactly what is being observed in this case.
FWD.

Looking in my booklet...
Errors in English/incorrect lyrics:
Lost
Heir Apparent
The Edges Are No Longer Parallel
This Is Not Your Country
I Can Have Both


A lot of the errors appear to be listening/grammatical issues.
EG:
Japan = Smiling through the window too the wondering never serves you.
'Official' = Smiling through the window to the one who never serves you.

If I apply your reasoning regarding supplied lyrics to the above, then everyone has got the words to I Can Have Both wrong for 26 years.
 
This isn't limited to Japan - official lyrics printed in UK releases frequently diverge from what Morrissey actually sings on record as well, so I wouldn't put much store by it. That said - I've always heard this line as 'Davie'.
 
Repeating something doesn't make it more valid. There is no certainty regarding how lyrics appear in Japanese products and no definitive process whereby things are done in a way to match your reasoning.
This type of error has been observed in Smiths translations prior too.
The archive here will show people discussing the unreliability of said.
EG:
Post in thread 'They'll seduce your heart...' https://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/theyll-seduce-your-heart.85333/post-820904

@Kewpie would be better placed to mention the cultural reasons as to why lyric sheets are important in Japan and why mistakes are more likely.

If you have "Rare Tracks" - another CD with lyrics only in Japan, you will see many errors in the lyric booklet featuring English versions of the songs next to the Japanese versions (so God knows what they say if mistranslated). I believe this is exactly what is being observed in this case.
FWD.

Looking in my booklet...
Errors in English/incorrect lyrics:
Lost
Heir Apparent
The Edges Are No Longer Parallel
This Is Not Your Country
I Can Have Both


A lot of the errors appear to be listening/grammatical issues.
EG:
Japan = Smiling through the window too the wondering never serves you.
'Official' = Smiling through the window to the one who never serves you.

If I apply your reasoning regarding supplied lyrics to the above, then everyone has got the words to I Can Have Both wrong for 26 years.
I fully agree with what you are saying but the other issues you have noted which are very clearly incorrect lyrics, with regards to National Front Discos’ there is no reason to think it is a typo since it is repeated three times (I know I’ve said that already but I think that’s important) along with when singing the line morrissey could be saying “Davie”. It makes just as much sense as “David” and given that this is the only time the lyrics have been printed officially surely “Davie” has more credibility to it?
 
I fully agree with what you are saying but the other issues you have noted which are very clearly incorrect lyrics, with regards to National Front Discos’ there is no reason to think it is a typo since it is repeated three times (I know I’ve said that already but I think that’s important) along with when singing the line morrissey could be saying “Davie”. It makes just as much sense as “David” and given that this is the only time the lyrics have been printed officially surely “Davie” has more credibility to it?

Davie would also make sense since our protagonist is supposed to be a roughly brought up individual who has found his way to attending the national front meetings, so a nickname like davie would seem more likely, in my eyes at least, than if it were to be David.

This could however just be one of them question we never find out the answer to
 
I've always thought it was David, but reading this thread I just listened to the part on the studio version and three live versions and I must say..... he never actually appears to sing the last "d".
 
As though its the contraction of DAVid bowIE
 
The first release in Japan did so surely as they are the only official source of the lyrics they are correct?
Depends on how ‘official’ you think the translated lyrics are. I mean, they are officially the translated lyrics, that doesn’t mean that the translation will always be correct.
Especially as it is repeated three times so unlikely an error when added with the fact that when morrissey sings the line it sounds as if he could be saying either.
I never said they were right or wrong.
When the lyrics were translated into Japanese surely the translator would’ve been given the English lyrics to translate so they would be what were printed making them correct.
‘surely’ is still an assumption, unless one worked there. And even if they were given an English transcription, that doesn’t always mean the translation will be correct.
 
What is the protagonist known as in ‘The National Front Disco?’ I and I’m sure everyone else thought it was ‘David’ but upon discovering the Japanese CD version from 1992 (the only physical copy with printed lyrics I believe) reads ‘Davie the wind blows’ in the first line. Anyone got any info on this?

Also in this video, it seems clearer than in any other version and I'm almost 99.99% sure he says "Davie"
 
I've always thought it was David, but reading this thread I just listened to the part on the studio version and three live versions and I must say..... he never actually appears to sing the last "d".
Also in this video, it seems clearer than in any other version and I'm almost 99.99% sure he says "Davie"

Yes, it does sound like Davie. But I always heard it as David. And call me strange, but I’m going to stick with how I’m ( most likely incorrectly) hearing it. :lbf:
 
It's probably the easier option considering we've all been singing David all this time :LOL:

yes, since it’s release, for me.

Probably the same way Morrissey always misheard the first words of Redondo Beach
but didn’t correct himself, nor did I …


from ‘Late afternoon’ to his ‘Let it be known’
 
I assume that record company employees usually ask someone (native speaker or bilingual Japanese) to dictate lyrics for them.
When they misheard the lyrics, however, didn't bother or didn't have time to correct mistakes.
UK / US and other foreign releases, lyrics sheet is essential for Japanese market because most of the consumers buy the products for this particular option.
 
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