Songs with other than Engllish language in their lyrics

[lockhartgary]

Hi all,
I was thinking about Motown songs that incorporate a word, a line, lines or even a phrase sung or spoken in a language other than English.

My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
What Now My Love - The Temptations

There's gotta be more, right?

[reese]

Ave Maria by Stevie Wonder

[sansradio]

Ungena za Ulimwengu [Unite the World] - The Temptations [Swahili]

Ngiculela - Es una historia - I Am Singing - Stevie Wonder [Zulu/Spanish]

Danke schoen - Martha & The Vandellas [German]

It’s Wrong [Apartheid] - Stevie Wonder [Xhosa]

[rovereab]

To Love Again [[alternate version) - Diana Ross - French

[sansradio]

Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing - Stevie Wonder [Spanish]

[Motown Eddie]

"Bird Of Beauty" from Steve Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale featured lyrics in Portuguese provided by Sergio Mendes.

[Motown Eddie]

Teena Marie's "Portuguese Love" from It Must Be Magic.

[lockhartgary]

I knew you guys would not disappoint!

[mysterysinger]

All the ones on the Motown Around The World releases.

Half or more of Jose Feliciano's Motown output.

All Night Long - Lionel Richie

Don't Look Any Further - Dennis Edwards.

[Motown Eddie]

Smokey Robinson's "Te Quiero Como Si No Hubiera Un Mañana [I’m Gonna Love You Like There’s No Tomorrow]" from Smoke Signals.

[Motown Eddie]

Smokey Robinson's "Tu Me Besas Muy Rico" from Intimate.
Stevie Wonder's "Ai No Sono" & "Kesse Ye Lolo De Ye" from Secret Life Of Plants.

[mjdestiny]

Don't want to see tomorrow - J5

[BritishTony]

How about that mumbo jumbo in Don’t Look Any Further? Is that even a real language? Anybody know?

[marybrewster]

Michelle - The Supremes

[sansradio]

How about that mumbo jumbo in Don’t Look Any Further? Is that even a real language? Anybody know?

It is not "mumbo jumbo." It is a loose translation of the phrase "don't look any further" in Swahili.

[Motown Eddie]

"Michelle"-Four Tops

[stupidactingsmart]

Hi all,
I was thinking about Motown songs that incorporate a word, a line, lines or even a phrase sung or spoken in a language other than English

On the basis that gibberish isn't strictly speaking, English, I'd like to submit for your consideration:

"Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoobe, Doobedood'ndoo" by Diana Ross and "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" by Stevie Wonder, later by Michael Jackson.

[BritishTony]

Just My Soul Responding by Smokey with Sioux backing.

[144man]

Motown had the Latino label, so that's a good place to investigate.

[Graham Jarvis]

There are others on Rare Earth but this one my favourite. And it is original American.

[Thatkliqkid]

LuLu - The Jackson 5

[Ed H]

What about the whole song?
Velvelettes - Tu Perds Le Plus Merveileux Garçon Du Monde [[You Lost The Sweetest Boy)

[mysterysinger]

The lovely Isela

[sansradio]

Mechanical Emotion - Vanity featuring Morris Day [French]

[robb_k]

What about the whole song?
Velvelettes - Tu Perds Le Plus Merveileux Garçon Du Monde [[You Lost The Sweetest Boy)

Cal led on a whole bunch [[around 10 or more) of totally French language songs by The Velvelettes while with Motown, as she was fully fluent in Français. Those recordings were made for the French language markets of France, Québec, The French Caribbean, and all the former French colonies.

[robb_k]

You all forgot "I Comma Zimba Zio" by Abdullah, on Soul 35051! A classic from 1968.

[robb_k]

There are others on Rare Earth but this one my favourite. And it is original American.

From which language is that line? I can't tell from XIT's probably heavy American accent and notary good elocution. Certainly they are not native speakers of it.

[theboyfromxtown]

I think Flaming Ember - Mind Body & Soul uses French at the end. Ive never quite understand the words but back in the day I would sing Je t'aime vous...not proper French though

[Motown Eddie]

Here's one more-
Rustix-"Free Again [Non...C'Est Rien]"

[Motown Eddie]

And-
Edwin Starr-"Adios Senoirta" from War & Peace

[144man]

Motown had the Latino label, so that's a good place to investigate.

Nunca He Ido A Mi - Charlene