Mikael Åkerfeldt's English flubs

[MetalSlime]

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed that occasionally Mikael mispronounces words or even makes up his own words!

For example:

April Ethereal - "I would outrun the scythe..." He pronounces the "c" in "scythe", when really it is supposed to be silent.

Credence - "The yearning escapes from my embrace." He pronounces the "y" like a "j". I've heard of Swedish people pronouncing a "j" as a "y", but never the other way around.

The Leper Affinity - "Lost are days of Spring." Sounds like he has a lisp here - "Lotht are days..."

White Cluster - "The knocking message called for my life!" He clearly says "The knocking message called for my LLliiiaaaaooorrrggghh"


I'm sure there are more, but these are all that I can think of off the top of my head. Next time I listen to the CDs I will try to catch the others that I am missing. Has anybody else found any mistakes like this?

 

[Thorns of Sorrow]

lol he IS sweedish...lol and he speaks very good english, sometimes lyricists change a word around to make it easier to sing within the context of the song...

LOL! its not like Children of Bodom, as where their lyrics are just atrocious, and filled with bad english...and you gotta love "I survived the lake bodom" hahha

I like COB though hehe

 

[MetalSlime]

Originally posted by Thorns of Sorrow
lol he IS sweedish...lol and he speaks very good english, sometimes lyricists change a word around to make it easier to sing within the context of the song...

oh, I know he is Swedish - that's why I mentioned the j/y thing. My last name is "Hjelm" and people here in America always try to pronounce the "j", so I can empathize with him!

I agree that his english is good, but I still think its fun to find all of the tiny little mistakes. It reminds me that he's still just a human. It's kinda funny when I catch myself singing along and pronouncing those words the way he does.

Originally posted by Thorns of Sorrow
LOL! its not like Children of Bodom, as where their lyrics are just atrocious, and filled with bad english...and you gotta love "I survived the lake bodom" hahha

I am unfamiliar with COB, so I can't comment on that, but I've always gotten a kick out of In Flames lyrics. They are just crazy. I have this theory that he writes them in Swedish, sends them to a friend in China to translate it into Mandarin, and then has some third party translate it from Mandarin to English. "Guided by the pinball map" - wtf? It's always a real treat to open up that new In Flames lyric booklet whenever a new album comes out.

 

[Thorns of Sorrow]

Originally posted by MetalSlime
I am unfamiliar with COB, so I can't comment on that, but I've always gotten a kick out of In Flames lyrics. They are just crazy. I have this theory that he writes them in Swedish, sends them to a friend in China to translate it into Mandarin, and then has some third party translate it from Mandarin to English. "Guided by the pinball map" - wtf? It's always a real treat to open up that new In Flames lyric booklet whenever a new album comes out.

My friend that is the funniest thing I have ever heard in a very very long time, I was on the floor for like 5 mins man,thats just great lol!!!!!!! That must go in my signature..thats is just fucking funny!!!!!

 

[Demonspell]

The title of their latest album is Reroute To Remain...I don't think their command of English has improved.

 

[Jim LotFP]

Originally posted by MetalSlime
I am unfamiliar with COB, so I can't comment on that, but I've always gotten a kick out of In Flames lyrics. They are just crazy. I have this theory that he writes them in Swedish, sends them to a friend in China to translate it into Mandarin, and then has some third party translate it from Mandarin to English. "Guided by the pinball map" - wtf? It's always a real treat to open up that new In Flames lyric booklet whenever a new album comes out.

www.engrish.com

The language of Anders Friden!

 

[Thorns of Sorrow]

omg this thread is killing me ahhaha

 

[Autumn Falls]

Actually the funny thing is my friends and I do this for laughs..

Go to altavista and you can change it to some foreign language I think it's Chinese or something.. then you can go from that language to like german... then go from German to English and the results are awesome sometimes!

Brandon

 

[bleed for me]

just because he sings something a certain it doesn't mean at all that they talk like that. Most singers sound really different when they sing and some words come out wrong, its not just Mikael

 

[Sadistik]

I love how Swedish singers can't pronounce V's.....
"my wi-shun is true!"

 

[requiem]

Originally posted by Sadistik
I love how Swedish singers can't pronounce V's.....
"my wi-shun is true!"

That's especially funny when they're trying to be evil and dark and they say, 'wiolence'!!

 

[MetalSlime]

Originally posted by Thorns of Sorrow

That must go in my signature..thats is just fucking funny!!!!

Feel free. My schtick is Public Domain.



On to things relative to the topic, I really like that line in Serenity Painted Death that goes "Saw her fading, blank stare into me". It's cool, because he uses "stare" as a verb and a noun here. I'm not making fun here like earlier, I really think this is a great poetic device.

If you transpose it to "proper grammar", the line would probably be "I saw her fading, blank stare(n) stare(v) into me.", but that's redundant, so he just throws it all in one "stare". I think that's just cool. I wish I was clever like that.

 

[Morningrise]

I have noticed a lot more than just Swedish singers pronouncing V's as W's. "My dark WISIONS of Wiolence!! AARRGGGHH!!!"

 

[svenske kocken]

I don´t think you are very kind right now.

If you want really good/bad swenglish, check out the UEFA boss Lennart Johansson.

 

[the_joy_of_grief]

I once had an assistant teacher who repeatedly messed up the Vs and Ws, like "Vhats wrong with the wideo recorder?"

 

[Klemi]

As one famous Finnish rockstar said:

"Let's born to rock!"

Okay, my English is miles away from perfect, but hey! I study my own language Finnish in Jyväskylä University... Fuck the other languages...

 

[DogVomit]

His English is brilliant for someone who isn't actually English. Better than most English people.

 

[Opet]

Hahaha, you got a point there, DogVomit. Sometimes slang can get a little out of control and if I hear the word "ax" instead of "ask" one more time...

White Cluster - "The knocking message called for my life!" He clearly says "The knocking message called for my LLliiiaaaaooorrrggghh" I like it. It sounds good. The "scythe" one always used to mess me up. I even started pronouncing it like that when that part was on. How about "Through the eternal flame, I travel. As the rains keeps falloooh." (falling)

 

[redblueyes]

Originally posted by DogVomit
His English is brilliant for someone who isn't actually English. Better than most English people.

DV, you're so right here. It's pretty amazing actually his grasp of the langange, and his clarity when speaking it. I wish I was so lucky. As a person trying to learn swedish, not only do I not understand 1/1000 of it when it's being spoken around me, but.. I can't even roll my "Rrrr"s yet!!!!
FUCK

 

[Opet]

R's roll in Sweden?!

I've wondered how difficult it'd be. How long have you been trying to learn? Hearse seems to think putting a potato in your mouth might help.