Comments on: Rocking Bangkok

By: JgMacD

JgMacD — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:37:44 +0000

This brings back memories! We heard this EVERYWHERE we went! I had a blonde colleague who made fast friends everywhere by singing this song even in a Karoake bar long since closed on Sutter Street here in SF in 1992. The Thais couldn’t believe that a bunch of farang knew all the words to this and “Lin Gap Fan”, another big hit at the time. FYI, in the south they say “Bai Thep” when they are going up to Bangkok.

By: bluehour

bluehour — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:53:49 +0000

Oooh…Dengue Fever are amazing, I saw the documentary on Friday. They played the opening of the Jewish Museum last year, how can we get a hold of them to play at the Asian…:)

And Forest, I’m sure we would love to see more of your rock & roll musical tastes.

By: bittermelon

bittermelon — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:34:17 +0000

YES! DENGUE FEVER!

Forrest, what a wonderful video (educational AND catchy). Thanks for sharing. How’d you find this? Keep up the blog entries, please!

By: nico

nico — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:01:05 +0000

Did anyone catch Dengue Fever at Outsidelands?
I’m not a fan of huge festivals, and since I didn’t want to even get near crowds I managed to avoid the Red Vic, too, where their documentary was screening (it screened for the first time at Indiefest last year, so don’t miss it next time!).

By: forrest

forrest — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:05:59 +0000

Thanks for the amusing comment, ELS. I can imagine the official signs you mention, stretching on and on

Actually the usual name for Bangkok is just the very first part of the long formal version, “Krungthep,” meaning “city of deities.” (The “thep” element is related to Sanskrit “deva” [deity] and ultimately to English words such as “divine.”)

But even though Krungthep is the usual name, that’s not what Thai people usually call the city. They say “Phra Nakhon” meaning “revered city.” (“Nakhon” [city] is derived from a Sanskrit word for “city”—“nagara”—which is also gave rise to a Cambodian word for “city”—“Angkor.”)

In case this is confusing, here’s Lewis Carroll’s White Knight to make things worse:

[The White Knight said] “The name of the song is called ‘Haddocks’ Eyes.’”

“Oh, that’s the name of the song, is it?” Alice said, trying to feel interested.

“No, you don’t understand,” the Knight said, looking a little vexed. “That’s what the name is called. The name really is ‘The Aged Aged Man.’”

“Then I ought to have said ‘That’s what the song is called’?” Alice corrected herself.

“No, you oughtn’t: that’s quite another thing! The song is called ‘Ways And Means’: but that’s only what it’s called, you know!”

“Well, what is the song, then?” said Alice, who was by this time completely bewildered.

“I was coming to that,” the Knight said. “The song really is ‘A-sitting On A Gate.’

(Lewis Carroll, Alice through the Looking Glass)

By: ELS

ELS — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:29:45 +0000

Isn’t that a tight fit on official signs and stuff?

” WELCOME TO
Krungthep mahanakhon amon rattanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilok phop noppharat ratchathani burirom udomratchaniwet mahasathan amon phiman awatan sathit sakkathattiya witsanukam prasit ! ”

Although it probably DOES put a song on everyone’s tongue when walking through the airport……

By: xensen

xensen — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:30:59 +0000

I played these two cuts for someone who said “the ones from Bangkok sound more Western than the ones from L.A.” Do you agree?

By: xensen

xensen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:08:46 +0000

It's a little bit of a tangent, but I like the band Dengue Fever, which is based in L.A. but has Southeast Asian (Cambodian) roots.