Satumaa
"Satumaa" (roughly, in English "The Fabled Land" or "The Fairytale Land") is the quintessential Finnish tango. It was written by Unto Mononen, and published in 1955. The most famous recording is probably the one made by Reijo Taipale in 1962. The lyrics tell a story of a distant land beyond the sea — a happy paradise — however, the narrator can only reach it in his thoughts. The song has been recorded countless times, mainly by male Finnish tango singers.
An unusual take on Satumaa (and perhaps one more likely to be known outside of Finland) appears on a Frank Zappa live album from a Helsinki concert in 1974. Requested at short notice, the band plays the song from sheet music with the (non-Finnish-speaking) vocalist Napoleon Murphy Brock trying his best to read the Finnish lyrics.Dweezil Zappa and his ensemble Zappa plays Zappa played a part of the song on their 6 June 2009 and 29 November 2013 concerts at the same venue.
The name "Satumaa" is also mentioned in a pop rock song "Satumaa-tango" by Finnish Maija Vilkkumaa.
Podcasts:
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by Frank Zappa
Satumaa
by: Frank ZappaFrank zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (saxophone, vocals)
George duke (keyboards, vocals)
Ruth underwood (percussion)
Tom fowler (bass)
Chester thompson (drums)
We have now a special request
Bouilliabai, bouilliabai, bouilliabai...
Stroganoff, bouilliabai
Here we go...
No, you’d better leave the lights on, on stage
’cause we have to read this music,
We’ve never played it before
Aavan meren tuolla puolen jossakin on maa,
Missä onnen kaukorantaan laine liplattaa.
Missä kukat kauneimmat luo aina loistettaan,
Siellä huolet huomisen voi jäädä unholaan.
Oi jospa kerran sinne satumaahan käydä vois,
Niin sieltä koskaan lähtisi en linnun lailla pois.
Vaan siivetönnä en voi lentää vanki olen maan,
Vain aatoksin mi kauas entää sinne käydä saan.
Lennä laulu sinne missä siintää satumaa,
Sinne missä oma armain mua odottaa.
Lennä laulu sinne lailla linnun liitävän.
Kerro että aatoksissain on vain yksin hän.
Oi jospa kerran...
Translation of the first two finnish verses:
There’s a land beyond the vast sea
Where waves wash on the shores of happiness
Where beautiful flowers always blossom
Where worries of tomorrow can be forgotten
Oh if once I could go to that fairytale land
Never would I leave from there like a bird
But without wings I cannot fly, I’m a prisoner of ground
Only in thoughts that reach so far can I ever there be