Rock & Roll and Language

[Paul Murphy]

I'm confused about this thread -- do the bands have to sing in a Romance
language, or just be Romance-language speakers? Since the original post
mentioned Golden Earring and Scorpions as "Germanic", but who, AFAIK, sing
in English exclusively ...

If the latter condition is the deciding factor, then I'll mention two bands
from the colonies who can wipe the deck with just about any hard-rock
pretenders: the prog-metal outfit Voivod hails from the North American
Francophone heartland of Jonquiere, Quebec (and would like to get a piece
of the guy who said 'frogs can't rock', let me tell you); and then there's
Sepultura, who righteously blew Ministry and Helmet off the stage of Maple
Leaf Gardens a few years back with their blitzkrieg speed-metal odes to
prison life and political corruption in their home country of Brazil
(hence, they speak Portuguese round the dinner table).

Serge Gainsbourg doesn't count, IMO -- not rock & roll. Neither does
Jacques Brel, even if David Bowie and Scott Walker covered him.

Cheers,
Paul