Hi, post a song that reflects your culture's nuances here.

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Kia ora, Declension. Good to see other NZers on here (I'm a Kiwi living in Australia). And thanks to icyfire4w5 for explaining that Pākehā come from New Zealand.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha7ytKqnpas[/youtube]
The song is called "Reconnect", by Maisey Rika. On the face of it, the song is a love ballad. But it also speaks to NZ's indigenous Māori culture being torn between reminiscing for its ancient past and the inevitable changes from being drawn into the modern world. The mood of the song is both desperately bleak and passionately hopeful – like the different ways that we Māori see our culture presently.

Kia ora koutou, and enjoy.

American culture as summed up by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Not for the faint of heart. Listen at your own risk.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et0Bssnm1mw[/youtube]

To Philosoraptor: I agree with you that this song isn't for the faint of heart, but I had a jolly good time listening to it because it's so gruff and catchy.
To Murihiku: Maisey Rika sings so beautifully and so wholeheartedly that I'm having goosebumps right now because she sounds so...angelic.
To Sanctus: The video that you posted spurred me to Google name after name because I was eager to learn more about many of the famous Germans featured in the video. I never knew that a German invented kindergartens until I watched this video.
To Mummy_of_Peanut: I received a "The uploader has not made this video available in your country." message, but thanks for posting because other WP users will be able to enjoy this video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-26smj5Ds[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMlJ78-7rZ4[/youtube]

Though Norway may be known as the country of Black Metal, these norwegian artists are more indicative of our general preferences.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=982cMoYqTa4[/youtube]

I was born in Amsterdam, third floor in the back of the Bloemgracht
Where in your bed you could hear if your neighbour was having fun at night
The streets were for playing, we roamed through the whole city
We still believed in sharing fairly, stole apples at the market

Hey, Amsterdam, they say you've changed
Hey, Amsterdam, you can't do anything right anymore
But whoever is saying that, is not an Amsterdammer
'Cause Amsterdam, you're still the same as before

And when you return after many years, they say "Mokum, that's dead"
But I don't believe those stories when I'm walking through the city
The merchants are still bitching among each other, the Nieuwedijk is busier than ever
I see a kid stealing apples, no, Amsterdam never changes

Visiting the Red Light District on Sunday afternoon, and if you walked slowly you could see more
All of us inconspicuous, going up and down the Stoofsteeg ten times
And Sunday night we'd fight, it didn't matter with whom
Until the police came to interfere, and we would fight them instead

Hey, Amsterdam, they say you've changed
Hey, Amsterdam, you can't do anything right anymore
But whoever is saying that, is not an Amsterdammer
'Cause Amsterdam, you're still the same as before

That drunk guy lying in the hall and my Mom afraid to approach him
When Dad asked him whether he was ill, he said: "No, just tired"
So, not that much has changed, now there's a junkie in the hall
And next to me there's an Amsterdammer asking: "Hey, Har, is that guy tired or ill?"

Hey, Amsterdam, they say you've changed
Hey, Amsterdam, you can't do anything right anymore
But whoever is saying that, is not an Amsterdammer
'Cause Amsterdam, you're still the same as before
And foreigner-junkie-riots, it won't rattle us
They can't tell us otherwise, it's all a part of Amsterdam

Hey, Amsterdam, they say you've changed
Hey, Amsterdam, you can't do anything right anymore
But whoever is saying that, is not an Amsterdammer
'Cause Amsterdam, you're still the same as before

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IoKYLqGaPc[/youtube]

Note: this is a litteral translation and not a Swedish to English adoptation that is singable.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0LeL9BUPtA[/youtube]
Living in Northern England is dull.

To muldoon: Hi, thank you for sharing this song with us all, but I'm very sorry that to be honest, I didn't really enjoy listening to it because it sounded too "chillaxing" to my ears, but once again, thank you.
To Ichinin: Hi, thanks a ton for your translation. This band's guitar-playing is indeed awesome.
To CyclopsSummer: Hi, thanks a ton for your translation. It's a pity that I have gotten some sort of error message--"This video contains content from EMI, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."
To Tiggurix: Hi, I think you have good taste in music.

i do not intrinsically share the mindsets of stereotypical australians, but i have been immersed in their culture all my life. i do like the way of life we have in australia, but i do not think that we have a distinct "culture"

australians are more "immediate" thinkers i suspect, and i believe that they think their thoughts based upon the immediate sensation that they are cognitively aware of, rather than from traditional ideations of "culturally" imperative creeds (like maybe an italian person may be affected cognitively by).

anyway, this song is very much representative of the average australian mindset (even though it was recorded in the 1970's).
the man who wrote and performed the song ("billy thorpe") was N.T (obviously), and i loved the frame of mind that he inhabited with respect to this song. i think this song was one of the first "invitations" i ever accepted to look at other people from their point of view.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=659BB5W838I[/youtube]

and time drags on, and now it is 2013, and a new group called "thirsty merc" have made another summertime song, and i think it is very good.
it still reflects the "blue sky and white beaches" attitude of many australians. i am actually very fond of the deeper melody and the arrangement of the performance of this song. it is (in snppets) used by the producers of "bondi rescue" as their credits song.

so here is what i believe to be a good example of the current general youthful australian mindset.
it is an example of genius in my mind.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAo6UHYC1p8[/youtube]

icyfire, I hope this video works for you:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaPdwa3NeXs[/youtube]

Manchester is full of hobgoblins:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyQVqk5rn74[/youtube]

English culture in general:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4DJ9YUYshE[/youtube]

Seriously, Ray Davies basically nails it in that song. Read the lyrics:

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/k/kinks/shan ... 78932.html

I gotta say it. Sweet Home Alabama.

Nuff said about down here

To all: Thank you.
To b9: Hey, I love Billy Thorpe's smooth and sexy voice, but "In the Summertime" sounds catchier than "It's Almost Summer" to my ears.
To puddingmouse: I love "Shangri-La" for being such a sweet, soothing and beautiful song. Its melody and lyrics fit each other perfectly. (Oh dear, after visiting songmeanings.net, I realized that I had overlooked "Shangri-La"'s sarcasm.)

Song: “Heaven’s Will is Ultimate” (Sung by Louis Koo)

Culture: Chinese

Why did I choose this song?: I realize recently that such a cliché exists in Chinese TV dramas—the character who proclaims that “circumstances shape heroes” will ultimately defeat the character who proclaims that “heroes shape circumstances”. In other words, when social psychology is concerned, Chinese culture favors external attribution (circumstances>own personality traits) more than internal attribution (own personality traits>circumstances).

Rough translation…

Who is pleading with whom?
Spring and Autumn obey no one but Heaven and Earth.
Heaven’s will…
Who can change the course of Destiny?
With whom?
Without whom?
One still remains calm amidst chaos.
Who has been re-writing the play script?
Don’t be happy; don’t assume that since you are acknowledged as the Ancestor, the Future will bend to your will.
In our next lifetime, let us not care about who has been acknowledged as the Founder.
Don’t gamble; Heaven’s will is ultimate.
Who defeats whom?
Even without soldiers, the battle has already been over.
Scenes from this lifetime will be replayed in another lifetime.
Who destroys whom?
Those involved are merely obeying History’s orders.
History is even more unfeeling that a one-night stand.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRg-Ra_2UNY[/youtube]

Song: “Repaying the Nation with Loyalty” (Sung by Tu Honggang)

Culture: Chinese

Why did I choose this song?: I have nothing against this song’s songwriter or singer. I just think that this song characterizes China’s current “bully-cum-victim” mentality quite well.

Rough translation…

Smoke signals arise; I face north; I see mountains and rivers.
Flags are unfurled; horses neigh; swords are as cold and bright as frost.
My heart resembles the currents tumbling down the Yellow River.
I have been fighting wars since twenty years ago, who is worthy of a duel with me?
I swing my saber; I am crazed with hatred; countless comrades’ bones are buried in foreign soil.
I am willing to sacrifice my life hundreds of times to repay my nation.
I suppress my sigh; I have nothing to say; my eyes are filled with blood-streaked tears.
I turn my head northwards as my horse gallops towards the south.
I turn my head northwards; I see yellowish-green grass; I see dust flying in the air.
I am willing to defend my nation’s territories; I am willing to expand my nation’s frontiers.
The great and glorious Central Nation deserves tribute from all four corners.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFQsk4yciDY[/youtube]

i agree that "in the summertime" is the more complex (yet more easily understood) melody in a cerebral way. it is surprising to me that the song did not attract wide spread acclaim. the only reason i was aware of it's existence is because in australia, we have a reality tv show called "bondi rescue", and it uses just one chorus of the song as it's theme tune. i became inquisitive to find out if it was part of a longer song (since it sounded so talented), and i got my answer. i bet that 99.99% of the viewers of the show "bondi rescue" would not have ever considered to search for the origin of those few bars that are used as the theme tune, and they would have no idea that those few bars are part of a very talented song.

but the billy thorpe video has merit as well. he seems to be very comfortable playing a complex guitar score seemingly without attention while singing in the flavour of his beholding of the goodness that he perceives that flows from the world to him.

for electric mental stimulation, i prefer the thirsty merc song.

what part of the world to you live in?

The hidden sarcasm is what I love about Ray Davies's song writing. That in itself is very English.