Boards > Whose idea was to use the Polka?

Or rather, which of the two Russians suggested it? Did you guys g:))

December 15, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAxmxZ

Leva's polka took a long, strange path to us. One day, one of my Ukrainian co-workers sent me a link to a funny flash video which featured a song that would never leave my head. I showed it to Yuri. He liked it. We sang the polka for all of our friends and they wished we'd stop.

Then at some point a few months later when we needed a theme for the show, we remembered the little flash video with its insanely catchy song. The only problem was that we had no idea who it was by. Through some internet detective work, Yuri found loituma, then somehow found their manager, who granted us permission to use 30 second for free. That is how Leva's polka became our theme, and how Yuri came to be certified in at least three different kinds of google covert ops.

December 16, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterVlad

Firstly - "Leva's"? As in, about mal'chik Leva? :) "Ievan Polkka", you mean.

This song seems to work especially 'ubojstvenno' on Russians. Although my best friend, a Bulgarian, also got hypnotized from the first notes. Now whenever we get together, we walk around sharing headphones and singing along to that bloody polka. Or to Finnish reggae. Or bob our heads stupidly to Finnish metal. We're seriously not okay anymore. The polka totally rewired our brains. I think I'm actually starting to learn Finnish by osmosis, just from listening to so much of it...

Incidentally, as much as I love Loituma, I think Jorma Ikävalko sang it even better back in 1950.

December 16, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAxmxZ

Ievan Polkka... Sure, we'll go with that (damn that uppercase I that looks like an l). I have to say, I haven't heard much Finnish music aside from the polka but if it's at all similar, I think I like my sanity the way it is, thank you.

Better than Loituma? Does that mean it gets stuck in your head even longer?

December 17, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterVlad

Well, since I got hooked on the polka I branched out into other Finnish music, and I must say, a lot of it is quite good! Truly excellent rock and metal, lots of awesome folk, and even some very amusing reggae.

The older version of the Polka is also pretty apt at getting stuck in your head... and unlike the Loituma version, it has *music*.

Ta ta-da-da, ta-da-ra-da da-ra,
ta-da-da-da da-da-da da-da...

December 19, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterAxmxZ

All this talk of Polka! Here's the Jorma Ikävalko version that AxmxZ referred to. Fun for all you "polkka folkka."

Ievan Polkka, the Jorma Ikavalko version.

January 23, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRobb

Okay, I'm officially trying to avoid some work. I've always wondered what the heck the Polka's lyrics meant.

Now I know. And you will too (unless you stop reading right now).

Ievan Polkka (English Translation):

The sound of a polka drifted from my neighbor's
and set my feet a-tapping oh!
Ieva's mother had her eye on her daughter but
Ieva she managed to fool her, you know.
'Cause who's going to listen to mother saying no
when we're all busy dancing to and fro!

Ieva was smiling, the fiddle it was wailing
as people crowded round to wish her luck.
Everyone was hot but it didn't seem to bother
the handsome young man, the dashing buck.
'Cause who's going to mind a drop of sweat
when he's all busy dancing to and fro!

Ieva's mother she shut herself away
in her own quiet room to hum a hymn.
Leaving our hero to have a spot of fun
in a neighbor's house when the lights are dim.
'Cause what does it matter what the old folks say
when you're all busy dancing to and fro!

When the music stopped then the real fun began
and that's when the laddie fooled around.
When he took her home, when the dancing was over
her mother angrily waiting they found.
But I said to her, Ieva, now don't you weep
and we'll soon be dancing to and fro!

I said to her mother now stop that noise
or I won't be responsible for what I do.
If you go quietly and stay in your room
you won't get hurt while your daughter I woo.
'Cause this fine laddie is a wild sort of guy
when he's all busy dancing to and fro!

One thing I tell you is you won't trap me,
no, you won't find me an easy catch.
Travel to the east and travel to the west but
Ieva and I are going to make a match.
'Cause this fine laddie ain't the bashful sort
when he's all busy dancing to and fro.

January 23, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRobb

See? It makes perfect sense why we use it.

January 23, 2008 | Registered CommenterBreak a Leg

whoa. i think that laddie needs to step off. Ieva better be careful, it sounds like he could be violent...

January 24, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKevin

Laddie? Is this a Scottish polka?

March 12, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterFemke

It's an awesome little intro, but I especially like how for the later episodes, it suddenly goes distant and sounds hollower when Larry is about to shoot David.

March 12, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterFemke

I thought gibberish was mixed in? Where' the gibberish? Don't ruin my dreams of gibberish :0(

March 13, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDashiell

Don't worry, there's quite a bit of gibberish in it and some of the flash animations only use the gibberish part.

In the end of every verse there is a bit of gibberish:
"Salivili hipput tupput täppyt
Äppyt tipput hilijalleen."

(though hilijalleen means "little by little")

Also depending on the version, in several parts or only in the mid-part of the song there's quite a passage of complete gibberish with just a few real words mixed in. (Not in the Ikävalko version though.)

(somewhere the gibberish lyrics were quoted as follows, though they are not accurate and again dependent on the version:
Hilipati hilipati hilipati hillaa
Hilipati hilipati hilipampaa,
Jalituli jallaa talituli jallaa
Tilitali tilitali tilitantaa
Halituli jallaa tilituli tallaa
Tilitili tilitili tilitili tallaa,
Halituli tilitali jallati jallan
Tilitali talitali helevantaa
Rimpatirallaa ripirapirallaa
Rumpatiruppa ripiranpuu,
Jakkarittaa dippari lapalan
Tulituli lallan tipirantuu

Jatsu tsappari dikkali dallan
Tittali tillan titstan dullaa,
Dipidapi dallaa ruppati rupiran
Kurikan kukka ja kirikan kuu
Rätsätsää ja ribidabi dilla
Beritstan dillan dillan doo,
A baribbattaa baribariiba
Dibi dibidibi disten dillan doo
Ja barilla stillan deijadoo
A daba daba daba daba daba dybjabuu,
Baristal dillan stillan duubadäg
Dägädägä duu duu deijadoo)

March 17, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJust Cy

It's this "Jatsu tsappari" bit that Russians latched onto phonetically when the polka was devastating them back in spring of'06. The song became known to them as "Yak tzup tzop." :)))

Incidentally, I don't think anyone's posted the link to a live performance of the polka by Loituma. I like it way better than the studio version - it's performed at a slightly accelerated tempo, which suits the song a bit better:

Ievan Polka by Loituma, live in Minneapolis, 2001

March 19, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAxmxZ

I think it's clear that one day, we need to get Loituma to sing for us on Break a Leg...

March 19, 2008 | Registered CommenterBreak a Leg

Ok, I just watched that for the first time and it made me all tingly. Thanks for the link. Now only if we knew somebody who spoke Russian...

March 20, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

wow. that video was AMAZING.

March 20, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKevin

What do you need us Russian-speakers for if they're singing in Finnish?

March 20, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAxmxZ

That's the joke, Ax. Although they are, as you say, singing in Finnish, a lot of what they are singing is just jibberish as has already been pointed out. I do not speak Finnish, nor do I, one might surmise by my previous statement, speak Russian. I was therefore endeavoring to imply a complete ignorance of any language outside English, with a possible exception of anything with a Latin root. Perhaps that's a bit complex for one sentence...

March 20, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

I've had a mad crush on the one with glasses since I first saw that video a year ago... one of the reasons I figured this show would be great was when I heard the familiar music...

Check this out: "Official Music Video"

March 26, 2008 | Registered CommenterEdgar Garcia

My absolute favorite is in the live video where the only man in the group says things like "Dup dup dup dup" and "shwah ooh" over and over and over with a giddy expression on his face.

He really makes the video for me.

March 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSt. Anna Swambler

I wouldn't call it "giddy" so much as "wistful".

March 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

He is very cute, that guy. The redhead, too. :)

April 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAxmxZ

Giddy/wistful, tomato/tomato.

That phrase loses something when typed.

April 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterSt. Anna Swambler
April 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

Or maybe this

April 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

Ok, this one is for the techno-anime fans. I made me laugh

April 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer

I mean really, how many times can you open a door?

April 6, 2008 | Registered CommenterJennifer

That's the spookiest thing I've seen in a while.

April 7, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDuane

10 out of 10 for originality, but minus several million for ear splitting jaw harp mania and lack of ANY enthusiasm.

That was pretty awesome.

April 8, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJennifer