Lyrics and music by แอ๊ด คาราบาว Add Carabao
Posted to Add Carabao Lifestyle YouTube channel April 10, 2025.

Note: On April 2, Trump announced what he called “reciprocal tariffs” including a rate of 36 percent on imports from Thailand. These are not in fact reciprocal tariffs, which would be tariffs imposed on B by A in response to tariffs imposed by B on A. Instead Trump’s tariffs are calculated based on country B’s trade surplus with the US, which is just craziness. One of the music videos that goes with this song (but not the one chosen here) is illustrated with a political cartoon of Trump pissing into a fan and it blowing back in his face, and by lots and lots of clips of the Hands Off Protests in the US where millions of Americans protested Trump, including his crazy tariffs.

*เพิ่มกำแพงภาษี เท่ากับฉี่รดหน้าตัวเอง
Raising a tariff wall is like pissing in your own face.
ประธานาธิบดีนักเลง โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ เจ้าเก่า
President Donald Trump, the old gangster.
การหวนคืนทำเนียบขาว สร้างความแตกร้าวแก่โลกทั้งใบ
returns to the White house and causes rifts throughout the whole world
ถ้าขืนดื้อดึงต่อไป คนจุกอกตายคืออเมริกัน (จุกอกตายอเมริกัน)
If [he] continues to stubbornly coerce, the people who [finally] die from that pain in the chest* will be Americans (Die by heart attack Americans!)
กำแพงเบอร์ลินเป็นของนาซี กำแพงภาษีเป็นของโดนัลด์ ทรัมป์
The Berlin Wall is of Nazis. The tariff wall is of Donald Trump.
เพราะอเมริกันดันเลือกพ่อค้า มาเป็นหัวหน้า มาเป็นผู้นำ
Because America elected a businessman to be the boss, to be the leader
ในที่สุดคุณต้องรับกรรม ระบบระบำ ประชาธิปไตย
In the end, you receive the consequence** of what you did in [the election] in the democratic system.
ค่าครองชีพสูงจนตาลาย ดั่งบูมเมอแรงแว้งเป้ากางเกง
The cost of things is so high it makes you dizzy, like a boomerang swerving back to the crotch of your pants.

[Repeat *]

ไทยแลนด์ไทยเรา ค้ากับเขามานาน ไม่อันธพาล ไม่เคยเอาเปรียบใคร
Thailand, us Thais, have been trading with them for a long time now. [We]’re not villains. [We]’ve never exploited anyone.
เราค้าขายซื่อตรง ซื้อมาขายไป บีบเราทำไม คิดผิดไปคิดใหม่
We sell and buy honestly. Buying [your things], selling [you things]. Why squeeze us? When your thinking is mistaken, think again.
ขึ้นภาษีจนแผ่นดินไหว มิตรภาพเส้นด้าย ดึงแรงก็ขาด
[Since] you increase tariffs like an earthquake, our friendship is [now just] a thread; if pulled hard, will break.
อเมริกาคือมหาอำนาจ อย่าข่มเงินบาทด้วยเงินดอลล่าร์
America is a superpower. Don’t bully the baht with dollars.
เงินหยวนยังมี เงินเยนก็เข้าท่า
Yuan still exists. Yen is also good.
อย่างนี้ตาต่อตา ฟันต่อฟัน
If like this, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
เศรษฐกิจอเมริกาคงดิ่งนรกโลกันต์
The American economy might go to Hell.
เพิ่มกำแพงภาษี ไม่ได้ฉี่รดฉัน
Raise a tariff wall, [you] haven’t pissed on me.
เพิ่มกำแพงภาษี เท่ากับฉี่รดอเมริกัน
Raise a tariff wall, it’s like [you]’re pissing on Americans
โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์
Donald Trump. Donald Trump
โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ กำลังฉี่รดตนเอง
Donald Trump. Donald Trump is right now pissing on himself.

[Repeat *]

โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์
Donald Trump. Donald Trump
โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ โดนัลด์ ทรัมป์ กำลังฉี่รดตนเอง
Donald Trump. Donald Trump, is right now pissing on himself.

*จุกอก (literally tightness in chest) is often used figuratively to refer to something that keeps troubling you for a long time.
**กรรม is a negative consequence, or the result of bad karma.

The #WhiteLotus effect is causing a boom in tourism to Thailand. Will it do the same for Thai music and Carabao music, which are prominently featured in the program? Below are some tips for how the Carabao curious can access the music.

The music is accessible, even to English-only speakers, in the United States through Amazon Music and most other streaming services. My smart speaker can’t understand Thai, so there is no point in asking for songs by their Thai names. The easiest work around is to tell your smart speaker “Play ‘Made in Thailand’ by Carabao (“Carabao” coincidentally sounds like “Care about” without the “t”). Or even just say, “Play ‘Made in Thailand’”. This almost always works. Then for more Carabao songs, say “Play other songs by this artist.”

For Add Carabao’s solo work, which you will also want, say “Play songs by Add Carabao”, pronouncing “Add” as the English word “add” (if you pronounce it correctly, more like “at”, the smart speaker does not understand). Then say, “Play other songs by this artist.” That should work, but if it doesn’t work, know that a song from his most recent album is “UFO” in English, a recent compilation album is called “Poem” in English, and an older album is titled “World Folk Zen.” Beware that the song “UFO” drops the F-bomb, but if you get “UFO,” say “play other songs from this album” because the most recent album is excellent and a good introduction to Add Carabao’s solo work. If you get the albums “Poem” or “World Folk Zen” you should listen to those whole albums before saying, “play other songs by this artist.”

By: ยืนยง โอภากุล Yeunyong Opakul, aka แอ๊ด คาราบาว Add Carabao
Album: คนกับเม้าส์ Kon Gap Mouth (Person with Harmonica) (2008)

NOTE: Suraphol Sombathcharoen, lived from 1930 to 1968, and was “King of Luk Thung,” luk thung being a Thai musical style, often translated as “Thai country.” That is, it is music from the Thai countryside, (“luk thung” translates as “child of the fields”) and not because the sound is similar to American country music. His real first name is “Lamduan” and Suraphol is a stage name. He was shot dead in 1968, and the murder case was never solved. He has a long Wikipedia entry in English.

Add’s message below this YouTube, translated from Thai: “When I was a child, Teacher Surapol used to sing in my father’s band, the Ch.S.P. band or the Suphan band, which was set up by teachers and government officials in Suphan to play at ordinations and weddings. Teacher Surapol’s songs are considered national treasures, songs of the Suphan people. They are in our blood. This year the Teacher Surapol Sombatcharoen would be 95 if he were still alive. Soon P’Lek and I will release 10 songs of Teacher Surapol’s songs for our brothers and sisters to listen to and remember him. Please stay tuned.”

เมื่อดอกลำดวนชวนกลิ่นดม สะเดาว่าขมยังหวานเปลี่ยนไป
When the fragrant Lamduan flowers invite [you] to smell [them], bitter Ladao turns to sweet.*
เสียงเพลงที่กลั่นมาจากหัวใจ คือเสียงจากชายลุ่มน้ำท่าจีน
The song that is distilled from the heart is the sound of the man from the Tha Chin River basin.
นามสุรพล สมบัติเจริญ บทเพลงดำเนินไม่เคยสูญสิ้น
Named Suraphol Sombatcharoen, the song proceeds and will never die/vanish
ผ่านไปหนใดก็ยังได้ยิน ให้หวนถวินหาสุรพล
Wherever you go, you still hear it, making you look back and long for Suraphol

* โลกหนอใบ นี้ ไร้ความยุติธรรม คนดีล้มคว่ำมาแล้วมากมายหลายคน
This world is without justice [isn’t it]. So many good people have come tumbling down.
คนชั่วลอยนวลอยู่เหนือเหตุผล ให้ประชาชนเขาคับข้องใจ
Bad persons float free above cause and effect [they get away with crimes], which makes the people frustrated**

** แต่ก็ยังดีที่มีเสียงเพลง ขับร้องบรรเลงกล่อมขวัญชาวไทย
But it’s good at least that we have songs. Singing and performing to soothe the spirits of Thai people.
สายลมพัดช่อลำดวนแกว่งไกว ให้คิดถึงสุรพล
The breeze blows and the Lamduan flowers sway, making [me] think of Suraphol.

(ซ้ำ * , ** )

“16 ปี แห่งความหลัง” “สาวสวนแตงแห่งเมืองสุพรรณ”
“16 Years of Our Past,” “Watermelon Farm Girl of Suphanburi”
“น้ำตาจ่าโท” ยังคงลือลั่น ให้ฉันคิดถึงสุรพล
“Sargeant Major’s Tears,” are still [heard] loud and clear***
ให้ฉันคิดถึงสุรพล ให้ฉันคิดถึงสุรพล ให้ฉันคิดถึงสุรพล
So that I think of Suraphol, so that I think of Suraphol, so that I miss Suraphol

An expert translator has helped with the footnotes:

*Lamduan flower has a pleasant smell. It’s so pleasant that when you smell it, Ladao (neem), which is well known for its bitter taste, can become sweet. The metaphor means “Suraphol’s songs are so pleasant, when listening to them, magic can happen.”
**In this context, it means that many innocent people were murdered (Suraphol included), and the murderer of Suraphol was never found and brought to justice.
***These are some of Suraphol’s most famous songs. Google them in Thai if you would like to listen (you can copy them from the Thai lyrics above; I put the quotation marks around these songsi.) Or google Suraphol’s name in Thai: สุรพล สมบัติเจริญ

Composed by แอ๊ด คาราบาว Add Carabao and ดั๊ม เอกมันต์ พิเศษ Dum Ekaman Piset
(February 16, 2025)

Notes: I believe this song is closely related to เวร Wayn (Fate/Misfortune), for which I just did a rhyming singable English translation.. Also, note the title of this song echoes Jit Phumisak’s แสงดาวแห่งศรัทธา Saeng Dao Heng Sata (Starlight of Faith). See the rhyming English translation at Music of Thai Freedom. Perhaps there is even a tiny echo of เดือนเพ็ญ Duan Pen (Full Moon), in the way that the singer asks the wind to send a message. This is the polished final version. I translated this song after seeing the this demo sung by Add Carabao along.

ต้นไม้ต้นหนึ่ง ยืนอยู่อย่างโดดเดี่ยวเดียวดาย
One tree stands all alone by itself
เฝ้ารอความหมาย จากสายลมที่พัดพา
Watching and waiting for meaning from the breeze that blows
เคยมีใครหนึ่ง ยืนหยัดอยู่เคียงข้างกายา
There used to be someone who stood at [my] side
แต่เพียงพริบตา เธอกลับพร่าเลือนหายไป
But in the blink of an eye, she disappeared.

ใบไม้ร่วงหล่น สู่โคนต้นมิอาจหวนคืน
The leaves fall to the base of the tree and may not return
เธอแปรเป็นอื่น ค่ำคืนนั้นฝันสลาย
She transformed into something else. That night [my] dreams were shattered.
รากรักหยั่งลึก ให้ลืมมันคงไม่ง่าย
The deep roots of love make it hard to forget
แม้สายลมเป็นใจ แต่ก็ไร้กระทั่งเงา
Even if the breeze is kindly keeping me company, it doesn’t even leave a shadow.

ลมเอย ลมร้อน ลมหนาว
Oh breeze, warm breeze, cold breeze
รับรู้เรื่องราวที่ร้าวรานผ่านไป
Knowing the stories that do damage and pass by
ส่งเสียงกระซิบ ให้หมั่นรดน้ำ พรวนดินเข้าไว้
Send a whisper to frequently water [me] and to till the soil.
ซีรี่ส์ตอนสุดท้าย ให้เป็นเรื่องของโชคชะตา… โชคชะตา
[As for] the series finale, leave that story to fate … fate

วันวานหวานชื่น เคยยืนหยัดอยู่เคียงกัน
Yesterday was sweet and happy. We used to stand steadfast together,
เงาเธอเงาฉัน ชิดกันตลอดเวลา
your shadow and mine, close always.
สายลมหยั่งรู้ ดวงใจใครปรารถนา
The stream of wind knows whose heart [still] desires/strong>
แต่สายเกินกว่า เธอกลับมาเป็นเหมือนเดิม
But it’s too late for you to come back to me as before

ลมเอย ลมร้อน ลมหนาว
Oh breeze, warm breeze, cold breeze
รับรู้เรื่องราวที่เราร่อนผ่านไป
Knowing the stories that do damage and pass by
ส่งเสียงกระซิบ ให้หมั่นรดน้ำ พรวนดินเข้าไว้
Send a whisper to frequently water and to till the soil.
ซีรี่ส์ตอนสุดท้าย ปล่อยให้เป็นเรื่องของโชคชะตา…
[As for] the series finale, leave that story to fate.

ไม้ยังยืนต้น โชกโชนผ่านทั้งร้อนหนาวฝน
The tree still stands strong through heat, cold, and rain.
ฉันเป็นอีกคน ที่ลมช่วยเช็ดน้ำตา
I am yet one more person who the breeze has helped wipe their tears.
รากรักหยั่งลึก ดังดวงใจที่ปรารถนา
The deep roots of love are like a heart that desires
แม้เธอไม่หวนมา ศรัทธาไม่เคยเปลี่ยนแปลง
Although she never comes back, [my] faith never changes
รากรักหยั่งลึก ดังดวงใจที่ปรารถนา
The deep roots of love are like a heart that desires
แม้เธอไม่หวนมา ศรัทธาไม่เคยเปลี่ยนแปลง
Although she never comes back, [my] faith never changes

Note: I recently wrote an article about “Humanism in the Add Carabao Songs,” however, I was well aware at the time that I was interpreting the subject through the lens of my own culture. To understand Add Carabao (Yuenyong Opakul)’s songwriting on it’s own terms, one must start from Add’s repeated statements that the songs are strongly influenced by Buddhism. And now I recognize that the Buddhist concept of yonisomanasikāra (proper attention), in particular, which he mentions in this interview, is key to understanding his body of work. I’m documenting this as a lead for any English-language musicologists studying the work of this singer/songwriter.

Rough translation:

Add Carabao: People who don’t have suffering, maybe they don’t understand about Dharmic Truth. But whenever suffering arises, you have to entrust yourself [to someone/something] to help you. As for the help, some people go to the temple and make merit and think that will have good results for them….[I] didn’t entrust myself to god, I entrusted myself to myself. I must practice myself.*

Bom Sincharoen: That’s probably a good way to think about it.

Add: You have to rely on your own practice.

Bom: Does it get good results?

Add: In the beginning when I started to meditate, it was boring. But after that I found the branch of Luang Pa Tian (a monk). I thought, this makes sense/seems right. I did it all the time, every day.

Bom: Does your study help you compose songs?

Add: When I was studying Dharma it helped me add another branch of substance to my songs. When I was composing songs, for many, many songs, knowledge of this subject came and helped me throughout all my songs. In the period after that there were matters that arose where Dharma was relevant, to some extent. And that was a benefit. For songwriters, the thing you can’t skip is to read, search, find new information. Write it down and try to practice and see. Because there is no fixed formula when it comes to songwriting. And after you have the information, you must use yonisomanasikāra [proper attention].*

Bom: Yyonisomanasikāra [proper attention].*

Add: People generally know it well. The act of thinking cleverly, what would be good to go on and do? What would be best to do? And put your hand to doing it for real.

*”To do good things (and relieve oneself from suffering) depends on oneself and not “God” who does not necessarily even exist in the Buddhist way of thinking. Buddha is not a God but a teacher. That you must find the way yourself, is a main principle of Buddhism.
**See the article “The Concept of Yonisomanasikāra ‘Proper Attention’ as a Buddhist Way to Social Peace” as I believe this Bhuddist concept yonisomanasikāra is key to Add’s thought process in many, many songs.

In 2005, Carabao joined up with famous female singer Parn Tanaporn, widely recognized as one of the best voices in Thailand, to make fresh music aimed at a younger generation. The iconic song (and iconic performance) from that collaboration is หนุ่มบาว-สาวปาน Num Bao Sao Parn (Carabao Boy and Parn Girl) in the first video below. The song, which is the title song of the first Carabao and Parn Tanaporn album, is about a young man who loves Carabao music falling in love with a young woman who loves Parn music. The lyrics, are basically an inside joke for fans of Carabao and/or Parn. That song with it’s many Easter eggs is translated and explained HERE to the best of my abilities. But anyone can immediately appreciate the eclectic sound—and that the song is a total earworm:

Who is Parn Thanaporn? Parn (pronounced “Bpan”), real name Thanaporn Wakprayoon, has an amazing voice that is both strong and emotional. She is twenty-some years younger than most of the Carabao band members. One of her biggest hits, เบอร์นี้ไม่มีคนของเธอ (This Number Doesn’t Have Your Person [at it]), is a great intro to her solo music. It’s the first song on this Parn Tanapporn song compilation YouTube video below.

“This Number Doesn’t Have Your Person [at it]” is about a woman, who gets sick of her boyfriend constantly contacting someone right in front of her and finally grabs his phone and tells the woman on the other end, “Your person isn’t here!,” finishing with, “Unless someone has died, don’t call!”

Parn has been singing since childhood, went to high school at the College of Dramatic Arts, began back-up singing while in high school, majored in music at Chulalongkorn University, and sang the original soundtracks for many dramas and movies before becoming a solo artist in 2000 under RS Promotion. Over the next two years she won a pile of awards, such as Best Song, Best Music Video (several times), Best Female Artist for the Youth, Best Solo Vocalist, and Best Thai Pop Singer. The collaboration with Carabao was in 2005, and in 2012, she was invited to play Effie White in the Bangkok version of the musical “Dreamgirls” [For comparison, Jennifer Hudson played Effie in the American film by the same name.] In addition to working on her own projects, Parn is a voice trainer for many big artists. In 2014, she got a master’s degree in music at Silpakorn University.

The origin of the Carabao – Parn collaboration is a friendship between Parn and Thierry Mekwattana of Carabao. They had previously made a solo album with RS. Also Parn had previously sung backup for Carabao while still in high school.

The 2005 collaboration between Parn and the band Carabao produced many duets that are completely addictive and ideal for karaoke. The project had Add Carabao writing some straight-up love songs–not his typical thing–and he knocked it out of the ballpark with 3 beautiful heartbreakers: สุ่มไฟรัก Sum Fai Rak (Build the Fire of Love), ดอกไผ่บาน Dok Pai Baan (The Bamboo Flower Blooms), and มนต์รักผีเสื้อ Mon Rak Pee Seua (Butterfly Love Spell).

To find additional great songs from this album go to Translations by Album at this site. (You are looking for “Num Bao Sao Parn (Special Carabao Album with Parn, 2005)”) None of the rest of that albums’ songs are written by Add Carabao, but one is written by Theirry Mekwattana and one by Lek Carabao (Preecha Chanapai). The other songs are presumably written by Parn’s people, and at least one is an adaptation of a Parn solo song. Specifically, เหงา…ไม่เข้าใจ Ngow…Mai Kowjai (It’s Lonely … I Don’t Understand) is a silly twist on a famous Parn song, “เหงา..เข้าใจ” Ngow Kowjai (It’s Lonely … I Understand).

Google her name in Thai to find more songs by ปาน ธนพร (Parn Thanaporn). You’ll find the lyrics to her best solo work translated into English by Tamnong at the website Deungdutjai.com (among translations of thousands of other great Thai songs). Here is the List of Translated Songs [sung] by Parn Thanaporn at Deungdutjai: http://deungdutjai.com/2000/04/06/translated-songs-by-parn-thanaporn/

เบอร์นี้ไม่มีคนของเธอ (“This Number Doesn’t Have Your Person [at it]”), mentioned above, is the second song in that list at Deungdutjai.

References:
Thai Wikipedia entry “ธนพร แวกประยูร” [Thanaporn Wakprayoon], as of 3/3/2004.
Thai Wikipedia entry “หนุ่มบาว-สาวปาน’ [Num Bao – Sao Parn, meaning “Carabao Boy – Parn Girl”], as of 3/3/2004
“Parn biography” at https://www.last.fm/music/Parn/+wiki. As of 3/3/2004

Lyrics by แอ๊ด คาราบาว Aed Carabao (ยืนยง โอภากุล Yuenyong Opakul);
Melody by Aed Carabao and เทียรี่ เมฆวัฒนา Thierry Mekwattana
Album: รวมเพลง Ruam Playng (A Collection of Songs)

According to Thai Wikipedia, Khun Aed wrote this song for Thai Airways to use in their advertising, and he came up with it while flying back and forth on Thai Airways touring for concerts.  It perfectly captures the feeling of looking out the window of an airplane. This is the singable English translation. Below is the voice clip, which is purely for demo purposes, or try to sing along with the video in Thai. The direct translation is HERE.

If I could fly away like a bird
I would soar way up in the sky
If I could float and ride on the wind
I’d look back around on the ground

Our big, wide world below is quite a sight
The more you look, the more delight

The expanse of sea’s colored blue
The expanse of land’s colored green
Perhaps you’ve heard some people complain
Where can this world’s beauty be seen?

The world spreads out below so vast and wide
The more you look, the more surprise

Beauty and love they both from nature start
People then paint in colors from their heart
The sky, the sea, the dirt, rocks, sand, and we
Through good and bad, building our country

If you fly away like a bird
When you soar way up in the sky
When you ride and float on the wind
Look back down around on the ground
Our big, wide world below is quite a sight
The more you look, the more delight

This song is from the sky … so far up high
Sending my thoughts to people far and near
A message true from viewing way up here:
The sky goes on and on; people don’t live there.