Image | Formats | Carabao in English

by Carabao [presumably; Wikipedia does not list an author for this song]
Album: แป๊ะขายขวด Bpae Kaai Kuat (1982)

Note: Dan Kwian is a tambon (district) in Nakhon Ratchasima Province where they make pottery.

วัวมันเดินกระเหย่งย่องมา
wua man dern grà-yaeng yông maa
The cow comes walking along on tiptoe
บรรทุกเต็มบ่ามีดินเต็มเกวียน
ban-túk dtem bàa mee din dtem gwian
Full to overflowing, there is dirt filling the cart
เกวียนมันเดินลดเลี้ยวเคี้ยวโค้ง
gwian man dern lót líeow kíeow kóhng
The cart, [it] pulls [it] zigzag*
หลังมันโกงซํ้าวันซํ้าเดิน
lăng man gohng sám wan sám dern
The back is humped. It walks the same way day after day
เดินไปไกลไปหาดินดิบ
dern bpai glai bpai hăa din dìp
walking far to find fine clay
หยิบเอามาปั้นเป็นหม้อต้มแกง
yìp ao maa bpân bpen môr dtôm gaeng
Pick up and bring [it] to mold to be a curry pot
เอ๊ย ปั้นหม้อต้มแกง เอ๊ย เอย
óie bpân môr dtôm gaeng óie oie
Oy! Make a curry pot. Oy! Oy!

วัวมันเดินกระเหย่งย่องมา
wua man dern grà-yaang yông maa
The cow it comes walking along on tiptoe
บรรทุกเต็มบ่ามีฟืนเต็มเกวียน
ban-túk dtem bàa mee feun dtem gwian
Full to overflowing, there is firewood filling the cart
เกวียนมันเดินซํ้าวันซํ้าโค้ง
gwian man dern sám wan sám kóhng
The cart, it walks [pulling] it day after day, on the same route
หลังมันโกงซํ้าวันซํ้าเดิน
lăng man gohng sám wan sám dern
The back is humped [from] repeatedly walking day after day
เดินไปไกลไปหาฟืนแห้ง
dern bpai glai bpai hăa feun hâeng
Walking far to go find dry firewood
มาสุมไฟแรงเข้าหม้อต้มแกง
maa sŭm fai raeng kâo môr dtôm gaeng
to pile up to fire a curry pot [in a kiln]
เอ๊ย เข้าหม้อต้มแกง เอ๊ย เอย
óie kâo môr dtôm gaeng óie oie
Oy . . . to fire a curry pot, oy, oy!

ขึ้นหม้อดินเอาไว้หุงข้าว
kêun môr din ao wái hŭng kâao
Turn it into a clay pot to cook the rice
(หุงไว้เปล่าๆ ใส่นํ้าตาลเมา)
hŭng wái bplào bplào sài nám-dtaan mao
([Or] to boil palm wine)
ขึ้นเป็นครกใส่โขลกปลาร้า
kêun bpen krók sài klòhk bplaa ráa
[Or] develop it to be a mortar. Put in and pound pickled fish
(โอ่งธรรมดาใส่นํ้าท่าอาบกิน)
(òhng tam-má-daa sài nám tâa àap gin )
([Or] an ordinary water jar to put water for bathing, drinking)
เอาดินแห้งแล้งแปลงเป็นหม้อไห
ao din hâeng láeng bplaeng bpen môr hăi
Take dry earth and change it to be a clay jar
(ฝีมือไทยๆ ที่โคราชบ้านเอ็ง)
(fĕe meu tai tai têe koh-râat bâan eng )
(The handicraft of Thais right here at Khorat, [your] hometown)
เอ๊ย โคราชบ้านเอ็ง เอ๊ย เอย
óie · koh-râat bâan eng · óie · oie
Oy. [Your] home of Khorat. Oy oy

ความเจริญหลั่งไหลกันเข้ามา
kwaam jà-rern làng lăi gan kâo maa
Growth and development rapidly flows in
มันเป็นสินค้ามีเงินเต็มมือ
man bpen sĭn káa mee ngern dtem meu
It’s the products which make a lot of money [filling the fist]
มือเอ็งทํากำแต่ดินเต็มมือ
meu eng tam gam dtàe din dtem meu
Your hands are full of clay to make [the products]
เต็มสองมือช่างปั้นด่านเกวียน
dtem sŏng meu châang bpân dàan-gwian
filling the two hands of the potters of Dan Kwian.
ที่เก็บที่มีจ้างกินก็บ่ได้
têe gèp têe mee jâang gin gôr bòr dâai
What you keep [and don’t sell] cannot make a living**
ปั้นวัวควายกินได้ซะก็ดี
bpân wua kwaai gin dâai sá gôr dee
It would be better if one could mold edible cattle
เอ๊ย แบบไหน เอ๊ย เอ๊ย แบบไหน
óie · bàep năi · óie · óie · bàep năi
Oy, what kind [do you want]? Oy oy. What way [do you want]?
เอ๊ย เอย เฮ้อ เอย
óie oie hér oie
Oy oy Oh! oy!

*Another translator tells me “ลดเลี้ยวเคี้ยวโค้ง is just for rhymes.The usual expression is ‘เลี้ยวลดคดเคี้ยว’, meaning zigzag/tortuous.
**Not sure the meaning of this line. Another translator also can’t figure it out, but they think that the last line means “Do you want a simple life versus a rapid influx of money/technology/development”? I think it means “What kind of product do you want?” (after the third verse lists all the various products that can be made).

By Ann Norman (written July 15, 2014)

This album collects 24 songs from the TV show Carabao The Series, which has aired over the past year. Carabao songs are known for their vivid themes and story-telling. So it is completely feasible that each episode of Carabao The Series takes a famous Carabao song and turns the lyrics into a 40 minute drama. These little soap operas have been, for the most part, well produced, well-acted, and entertaining. I dare say, there are few bands, and probably only one, where the song catalog easily lends itself to such a thing.

At the end of each show, a much younger band covers the song of the week in a much younger style. This album complies those fresh covers by Summer Stop, The Jukks, Lomosonic, The Richmond Toy, Tattoo Colour, and more. I love these songs. They are creative tributes to the originals.

What style are these bands playing? Well, to this old person of the Carabao generation, they all sound like Scrubb or Paradox, which is wonderful. What style is Scrubb or Paradox? Well nothing exactly equivalent is going in US music right now. These bands do rock that is slick, artsy, and somewhat retro. I have been told by a younger friend that the style is “alternative” but the songs feel way too carefully considered for me to agree to apply that label.

Lyrics are performed with great attention to emotional nuance, even in cases where the original melodies are disguised almost out of recognition. The songs, like the dramas, take unexpected turns while still capturing the essence of the featured song of the week.

My favorites on the two-CD set:

The Jukks’ version of “Lung Kee Mao,” “ลุงขี้เมา” (The Drunken Uncle) is dark and energetic. In this version, Drunken Uncle dies under a bridge, but Nirvana lives!

“Made in Thailand” is Bigger and Badder in this heavy metal version by Lomosonic. No pretty flutes this time.

“Sanyaa Na Fon,””สัญญาหน้าฝน” (Rainy Season’s Promises) by Tattoo Color, begins in the precious style of a Christmas pop song, then some rock is tossed into the mix at the end.

“Telay Jai” “ทะเลใจ” (Ocean Heart) by สมเกียรติ (Som Giat) deviates from expectations even thematically. The lyrics of this song are about the restlessness of youth and how you first have first make peace with yourself before you can be happy. “Telay Jai” is a usually a soothing song that emphasizes the “making peace with yourself” part of the story. But the “Carabao the Series” dramatization of this song explores what happens when you find you CAN’T live with yourself. Similarly, this cover of “Telay Jai” has an anxious undercurrent of clashy cymbols and distortion.

The next song, “ถามหาความรัก” (“Asking after Love”) by When has lovely Alicia Keys-like piano.

The gender-bending and totally captivating Gene Kasidit (เก็บคำว่ารัก) otherwise plays it straight in this cover of the disco-style classic “Naam Ngam Dtoo Grajok” นางงามตู้กระจก (Glass Cabinet Beauty Queen), a song about a woman working as a prostitute so her parents can be comfortable and her younger siblings can go to school. You must see the video for this cover. Also, if you see no other Carabao The Series episode PLEASE check out the episode “บัวลอย” “Bua Loy” in which Gene Kasidit plays our hero Bua Loy’s transgender girlfriend. (In the Lakon, Bua Loey’s friend Nohk tries to steer his kind-hearted friend away from this nonstandard relationship.)

The second side begins with two songs สามช่าคาราบาว “Sam Cha Carabao” and “กระถางดอกไม้ให้คุณ” “Flowers for You” (by Polycat and Tattoo Colour, respectively) that sound to me like theme music from American 70s-era TV shows. I know, its bizarre . . .

“Kon La Fun”(“Dream Chaser”) is a rousing, inspirational song advising people to chase their dream until they hold it in their hand. It has been covered in every which way, and here is done as cool jazz (by Penguin Villa). The words say please go struggle for your life, and the tone says please go relax by the pool. And yet, I LOVE IT! You can do anything to this song, and it’s still amazing because of the lyrics.

As you can see, I have a lot of favorites. I will just quickly mention that ราชาเงินผ่อน (“King of Credit”) is done in a Black soul style by Spoonfulz; the cover of “Ba” [about a crazy person] by the Barbies sounds like U2; and the “I love you” in “Hua Jai Ba Bin”“หัวใจบ้าบิ่น” (Tattoo Colour, again) is heart-melting.

To finish it off, The Richman Toy’s “Bua Loey” ROCKS with a new, bouncier beat that screams “PARTYYY!”

Young people today . . . wow, they are really talented.

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English speakers can BUY THE ALBUM “Carabao The Series”, and all your other Thai music and video at eThaiCD.com. The site is in English and the helpful staff will answer your questions in English.

Carabao in English

Images

ด่านเกวียน Dan Kwian

Review of “Songs from Carabao The Series” เพลง ประกอบ ละคร คาราบาว เดอะซีรี่ส

Lyrics Translations for the Band