Sayonara

[Lade]

I was wondering if the single version of Sayonara (with a clean lyric in place of an explicit one) and some different vocals and backing is available on CD at all at this time?

thanks
scott

I have this single on one of my many Pogues rare singles and B-sides CDs. If I remember correctly the musical arrangement is the same. Some of the lyrics have been changed, the main line "some motherfucker kissed the ground," was originally "some holy father kissed the ground."

Iain

Sayonara Single version lyrics.

OK, it's time for Sayonara
Go on yankee break my heart
There's nothing left for us to say now
Even the best friends they must part

I walked into the nearest bar
I sat and looked across the sea
I wandered drunken on the beach
The waves just whispered misery

She had a red red scarf
Around her neck
Her eyes were green
Her hair was black
She had a red red scarf
Around her neck
Her eyes were green
Her hair was black
Ooh she gave me Mekong Whiskey
Ooh she gave me Hong Kong Flu
Ooh she gave me Mekong Whiskey
Put me on a breeze to Katmandu

(Som-yat-zu, som-yat-zu)

I got new papers in a bordello
With some luckies and my I.D.
My heart was pounding like a hammer
Thai Thai Thai Thai Thai! I am free

She kissed me softly on the lips
She took my hand without a sound
This was our happy ever after
Some Holy Father kissed the ground


I have a spare cd for sale if anyone is interested.

[IrishRover]

anyoine goit a clue what "som yat zu" means? thoink twas' the question asked at doifferent places but no answer ever goiven anywhere ! oi even remember soimeoine asked oit at Thaoi translation foirum / and the answer was pretty much tois' noit Thaoi stuff..
Philip, oif ye read thois, oim sure ye knoiw the oiroigoin of the phrase, twoiuld be great to hear.
slaointe!

[philipchevron]

anyoine goit a clue what "som yat zu" means? thoink twas' the question asked at doifferent places but no answer ever goiven anywhere ! oi even remember soimeoine asked oit at Thaoi translation foirum / and the answer was pretty much tois' noit Thaoi stuff..
Philip, oif ye read thois, oim sure ye knoiw the oiroigoin of the phrase, twoiuld be great to hear.
slaointe!

'fraid not Oirish. I might have known once but I knew so many things long ago that I no longer know.

[IrishRover]

oik, well thanks anyway, oif oit coimes up at soime point aloing the way, oi'll be stoill ointerested to knoiw.

[phro37]

you know other than the "thai thai thai" verse, there isn't any indication that this song is about him (or any character) being in thailand. i mean, "sayonara" is a japanese term, the mekong is a river in china, hong kong was, at the time, independent of china (read: "another asian location"), and katmandu is in nepal. so the "thai thai thai" part could be just another reference to an asian country (or maybe a woman of thai descent) and not necessarily the song's setting.

for all we know this song is about an awesome american sailor stationed in japan [phro37 steams up his finger nails and rubs them clean] that made his rounds around the south pacific. [save of course for the hong kong flu part]. hmmmmm..........

[girlfromcountyhell]

you know other than the "thai thai thai" verse, there isn't any indication that this song is about him (or any character) being in thailand. i mean, "sayonara" is a japanese term, the mekong is a river in china, hong kong was, at the time, independent of china (read: "another asian location"), and katmandu is in nepal. so the "thai thai thai" part could be just another reference to an asian country (or maybe a woman of thai descent) and not necessarily the song's setting.

for all we know this song is about an awesome american sailor stationed in japan [phro37 steams up his finger nails and rubs them clean] that made his rounds around the south pacific. [save of course for the hong kong flu part]. hmmmmm..........

Didn't Shane spend some time in Thailand? Or am I imagining things? And isn't the song about an Asian prostitute? must have been a fun trip for you

[phro37]

you know other than the "thai thai thai" verse, there isn't any indication that this song is about him (or any character) being in thailand. i mean, "sayonara" is a japanese term, the mekong is a river in china, hong kong was, at the time, independent of china (read: "another asian location"), and katmandu is in nepal. so the "thai thai thai" part could be just another reference to an asian country (or maybe a woman of thai descent) and not necessarily the song's setting.

for all we know this song is about an awesome american sailor stationed in japan [phro37 steams up his finger nails and rubs them clean] that made his rounds around the south pacific. [save of course for the hong kong flu part]. hmmmmm..........

Didn't Shane spend some time in Thailand? Or am I imagining things? And isn't the song about an Asian prostitute? must have been a fun trip for you

yeah he did. i have no idea if it's about an asian prostitute (but yeah it sounds like it may be). and yeah it was fun, but not cuz of what you're implying! drunken go-karts at 80mph (130kmh for my metric friends )! WOOOOOOO!

[philipchevron]

you know other than the "thai thai thai" verse, there isn't any indication that this song is about him (or any character) being in thailand. i mean, "sayonara" is a japanese term, the mekong is a river in china, hong kong was, at the time, independent of china (read: "another asian location"), and katmandu is in nepal. so the "thai thai thai" part could be just another reference to an asian country (or maybe a woman of thai descent) and not necessarily the song's setting.

for all we know this song is about an awesome american sailor stationed in japan [phro37 steams up his finger nails and rubs them clean] that made his rounds around the south pacific. [save of course for the hong kong flu part]. hmmmmm..........

Didn't Shane spend some time in Thailand? Or am I imagining things? And isn't the song about an Asian prostitute? must have been a fun trip for you

There was a period - quite a lengthy period - when Thailand was Shane's sanctuary of choice between tours, yes. A great deal of Hell's Ditch reflects that, but what makes it such a Poguesy record, in its own right, is that pretty much all of us in the band, in one way or another, were seeking a form of sanctuary from the increasingly bewitched bothered and bewildered life in which we found ourselves apparently trapped. Shane just expressed it better, both more eloquently and more universally, than the rest of us. I always felt the title was hugely ironic - if we had already acknowledged our drive through Hades, we now found ourselves with our axel in Hades' Rut. Spending time together, with only the wild and lovely Welsh countryside around Rockfield Studios for company, the album is in some ways a cleansing process, a sort of Pogues detox. It was, of course, only a temporary respite, but it was brilliant while it lasted. The summer of 1990, the Welsh sunshine, great food, good friends, Ireland in the World Cup, all this and Joe Strummer too. Hell's Ditch is the last really good Pogues record. Clearly, it is a world away from the angst of Peace And Love ,it's almost pastoral, so on that score alone, it's a success.

There's a great deal to be said in favour of middle age, as we now know. At some point, you stop testing your own limits, but you'd not have wanted to get to that point by any other route. Excuse me, it's 3 a.m. and I'm just dribbling on now. The question just got me thinking, that's all. I'll stop now.

[phro37]

There's a great deal to be said in favour of middle age, as we now know. At some point, you stop testing your own limits, but you'd not have wanted to get to that point by any other route. Excuse me, it's 3 a.m. and I'm just dribbling on now. The question just got me thinking, that's all. I'll stop now.

is that similar to wanting the pursuit of X as opposed to having X handed to you?

[RICHB]

you know other than the "thai thai thai" verse, there isn't any indication that this song is about him (or any character) being in thailand. i mean, "sayonara" is a japanese term, the mekong is a river in china, hong kong was, at the time, independent of china (read: "another asian location"), and katmandu is in nepal. so the "thai thai thai" part could be just another reference to an asian country (or maybe a woman of thai descent) and not necessarily the song's setting.

for all we know this song is about an awesome american sailor stationed in japan [phro37 steams up his finger nails and rubs them clean] that made his rounds around the south pacific. [save of course for the hong kong flu part]. hmmmmm..........

Didn't Shane spend some time in Thailand? Or am I imagining things? And isn't the song about an Asian prostitute? must have been a fun trip for you

There was a period - quite a lengthy period - when Thailand was Shane's sanctuary of choice between tours, yes. A great deal of Hell's Ditch reflects that, but what makes it such a Poguesy record, in its own right, is that pretty much all of us in the band, in one way or another, were seeking a form of sanctuary from the increasingly bewitched bothered and bewildered life in which we found ourselves apparently trapped. Shane just expressed it better, both more eloquently and more universally, than the rest of us. I always felt the title was hugely ironic - if we had already acknowledged our drive through Hades, we now found ourselves with our axel in Hades' Rut. Spending time together, with only the wild and lovely Welsh countryside around Rockfield Studios for company, the album is in some ways a cleansing process, a sort of Pogues detox. It was, of course, only a temporary respite, but it was brilliant while it lasted. The summer of 1990, the Welsh sunshine, great food, good friends, Ireland in the World Cup, all this and Joe Strummer too. Hell's Ditch is the last really good Pogues record. Clearly, it is a world away from the angst of Peace And Love ,it's almost pastoral, so on that score alone, it's a success.

There's a great deal to be said in favour of middle age, as we now know. At some point, you stop testing your own limits, but you'd not have wanted to get to that point by any other route. Excuse me, it's 3 a.m. and I'm just dribbling on now. The question just got me thinking, that's all. I'll stop now.

I really believe to a lot of Pogues fans its an album that wasnt apreciated until later on. Also the stuff on the box set that was left off this album is also top class

[phro37]

I really believe to a lot of Pogues fans its an album that wasnt apreciated until later on. Also the stuff on the box set that was left off this album is also top class

yeah that includes myself. even though i didn't grow with the band, i can see how tastes - like talents - would mature with time.