Kosovo (song): Difference between revisions
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{{other uses of|Kosovo}} |
{{other uses of|Kosovo}} |
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{{notability|music|date=February 2012}} |
{{notability|music|date=February 2012}} |
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'''"Kosovo"''' is a [[parody]] of the [[Beach Boys]] hit song "[[Kokomo (song)|Kokomo]]". It was produced in 1999 by [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] radio [[ |
'''"Kosovo"''' is a [[parody]] of the [[Beach Boys]] hit song "[[Kokomo (song)|Kokomo]]". It was produced in 1999 by [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] radio [[Radio comedy|comedian]]/[[radio personality]] [[Bob Rivers]]. The song harshly criticizes [[legitimacy of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia|US involvement]] in the [[Kosovo War]]: |
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:''We'll kick some ass,'' |
:''We'll kick some ass,'' |
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According to Rivers, "...the intent of the song was to mock my own country for its bullying ways around the world. The idea was to point out how casually the [[United States|U.S.]] plays World Police. The song takes on the persona of the U.S. government, ridiculing the fact that we push others around without much concern." |
According to Rivers, "...the intent of the song was to mock my own country for its bullying ways around the world. The idea was to point out how casually the [[United States|U.S.]] plays World Police. The song takes on the persona of the U.S. government, ridiculing the fact that we push others around without much concern." |
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In May 2005 a group of Norwegian [[peacekeeping|peacekeepers]] in [[Kosovo]] parodied the [[music video]] for "Kokomo," using Rivers' song with their own [[camcorder|hand-held video camera]] footage. In the parody, the soldiers imitate dance moves and scenes from the original music video in desolate war-torn areas around Kosovo. It was widely broadcast in the [[Balkans]], prompting the Norwegian [[ambassador]] to formally apologize. |
In May, 2005, a group of Norwegian [[peacekeeping|peacekeepers]] in [[Kosovo]] (calling themselves the "Shiptare Boys"<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.wartist.org/blog/?p=448&lang=en |author= |date= |title= Shiptare Boys: ''Kosovo'' |publisher= Wartist: Connecting War and the Arts |accessdate= May 16, 2014}}</ref>) parodied the [[music video]] for "Kokomo," using Rivers' song with their own [[camcorder|hand-held video camera]] footage. In the parody, the soldiers imitate dance moves and scenes from the original music video in desolate war-torn areas around Kosovo. It was widely broadcast in the [[Balkans]], prompting the Norwegian [[ambassador]] to formally apologize. |
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Nicholas Wood of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, |
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<blockquote>The trouble started, Mr. Rivers said, when a group of Norwegian soldiers on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo came upon the song in 2002 and decided to make a rock video of it. |
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The two-and-half-minute video shows four soldiers miming to the music -- dancing on watchtowers and armored trucks, wearing bulletproof vests over their bare chests, performing routines in their military compound and even splashing mineral water on one another. |
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Over time, the tape (which has a link on Mr. Rivers's Web site, www.bobrivers.com) made its way to the Internet and caught the attention of BK TV, the Serbian television station. When the station broadcast the video, it incited an uproar, and not only because of the dancing and lightly clad soldiers. What was most provocative were the song's lyrics. Verses such as "Protecting human rights, airstrikes and fire-fights / We'll be dropping our bombs wherever Serbian bad guys hide," caused deep offense...<ref>{{cite news |last= Wood |first= Nicholas |title= Video of D.J.'s Satirical Song Provokes Offense in Kosovo |work= [[The New York Times]] |date= August 21, 2005 |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE2D7103EF932A1575BC0A9639C8B63 |accessdate= May 16, 2014}}</ref></blockquote> |
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Rivers stated about the music video, "The song has been stolen...and I wish there were a way to stop it." |
Rivers stated about the music video, "The song has been stolen...and I wish there were a way to stop it." |
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The last few seconds show one of the soldiers being hit by a car, but that has been cut in many of the video postings. Also, when subtitles were put on the song in Serbia, they mistakenly replaced "Milosevic" with the name of [[Miloš Obilić|a 14th-century Serb hero]]. The soldiers had all left the Norwegian Army by the time the investigation took place so no further action was taken. |
The last few seconds show one of the soldiers being hit by a car, but that has been cut in many of the video postings. Also, when subtitles were put on the song in Serbia, they mistakenly replaced "Milosevic" with the name of [[Miloš Obilić|a 14th-century Serb hero]]. The soldiers, the "Shiptare Boys," had all left the Norwegian Army by the time the investigation took place, so no further action was taken. |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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Revision as of 08:08, 17 May 2014
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for music. (February 2012) |
"Kosovo" is a parody of the Beach Boys hit song "Kokomo". It was produced in 1999 by Seattle radio comedian/radio personality Bob Rivers. The song harshly criticizes US involvement in the Kosovo War:
- We'll kick some ass,
- and then we'll see how it goes,
- and then we really don't know.
- Good luck to Kosovo.
According to Rivers, "...the intent of the song was to mock my own country for its bullying ways around the world. The idea was to point out how casually the U.S. plays World Police. The song takes on the persona of the U.S. government, ridiculing the fact that we push others around without much concern."
In May, 2005, a group of Norwegian peacekeepers in Kosovo (calling themselves the "Shiptare Boys"[1]) parodied the music video for "Kokomo," using Rivers' song with their own hand-held video camera footage. In the parody, the soldiers imitate dance moves and scenes from the original music video in desolate war-torn areas around Kosovo. It was widely broadcast in the Balkans, prompting the Norwegian ambassador to formally apologize.
Nicholas Wood of The New York Times wrote,
The trouble started, Mr. Rivers said, when a group of Norwegian soldiers on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo came upon the song in 2002 and decided to make a rock video of it.
The two-and-half-minute video shows four soldiers miming to the music -- dancing on watchtowers and armored trucks, wearing bulletproof vests over their bare chests, performing routines in their military compound and even splashing mineral water on one another.
Over time, the tape (which has a link on Mr. Rivers's Web site, www.bobrivers.com) made its way to the Internet and caught the attention of BK TV, the Serbian television station. When the station broadcast the video, it incited an uproar, and not only because of the dancing and lightly clad soldiers. What was most provocative were the song's lyrics. Verses such as "Protecting human rights, airstrikes and fire-fights / We'll be dropping our bombs wherever Serbian bad guys hide," caused deep offense...[2]
Rivers stated about the music video, "The song has been stolen...and I wish there were a way to stop it."
The last few seconds show one of the soldiers being hit by a car, but that has been cut in many of the video postings. Also, when subtitles were put on the song in Serbia, they mistakenly replaced "Milosevic" with the name of a 14th-century Serb hero. The soldiers, the "Shiptare Boys," had all left the Norwegian Army by the time the investigation took place, so no further action was taken.
References
- ^ "Shiptare Boys: Kosovo". Wartist: Connecting War and the Arts. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ Wood, Nicholas (August 21, 2005). "Video of D.J.'s Satirical Song Provokes Offense in Kosovo". The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2014.