Masarykova univerzita Filozofická fakulta Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistiky A lena K lena adlčí kov á Magisterská diplomová práce 20 2 1 2021 Bc. Alena Kadlčíková Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English-language Translation Bc. Alena Kadlčíková Song-translation Tendencies: Lyrics Written for Pavel Bobek During the Normalization Period Master’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: Ing. Mgr. Jiří Rambousek, Ph.D. 2021 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Rambousek for his support and valuable advice. I would also like to thank all my friends, family and to my partner, for they managed to support me when I needed it the most. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Objectives of the Thesis .......................................................................................................... 3 2. Song translation ............................................................................................................................... 4 2.1. Translation Purpose ................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.1. “Readable Translation” ........................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2. “Singable Translation” ............................................................................................................ 6 3. Czechoslovak History and Music .................................................................................................. 10 3.1. Post-war Czechoslovakia and the Rise of Communism ........................................................ 11 3.1.1. Restrictions of the Late 1940s and the Early 1950s .............................................................. 11 3.1.2. Decline in Political Tension in the 1950s and the 1960s ....................................................... 12 3.2. The Year 1968 and Life after the Invasion ............................................................................ 14 3.2.1. The 1970s – the Period of Normalization .............................................................................. 15 3.2.2. Performing American Country Music in Czechoslovakia ..................................................... 17 4. Analyses of the Lyrics ................................................................................................................... 18 4.1. Methodology and Research Material ..................................................................................... 19 4.1.1. Songs examined and the Authors of the Lyrics ..................................................................... 21 4.2. Lyrics Analyses ..................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.1. “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” .............................................................................. 23 4.2.2. “Cupid” .................................................................................................................................. 27 4.2.3. “I Am… I Said” ..................................................................................................................... 28 4.2.4. “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” ......................................................................................... 31 4.2.5. “Vincent” ............................................................................................................................... 34 4.2.6. “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’” ......................................................................................... 37 4.2.7. “Ann” .................................................................................................................................... 39 4.2.8. “Don’t Bogart Me” ................................................................................................................ 42 4.2.9. “Smokey Put the Sweat on Me” ............................................................................................ 44 4.2.10. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” ........................................................................................ 47 4.2.11. “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet” ....................................................................... 49 4.2.12. “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” ........................................................................................... 50 4.2.13. “I May Smoke Too Much” .................................................................................................... 53 4.2.14. “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” .......................................................................................... 55 4.2.15. “Lucille” ................................................................................................................................ 58 4.2.16. “Coward of the County” ........................................................................................................ 62 4.2.17. “Stranger” .............................................................................................................................. 64 4.2.18. “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” ............................................................................................... 67 4.2.19. “Birthday Song” .................................................................................................................... 69 4.2.20. “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer” .................................................................................... 72 4.2.21. “Sail Away” ........................................................................................................................... 76 4.2.22. “My Hometown” ................................................................................................................... 78 4.3. Findings ................................................................................................................................. 81 4.3.1. Replacement Texts ................................................................................................................ 81 4.3.2. Adaptations ............................................................................................................................ 84 4.3.3. Translations ........................................................................................................................... 85 5. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 87 6. References ..................................................................................................................................... 90 Primary Sources ................................................................................................................................ 90 Secondary Sources ............................................................................................................................ 98 7. English Resumé ........................................................................................................................... 106 8. Czech Resumé ............................................................................................................................. 107 1. Introduction Song translation is a practice with a long tradition that has, unfortunately, not been examined very often until fairly recently. The only exception being the translation of opera that has its own standards and rules. Only a few years ago, Peter Low and some of his colleagues started to deal with song translation of other genres and its specifics. One of the reasons for the shortage of research in this field might be that when translating songs and consequently dealing with the target text, there are no strict rules. One must rely more on their feelings and personal preferences, rather than on factual data and the accuracy of the translation itself. The changes made during the process of translation may, to some, seem more distinct than to the others. There are, of course, differences in the approach dictated by the skopos of the target text. A song translation created for the single purpose of enabling understanding of the original will most probably differ from lyrics translated for a singer, or rather a performer, who needs to perform the work comfortably and sing the text. This thesis deals with the different changes that happen during the process of song translation. The author of this thesis distinguishes between translations, adaptations, and replacement texts, but at the same time, she investigates all of them using the same criteria. This thesis examines the lyrics written for Czechoslovak/Czech pop and country singer Pavel Bobek by six different lyricists. All the texts examined were produced in the years between 1970 and 1988, during the normalization era – the period between 1968 and 1989 – which had a great impact on how the music production in our country developed. A large portion of song translations created during this particular era was affected by censorship and the restrictions of some of the human rights and fundamental freedoms. Ever since these translations occurred, they were being passed