ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nellie McKay - Singer/songwriter
Nellie McKay sings, croons, raps, grooves and -- barks? -- to glowing critical acclaim.

Why you should listen

Playful, quirky, hilarious, endearing: not attributes of your typical political agitator. But singer-songwriter-producer-activist Nellie McKay merits the description. Her music is whimsical, colorful, catchy and as engaging as it is restless. Toying with antique genres and yet undeniably contemporary, it flirts with multiple styles of delivery while maintaining a sharp social conscience.

For these and other eccentricities, McKay has gained a devoted fan following. On stage and off, she's an outspoken advocate of animal rights, a friend and ally to any arch political quip and -- lucky for us -- artistically uncompromising. After cutting two major-label records, her own indie label, Hungry Mouse, produced her latest, Obligatory Villagers.

More profile about the speaker
Nellie McKay | Speaker | TED.com
TED2008

Nellie McKay: "Mother of Pearl," "If I Had You"

Nellie McKay canta "Mother of Pearl" e "If I Had You"

Filmed:
1,386,342 views

La grande Nellie McKay canta "Mother of Pearl" e "If I Had You" sul palco del TED2008.
- Singer/songwriter
Nellie McKay sings, croons, raps, grooves and -- barks? -- to glowing critical acclaim. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:25
FeministsFemministe don't have a sensesenso of humorumorismo. ♫
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Le femministe non hanno senso dell'umorismo.
00:32
FeministsFemministe just want to be aloneda solo -- booBoo hooHoo, hooHoo, hooHoo. ♫
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Le femministe vogliono solo stare sole. (Boo hoo).
00:39
FeministsFemministe spreaddiffusione viciousvizioso liesbugie and rumorsvoci. ♫
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Diffondono maldicenze e menzogne,
00:44
♫ They have a tumortumore on theirloro funnydivertente boneosso. ♫
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hanno un tumore al gomito.
00:51
♫ They say childbambino molestationmolestie isn't funnydivertente -- haha, haha, haha, haha. ♫
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Dicono che maltrattare i bambini non é divertente (Ah ah ah ah).
00:59
RapeStupro and degradation'sdi degrado just a crimecrimine -- lightenalleggerire up, ladiesle signore. ♫
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Stuprare e umiliare é da criminali (SU CON LA VITA, BIMBE!).
01:06
RampantRampante prostitution'sdi prostituzione sexsesso for moneyi soldi -- what’s wrongsbagliato with that? ♫
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Il sesso mercenario dilaga (E COSA C'E' DI MALE?
01:12
♫ Can't these chickspulcini do anything but whinegemito? ♫
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QUESTE BAMBOLE SANNO SOLO LAMENTARSI..)
01:18
DanceDanza breakrompere! DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada. ♫
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Stacco di danza! Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
01:27
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada. ♫
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Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
01:29
Woo-hooWoo-hoo! ♫
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Woo-hoo!
01:31
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada -- ♫
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Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
01:35
♫ yeah, take it off. ♫
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OH SI', TOGLITELA!!!
01:38
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dumDum. ♫
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Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
01:44
♫ They say cheapa buon mercato objectificationoggettivazione isnisn’t wittyspiritoso -- it’s hotcaldo! ♫
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Dicono che essere trattate come oggetti non é spiritoso (PERO' E' SEXY!).
01:52
EqualPari work and wagessalari worthdi valore the fightcombattimento -- ♫
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e che la parità di trattamento é una causa degna.
01:57
singcantare us a newnuovo one. ♫
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(CANTACENE UN'ALTRA!)
01:59
On-demandSu richiesta abortionaborto everyogni citycittà -- OK, but no gunpistola controlcontrollo. ♫
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Poter abortire in ogni città (OK, MA NIENTE CONTROLLO SULLE ARMI)
02:06
WonHa vinto’t these womendonne ever get a life? ♫
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(MA PERCHE' NON SI GODONO LA VITA..)
02:12
FeministsFemministe donDon’t have a sensesenso of humorumorismo -- poorpovero HillaryHillary. ♫
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Le femministe non han senso dell'umorismo (POVERA HILLARY)
02:20
FeministsFemministe and vegetariansvegetariani -- make mineil mio a BigGrande MacMac. ♫
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E nemmeno i vegetariani (FAMMI UN BIG MAC!).
02:27
FeministsFemministe spreaddiffusione viciousvizioso liesbugie and rumorsvoci. ♫
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Diffondono maldicenze e menzogne,
02:32
♫ They're farlontano too sensitivesensibile to ever be a hamprosciutto, ♫
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e sono troppo delicate per qualunque lavoro.
02:39
♫ that's why these feministsfemministe just need to find a man. ♫
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Ecco perché hanno bisogno di un uomo.
02:44
DaDa, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada, dada. ♫
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Da, da, da da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
02:50
I’m DennisDennis KucinichKucinich and I approvedapprovato this messagemessaggio.
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Sono Dennis Kucinich, e sottoscrivo.
02:56
Thank you.
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Grazie.
02:58
(ApplauseApplausi)
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(Applausi)
03:01
Thank you.
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Grazie.
03:03
(ApplauseApplausi)
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(Applausi)
03:06
Thank you.
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Grazie.
03:09
I askedchiesto my mothermadre, you know, should I say anything in supportsupporto of anyonechiunque?
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Ho chiesto a mia madre: "Dovrei sostenere qualcuno, politicamente?
03:13
And she said, "Oh no! Just disdis everybodytutti, excepttranne RalphRalph NaderNader."
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E lei:"Oh no, parla male di tutti, a parte Ralph Nader."
03:19
(LaughterRisate)
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(Risate)
03:25
♫ I could showmostrare the worldmondo how to smileSorriso, ♫
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Potrei insegnare al mondo a sorridere,
03:30
♫ I could be gladlieto all of the while. ♫
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ed essere sempre contenta.
03:40
♫ I could turnturno the graygrigio skiescieli to blueblu, if I had you. ♫
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Potrei rendere azzurri i cieli grigi, se avessi te.
03:53
♫ I could leavepartire the oldvecchio daysgiorni behinddietro a, ♫
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Potrei lasciarmi alle spalle il passato,
03:59
leavepartire all my palsPals, I’d never mindmente. ♫
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e lasciare tutti i miei amici, senza pensarci due volte.
04:09
♫ I could startinizio my life all anewnuovo, if I had you. ♫
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Ricomincerei tutto da zero, se avessi te.
04:22
♫ I could climbscalata the snow-cappedinnevate mountainsmontagne, ♫
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Potrei scalare una montagna innevata,
04:29
sailvela the mightypossente oceanoceano widelargo. ♫
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e navigare gli oceani in lungo e in largo.
04:38
♫ I could crossattraversare the burningardente desertdeserto, if I had you by my sidelato. ♫
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Potrei attraversare un deserto torrido, se ti avessi al mio fianco.
04:51
♫ I could be a kingre, dearcaro, uncrownedsenza corona, humbleumile or poorpovero, richricco or renownedrinomato. ♫
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Potrei essere una regina, umile o povera, ricca o famosa.
05:07
♫ There is nothing I couldncouldn’t do, if I had you. ♫
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Potrei fare qualunque cosa, se avessi te.
05:25
Thank you. Well, thank you so much.
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Grazie. Grazie infinite, davvero.
Translated by Michele Gianella
Reviewed by Silvia Salvagno

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nellie McKay - Singer/songwriter
Nellie McKay sings, croons, raps, grooves and -- barks? -- to glowing critical acclaim.

Why you should listen

Playful, quirky, hilarious, endearing: not attributes of your typical political agitator. But singer-songwriter-producer-activist Nellie McKay merits the description. Her music is whimsical, colorful, catchy and as engaging as it is restless. Toying with antique genres and yet undeniably contemporary, it flirts with multiple styles of delivery while maintaining a sharp social conscience.

For these and other eccentricities, McKay has gained a devoted fan following. On stage and off, she's an outspoken advocate of animal rights, a friend and ally to any arch political quip and -- lucky for us -- artistically uncompromising. After cutting two major-label records, her own indie label, Hungry Mouse, produced her latest, Obligatory Villagers.

More profile about the speaker
Nellie McKay | Speaker | TED.com