Happi Song

Lyrics

If I can see and you can see, why can't they see?

Raindrops on the highway
It was in the second hour I saw them sitting there

If I can see and you can see, why can't they see?
As we drove through Australia (2)
It was always going to be a matter of time

If I can see and you can see, why can't they see?

Got no english folk music got no U boot four one six (3)

Got no english folk music got no U boot four one six
I reach out (4)

If i can see and you can see, why cant they see?
No, it's never on the radio
I can wait and wait and wait, it will never show
A Stofftier ist a source of joy is the source of joy but they can't see that but look into his eyes (5)

If I can see and you can see, why can't they see?

Notes

1. Eleni sings this one, sounding like Nico (as at least three reviewers pointed out at the time). She also wrote the words, since she is the only credited songwriter on this one.

2. According to Martin, the Fall played Australia and New Zealand in late 2010 (the gigography shows four gigs in Australia and one in New Zealand between the 7th and the 13th of December).

3. U-416 was a German sub in WWII that sank twice during the course of the war.

4. The transcribers at the Fall online forum have this as "I recheck," with a possible alternative being "I reject"; I hear it as above.

5. A "stuffed animal," that is (thanks to Bernd Connelly). This may be a reference to Eleni's stuffed rabbit Gunther.

More Information

Happi Song: Fall Tracks A-Z

The Story of the Fall: 2011

Comments (10)

1. Martin | 26/01/2014

The reference to driving through Australia would strongly indicate that the lyrics were written at the time of, or looking back on, the mini-tour of that country (along with New Zealand) at the end of 2010.

2. Bernd Cornely | 05/03/2018

I'm not perfectly sure, but to my worn-out german ears its sounds like
"A Stofftier ist a source of joy",
Stofftier being a plush toy.

3. bzfgt (link) | 17/03/2018

Crap I have to listen to it I guess. For now I see I inherited some bad capitalization/punctuation on this one, I don't know how it persevered so long...

4. nick | 26/08/2020

re.: Got no english folk music got no (?) four one six

pretty sure this should should be "got no U-Boot 416" - quite clearly the first time, somehow broken down with sylables missing the second time.

("U-Boot" pronounced the German way, then the numbers the English way)

http://www.ubootarchiv.de/ubootwiki/index.php/U_416

No idea why this specific submarine ... it sank in the Baltic on 12 December 1944 after colliding with a German minesweeper, 37 dead, 5 survivors ...

5. bzfgt (link) | 30/08/2020

OK going with it for now

6. joincey | 08/09/2020

it is *definitely* "stofftiere". plush toy ie Gunther the rabbit.

7. dannyno | 08/11/2020

Eleni was interviewed by Sonja Delibasic of the The Mighty Fall facebook page, using suggestions by other TMF members. Answers posted 7 November 2020.

In answer to a question re:re: Gunther and What About Us?:

We found him in Leipzig in 2002, but he is actually from North-West Germany (via Australia). He is still active and is now in a relationship. Many more songs are about him, for example, Happi Song is an ode to him.

Mark and I made many drawings, scripts, cartoons from his point of view. A vessel for love and free creativity.
[quote]

In answer to a question about how songs were written:

[quote]Happy Song - Mark called me from the studio and asked me to sing it over the phone, so I made the lyrics up spontaneously (recurring theme: Bad radio in the UK).