Levan Polka is a pretty un PC song that originates from the eastern part of Finland, in a region called Karelia that straddles the Russian border. Lyrics are below.
It is a song with lyrics written in the 1930s by Eino Kettunen based on a popular Karelian folk melody.
It was popularized by Loituma in the 1990s with some help from a 2006 meme. Since then it has had many versions and likely many lyrics. If you need a song to get you going for some Georgia ‘guidestones’ ruination then maybe this is the one.
Loituma version 1996
Korpiklaani ‘heavy polka’ version 2015
Slack bird ‘the legs’ version Belgium 2019 (Slack Bird is Finnish)
Tuuletar ‘the fun’ version, 2018
Chor Altowy Wydziału Biologi (a rather apt group in this day & age) the lyrics this time are in Polish, 2016.
Here’s Loituma again with a disco version, somewhere in the Alps I guess, 2010.
And let’s wrap it up with this version from Salut Salon from Germany, the sexy version? To be honest all of the versions are probably sexy.
Time to burn it down guys.
Here are the Finnish lyrics for the original Loituma version according to Genius.
I’m not going to add the English translation because there’s a dozen out there. Maybe just throw it in your favourite translator. Warning though, a lot of it is gibberish.
Levan Polka
[Verse 1]
Nuapurista kuulu se polokan tahti jalakani pohjii kutkutti
Ievan äiti se tyttöösä vahti vaan kyllähän Ieva sen jutkutti
Sillä ei meitä silloin kiellot haittaa
Kun myö tanssimme laiasta laitaan
[Refrain]
Salivili hipput tupput täppyt äppyt tipput hilijalleen
[Verse 2]
Ievan suu oli vehnäsellä ko immeiset onnee toevotti
Peä oli märkänä jokaisella ja viulu se vinku ja voevotti
Ei tätä poikoo märkyys haittaa
Sillon ko laskoo laiasta laitaan
[Refrain]
Salivili hipput tupput täppyt äppyt tipput hilijalleen
[Verse 3]
Ievan äiti se kammarissa virsiä veisata huijjuutti
Kun tämä poika naapurissa ämmän tyttöä nuijjuutti
Eikä tätä poikoo ämmät haittaa
Sillon ko laskoo laiasta laitaan
[Refrain]
Salivili hipput tupput täppyt äppyt tipput hilijalleen
[Bridge]
Hilipati hilipati hilipati hillaa
Hilipati hilipati hilipampaa
Jalituli jallaa talituli jallaa
Tilitali tilitali tilitantaa
Hilipati hillaa hilipati hillaa
Hilipati hilipati jalituli jallaa
Tilitali tallaa, tulituli jallaa
Hilipati hilipati hilipampaa
Rimpatirillaa ripirapirullaa
Rumpatirumpa tiripirampuu
Jamparingaa rimpatiraparan
Tsupantupiran dillandu
Japat stilla dipudupu dullaa
Dumpatidupa lipans dullaa
Dipidapi dullaa rimpati rukan
Ribitit stukan dillandu
Jatsatsa barillas dilla lapadeian dullan deian doo
Joparimba badabadeia stulla
Laba daba daba dujan dillandu
Barillas dilla deiaduu badaba daga daga daga daga dujaduu
Badu dubi dubi dubi dejaduu
Badaba dillas dillan dejaduu
[Verse 4]
Siellä oli lystiä soiton jäläkeen sain minä kerran sytkyyttee
Kottiin ko mäntii ni ämmä se riitelj ja Ieva jo alako nyyhkyytteek
Minä sanon Ievalle mitäpä se haittaa
Laskemma vielähi laiasta laitaa
[Refrain]
Salivili hipput tupput täppyt äppyt tipput hilijalleen
[Verse 5]
Muorille sanon jotta tukkee suusi en ruppee sun terveyttäs takkoomaa
Terveenä peäset ku korjoot luusi ja määt siitä murjuus makkoomaa
Ei tätä poikoo hellyys haittaa
Ko akkoja huhkii laiasta laitaan
[Refrain]
Salivili hipput tupput täppyt äppyt tipput hilijalleen
[Verse 6]
Sen minä sanon jotta purra pittää ei mua niin voan nielasta
Suat männä ite vaikka lännestä ittään vaan minä en luovu Ievasta
Sillä ei tätä poikoo kainous haittaa
Sillon ko tanssii laiasta laitaan
Wow! That was a bit of an out there music choice - a Finnish polkka.
I didn't put the text through a translator. As you said, a lot of it sounds like gibberish; and even though I have no real grasp of Finnish, it looks like gibberish as well, which is not to defame the language. Apparently, it's a fiendishly difficult one to learn, descended as it is from Hungarian, another challenging language. Are you able to give us a quick one or two sentence synopsis and why you chose it?
Since I was a teenager, half a century ago, I've loved the music of Sibelius, Finland's preeminent composer. I don't know if you are familiar with him, but his music is still widely performed and recorded today. Pertinent to your polkka choice is his attractive, fifteen-minute, three-movement work, Karelia Suite.
His most popular work is the anthemic Finlandia, which exists in both an orchestral version and a version for orchestra and chorus. I would presume both are available to view on youtube, though I usually don't recommend listening to classical music on computer or mobile phone. Nevertheless, I've chosen a scaled-down, a capella, flash mob version, more in keeping with one of your videos, which was also sung a capella. The open-air street acoustic isn't ideal, but because I know the music, I quite like it.
https://youtu.be/0vq4lYpxXTk
There's another small-scale a capella version on youtube, performed in a more ingratiating indoor acoustic but, you wouldn't believe it, the singers are all wearing face masks. So, no free promotion from me.
Perhaps the most historically interesting Karelian polkka is the Sakkijarven Polkka. Here's a video with English subtitles.
https://youtu.be/eiOoAllYYNw
I know you're a bit of a history buff, so you might like this four-minute documentary about its historic significance during the early years of the second world war. Then again, maybe I'm addressing a connoisseur of the Finnish polkka, who knows all there is to know about the subject.
https://youtu.be/5rSSn6jmrrU
And here's a more up-to-date version, similar to the last video on your list.
https://youtu.be/tYQYaX2H7hA
Following the Winter War with the Soviets in 1939 -1940, Finland temporarily aligned itself with Germany, which made the following piece of music possible.
Some background first: By far the most popular soldiers' marching song is Lili Marleen, sung by at least the German, French, British and Italian armies. But the Germans also had another very popular marching song called Erika. Yes, another marching song about a girl.
Youtube used to have the original 1939 recording by Herms Niel, who also wrote it, but it looks like it has been taken down. I'm not sure why because the German techno remix is still up, though I wouldn't test your computer or mobile phone speakers with it. (My neighbour, who is of German heritage, likes to give it a good thrashing on her big speakers every now and then).
Anyway, because of the alliance with Germany, Finland got its own Finnish version of Erika, renamed as Kaarina. The first link sounds like a wartime recording, so it's got that authentic atmosphere about it. The second link sounds more modern. Both have English subtitles.
https://youtu.be/uJIT9qaPHaQ
https://youtu.be/qEEqjt6G0ME
If you're old enough to remember that old, 1960s war movie, Battle of the Bulge, and that scene where a bunch of Nazi soldiers sings the Panzerlied to much foot stamping, then those two youtube videos won't remind you of it.
And finally, I couldn't quite work out why Barry O'Kenyan chose a video which was so short on actual music. Okay, I'm stereotyping, but whoever heard of an Irishman or one of Irish descent who didn't have music in his DNA. So, for Barry, here's a great Irish folksong, Carrickfergus, sung by Allison Moorer, with a nice selection of acoustic instruments to support her.
https://youtu.be/_NUlABvwVTQ
This is the best music to my ears:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTsedrj1XKI