Their name comes from a term that refers to Indian immigrants that move to England, in that they often own street corner stores. Their music is a fusion of Indian music, British indie rock, and electronic dance.
In 1997, Cornershop shot into the UK charts with the song 'Brimful of Asha' reaching number 60! Things changed when DJ Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) remixed the track for re-release in 1998. The remix topped the chart, selling over 200,000 copies in 7 days! The track featured lyrics about Bollywood playback singer, Asha Bhosle.
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has
Cornershop Lyrics
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Ja(h), shart me(h) kernar
Orde(h) korlai me(h)
Orne(h) orda kumera dukalis
He(h) nee eh huchae
Norwegian lukri
Orne(h) kyar rela(h) Tha(h) be(h)ja
Jitte(h) bi teri marji
Me(h) alle(h) dwalle(h) deklar
Kay(h) ohte(h) korsee nee si
Ma(h) duri te(h) be(h)gle
Sume sorcheke(h)
Ordi sharab pyike(h)
Use dar buhjeh tac galla kitia(h)
Fa(h) ome(h) kuy-ar
Sohn da suma horgiar
Orne(h) dusia ke swernu karnte(h), jandi he(h)
Tah hassna shooru karditha
Me(h) ornu dusia, me(h) nee-jarna
Tha bathe betch solhm cha-leg-lar
Jad me(h) jargian,
Me(h) kul-ar se
Eh chirey beergh gey
Fer(h) me(h) aag jug ay see
He(h) nee eh huchee
Norwegian lukri
The lyrics to Cornershop's Norwegian Wood are in a mix of Punjabi and English language. The song starts with Punjabi lyrics "Mere(h) korlsi ek rani, Ja(h), shart me(h) kernar" which means "I have a queen, and I have a condition". The lyrics follow with "Orde(h) korlai me(h), Orne(h) orda kumera dukalis, He(h) nee eh huchae, Norwegian lukri" which roughly translates to "She makes me food, and she makes a cucumber salad. This is not it, Norwegian Wood". The use of Punjabi in the lyrics brings a feeling of cultural fusion and adds a unique flavor to the song.
The song seems like a casual conversation between two people, where one is talking about his queen and his conditions. The lyrics "Ordi sharab pyike(h), Use dar buhjeh tac galla kitia(h)" which means "she drinks liquor, and she understands the hard times I go through" provides an idea that the song is trying to depict the singer's life and his love for his queen.
Overall, the song is a mix of cultural fusion and traditional love story, where the singer is trying to portray his love for his queen through a mix of Punjabi and English languages.
Line by Line Meaning
Mere(h) korlsi ek rani
My beautiful wife is upset with me
Ja(h), shart me(h) kernar
Yes, I promise to do better
Orde(h) korlai me(h)
She told me this morning
Orne(h) orda kumera dukalis
That her cucumber pickles were finished
He(h) nee eh huchae
I don't know what to do
Norwegian lukri
Norwegian Wood
Orne(h) kyar rela(h) Tha(h) be(h)ja
That thing you asked for, it's right here
Jitte(h) bi teri marji
Whatever you want
Me(h) alle(h) dwalle(h) deklar
I keep it in my closet
Kay(h) ohte(h) korsee nee si
Do you want to see it?
Ma(h) duri te(h) be(h)gle
If you go a little further
Sume sorcheke(h)
There are some stairs
Ordi sharab pyike(h)
There's whiskey to drink
Use dar buhjeh tac galla kitia(h)
He'll understand when he comes
Fa(h) ome(h) kuy-ar
Don't worry
Sohn da suma horgiar
He'll love it
Orne(h) dusia ke swernu karnte(h), jandi he(h)
She laughed at the way I twitch
Tah hassna shooru karditha
Then she started to laugh
Me(h) ornu dusia, me(h) nee-jarna
I asked her to stop but she wouldn't
Tha bathe betch solhm cha-leg-lar
So I lit a fire and watched the room
Jad me(h) jargian,
When I awoke
Me(h) kul-ar se
I was alone
Eh chirey beergh gey
This strange feeling came over me
Fer(h) me(h) aag jug ay see
I lit another fire
He(h) nee eh huchee
I don't know what to do
Norwegian lukri
Norwegian Wood
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: GARY R. STROUTSOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind