Talk:The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)

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Former good article nomineeThe Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) was a Music good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Article milestones
DateProcessResult
May 31, 2015Good article nomineeNot listed
Did You Know
A fact from this article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "Did you know?" column on September 17, 2013.
The text of the entry was: Did you know ... that Ylvis were surprised by the international success of their song "The Fox," which was intended only to target their Norwegian audience?

Should I add That they are talking about a Red fox?[edit]

Hello, I am wondering, because I want to know before I post, Is there any need and/or place to put that the article is about a Red Fox? Thanks, Happy Attack Dog (talk) 22:27, 6 February 2014 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Objection[edit]

"It's one of the most relevant authoritative external sites": funny, because those links look like they lead to an online store whose sole purpose is to sell digital versions of the single. The only other information I see there are reviews (non-notable) and the number of Facebook likes. Drmies (talk) 18:06, 14 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I really don't see what you're getting at. It's prominently linked in the YouTube video description, and shows the single cover artwork and single release date, among other official information not listed on the video itself. I also presume that some readers who come here are looking for information on how to purchase the track, and that's the primary official distribution channel through which it's sold. I understand that some people dislike anything that vaguely resembles advertising, but it serves a very clear informational purpose to me. Dcoetzee 10:46, 16 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Ellen Degeneres interview[edit]

According to the brothers, the word for marijuana -- in Norwegian -- is the same as for "fox." Unclear if they were joking, or serious (I do not speak Norwegian), but if accurate, that fact should probably be added under Analysis.

Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ybfAoohZw8

This is true - the word rev in Norwegian means both fox and marijuana. I'm not sure how relevant it is toward the article, but someone can add it if they deem it necessary or acceptable. Bailmoney27 (talk) 20:20, 26 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
It is not a common meaning of the word, except from perhaps in some subcultures. Personally, I've never heard of that meaning before, and it is not found in these dictionaries.--Njardarlogar (talk) 20:18, 27 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

WTF?[edit]

The first time in each chorus they enunciate "What does the fox say?" clearly, but the follow-up times, it's basically "What the fox say?!" Coupled with the angry delivery in the video, I am left to wonder if they are playing with the F-word here. Anyone else have this impression? 209.172.25.140 (talk) 02:45, 30 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I cannot know for sure, but I think it has got more to do with meter. - Soulkeeper (talk) 16:47, 13 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

English?[edit]

If this was aimed at a domestic audience, why is it in English in the first place?!

Even if Norwegians speak great English, a look at other songs and shows the brothers have done makes it clear that they usually speak Norwegian. Was this song, in fact, originally recorded in Norwegian? Someone have a link?

Not to mention the fact that most of these "woof", "meow" type words are not the same across languages. I don't speak any Norwegian, but I cannot imagine many of these match up. Even in English alone, don't cats say "nyan" in some countries and "meow" in others? 209.172.25.140 (talk) 02:45, 30 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Most Norwegian pop music has English lyrics, so if they want to emulate average Norwegian pop music, they would also make most of their songs in English. They may also have an international perspective in mind without necessarily aiming at an international audience.
I have not heard about any version of this song with Norwegian lyrics, and I doubt that it exists. --Njardarlogar (talk) 09:43, 4 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
OK, I guess. But are a couple of the songWRITERS American? Frankly, the English is too good. So much so that the lines "What the fox say?" (missing "does") strike me as INTENTIONAL, rather than mistaken.
Maybe it's less clear in THIS song, but the follow-up "Massachusetts" is so spot-on PERFECT in use of slang, local insight, etc., I cannot imagine it could be written by someone outside Massachusetts. Mispronunciation of "Haverhill", for example, that's an inside joke to us here IN Massachusetts; people in New York or California won't even get that line. I'd never believe it was written by someone there...much less in the UK or Australia...much MUCH less in Norway! 209.172.25.216 (talk) 21:27, 8 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

This conversation says something about lack of cultural and linguistic understanding by some Wikipedia authors and debaters, and nothing about Ylvis and "The Fox". The Ylvis brothers have written lyrics for both "The Fox" and "Massachusetts" themselves, and of course they know English. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.109.104.50 (talk) 23:44, 9 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

there is a difference between "knowing english" and knowing english SO PERFECTLY that you know more about local matters, dialect, slang, etc. than a native speaker.
as i said, people in new york or california won't even appreciate the "haverhill" joke. my own cousin (from chicago) did not understand it. only us LOCALS from massachusetts got that one...so either the brothers had help from someone like that, or grew up in/near boston, or went to college here, or...etc etc. i'm sure norwegians speak great english, but there is NO WAY they can sit in oslo and know boston slang better than a native speaker sitting over here. that's just silly.
besides, there are SIX songwriters listed for Fox, at least one of which has an anglo name! where do you get off just "declaring" the two brothers wrote the song alone? 209.172.25.216 (talk) 04:29, 10 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
The co-writers are New York based Norwegian production team Stargate, responsible for a whole string of American and international hits. Perhaps that explains things? Skinsmoke (talk) 17:01, 13 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
ah yes, that would! 173.9.95.217 (talk) 19:18, 20 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Reader feedback: include the lyrics[edit]

Bahooka posted this comment on 19 October 2013 (view all feedback).

include the lyrics

We can't do that. The lyrics is copyright-protected. Please use Google for finding the lyrics.

(t) Josve05a (c) 19:51, 30 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Actually, I did NOT post that on the Feedback page and need to find out how my username became involved. Bahooka (talk) 20:04, 30 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Wierd. Are you sure. (Please have a look at Feedback post on The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)], that is wasn't you. If it wasn't you. The your account may have been hacked or used by another person in your house/family. -(t) Josve05a (c) 20:15, 30 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Yes, that is not something I would write. There is a very small possibility that someone else in my house posted that, but doubtful as I use a different browser to keep things separate. I saw nothing on my contribution history on that date (October 19). I posed the question at WP:Help desk to find out more how this may have happened. Bahooka (talk) 20:23, 30 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]
If we find a website legally hosting the lyrics (like say Ylvis' official website, or their record company's website) we can and should link that site in the External links section. So far I haven't found one. Of course, the video itself contains the lyrics as embedded subtitles, so there's that. Dcoetzee 03:30, 31 October 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Absurd Lyrics[edit]

Why the claim that the sounds are "increasingly absurd"? From a very quick search, it seems likely that all of the sounds could be considered (perhaps humorous) versions of real fox noises.


EG: http://www.popsci.com.au/science/what-sound-does-a-fox-really-make and http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/09/what-does-the-fox-say-ylvis/

The 2 references currently linked to this section seem basically irrelevant to the use of sounds (although one shows the lyrics) http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2013/09/the-fox-viral-music-video-ylvis-interview and http://www.pcworld.com/article/2048224/must-see-viral-video-of-the-moment-ylvis-the-fox.html Thejackos (talk) 03:14, 4 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Actually, doesn't this song derive its tone and meter and other qualities from top hits of recent years ? WHICH ? The serious of short statements is from one ? the fox starts at makes crazy frog mobile phone ringing noises ? then changes to gan nam style , and then its absurd after that


Around the way they did some morse code, thats absurd. Then it made ninja noises. well thats very absurd

Well at the end of the song the big old fox stands up and sings in a deep voice.. thats seriously absurd

So it was absurd, then very absurd, and then seriously absurd.

Its a sweeping generalisation, but the proposed fox sounds generally get more absurd from start to finish.


There are more references in there ??

youtube posters don't get it, they think it was meant to be a song ? its a parody .. ala Weird Al Yanchovic, and "Like a Surgeon"


The "sounds" may be increasingly absurd, but they are clearly vocalizations of commonly-heard dance music "noises" added to many recordings (i.e., "scratching:" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratching). This may relate to what sounds are created by use of "fox"/marijuana -- the sounds of a rave.

101.174.21.205 (talk) 12:23, 12 December 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Book Cover[edit]

The caption should contain "[…] cover art by Svein Nyhus for […]" 87.252.82.93 (talk) 11:53, 24 November 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

whhat does the fox say — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.116.237.240 (talk) 23:35, 16 December 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Well, what does the fox say?[edit]

It would be nice to offer a way for our readers to find out if and what kind of vocalizations foxes produce. --Dschwen 02:03, 13 April 2014 (UTC)Reply[reply]

hello[edit]

Hello — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.20.160.62 (talk) 18:07, 29 August 2014 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Lengths[edit]

It says that the Extended Mix has a length of 7:57, however, I have not seen a single piece of evidence of any REMIX of any SORT of this song, WHATSOEVER, that is anywhere near as long. The only "Extended Mix" I've ever managed to find has a length of about 4:37. Where the HELL is the almost-8-minute version? --82.3.247.25 (talk) 15:47, 23 January 2016 (UTC)Reply[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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Genre disagreement[edit]

One or more IP users have tried to set the genre to Electropop in the infobox, removing a citation, and no edit summary. I've restored this so that it matches the lead. Discuss here before changing it again. — jmcgnh(talk) (contribs) 10:51, 27 February 2018 (UTC)Reply[reply]

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