And then he spoke to me in a language I couldn't understand

April 16, 2008 10:44 PM

Help me find an obscure song from very late 80s or early 90s radio that had a spoken verse in which the man recounted a strange dream or encounter. The singer/narrator said something like, "And then he spoke to me in a language I didn't understand." The song then broke into a few bars of chanting in some weird (and probably fabricated) language than sounded vaguely like Swahili.

That's about all I have to go on, because I only heard it once and that was at least 15 years ago. A friend was with me at the time and reminded me of it just last week.

I'm almost positive that the singer/narrator of this song also did a similar thing in a commercial for an SUV from Subaru, Suzuki or Nissan. The song may have inspired the commercial or vice versa.

posted by tomwheeler to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Best answer: 2NU, This is Ponderous.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 10:48 PM on April 16, 2008 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Unbelievable — I have been wondering for 15 years and you nailed it in under 15 minutes.

Thanks so much!
posted by tomwheeler at 10:54 PM on April 16, 2008

I can't believe you only heard it once! Here (Portland) it only played for about 6 months, but it was played about once an hour, every single day for those 6 months.
posted by peep at 9:00 AM on April 17, 2008

My brother loved this song back in the day and often said "this is ponderous" when presented with a perplexing situation. I'd almost forgotten about that song; thanks for the post!
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:36 AM on April 17, 2008

They've actually released a new album in the last couple of years...

http://www.2nu2.com/home.html
posted by scottnic at 12:52 PM on April 17, 2008

my friends and i did this song for a talent contest in 10th grade! i could still recite the entire thing for you right now, twelve years later.

now i feel old.
posted by silverstatue at 1:50 PM on April 17, 2008