March 18, 2007

Rules For Singing The Voltes V Theme Song

Here's a really fun read, written by Jon Torres. If you were/are a big Voltes V fan, you'll definitely relate to this. It's quite certain that many of us have done somewhat a bit of this way back then.

1) You must be under twelve years old.
2) It must be 1977.
3) "Body English" scores extra points.
4) You must not know any Japanese, but know the entire song by heart.
5) Judges are composed of peers, because grownups don't know anything.
6) Volume is a sign of enthusiasm and feeling.
7) So is utter lack of shame and dignity.
8) Consolation points for whoever accidentally rips apart their shorts while making an action pose.

I can still sing the entire theme song in Japanese from memory. But I don't necessarily understand it. It's clearly a holdover from our Voltes V days, when we sang those robot theme songs over and over, at the supermarket, at the store, at our friend's house. How our parents endured that, I'll never know. Kids were so addicted to those shows it made crack-cocaine look like fried peanuts.

The most intense juvenile game back then was the "I can sing the Voltes V song better than you!" When we would hear another kid singing it, we would sing even louder than him or her, trying to prove we can sing it "better" (read "louder") and with more feeling than anyone else. Using the rules mentioned above, the winner is usually decided by an audience or third party.

Heaven forbid that a grownup would meddle in these sacred kid-rituals, assuming the role of judge and jury to these singing maniacs. They didn't even know the song!

The third kid would either (1) referee or (2) compete even louder than the previous two, adding to the strained musical onslaught that by now resembled a frog-pond on a full moon. (Have you ever heard frogs croaking in broken Japanese?)

You play strategically (i.e. sing even louder) basically to upstage/shame the other impudent cretins who obviously can't sing it properly, and act like you are the ONE TRUE FAN of the show, and no one can possibly love it the way you do. And don't forget, putting the grand-finale pose mimicking Voltes V's punch gets you an extra Two Thousand Points!!!

I think pushing the other kid so he lands on his butt gets you Two Million Points. More if your victim was doing the finale-pose at the time. Usually if a kid beats you (i.e. he pushes you and you land on your butt) you are allowed to defend your honor by turning into a giant robot and yelling out your weapon of choice ("Voltes Bazooooookah!!!") and for realistic effect, you throw your slipper at him like a boomerang. This is usually when things reach critical mass, because inevitably the slipper would miss, hitting a nearby grownup in the forehead (or in unfortunate cases, in the cigarette).

This grownup activates the Unified Parent Alarm Klaxon (UPAK) which summons the parents of each respective child right ot the scene of the battle. One of two scenes will ensue:

1) Either parent says to the other, "Keep your awful child away from mine", which starts a lifelong blood-feud in the neighborhood. I believe that's how the darker parts of Tondo got that way.

2) Or more likely, each child is taken home and punished accordingly (e.g. no TV, or a swat on the already-sore butt they fell on) and told "You must NEVER do that anymore! Understand?"

Pouting and possibly crying, we nodded, and understood. Yes, we understood. We understood that NEVER meant "until you see that other kid again, maybe tomorrow".

Many thanks to Jon "Little John Armstrong" Torres.



More Voltes V On Nostalgia Manila
Voltes V Evolution Alienates Original Fans
Voltes V Stage Presentation Video
Commercial Break: Volt In Box! (TV Advert for Voltes V Toy)
Battle Of The Stars: Laida vs. Zandra
Quiz Time! Which member of Voltes V are you?

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13 comments:

abidubi said...

Hayy, daming requirements. I guess I'll hafta sing in the shower then. ^_^

Voltes V, indeed a phenomena ^_^

Unknown said...

Thse days, favorite kong kantahin yung version ng Voltes V theme song by Brod. Pete, yung bang ang umpisa eh "Tatoe ARA MINA" :)

mikelogics said...

Here are the lyrics

Tatoe arashi ga hukou tomo
Tatoe oonami areru tomo
Kogidasou tatakai no umi he
Tobikomou tatakai no uzu he
Mitsumeau hitomi to hitomi
Nukumori wo shinjiau
Go nin no nakama

BORUTESU FAIBU ni
subete wo kakete
Yaruzo chikara no tsukiru made
Chikyuu no yoake ha
mou chikai.

Tatoe ikazuchi hurou tomo
Tatoe daichi ga yureru tomo
Tobidasou tatakai no sora he
Mamorou yo tatakai no niwa wo

Nigiri au tagai no te to te
Magokoro wo shinjiau
Go nin no nakama

BORUTESU FAIBU ni
inochi wo kakete
Yuku zo shouri wo tsukamu made
Uchuu no yoake ha
mou chikai

Tatoe kemono ga hoeru tomo
Tatoe yukute wo husagu tomo
Utaou yo tatakai no uta wo
Katarou yo tatakai no michi wo

Ashinami wo soroete yukou
Otagai wo shinjiau
Go nin no nakama

BORUTESU FAIBU ni
Azuketa inochi
Tobu ze uchuu no hate made mo
Minna no egao mo
mou chikai

mikelogics said...

English lyrics:

Someday the sons of light shall fill all the earth
The morning of justice shall have come to its birth
So we'll all wave our banners high and free through the air
For the love and glory we then all shall share

Soldiers boldly unite to fight and fight for peace
Hand in hand like eagles through the breeze
Over lands and over seas

Voltes V we come to you
Flashing through with wings of steel
Fates of foes are what we seal
With swords of laser light
And over lands and over seas
Onwards victory / Voltes V

mikelogics said...

Tagalog version as sung by the Nailclippers:

Sana ngayon kami ay malaki na
Upang makatulong sa hustisya
Huhulihin namin ang masasamang tao
Itatapon sa loob ng kalaboso

Ang mga kidnapper, carnapper dog-napper
isnatser at mga hold-up-er
Lilipunin naming lahat

Voltes V tatandaan
Yan po ang tatak namin
'Pag nakita ninyo kami
magtago na kayo
Walang biro, lagot kayo
Pati na lolo n'yo!

Anonymous said...

Mikelogics,

Salamat sa mga lyrics! Napakanta ako ng hindi oras. Mukha akong tanga sa harap ng PC pero di bale na, tulog pa yung anak ko!

Anonymous said...

FYI: in Japan, Voltes V is relatively unknown. Voltes V is only popular in the Philippines. When I wa in Tokyo in 2002, I went to shop in Akihabara to buy a Voltes V model for my friend but nobody knew about VV. Mazinger Z is more popular in Japan.

Nostalgia Manila said...

To Mikelogics,

Thanks for the lryics to the Tagalog, English, and the original Japanese versions. We will probablly feature these lyrics very soon.


To Anonymous,

You are correct. Voltes V was most popular in the Philippines, and was never a cultural phenomenon in Japan. The series is virtually unknown, and seen as a rarity for Anime enthusiasts.

Original super robots like Getter Robo (Getta Robot in the Phil), and Mazinger Z are more popular and have even been given updated treatments in merchandising, and new tv series makeovers, seen today.

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to search for the publisher of Voltes V here in the Philippines. Know who it is?=)

Supremo said...

Hello to all.

Gulat ako may site na pala dito para sa mga Gen-X (yan tayo mga martial law babies. Of course sino di makalimot sa Voltes Five. Pag may 20 year olds na nagtatanong sa akin kung apekatdo kami ng martial law, sabi ko nung bata, hindi kasi mga alas-5 pasukan na nag bata sa bahay kasi tapos na Kapwa ko mahal ko, at pag biyernes, voltes five na..

thanks dun sa nag-post ng lyrics. galeng! pati yung nailclipper nakuha... :)

Anonymous said...

Actually Voltes-V was very famous in South East of Asia, not just The Phillipines. It was a successful re-incarnation of an older series called ComBattler-V by Toei and Sunrise.

I had no trouble finding Voltes-V in Akihabara, at 2nd-hand toy shops. The problem was, it was a rare item to find, so it's very costly if you can find it.

ang filibustera said...

Correction po... ang kumanta ng Tagalog version ng Voltes V Theme ay ang Voltes Gang at hindi ang Nailclippers =)

batangbatugan said...

Here's the Tito, Vic & Joey version of the lyrics:

Pagdating ng araw at di na tayo kids
Pagdating ng space 1999
Ang aking sasakyan isang magarang rocketship
Biyaheng Star Trek, driver ko ay bionic
Sister ni Flash Gordon lagi kong ka-date
Robot lang lagi ang sasayaw
Voltes V ang discotheque

Battlestar Galactica
Bahay namin maganda
Pag kami ay nagutom na, siyempre tsibog na
Ng Martian cake, Pluto pizza
UFOng ginisa

Pagdating ng araw at di na tayo kids
Pag usong-uso na ang mga united planets
Ang aking barkada R2-D2't Mazinger Z
Si Buck Rogers tambay namin sa Forbes
Laser swords at pistols ang kinakalabit
Siyempre close encounters of the third kind
Ang aming mga Star Wars

Ultraman kalaban ko
Kalaban ko sya sa chickas
Pag kami ay nag-away na syempre awat na
'Pagkat ang chick na problema
Sya ay buntis na



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