The next Lithobag was suggested by Anne from the Netherlands. Anne is a perfect example of what in Participatory Lithology we have called “(at home) resident DJ”, among various entertainer roles.

This band deserves the Irony Nobel Prize. Half of The Netherlands’ surface is less than 1 metre above sea level (or below sea level). In 1993 Jack O’Malley visited the island of Texel, which he wanted to see driven by the resemblance of its name with the fictional character of Tex Willer. When he got there he noted that the island has a place called Hohe Berg (High Mountain), peaking at a breathtaking 40 metres.

The Dutch mountains, as we intend mountains, do not exist. So, The Nits mean to tell us something, that each of one should figure. The mountain is not a mountain, the stone is not a stone, rock is not rock. An watch out on where that shirt button keeps rolling.

The other thing we learn about Holland from this song is that it look like there are a lot o people painting the walls of their houses. If that is not the case, it sounds strange that in a song which tells about five “situations”, two of them mention wall painting…anyway..just drifting….

Remember that if for Participatory Lithology you cannot propose yourself as an entertainer, you might qualify as a collector, a classifier, and -in any case- a sponsor.

…on we go with The Nits live (but the official video gives a cool backdrop for the song), and thanks again to Anne and his family for their suggestion:

I was born in a valley of bricks | Sono nato in una valle di mattoni
Where the river runs high above the rooftops. | dove il fiume scorre alto sopra i tetti
I was waiting for the cars coming home late at night | stavo aspettando le macchine che rientravano tardi la sera
From the Dutch mountains. | dalle montagne olandesi

I was standing in a valley of rock | stavo in piedi in una valle rocciosa
Up to my belly in an early fog. | immerso fino alla pancia in una nebbia mattutina
I was looking for the road to a green painted house -| stavo cercando la strada per una casa dipinta di verde
In the Dutch mountains. | nelle montagne olandesi
In the Dutch mountains

• mountains -.

I met a woman in a valley of stone | Ho conosciuto una donna in una valle di pietra

She was painting roses on the walls of her home. | stava dipingendo rose sui muri della sua casa
And the moon is a coin with the head of the queen – | e la luna è una moneta con la testa della regina
Of the Dutch mountains; in the Dutch mountains. | delle montagne olandesi; nelle montagne olandesi

I lost a button of my shirt today | oggi ho perso un bottone della camicia

It fell on the ground and it was rolling away. | è cascato per terra e stava rotolando via
Like a trail leading me back to the Dutch mountains | come un sentiero che mi riportava alle montagne olandesi

To the Dutch mountains, mountains

I met a miller on the back of a cow | ho incontrato un mugnaio sul dorso di una mucca

He was looking for the wind | cercava il vento
but he didn’t know how. | ma non sapeva come fare
I said: “Follow the cloud that looks like a sheep” | io gli ho detto: “segui la nuvola che assomiglia a una pecora”
In the Dutch mountains | nelle montagne olandesi
in the Dutch mountains

In the Dutch mountains
in the Dutch mountains.