Finnish academic releases Elvis hits sung in Sumerian

A Finnish academic whose quirky recordings of Elvis Presley songs in Latin have gained cult status has now put the King of Rock…

A Finnish academic whose quirky recordings of Elvis Presley songs in Latin have gained cult status has now put the King of Rock 'n' Roll back a few thousand more years - with a record in the ancient Sumerian language.

Mr Jukka Ammondt will on Thursday release his record featuring the rock classic Blue Suede Shoes in Sumerian, one of the world's oldest languages spoken in 4000-1800 BC in southern Mesopotamia, an area that now lies in southern Iraq.

"I'll be wearing a loin cloth and blue sandals," Mr Ammondt said, describing his attire for the launch to be held at an international conference of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, this week.

Prof Simo Parpola, who translated the lyrics, settled for sandals in the song's famous refrain: "Do anything that you wanna do, but uh, uh honey, lay off of my shoes."

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In his version it comes out "but my sandals of sky-blue leather do not touch", or in the world's oldest written language: "Nig-na-me si-ib-ak-ke-en, e-sir kus-za-gin-gu ba-ra-tag-ge-en."

"I believe this record will give people an understanding of their roots and that we here in Finland respect those roots," Mr Ammondt said.

Mr Ammondt's Elvis songs recorded in Latin won him a following around the world and an honorary medal from the Pope.