El Mundo Pequeno (The small world)

Que quieres, que quieres
(What do you want, what do you want)

cuando el mundo
(when the world)

es tan grande
(is so big)

y tan pequeño al mismo tiempo.
(and so small at the same time)

Que quieres, que quieres
(What do you want, what do you want)

cuando el mundo
(when the world)

es tan grande
(is so big)

y tan pequeño al mismo tiempo.
(and so small at the same time)

Que puedo hacer por ti
(What can I do for you)

que tienes todo
(that have everything)

solo te puedo amar,
(I can only love you)

Y por ti que no tienes nada,
(and for you that don´t have anything)

solo te puedo amar,
(I can only love you)

Cuando los dias hayan pasado,
(when the days have passed)

ya la noche haya empezado
(and the night has begun)

y las estrellas empiezan a caer del cielo,
(and the stars start to fall from the sky)

solo te puedo amar,
(I can only love you)

Cuando el sol y la lluvia
(when the sun and the rain)

se juntan para crear el arco iris,
(get together to create the rainbow)

solo te puedo amar,
(I can only love you)

Cuando el sol y la lluvia
(when the sun and the rain)

se juntan para crear el arco iris.
(get together to create the rainbow)

Lyrics by:
Brown / Dunnery

Available on:
Music Of The Spheres (4.01)

Details:
El Mundo Pequeno, recorded entirely in Spanish, is a beautiful song which holds up a quite weak side two of Music Of The Spheres. Madonna, whose influence is discernible in Ian's work, has recorded songs in Spanish, including a Spanish version of 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' and 'La Isla Bonita', which combines English and Spanish lyrics (she also has recorded a song - 'Shanti / Ashtangi' - in Sanskrit). On Madonna's 'Drowned World Tour' she played guitar on 'Candy Perfume Girl' (and a couple of other tracks). On Ian's Music Of The Spheres tour, he did a cameo piece on drums at numerous shows (both attempting to demonstrate that their talent is not one-dimensional. Each have been criticized at varying times in their career for relying too much on their public persona to gloss over criticisms of their musical ability. Ian's performance was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, however. Another influence in this respect may have been Stevie Wonder, who used to do a drum solo in his live shows).

Madonna at Detroit on her Drowned World Tour (2001)

With Ian being one to set his sights high ("Aim for the stars and you're gonna hit the ceiling" ... "We want to be the first band to play on the moon" ... "Don't be grateful, be great"), it is perhaps not surprising to note that two of the major influences on his solo career are the king and queen of pop respectively, Michael Jackson and Madonna (Indeed, as early as 1990, he had his eye on one of these figures: "We want to be massive. How massive ? Well New Order aren't massive. Michael Jackson, that's massive. That's what we're aiming for."). At a Derry (Northern Ireland) performance, he was heavily critical of Oasis* and Kylie Minogue**, one after the other. While derogatory criticism of Kylie by fellow artists (see comments by David Bowie in 2002, calling Kylie and Robbie Williams "cruise ship entertainment" and Noel Gallagher in 2003: "I don't hate Kylie but I hate her music with a passion - it's just unbridled filth, it's disgusting.") was in vogue by such figures at this time, Ian's criticism may stem from his viewing of parallels between himself and Madonna, in that each have been aped by Liam Gallagher and Kylie Minogue respectively***. After fierce criticism of each of those, Ian struck a pose exactly like that of Madonna at the end of 'Drowned World / Substitute for Love' at her Detroit show among others. Also, on the same tour at the Limelight in Belfast, he did a very 'feminine' swing around a pole akin to what Madonna did on her Drowned World Tour shows (during 'Beautiful Stranger') !

* Ian's exact words were "Who thinks Oasis are shit ? I think Oasis are shit."
** This would not be the last criticism aimed at Kylie by Brown. Speaking to NME in May 2005, he expressed his dissatisfaction at being scheduled to perform at the same time as Kylie at that year's Glastonbury festival, arguing that she should not even be there at all. The festival, Ian believed, should be alternative music's last bastion:

"What's Kylie doing playing Glastonbury - the last bastion of alternative against the mainstream ?" (Irish Star, 12 May 2005) Soon after, Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to pull out of all musical commitments. Ian made an apology for his statement, but two years later, in October 2007, reiterated this criticism. Ian was collecting a 'Q legend' award, while Kylie was the recipient of a 'Q idol' award. He told BBC Radio Five Live: "I don't know what Kylie's doing at a music awards to be honest. I don't think she's cute. I don’t think she's good-looking. Her music's rubbish – she makes music for little kids. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm putting her down, but there's a lot of great minds out there making music and she's not one of them." When interviewed by Donna Air on The Big Breakfast in 1999, after having been nominated for 'Best Male' at the Brits, he was asked if he was going to attend the awards ceremony. He said that he wasn't going to, adding that he didn't make music to get awards. As his solo career progressed, he became much keener to attend such ceremonies, and pick up awards of achievement.
***

City Life Interview with Ian Brown, 5th February 1998

"Madonna is the Queen. I am the Princess. I'm quite happy with that." Kylie Minogue quoted in Mehmet, Mem. Madonna in Art Chaucer Press (2004), p. 38.

There are numerous instances of Liam Gallagher blatantly copying Ian Brown. For example, compare when Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher appeared on the Jonathan Ross show to promote Keep What Ya Got (series 7, week 2) to when Oasis appeared (series 8, week 7). Whilst sitting in the Green Room, Ian made a hand gesture to Ross when the camera went to him. This was repeated by Liam Gallagher in the Green Room upon his appearance on the show. Appearing with Noel Gallagher on the Jonathan Ross show was a u-turn somewhat in two ways (the first - collaboration with a member of an outfit he has been heavily critical of - is detailed here):

We wouldn't go on Jonathan Ross because we don't like the programme. I don't care if we could be seen by nine million people. We've got more self-respect than to stand there and have fish thrown at us.

Of the two, noticeably only Noel was interviewed on the Jonathan Ross show (but both performed at the end). Ian's 'Q Legend' award in October 2007 (mentioned earlier) was presented to him by Jonathan Ross, and the pair hugged before Ian gave his acceptance speech.

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