Latin Rocks On (Hardcover)

Ego debeo habere fidem, ego debeo habere fidem. care, scio te rogare me ut maneam. dic, quaeso quaeso quaeso – noli abire!

‘Cause I gotta have faith, I gotta have faith. Baby! I know you’re asking me to stay. Say please please please don’t go away!
—George Michael, “Faith”

Ever wondered how an ancient Roman might belt out Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer or Aretha Franklin’s Respect? Or how to sing Beyoncé in the style of Caesar and Cicero? With Latin Rocks On, you can wonder no more—in a comprehensive translation of some of the most iconic and definitive pop hits of the past fifty years, the book celebrates the light-hearted, lesser-known side of the ancient language by fusing it with the greatest unifier of all: music.

In Latin Rocks On, Sarah Rowley, owner of the popular Twitter account of the same name, gives the classic world a modern musical spin. Seeking to make the language more accessible to the masses in a new and innovative way, she translates popular song lyrics into Latin, covering everything from Marvin Gaye to Madonna and Take That to Taylor Swift. Perfect for anyone whose interest in Latin was stymied by the endless declensions and conjugations, it’s also a must-have for those life-long Latin lovers who want to test their linguistic expertise on some of the biggest pop hits of all time.

Covering a range of pop icons, this is the only book that brings the swinging 60s, Motown maestros, and Rock n’ Roll hall-of-famers to classical Rome.