This song always gives me the chill. The album version is great, but it is the live version that really shines. This one is on the "Hell Freezes Over" album, and it is always on my portable list.
Just a few days after I entered my current company, I got a chance to go to the sound theatre (I just call it sound room) which is used for testing products. They played this song with one of the company's product, and that was great, it gave me goosebumps. However my colleagues told me that they get so bored of the song that the intro is enough to make them puke. But as they said it is necessary, it is only when you get so familiar with it then you can really tell the difference when it is played on different product. That's so true! So let see when I get to that stage.
However I just used it as a test track when I was trying to make the decision about which earphone to buy. I can only say that I am not familiar with it yet, as I can still find new sound in the track and get so excited about it.
There is another brilliant, brilliant, trumpet intro version that I just got my hands on recently. Can't wait to get myself sick of it with my new toy.
P.S. This new toy is gonna ignite my fire to pick up "song of the week" again, but before that I have to fill up those missing issue before this one.
This is a cover of Jackson C. Frank's "Just like Anything" by the Sand Band. According to Frank, the Song do not really have any meaning, it is meant to be a break or a form of balance from his heavier work. Yet this work is not short on charm and brilliance.
The lyrics might not make much sense, but for god sake, they rhyme. If you look for meaning, then look else where. But if you are looking for a interpretation for yourself, I guess any artist, including Frank, will have no objection to that, or let say they have no control on that.
My interpretation? Honestly, I don't have one, but I find this song kind of sad but soothing. It's like when one is in a calm state where fragments of thoughts flow around freely.
Just like how the lyrics depict... a state of mind.
P.S. I think the MV, though not official, did a great job in bringing up the mood.
xxx xxx xxx
Just like anything
To sing To sing To sing
is a state of mind
Sunlight dances slowly on a drum beats broken rhyme
I speak of answers only to see them in my mind
If I had a penny I'd throw it in the sea
to see if it would float away
Or grow a penny tree
I play the fool of rhythm
To speak of what is sane
I never think of singing to those who feel the same
See how high the rain falls
See the color in my hair
Hunt for golden porridge bowls
Hear the paper tear
Just like anything
To sing To sing To sing
Is a state of mind
Death gives no reason
So why should I
Death has no season
So I know I'll never die
Just like anything
To sing To sing To sing
Is a state of mind
Their first album always reminds me about my days in UK.
When I walked from school campus back home, sometimes I want some upbeat tunes to drive my pace, and their music (well, maybe not the lyrics) is just perfect for that purpose.
And now I surely need to pick up some pace and catch up.
Where is home?
The place where we were born?
The place where we grew up?
The place where we found love?
The place where we found meaning?
I think...
Home is the place where we know something, or someone, is waiting for our return.
xxx xxx xxx
When the Full Moon turns white that's when I'll come home
I am going out to see what I can sow
And I don't know where I'll go
And I don't know what I'll see
But I'll try not to bring it back home with me
Like the morning sun, your eyes will follow me
As you watch me wander, curse the powers that be
Cause all I want is here and now but its already been and gone
Our intentions always last that bit too long
Far far away, no voices sounding, no one around me and
you're still there
Far far away, no choices passing, no time confounds me and
you're still there
In the full moons light I listen to the stream
And in between the silence hear you calling me
But I don't know where I am and I don't trust who I've been
And If I come home how will I ever leave
《Once》是一套很特別的電影，雖然是低成本製作，卻一點也不馬虎，整套戲很自然很有真實感。導演 John Carney 稱它為一套音樂劇，這說法是挺準確的，而且電影的 Soundtrack 都要比很多 album 更有質素。相信這跟電影的參與者很多都其實是音樂人有關，男主角 Glen Hansard 是愛爾蘭 The Frames 樂隊的主音和結他手，女主角 Marketa Irglova 是來自捷克的音樂人並跟 Glen Hansard 另外組成了 The Swell Season, 就連導演 John Carney 本身其實也曾經是 The Frames 的低音結他手。這個背景不單肯定了電影的音樂質素，而且也確保了演員和導演的投入感，因為《Once》就是一個獨立音樂人的故事，我什至懷疑有些是他們的個人經歷。
"games that never amount
to more than they're meant
will play themselves out"
For game like this
Futility and emptiness should be expected
Yet it is still tough when things fall apart slowly in front of your eyes
Things that you tried to make an effort
Things that you put your heart into
When it is time to close the curtain they don't really mean anything
I am not giving up yet
But I am waiting for the curtain call
Before that I will give my best and enjoy what's left of it
發覺我一直都沒有在 Song of the Week 用上小隊長的作品，這是不被容許的，所以要立刻補上。
盧廣仲有很多作品我都很喜歡，沒有艱澀的詞曲，一切都來得很簡單很自然。有些題材生活化得很有喜劇感，例如這首《Rock'n roll 的 style》。讓我想起許冠傑的作品，現在香港這類型作品不多，我可以想到的有 My Little Airport 和小克之前的幾首改詞。這類型作品是挺令人開懷的，音樂真的不用常常都是優美動人，輕鬆頑皮也有其吸引之處。其實人類創作音樂之始應該都是很貼近生活的吧，或者盧廣仲的風格是很原始的哩，是一種返祖現象...
Just woke up from an immensely bitter and painful dream.
I have to remember it, as it might come true one day.
Be prepared for any consequences that you can think of for the path that you have chosen.
Reality can be much tougher than every nightmares that you can ever dream of.
Actually there is not much to say about this song, but since I heard it the first time, it has always been one of my favorite morning tune. Some say the lyrics is about hangover after the Saturday night fever, some say it is about taking drugs. I don't know what are the reasons behind these interpretations, I just find the music makes a perfect match with the lazy, relaxing Sunday morning. The meaning is not really that important for me.
There is a video clip that contain precious footage of the band member when they were making the song (the first result in youtube when you search for "The Velvet Underground Sunday Morning"), however I found this MV aesthetically more pleasing. Let's enjoy a Sunday morning with this gem.
xxx xxx xxx
Sunday morning, praise the dawning
Its just a restless feeling by my side
Early dawning, Sunday morning
Its just the wasted years so close behind
Watch out, the worlds behind you
There's always someone around you who will call
Its nothing at all
Sunday morning and I am falling
Ive got a feeling I don't want to know
Early dawning, Sunday morning
Its all the streets you crossed, not so long ago
Watch out, the worlds behind you
There's always someone around you who will call
Its nothing at all
Watch out, the worlds behind you
There's always someone around you who will call
Its nothing at all
When I heard it in the movie "The Tree of Life", it sounded very familiar and I tried real hard to recall its name and its composer. But I really had no idea, as the movie went on, I just gave up. Finally, I tracked it down and found this brilliant version.
However, I still have no idea why it sounds familiar to me.
The great thing about this masterpiece is that the Czech composer, Bedřich Smetana, was completely deaf when he composed Má vlast Vltava. It is very hard to imagine how this could be done. I guess for these musical genius, music do not live with them, but live in them, that way music is truly everywhere in their life.
On a side note, when I was looking for this piece of music on youtube, I stumbled upon this brilliant Czech Beer advertisement.
English Translation of the ad:
- I can't write a national song, because I can't hear anything.
- But master...
- I CAN'T HEAR... a pen!
- "My Country" by Bedrich Smetana
- Go away!
- Pilsner Urquell inspiration taste.
"Love is not a habit, a commitment, or a debt. It isn't romantic songs tell us it is - love simply is... No definitions. Love and don't ask too many questions. Just love." (Coelho 2006: 258)
"You say you'd love to travel, but you misuse the word love. Love is a relationship between people. Your one desire is for the harvest to be a good one, and that's why you've decided to love the earth. More nonsense: love isn't desire or knowledge or admiration. It's a challenge, it's an invisible fire." (Coelho 2006: 183)
"It can not be desired because it is an end in itself. It cannot betray because it has nothing to do with possession. It cannot be held prisoner because it is a river and will overflow its banks. Anyone who tries to imprison love will cut off the spring that feeds it, and the trapped water will grow stagnant and rank." (Coelho 2006: 196)
"After all, what is happiness? Love, they tell me. But love doesn't bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it's a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it's sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we're doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony." (Coelho 2006: 129)
"According to the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran, it was more important to give than to receive, but while these were wise words, I was part of what is known as "humanity," with my frailties, my moments of indecision, my desire simply to live in peace, to be the slave of my feelings and to surrender myself without asking any questions ........." (Coelho 2006: 243)
I take each step with courage and fear Did I say I am just a boy
22 July 2011
we live in a reality that is constructed and destroyed by dreams.
牙醫很熟練的在 10 分鍾內把這惡霸連根拔起，然後以讚嘆的口吻說︰「嘩~幾大隻。」我鬆一口氣，感到除掉心腹大患的安心和快感。怎料牙醫再說︰「呀~以為是今天最容易的智慧齒手術，睇真 D 原來係最麻煩。」我心想︰「你都係想我俾錢俾得 Gur D 啫，用不著這樣說。」。牙醫繼續說：「佢"o銀"到牙根位置所以生牙瘡，要清理埋佢。」也不等我回答 (我的口也被撐到不能回答)，他就在原本是惡霸藏身的那個洞不停挖呀挖，雖然麻醉了不會感到痛楚，但那些「咯咯咯」的挖掘聲音和牙醫出力向洞的深處挖的景象真的令我感到毛骨悚然。我就知道這惡霸心狠手辣，就算死也要為難我。大戰了 10 多分鍾，終於牙醫停手了並對我說︰「攪掂~你看這就是那顆牙，而這些就是牙瘡的組織。好彩你決定剝左佢，如果唔係過幾日個牙瘡發炎，你就腫到成個豬頭丙咁。」那一刻我只感到茫然。我很快回過神問道：「我可以要番隻牙嗎？」一直在旁協助的姑娘很爽快的答應了。
上一篇說到香港的獨立音樂，其實除了 the pancakes 外香港還有很多值得支持的獨立音樂。我自己也是近年才留意多了，所以不算知道得很多，不過也希望分享幾個我知道的，讓更多人支持香港的獨立音樂人。
Ketchup 是我在英國時朋友介紹給我的。說是一個組合其實跟 the pancakes 一樣都是 one man band，而且不單是唱作，連 Album 的封面和 Artwork 都是他自己一手包辦，據我所知他曾經當過平面設計，作品絕對高水準。而他的音樂作品都是英文，我記得他曾經說過其實純粹是因為他覺得英文比粵語容易填，而從他對粵語歌的認識而且在演唱會上也會 cover 不同粵語歌可見應該真的只是填詞的技術性問題。
Everyone has a day of departure, but not everyone can leave in tranquility. We are all sad about the lost, but we are happy that you leave without much suffering. Also I am grateful that the family stay strong, and I think we take care of each other well. That, I suppose is not too bad for an ending. So I hope you wouldn't mind that I have chosen an upbeat music for you.
The Monday just passed was a rainy day. I went to university to return some books, accompanying me was an old friend who studied in the university for his undergraduate. He was amazed by the changes and renovations going-on in the campus. As we walked around the campus, he told me fragments of stories and memories. It is hard to believe 5 years (for me it is 4) has passed since we graduated and got ourselves into the real world (somehow I got myself back into the dream world of uni again, at least for a year).
I remembered when I was small, a day felt like a century, everything seemed to run in slow motion. Now, time is passing too quickly. Bomb, a day passed without notice. Bomb, a year passed with a blink. Things are changing in a flying pace.
"Things lead life of their own When you are not looking"
This is an excerpt from the lyrics of the song. I guess many people have thought about it when they were little. I admit I did, I thought my stationaries communicate with each other and plan for an escape when I was asleep. I dropped the idea shortly when I found my lost pens, rulers, rubbers etc. under my bed covered in dust.
But now I kind of agree with it... in a different sense.
xxx xxx xxx
Flёur - Ремонт (Flёur - Remodeling)
There are no tries or home, no silent allies in twilight no dogs that I would know
Flowers in neat flowerbeds Everything looks different Unfamiliar, new As if it's always been this way
It's definitely the right place Just not the right time Different time of year Different time of day It was so interesting Mom, Dad and Summer
And I've turned into someone Not paying attention to what was between the lines
Everything's covered with plaster and freshly painted Numerous little jobs completed How do I go back to this other life That seems like a fairy tail When everything has been remodeled
It feel like I can see everything But I can't wake up I know that objects (things) lead life of their own When you don't look at them And the world behind your back is constantly moving All it takes is to turn around And I got distracted just for a second When everyone around me changed completely
There is no better way to warp up the anthropology master course with one of my favorite music. For some unknown reason, this MV always gives me goose bumps.
This year of study is truly fun and inspiring. I have really enjoyed the whole process. The department is super nice and friendly, the professors are great, and all the classmates, both MA and Mphil, are really fun to play with. I am never an active person, but these guys, they are just brilliant, I have enjoyed every bit of time with them (although I always sit at the corner and don't really talk much, please bear with me, that's my character :P). I am sure I will keep in touch with all these great people.
So, why this song? Because it is about chasing the glowing sun. Wish all of you succeed in finding your glowing sun, and have an enjoyable journey chasing it. All the best~!
This is a song specially for a dear friend who got married yesterday~!
Many people say one of the biggest concerns about getting married is how much money need to be spent, especially for the man. And the best part is that, you are not paying for the fun, you are paying for the trouble (in which the wife is/is going to be the biggest of them all). So, you see, getting married is indeed a test for the man.
I am happy to have contributed to such a test by making the husband to pay for overpriced ugly DIY wedding invitation cards.
So Agnes, you should be happy, since Raymond still kept a smile on his face even he knew he is ripped off by your friend. But tell him to treat you good, or else you can always let us rip him off again as a punishment.
Anyway, enough stupid talk from me.
Agnes and Raymond, all the best to you, may your joining together bring you more joy than you can imagine.
xxx xxx xxx
That's Amore, by Dean Martin
In Napoli, Where love is king, When boy meets girl, Here's what they say...
When the moon, Hits you eye, Like a big pizza pie, That's amore.
When the world, Seems to shine, Like you've had too much wine, That's amore
Bells will ring, Ting-a-ling-a-ling, Ting-a-ling-a-ling, And you'll sing vita bella.
Hearts will play, Tippy-tippy-tay, Tippy-tippy-tay, Like a gay tarantella.(lucky fella)
When the stars, make you drool, Just like a pasta fazool, That's amore.
When you dance, Down the street, With a cloud, At your feet, You're in love.
When you walk, In a dream, But you know, You're not dreaming signore.
Scuzza me, But you see, Back in old Napoli That's amore!
I put myself into this position, so I have to endure whatever it throws at me. Now I am not even half way through, but I can already smell the burning ash of abyss. But I have no intention to turn around, I will keep my promise, a promise that I made to myself. Not for anyone, not for anything, just for the sake of making it complete.
Couldn't find the Louis Armstrong version of this song on Youtube, what a shame, but this one is not too bad.
This week is the official final week for lessons, it is time to write the papers. In fact I shouldn't be typing this, as I have three papers on hand now, and the first deadline will be 30th April. MY GOD~! Really it's time to get some blank A4 papers, go home and lock myself up.
Honestly, I don't really know if I actually hate or love the process of writing papers, it is always a mix of frustration and excitement. But one thing I am very sure, papers are like zombies, they eat your brain.
Right, I should go now and let the zombies start their feast...
I can't find the Bob Dylan version, probably because of copyright issue. But this cover version by Peter, Paul and Mary is nice too, so let's make do with it.
I went to the Bob Dylan concert in Hong Kong on Wednesday, it was great! love it. I sat on the 5th row, but when the concert started I just rush to the front and have fun. However he didnt sing this song in the concert, he might get tired of it or something. It is understandable, especially for an artist who look for surpassing his/her past. When everyone ask for it all the time, you just don't want to do it. The freaking attitude of artists... but anyway I am grateful that he made such a beautiful song.
This week's song is specially dedicated to the Chinese Artist, Ai Weiwei.
I was never interested in politics before I entered university. I used to find politics dirty, and thought that it is only a game for those smart-arse politicians. However two quotes changed my perception and attitude towards politics.
"First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me." --- by Pastor Martin Niemoller
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" --- by Edmund Burke
I do not think that everyone have to take an extremeist stance and fight, however, people should be given space and freedom to express themselves. We also need to think about the reason for people to take extreme action, it could be due to the ineffectiveness of other channels or simply due to supression, and for current Hong Kong, it would be both.
You might think that those people have nothing to do with you, or you might even find them annoying and damaging the so called "harmony" of Hong Kong, then please do enjoy your "harmony". However please bear in mind that "harmony" is only a silent violence. You stop yourself from seeing, hearing and feeling in the name of "harmony". When one day you are "harmonized" and no one is willing to speak out for you and fight alongside with you, please blame no one but yourself.
In a room with its four walls flushed in grey, sitting on the floor, B and C are having a converstion. B: Isn't it what you longed for? C: ... yea... I guess so... at least it was B: What do you mean by "it was"? C: ... I don't know. It's just that, now that it came, I don't feel happy at all. B: I don't understand. Are you trying to say that now you find out it is not what you really wanted? C: I am very sure it WAS what I wanted. I wonder if I changed my mind as thing goes. B: How's that so? Don't you have a clear idea about what you want to achieve? C: Well, I thought I did, but now I am not sure. Maybe you are right, I don't really have a clear idea. Or, maybe I misunderstood everything, including myself. Or, it is just wrong... right from the start... B: ...... C: I know... I know it sounds horrible...
For a minute which seems like forever, the complete silence chokes the grey room with its strong hand, until C starts talking again. C: ... have you ever had the experience, when you were walking through a park, suddenly you found a path that leads to a beautiful garden, then you wandered into the garden and lost yourself in the scene, and kind of forgot about time and space? B: That's just an excuse. You are only meant to pass through the park, not staying there, or touching anything in it. C: Maybe it is indeed an excuse, but what is the meaning of "only meant to be", essentially it is just a subjective statement that tries to convince people that it is the only way to do something. B: But there are always rules. C: Who set up these rules? B: It is not important, they are there so you have to follow. Certainly you can break them, but there are always prices to be paid. And this is life. C: ... Life is terribly funny. At one point it gives you light and hope, at another it banishes you to the dark void. It always play jokes on you, humiliate you in all kinds of way and bring you to your knees... I always think "Life" gotta be a ruthless comedian who can just make fun of anything, otherwise it can only be a lunatic. I guess the only thing I can do is to laugh along with it...
B nods his head in silence, yet with a difficult expression on his face which shows that he is not really convinced by C. The grey room goes silence again...
The grey room... is a little corner at the back of my head.
For those who ride with the wind to the far side of the scene; May you rest in clam and peace, up in the blue sky, above the sea; We shall meet when the day reaches, Until then you have our best wishes.
猶記得中學時讀黃國彬寫的那艱澀難明的〈聽陳蕾氏的琴箏〉，那時候讀來真是一頭霧水"MA"聲連連，現在再讀卻覺得不是那麼差。就如Wyman給Eason寫的〈苦瓜〉說「大概今生有些事是提早都不可以」，這世界有許許多多的事都急不來，也不到我們去急，到適當的時候遇上適當的環境自然便領會。說起〈聽陳蕾氏的琴箏〉是為了這星期的 Song of the Week，周杰倫的〈青花瓷〉。方文山的詞真的美得可怕，但想來如果這是中學時的範文，方文山也有可能落得如黃國彬般被咒罵的下場哩。
Such a beautiful jasmine flower Such a beautiful jasmine flower Sweet-smelling, beautiful, stems full of buds Fragrant and white, everyone praises Let me pluck you down Give to someone Jasmine flower, oh jasmine flower
Wish the Jasmine blossom wherever it is longed-for.
This week's "Song of the Week" is sepcially dedicated to the people of Egypt. It is Uprising by Muse.
It is oversimplifing to say that it is the victory of the people. Revolution like this, is mostly a combination of forces by different parties, the Egyptian military and US government are probably involved directly and indirectly.
However the people is always as important as any other parties, without the uprising of the people, the military will no legitimate reason to support their action; without the uprising of the people, US government will not give up a single chance to gain any upper hand in the middle east.
So I do not agree with some people who suggested the revolution in Egypt is a military coup, yes, the military is indeed a decisive factor, in fact it is always a decisive factor in all major revolution. Force is always vital. Yet people's will should be given credit even if not as vital.
I wonder when will the people of a certain country wake up, or they just want to get lost in their illusion of an economic triumph.
It is Chinese New year, so this week won't miss with a new year song. There are actually three candidates, and it's a tough decision, but here it is, one of the best new year songs, Happy New Year by Abba.
"Happy New Year", something we say almost every year, somehow I feel that it implies a "not-so-good" if not a "bad" year has just passed. In order to regain one's morale, the start of a year is marked as the point where everything will start afresh, and all those happened will be left behind. It is a vision we long for, and a self-comforting statment. I don't know if it is good or bad, but sometimes I do think that as much as we like to say "learn from history, learn from past, learn from experience", "forgetfulness" is one of the most powerful weapons of human.
We make mistake, we regret, we learn the lesson, then we forget. Some people say it is the vicious cycle of human nature. However isn't this view of a "vicious cycle" only valid when we assume a progressive human development? In a time where we love to reflect upon ourselves, where we love to go nostalgic, where we praise the glory of our past, can we still confidently say that human development is progressive? Or we just simply change the way of our lives?
However there is one thing I can be sure of, this vision of progress is what take us where we are now. And I don't see there is any way that we will be able to shake this vision away. So maybe we just have to live with it. After all time progresses whether we progress or not, Happy New Year.
p.s. I'm not sure when they wrote this song, but the release year of it is 1980 where the two members of Abba, Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, divorced (exactly the two in the beginning of the MV). I wonder if the lyrics is somehow linked to themselves, where they felt sad but were trying to stay positive with a "Happy New Year".
Happy New Year, Abba
No more champagne And the fireworks are through Here we are, me and you Feeling lost and feeling blue It's the end of the party And the morning seems so grey So unlike yesterday Now's the time for us to say...
*Happy new year Happy new year May we all have a vision now and then Of a world where every neighbour is a friend Happy new year Happy new year May we all have our hopes, our will to try If we don't we might as well lay down and die You and I*
Sometimes I see How the brave new world arrives And I see how it thrives In the ashes of our lives Oh yes, man is a fool And he thinks he'll be okay Dragging on, feet of clay Never knowing he's astray Keeps on going anyway...
*chorus*
Seems to me now That the dreams we had before Are all dead, nothing more Than confetti on the floor It's the end of a decade In another ten years time Who can say what we'll find What lies waiting down the line In the end of eighty-nine...
Elbow made some very interesting music, and their lyrics can be witty and playful, actually i think they deserves more attnetion from the public. So it is good that their latest album The Seldom Seen Kid won the 2008 Mercury Music Prize and made a commercial success. Last week I have chosen One Day Like This by them, this week I decided to pick another song by them, also in their awarded album.
As much as I always like to believe that meaning of any artwork is subjective to the audience, I love to know what the artist wants to say. The Fix by Elbow is one of those songs, that without local knowledge (in this case, it is horse racing in England) or the artist's explanation doesn't really make much sense. It's lyrics contain lots of slangs and In-jokes.
The Fix is a song literally talking about rigging a horse race.
Once you know that, the featuring of Richard Hawley in the song doesnt only make sense, but it is actually a brilliant magic touch of the song. Since a fix seldom happens without teamwork, and Corruption never appears through a single hand.
So when we are talking about a morbid society, we need to have a bunch of inhumane capitalists, an absurd government and a large amount of mindless citizen... Yes, I am always cynical. Yet I never deny that I am part of this morbid society, in fact I might just contribute to its morbidness.
Our world only makes sense in a nonsense way. Rationality is just another form of stupidity.
p.s. Richard Hawley looks awfully like To Kit (陶傑)...
p.s.2. Here is the lyrics and some of the interpretations I found out or made up, any other suggestions are welcome: The Fix, by Elbow
The fix is in There's a nag(1) gonna dance home at Epsom(2) The fix is in Can't wait to see how it upsets 'em
Too many times we've been postally pipped(3) We've loaded the saddles, the mickeys are slipped(4) We're swapping the turf for the sand and the surf and the sin Cause the fix, the fix is in
The fix is in The odds that I got were delicious The fix is in The jockey is cocky and vicious
The redoubtable beast has had pegasus pills(5) We'll buy him the patch in the Tuscany hills And the Vino di Vinci(6) will flow like a river in spring Now the fix, the fix is in
The fix is in The snaps of the steward so candid The fix is in Yes, our pigeons have finally landed
The Donahue sisters will meet us in France In penguins and pearls, we'll drink and we'll dance 'Til the end of our days, cause it ain't left to chance That we win Cause the fix, the fix is in
(1) nag = a horse in old informal English; (2) Epsom = Epsom Downs Racecouse near London; (3) postally pipped = "pipped at the post", which means marginally lost in a race; (4) mickeys are slipped = slipped someone drugs, in this case probably the jockey or the horse is drugged; (5) pegasus pills = pegasus is a winged flying horse in Greek mythology, pegasus pills probably means drugs or steroid is given to one of the horses; (6) Vino di Vinci = Wine of Victory
Occasionally I find myself in a good mood just like the happy banner man in the MV of this heartening song by Elbow. While I do not dance or sing, what I do in a good mood is walking. I simply love walking.
In fact I go for a walk when I am in both good and bad mood. When I am in a good mood, I am enjoying the scene, the atmosphere, the moment in the walk. When I am in a bad mood, I am thinking, reflecting and releasing through walking. Anytime is a good time for walking, but I espeically like walking at night and very early in the morning when the street are not so busy, though early morning walk is hard to come by as I sleep late and wake up late.
When I was studying in London, I walked to school most of the time. I lived around Paddington and my school is in Holborn, it is about 4km in distance and it took me about 45 minutes for a single trip. However it always took me more than 45 minutes, especially for the trip from school reuturning home where no time constrain presented. The extra time went to my exploration of other possible routes for the trip, and wandering in shops and parks. The trip would have me pass through the busy Oxford Street, the miscellaneous SoHo district, the extravagant Bond Street, and the beautiful Hyde Park. Sometimes I took a detour to Covent Garden for killing time or China Town for restocking on instant noodle. One of the regular stop of the trip is Charing Cross Road where many nice bookstores located. As a poor student, mostly I only "read-in" and seldom have any "take-away".
Those were some lonely but precious time that I will always remember and treasure.
I am happy that in 2011 there is a new light which ignite my passion in walking, and it is early morning walk that I am talking about, how great is that! I am very grateful about this new light, I sincerely hope that I can keep on walking and enjoy walking.
"Drinking in the morning sun Blinking in the morning sun Shaking off the heavy one Heavy like a loaded gun"
p.s. next time when I am walking I will listen to this uplifting song, gotta be really nice~
I always think the greatness of art lies in their ambiguity and openness.
When the artist put their works out into the public, they can explain what they want to express through their works. But it won't just stop there, the work of art will be like a new born which takes on a life of its own. The artist's will might still remains as a way for people to read that work of art, just like a child living under the shadow of the parents. Yet as time goes, the will of the artist loses its strength, the meaning and value of the work of art will then depend on how people relate to it. Thus, the work of art lives.
Some people are arguing what this song, Teardrop, by Massive Attack is trying to say, some suggest it is about abortion, some say it is about infidelity, some say it is about futility. I would say what you see from it, is what you feel about parts of yourself. Whether it is "fearless on my breath" or "feathers on my breath" isn't really that important. What really matters is that, it resonate with your state of mind, your state of heart.
It is my song of the week because it strikes my current state of mind.
"Teardrop on the fire" does sounds futile in a way, but when it is put together with "fearless on my breath", what it means is not futility but an immense passion that has no fear. I have never been so resolute in a certain aspect of life. I also don't know if the passion will wither, but what I am doing now will be a test of that passion. It is just a "teardrop on the fire" now, but I am "fearless on my breath". Even if it doesnt work out in the end, I will live with no regret, and I would love to have a "Nine Nights" in the end.
p.s. hospital noise at the start of the MV and the heartbeats at the background, makes it a nice theme for the medical drama "House". The vagueness of the lyrics also makes it very open to relate to the drama.
In order to make a habit of writing something regularly, I decided to start with picking a song and writing something, no matter long or short, about it.
As the start, I picked Cayman Islands by one of my favourite groups, the Norwegian duo, Kings of Convenience.
There is really no particular reason why I picked it to start the "Song of the Week" section. Well... part of the lyrics is thinly related to something that I plan to do in coming week but it is not the reason. Yet I don't know why the song keep looping in my mind this week. I don't know how long this looping will last, but luckily it is not a bad song to loop in the mind, in fact it is a great one. It is Calm, quiet and soothing, so I am happy to have it as the song of the week, and as the first one.
The lyrics remind me of a trip in a town, Chartres, in France. For better or worse, there is not a special someone as my company like the song mentioned. I just went there alone, but it is one of the greatest trip I ever had.
Chartres is not the most famous tourist spot, but it maybe on the list of Christian visitors when they go to France, as its Gothic Cathedral is one of the finest and the preservation of it is brilliant, in addition, there is a sacred item, a Tunic which is said to have been worn by Virgin Mary. The Cathedral was the reason I went to this town, but I didn't went there for its magnificent facade, or the beautiful stained glass, or the holy tunic, I went there for its floor. I went there for the labyrinth built on the floor of the Cathedral. I wanted to walk on it!
Unfortunately, when I arrived, they were having some kind of ceremony, and chairs were laid out, covering the labyrinth on the floor. However, come to think about it now, it is not so bad, as I got more time to explore the beautiful town. Just like the first line of the song "through the alleyways to cool off in the shadows, then into the street following the water", I walked the old path, passed the stone bridges, entered the calm garden. Walking with my own pace, I enjoyed every bits of the joruney. It was calm, quiet and soothing. If there is any chance, I am definitely going to Chartres again!
"If only they could see, if only they had been here; They would understand, how someone could have chosen; To go the length I've gone, to spend just one day riding; Holding on to you, I never thought it would be this clear."
Posts
