Song of the Week, 2011-48, Hotel California, the Eagles

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.

Song of the Week, 2011-39, Wait, Alexi Murdoch

 

黃葉等待勇敢的北風
吹散腳上的枷鎖
擺脫烈日的勞役
讓它在自由中枯萎
讓它在尊嚴中衰亡

泥土等待成熟的黃葉
帶來久違的滋潤
迎接繁華的未來
讓它在溫暖中休眠
讓它在豐盛中避寒

新芽等待富饒的泥土
壓破堅實的籠牢
探索未知的光明
讓它在擁抱中茁壯
讓它在鼓勵中成長

其實皆不盡然
沒有勇敢的北風，黃葉也會遭摒棄
沒有成熟的黃葉，泥土便另結新歡
有沒有富饒的泥土，新芽未發，種子先被吃掉

時間從不停留
世界從不等待

等待是一種苛求
對渴望被等待的人如此
對被要求等待的人更是

但是能等我一下嗎？
讓我們一起尋找自由
讓我們一起建立未來
讓我們一起探索光明

Song of the Week, 2011-38, Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand

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.

Song of the Week, 2011-37, Lost!, Coldplay

This is always a good song for cheering.
Hope everything is going to be alright.

惡霸

已經超過十年沒有看牙醫，昨晚因為這個惡霸的滋擾痛得媽媽爸爸都認不了，完全不能睡，今天終於死死地氣去牙醫那裡檢查看是否出了什麼問題。

其實早知自己的智慧齒生得有點偏離航道，不過一直沒有感到疼痛，所以就愛理不理，由得他們在口腔內橫行霸道。也不知道是不是因為本人太有智慧，多出來的智慧都流到口腔滋養智慧齒，讓這惡霸的勢力日漸坐大。診所替我照的 X 光口腔勢力分佈圖所見，除了下顎兩顆「橫行」的智慧齒要留意，這個勢力範圍位於左上角的惡霸 (代號 W.T.U.L. - Wisdom Tooth, Upper Left)比起其他旁邊的勢力要突出 3mm 多，牙醫說那很容易傷及下方的牙肉引致發炎，再加上我感到疼痛，所以他建議我先把這惡霸除掉。經歷了一整晚的折磨，我也沒有什麼其他選擇，所以就把心一橫買起這惡霸的狗命。

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。

他們把惡霸包好給我，再給我開了些消炎藥和止痛藥，然後埋單又是另一種疼痛。W.T.U.L. ﹗你真害我不淺。幸好我當時要求診所讓我處置你，即使現在你死了，我也可以鞭你屍以泄我心頭之恨。

P.S. 照片於惡霸剛被抓獲時攝。

Song of the Week, 2011-027, 阿X, the pancakes

上星期六看了她的演唱會—the pancakes 妙想天開演唱會之十一《白痴仔音樂會》。

這個偶像會唱甩咀，會彈錯，會跌結他pick，會遊魂，而且無厘頭地在台上梳頭。真的很kai，很白痴。但我欣賞她夠真、夠勇，忠於自己的音樂。這首《阿X》應該真是她本人的感受吧。

媽媽說她的音樂很怪，根本不算是唱歌。我對她說音樂本身沒有特定形式，什麼算是音樂？什麼算是唱歌？是很個人的感覺。對我來說有人唱的都是歌，用聲音傳達感覺的都是音樂。而且支持 pancakes 的背後還包含我對香港有心的獨立音樂人希望表示一種支持。

香港獨立音樂人請努力！

Song of the Week, 2011-021, Grandfathers Dance, Harry LaFleur

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.

May you rest in peace and happiness.

Song of the Week, 2011-020, Ремонт , Flёur

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

Song of the Week, 2011-019, Glósóli, Sigur Ros

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~!

Song of the Week, 2011-018, That's Amore, Dean Martin

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!

Song of the Week, 2011-016, I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home, Mills Brothers

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...

Song of the Week, 2011-013, Hold On, Angus and Julia Stone

Certainty is illusion.
Phenomenon is surface.
Futility is norm.
Exertion is the only way.

Song of the Week, 2011-012, Grey Room, Damien Rice

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.

Song of the Week, 2011-009, 嫉妒, 陳綺貞

如餓荒了的春蠶
落在桑葉上
如急風裡的星火
散在草叢中
以一發不可收拾的步伐
侵蝕那脆弱的心

轉移了視線
矇蔽了理智
劫持了情感
沈溺於自我世界裡
蘊釀著憤怒和怨恨

不再看見
不再思考
不再用心
狹隘地
猜度每一句說話
猜度每一個眼神

源於愛
止於恨
嫉妒使人忘記
嫉妒使人迷失
嫉妒使人
往深淵裡愈挖愈深

Song of the Week, 2011-008 - , 青花瓷 by 周杰倫

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。

"等待"從來都折騰人，而不知道結果的等待更加使人窒息。很多時候我們的滿心期待只換來更慘不忍睹的失望傷心，但無盡洪荒裡我們輕如煙微如塵，有時候除了等待我們真不知道還可以做些什麼... 等待是沒有其他選擇下的唯一辦法...

是嗎?... 或者不然...

有時候等待也是必要的，因為「大概今生有些事是提早都不可以」(又來了，這句什是好用)，不只是客觀環境的考慮，還有內心的各種掙扎，不同的壓力，自己心裡定下的一些對別人又對自己的承諾，種種因素都影響著我們的判斷和決定。 有時候"等待"本身或者算是一種印證，一種責任，一種承諾。

我不怎麼喜歡等待，相信沒有誰會喜歡，但我知道有時候必須要耐心。

「天青色等煙雨」

Song of the Week, 2011-005 - Happy New Year, by Abba

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...

*chorus*

Song of the Week, 2011-003 - One Day Like This, by Elbow

I must say I find this MV strangely uplifting.

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~

Song of the Week, 2011-002 - Teardrop, by Massive Attack

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.

Song of the Week, 2011-001 - Cayman Islands, by Kings of Convenience

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."

The Plane and the Pigeon

A piece of snow white A4;
With a few folds, a plane was formed;
Follow the swing of your hand, it took off without the sneering roar;
Yet, the humiliation was so hard to chew, when it is so well-formed.

The iron cage was cracked open;
The pigeon flied off, ran for its freedom;
It dropped a bomb on my head, and I was absolutely shaken;
I have to remind myself to learn from experience, the forever wisdom.

So tiny, dissipate like dust powder;
So light, float like a feather;
We are none for the other;
We are one under the ether.