My Filing Cabinet

extending my brain's filing function to the blogosphere

Mar
29

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Lyrics of 没那麼简单 by 黄小琥

Category: Entertainment, Lyrics, Musings 7 Comments

This song 没那麼简单 can be found in 黄小琥 latest album 简单/不简单. Launched on 18 December 2009.

The lyrics speaks to a more mature female audience. It is not a weepy love lost song. It is not a happy found love song. It acknowledges the woman’s desire to find love yet understand the difficulty of maintaining the relationship.

I’ll attempt a translation.

没那麼简单 就能找到 聊得来的伴
尤其是在 看过了那麼多的背叛
总是不安 只好强悍
谁谋杀了我的浪漫
It is not that simple, finding someone you can talk to
Especially after witnessing so much betrayal
Always unconcerted, toughening up is inevitable
Who killed my romanticism

没那麼简单 就能去爱 别的全不看
变得实际 也许好也许坏各一半
不爱孤单 一久也习惯
不用担心谁 也不用被谁管
It is not that simple, to love and to embrace everything
There are pros and cons to being realistic
It is not that I love loneliness, but I get used to it
There’s no one to worry about, no one to answer to

感觉快乐就忙东忙西
感觉累了就放空自己
别人说的话 随便听一听 自己作决定
不想拥有太多情绪
一杯红酒配電影
在周末晚上 关上了
手机 舒服窝在沙发裡
I pack my days with activities when I feel like it
I give myself a holiday when I am tired
Others can say what they like but I make my own decisions
No more emotional rollercoasting
A glass of red wine and a movie
A phone that offed and a comfortable sofa
That’s my weekend night

相爱没有那麼容易 每个人有他的脾气
过了爱作梦的年纪 轰轰烈烈不如平静
幸福没有那麼容易 才会特别让人着迷
什麼都不懂的年纪
曾经最掏心 所以最开心 曾经
Love is not that easy, everybody has their temperaments
I’m passed the age of dreaming, peace might be better than fireworks
Happiness is not that easy, which is why it is attractive
In the age of innocence
I once loved with all my heart, felt the greatest happiness, ONCE

想念最伤心 但却最动心 的记忆
Memories are both sad and touching

The lyrics resonates with me because I have similar thoughts as well. It is difficult to find and maintain a meaningful relationship. Friends who were hitched earlier are now experiencing marriage problems. Of course happiness is not impossible and I, like most people, long for companionship.

On the other hand, I can’t totally dismiss the costs and risks either. Risk of betrayal and costs of accommodation. Peace from an emotional rollercoaster and freedom from family obligations are appealing and benefits that I enjoy as a single right now.

I can go home and plonked into my sofa and watched TV after work. A mother can’t do that. I can buy a plane ticket and go travelling next week without having to seek “permission” from the other half.

简单不简单

Why waste time running around hunting for this album? Buy Simple/Not Simple online from Yesasia

Feb
9

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无言花 Music Video

Category: Entertainment Leave a Comment

I just stumbled across the music video for Jam Hsiao’s 无言花, the Hokkien song that I said he contemporarized.

I think a good music video enhance and not distract from the song.

What do you think? Is this a good music video for 无言花?

Dec
3

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无言花 – A Contemporary Hokkien Song?

Category: Entertainment, Lyrics 1 Comment

无言花 is another song in Jam Hsiao’s new album Love Moments.

I mentioned it when I was talking about this song: 如果没有你 which also appeared in the album.

无言花 is a Hokkien song originally sang by 江蕙 (Jiang Hui), a very popular Taiwanese Hokkien singer. It means literally speechless flower.

I was attracted to the music first. There is something about it that makes you sit up and listen to it.

I am not very familiar with Taiwan’s Hokkien but I could make out the meaning somewhat from the lyrics. I grew up with street-level hokkien, so it is quite nice to encounter such poetic Hokkien. :) Happy!

Lyrics

今夜冷风酸雨来作伴　
灯火正影人孤单
寂寞的滋味透心头　
无知东时天才会光
你我那会这无缘　
离开了后才来思念
亲像一蕊无言花　
惦惦来开　惦惦水
一瞑花开的香味　
引阮满腹的稀微
你敢有听见花谢若落土　
破碎是谁人的心肝
你敢有听见花谢若落土　
破碎是谁人的心肝

The lyrics is written in chinese characters but it would not make much sense if it was read in mandarin. For example, 无知东时天才会光 means 不知何时天才会亮 in Mandarin and when will dawn break? in English.

I was curious about the original version because my impression of hokkien songs were that they are quite tacky. I found a 江蕙 (Jiang Hui)’s concert version:

Ms Jiang’s style of singing retains the melodrama prevalent with many Hokkien singers and songs. Frankly, it affected my enjoyment of the song. My apologies to fans of 江蕙. I prefer Jam’s treatment. I think he modernized the song.

2011 Update

I discovered a youtube video of Fish Leong singing this song during one of her concerts. Embedded here for convenient listening:

Just think, how one song can change so much when sung by different singers and different musical arrangements.

[text-box]

Album cover


Why travel around town to hunt for this CD? Buy Love Moments online and have it delivered to your home.[/text-box]

Dec
2

By

如果没有你

Category: Entertainment, Lyrics 1 Comment

Jam Hsiao has a new album out called Love Moments.

It is a collection of songs originally sang by famous female singers. Singapore’s Stephanie Sun and Tanya Chua made the list. Yeah!

It is interesting to see a young male singer cutting an album of songs made famous by leading female artistes. Some of the songs are clearly meant to be sung by ladies. But Hsiao’s rendition is so good that I forgot all about that and just enjoyed the auditory experience.

I like all the songs but this particular one stuck in my head and I find myself humming it as I work. It is 如果没有你 (ru guo mei you ni or literally, If You Weren’t There) originally sung by Karen Mok 莫文蔚 (Mo Wen Wei).

The music is by 左安安 (Zuo An An) and lyrics by 李焯雄 (Li Zuo Xiong)

I didn’t know about this song because I am not a Karen Mok fan and I have never heard it over the radio. It is a very soothing song, a little sad but not depressing. A sort of longing, missing someone.

I’ll probably play it on a lazy afternoon when I am pottering around the house.

Here’s a youtube video of the song by Jam Hsiao:

Lyrics

hey我真的好想你
现在窗外面又开始下着雨
眼睛干干的有想哭的心情
不知道你现在到底在哪里

hey我真的好想你
太多的情绪没适当的表情
最想说的话我该从何说起
你是否也像我一样在想你

如果没有你
没有过去我不会有伤心
但是有如果还是要爱你

如果没有你
我在哪里又有什么可惜
反正一切来不及
反正没有了自已

hey我真的好想你
不知道你现在到底在哪里
你是否也像我一样在想你

[text-box]

Album cover

Why travel around town to hunt for this CD? Buy Love Moments online and have it delivered to your home.[/text-box]

Oct
24

By

一直下雨的星期天

Category: Entertainment 1 Comment

I think I mentioned before that I admired people who can paint pictures with words, especially those who write so well in chinese.

Maybe I can improve my chinese language by copying writing that I like.

Recently I discovered www.haoting.com. It is a online music streaming  site focusing on chinese artistes. The quality of the music is quite good and coverage is quite extensive as well.

There is a music compilation titled “Rainy Sunday  一直下雨的星期天”.

It said,

“一直下雨的星期天，没有什么好沮丧的。难得这一刻的平静，用雨声做伴奏，享受美妙的音乐时光。”

Loosely translated: don’t be depressed about a rainy sunday. Let’s enjoy this rare moment of peace with some wonderful music accompanied by the rhythm of the rain.

A promise of relaxing and lazy music for a rainy sunday.

There are 5 compilations so far. Each compilation is accompanied by beautiful photos of a rainy day and a short passage in chinese.

This is one of the passages,

一场秋雨一场凉，路上的行人都裹严了衣服，加快了脚步。星期天还能看到上班族的身影，每个人都忙着在这座城市里找寻自己的位置。

每一个在雨天奔走的身影都拥有一个只属于自己的原因。重要的是，要保持批平静。既然雨水已经溅湿裤脚，何必匆忙奔跑。

Food for the soul…

Sep
16

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I Am Watching 9 End 2 Outs

Category: Entertainment Leave a Comment

Reaching 30 years old seems to be a major milestone in life everywhere.

There have been so many dramas or films based on this theme. This Korean drama, also known as 2 Outs in the 9th Inning, starts off with the female protagonist reaching 30 years old and feeling like she hasn’t accomplish anything significant.

9회말 2아웃 / 9 End 2 Outs
9회말 2아웃 / 9 End 2 Outs

Been there?

Her situation is aggravated by her mother’s aggressive attack on her singlehood status.

Is being single so bad?

The storyline seems to meander about aimlessly and I think the viewers need to know how baseball is played in order to appreciate it. Each episode is represented by 1 inning. From the title of the drama, I think things will come to head at Episode 9.

I am enjoying it so far. Some of the scenes and situations are quite comical and made me laugh. That’s my primary aim of watching TV now. To be entertained and relax.

I found the theme song Fly Again at youtube. Hopefully it doesn’t get taken down. I quite like it.

Jul
29

By

寂寞还是你

Category: Entertainment, Lyrics Leave a Comment

I bought Jam Hsiao’s new album 王妃 (wang fei) recently. There are 10 songs plus 2 bonus tracks.

The first hearing didn’t impress me. I started to regret and thought that maybe I should have waited for the review. But since I bought it, I thought I should give it a few more spins.

Thank goodness I did. The songs grew on me, especially this one: 寂寞还是你 (ji mo hai shi ni).

It seems a sad song but is actually a song of hope.

In the journey of life, aren’t most of us looking for happiness? But how can we be happy, especially when someone we care about has just left us? Do we let our hearts be filled with a sense of loneliness that cripple us or do we remember the good part and move on.

We move forward, albeit slowly, because the journey of life is a beautiful one.

寂寞还是你
往前走下去  细雨落满地
我还在迟疑 如何能够开心
思念堆成积 活在无助里
我怎么能继续让我醉倒不醒

内心的世界里 是寂寞还是你
寂寞围绕着我 无能向前进
内心的世界里 是寂寞还是你
若你住在我心 一起往前进

往前走下去 漫长无止境
你曾问过我 世上谁最美丽
问题满天星 从此不再提
我怎么能这样让我为爱失去 蔓延继续

慢慢向前进 最美最远的旅行

This song is written by Jam Hsiao himself, both the music and the lyrics. Quite impressive for a young man.

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