勇敢很好

It has been months since my last update. It's not because I don't want to blog but there has been a lack of Chinese songs which caught my eye. The most difficult part of having a blog is not starting it - but rather having sufficient content to sustain it.

I have been on two minds about this blog; to continue to discontinue. Blogging is leisure to me and a personal record of my thoughts at a certain stage of my life. It is always good to be able to look back and see how much I have grown (or not...). 

If you check out my profile, you will realise I have another blog, themoodkitchen. If you like baking/cooking or is looking for simple food recipes to try, do drop by for some inspiration. 

That said, now that I have culminated several songs, it's time to kick-start this blog again.

A befitting starter post is 杨丞琳, Yang Chen Ling, Rainie's new song in her latest album, 天使之翼 (Angel Wings). 勇敢很好 is one intriguing song - if you have watched the MV, you would know.

***

当真相 不再只是当初 单纯的想像

太多话 从梦想沦落成嚣张的谎话

希望总是伴随失望

只好远望幸福 雪上加霜

想隐藏 挣扎怀疑信仰 烙印下的伤

想抵抗 妥协苦涩荒凉 再勇敢一趟

前往 爱与恨的流浪 狂妄倔强

不怕原谅 谁能和我一样

就大声喊叫 会勇敢很好

让我哭又让我闹 让我能领悟煎熬

想舍就去舍掉 想抱就去抱牢

让我听到我心跳 让我看清我的需要

不怕别人笑 会勇敢很好

让心学会去思考 强求爱有多可笑

傻瓜才会计较 谁付出多或少

谁去讨谁就输掉 谁不要谁就能得到 

勇敢的好

勇敢的好 勇敢很好
***

勇敢很好 can be loosely translated as "Good Courage". That's not saying we need to be heros - it's not about saving another's life or doing some heroic act. Courage comes in the simplest forms - having the courage to change, to move on and to do something you have never done before.

This song is about having the courage to admit the misgivings of a relationship and letting go when love has come to an end.

"爱的时候 勇敢爱  | 不爱的时候 勇敢让对方自由。。。"

Written by 陈启乐(Color's 可乐), the lyrics are refreshing.

***

当真相 不再只是当初 单纯的想像

太多话 从梦想沦落成嚣张的谎话

希望总是伴随失望

只好远望幸福 雪上加霜

When the truth is no longer what it was before - the simple imaginary

Too many words - dreams crashing into lies

Hope is always accompanied by disappointment

I can only view happiness from afar - compounded wounds

想隐藏 挣扎怀疑信仰 烙印下的伤

想抵抗 妥协苦涩荒凉 再勇敢一趟

前往 爱与恨的流浪 狂妄倔强

不怕原谅 谁能和我一样

Wanting to hide the burnt wounds from the struggles, doubt and trust

Wanting to resist the bitterness and desolateness of compromise. To be brave again.

Going towards the presumptuousness and stubbornness of drifting between love and hate

Unafraid to forgive, who can be like me

就大声喊叫 会勇敢很好

让我哭又让我闹 让我能领悟煎熬

想舍就去舍掉 想抱就去抱牢

让我听到我心跳 让我看清我的需要

Just shout it out loud, it's good to be brave

Let me cry, let me make a din, let me realise torment

If you want to abandon, abandon. If you want to retain, retain

Let me listen to my heart beat, let me see what I need

不怕别人笑 会勇敢很好

让心学会去思考 强求爱有多可笑

傻瓜才会计较 谁付出多或少

谁去讨谁就输掉 谁不要谁就能得到 

勇敢的好

Unafraid of people's mockery, bravery is good

Let the heart learn to mull over how laughable it is to force love

Only fools will fuss over who contributed more or less

Whoever disputes will lose, those who don't, gets it all

The goodness of being brave

***

The scenario is as follows - a couple who have weathered many storms/up-downs. Despite it all, he is unable to trust her completely but she is willing to forgive him for that. She tells herself: if I truly love him, I will be brave enough to pursue it. To love is to accept - the good and the bad. People's opinions don't matter. That said, even though she loves him, he no longer feels the same way about her. Therefore, the only thing she can do now to be brave enough to let him be free.

There is no shame in having loved - the courage to love without abandon, the courage to be one against the world, the courage to fight for what you believe in and the courage to let go. 

Courage comes from within and it is liberating to be brave. 

勇敢的好 勇敢很好

忘了我

就到这里 我们不再有以后
一阵风 翻起回忆汹涌
深呼吸不敢让痛楚泄露
想大方微笑假装很洒脱 忍不住颤抖

分开后 都别拼命去追究
是什么错 那么错 不堪回首
就让你临别前 挥一挥手
像送给我 最完美告别作 我只是观众

忘了我 曾把你 拥在我心窝
忘了我 曾给你 拥有的所有
忘了我 曾是你的宇宙
不眠不休 无怨无尤

忘了我 多难过 多不能接受
忘了我 只要 你好过 就足够
忘了我 忘了我们的梦
当你想起我 我已不是我

多年后 也许还能再重逢
你会送我 笑一抹 同样温柔
没有谁放不开谁的手
我的遗憾 也不能是借口 都已陌生了

我把彻夜的痛 痛成了自由
在没有你的时空

忘了我 忘了我们的梦
当你想起我 我已不是我

忘了我 \ Forget me is 杨宗纬's latest offering in his 2013 album,《初.爱》. Whilst I think 杨宗纬 is a great singer, this song was a tad too bland for me despite one of my favourite singers, 韦礼安 being the composer. I still remember how 杨宗纬  shone in 那个男人 even thought that was a rather flat song too. Wished he was able to channel that charm here as well.

Putting that aside, a few lines of notable mentions;

没有谁放不开谁的手 我的遗憾 也不能是借口 都已陌生了\ No one can't ever not let go of another's hand. My regrets are but an excuse as all is remote now. Despite talk on how love is eternal, there is never (or rarely) cases where one is unable to let go of another. Once relationships have come to a close, there is little point in pining. On a more realistic note, any supposed regret is but a cover as everything is now foreign (once you have gotten over it). Imagine yourself in a scenario where your friend asks if you still miss your ex. Will it feel somewhat heartless if you admit that you have gotten over him/her? As humans I guess we would prefer to portray ourselves in a good light.


我把彻夜的痛 痛成了自由 \ Internalising the pain and transforming that into freedom/liberation


忘了我 忘了我们的梦 当你想起我 我已不是我 \ Forget me, forget us. When you think of me, I am no longer me. People change or evolve? (indicates that people improve for the better) and that's what we should aim to do; to be a better me.

就这样吗

你不说话我自己解答
这种沉默有抱歉的想法
你想走吧

怕就只怕没用的嘴巴
这个时候不开口留你啊
内心狂乱挣扎

我们岌岌 可危的篱笆
拆不掉等着哪天倒塌
祈求完美的家却败给距离关卡
我们的爱长不大

我们任由爱化成沙 微小的可怕
在手心中慢慢地落下
原来再见一霎 还是无法
说出内心的话

我们单纯的去爱吧 没那么复杂
以为你懂我也真太傻
爱停止发芽 来不及开满遍地鲜花
都已腐化

我们任由回忆秒杀 将泪痕记下
把分手的说法理论化
沿着彼此步伐了无牵挂
这是最好的吗

绝对不会被你恨吧 也没那么差
曾经爱过的也不是假
想重新出发 却害怕我们不够伟大
我们就这样吧

想重新出发 却害怕我们不够伟大
我们就这样吗


就这样吗 loosely translated as "Let it be", is a ballad by local pairing By2. I found this song to be rather intriguing and will do a brief translation of this whole song this time round.


你不说话我自己解答 这种沉默有抱歉的想法 你想走吧 \ You don't have to say anything for I know. This silence, this apologetic thinking. Leave if you want to.

怕就只怕没用的嘴巴 这个时候不开口留你啊 内心狂乱挣扎 \ Afraid its due to this useless mouth of mine. Could have stopped you from leaving there and then. Internal turmoil.

我们岌岌 可危的篱笆 拆不掉等着哪天倒塌 \ We a precarious fence, awaiting for the day when it collapses

祈求完美的家却败给距离关卡 我们的爱长不大 \ The hope for a lovely ending was lost against the distance barrier. Our love cannot grow.

我们任由爱化成沙 微小的可怕 在手心中慢慢地落下\ Our freedom to love has crumbled into sand, so small that it's scary, slipping away from our hands

原来再见一霎 还是无法 说出内心的话 \ At the moment of farewell, it was still impossible to say what we really feel

我们单纯的去爱吧 没那么复杂 以为你懂我也真太傻 \ Let's have an innocent notion of love; it's not that complicated. I thought you understood me but I was too naïve.

爱停止发芽 来不及开满遍地鲜花 都已腐化 \ Love is something that needs to be nurtured. Stopping short of referring to it as a growing plant, this phrase paints a vivid picture of how that might look like. A love that has stopped sprouting; it never got to bloom into flowers, has decomposed.

我们任由回忆秒杀 将泪痕记下  \ Allow the memories to cut through for a second and remember those tear tracks

把分手的说法理论化 沿着彼此步伐了无牵挂 这是最好的吗\ Rationalise the reason for breaking up and continue on our individual pathways without care. Is this for the best?

绝对不会被你恨吧 也没那么差 曾经爱过的也不是假\ Surely you won't hate me for I wasn't that bad. The love we once had wasn't fake

想重新出发 却害怕我们不够伟大 我们就这样吧 \ Wishing for a new start but there's fear that we aren't that strong. Let's just let it be.

愛你

愛你 by newcomer Kimberley Chen, 陈芳语 is in her début album, 《Kimberley首张同名专辑》. Given her achievements at such a young age, she is not exactly a "newcomer".

This song was released back in April 2012 and I particularly enjoy her acoustic version.

我闭上眼睛 贴着你心跳呼吸
而此刻地球 只剩我们而已
你微笑的唇型 总勾着我的心
每一秒初吻 我每一秒都想要吻你

就这样 爱你 爱你 爱你 随时都要一起
我喜欢 爱你 外套 味道 还有你的怀里
把我们 衣服 钮扣 互扣 那就不用分离
美好爱情 我就爱这样贴近 因为你

有时没生气 故意闹脾气
你的紧张在意 让我觉得安心
从你某个角度 我总看见自己
到底你懂我 或其时我本来就像你

想变成你的氧气 溜进你身体里
好好看看在你心里 你有多麽宝贝 我爱你

A sweet love song that deviates from my usual entries on ballads but I am sure there are portions in which we can all relate to; making you go aww without the goosebumps.

Catch her acoustic live rendition her. Her husky vocals somewhat remind me of a rock singer. It will be interesting to see what her next offerings will be (fingers crossed for a tear-jerking ballad)

Credits: Music Baidu
http://music.baidu.com/song/13983828

(cover) 人质

人质 is by 天后, Ah Mei, 张惠妹. Loosely translated as "Hostage", this ballad was also covered by other singers like 杨宗纬. Out of them all, I particularly enjoy 韦礼安's version (yes, I'm biased). If my memories don't fail me, he also sang this song for a singing competition/PK segment in a show back in 2008(?)

Catch his live rendition of this at his concert.

(cover) 踮起腳尖愛

踮起腳尖愛 is a lovely song by 洪佩瑜 written by local musician Tanya Chua, 蔡健雅 and local lyricist, 小寒. Posting two versions by 韦礼安, one live performance and the other, a shorter radio live version.

舞鞋　穿了洞　裂了缝　
预备迎接一个梦
OK绷　遮住痛　
要把苍白都填充
勇气惶恐　
我要用哪一种
面对他　
一百零一分笑容

等待　的时空　有点重　
重得时针走不动
无影踪　他始终　
不曾降临生命中
我好想懂　谁放我手心里捧
幸福啊　依然长长的人龙

想踮起脚尖找寻爱　
远远的存在
我来不及　说声嗨　
影子就从人海晕开
才踮起脚尖的期待　
只怕被亏待
我勾不着还　微笑忍耐
等你回过头来

哪天　扑了空　折了衷　
祈祷终于起作用
一阵风　吹来梦　
却又败在难沟通
我终于懂　怎么人们的脸孔
想到爱　寂寞眼眶就转红

Credits: Music Baidu
http://music.baidu.com/song/10562780

(cover) 说了再见\她说\你不知道的事\离开我\慢慢等

The whole topic of covers gets me all excited as I came across several fantastic ones but never got a chance to share. This is likely to be new feature in this blog beyond the usual new song offerings.

A-lin is singer who is rather under-rated in my view. She has a great voice and her nominations in Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards/ 金曲奖 as Best female singer award/最佳女歌手奖 is a way of affirming her capabilities.

In 2011, she covered a total of 5 songs in 7 odd minutes which are the songs of those nominated in the Best male singer award. This includes;

说了再见\ 周杰伦 (Jay Chou)
她说\林俊杰 (JJ Lin Jun Jie)
你不知道的事\王力宏 (Wang Lee Hom)
离开我\齐秦
慢慢等\韦礼安 (Wei Li An, William/Weibird)