There is always something missing in taiwanese/hong kong love songs, they are always depressing, they usually are about the uncertainty in relationships. Either your love is leaving you, you are in love with someone else, or you are not sure where you are in a relationship.
What is missing are the maturity, and confidence required in a healthy relationship. Consider the following song...
Save the last dance for me
You can dance-every dance with the guy
Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight
You can smile-every smile for the man
Who held your hand neath the pale moon light
But don't forget who's takin' you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin' save the last dance for me
Oh I know that the musics fine
Like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun
Laugh and sing but while we're apart
Don't give your heart to anyone
And don't forget who's takin' you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin' save the last dance for me
Baby don't you know I love you so
Can't you feel it when we touch
I will never, never let you go
I love you oh so much
You can dance, go and carry on
Till the night is gone
And it's time to go
If he asks if you're all alone
Can he walk you home, you must tell him no
'Cause don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
Save the last dance for me
Oh I know that the musics fine
Like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun
Laugh and sing but while we're apart
Don't give your heart to anyone
And don't forget who's takin' you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin' save the last dance for me
So don't forget who's taking you home
Or in whose arms you're gonna be
So darling, save the last dance for me
Ooooh
Baby won't you save the last dance for me.
You make the promise that you save the last dance for me.
Save the last dance
The very last dance
For me!
This is recently performed by Michael Buble. The narrator is telling the girl to go out and have fun with anyone she feels like, but at the end of the night, to save that one last dance for him.
If the same story was done in mandarin/cantonese, it might be very different. You can imagine a guy pleaing to the girl, please don't go, but if you have to go, please don't dance with other guys, but if you have to dance with others, don't go home with them, but you have to go home with them... please love me... please please...
Trust requires certain maturity and confidence, especially confidence. Just like in the song, when performed by Mr. Buble, you can tell that the narrator is very confident that she will be back for the good stuff at the end of the night.
And, I see that as the biggest difference between a mature relationship and a chinese/taiwanese pop song relationship.
Btw, the original song done in the 60s was about this war veteran who lost his legs, telling his wife who love to dance, to have fun, but remember to come back home to him...
1 comment:
I like your analysis, and I think you're probably right.
The Asian pop ballads have a tendency to be melodramatic and are either ecstatic with first true love or depressively mopey with angsty unrequited feelings (Which is why I usually don't listen to them).
However, I do find that in pop music in general, in whichever language it may be sung, there is an overall overabundance of sappy, treacly crap. Every song starts to sound the same after awhile, because the theme is always love or sex.
A personal pet peeve is the whole obsession with pretending love and lust are one and the same thing. You'll hear it most in hip hop, it'll be something like "I wanna do you cuz you're so fine, wanna make you mine, cuz my love is true" or something like that.
Um, this is the end of my essay.
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