20041018

DIFFERENT MEANS DIFFERENT



He's kinda country & western here haha wif bandana & huge buckle. Its a good look 4 David cos its timeless like his music. Cos sumtimes I wanna scream with de constant media reports of who's the most popular, who haf the most votes, which song is top of the charts. Esp when most pop songs dun last vry long & its sad that our musicans, songwriters, lyrists, singers r mostly driven to write hit songs. Like ppl stop listening to songs unless they r sang by pop idols or on the chart? Do ppl stop reading Jane Austen cos she not on the bestseller list? Why should music be any different? Once again a David's song, Different, actually describes my feeling. This is one of his best works. The music so creative & the lyrics so meaningful. It was nvr a hit cos too complex for most ppl's small minds kekekekekekekeke. But give it a try and u be surprised how good it is & timeless. Here's eng tran which I did on my own so plse forgive if any mistake okie.

Different

When I was small during history class
I discovered that people are different
Different country, different language, different religion
Causing the world a few thousand years of endless conflicts
Each difference caused strangeness and hatred unlimited
Even though we already have the most modern inventions
Still every day people are arguing and fighting
This really caused me to have a little internal fear
I really don't understand why people are like that
However if the world does not have so many differences
Imagine our lives will be so boring, goes without saying
Like the Monkey God with his seventy-two changes
If he doesn't change, we can say goodbye to 'Journey to the West'*
It doesn't matter if you are Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malay
Or Spanish, or missing a tooth
You only need to have compassion in your heart
To overcome anything and forge a brand new life
(Chorus)
Different means different
What's the matter? I am just different! Just different!
I am, I am just different!
Different means different, so what! so what!
I am just different! Just different!

Often on the street I hear people gossiping
What's hot! What's not!
Currently who's the richest? Which's the best selling brand?
What music is in? Who is most popular? Whose hairstyle is best?
I couldn't care less what is the flavor of the month?
Because I know popularity is a habit like
Eat fat oil, eat fat oil**
Causing harm to your heart, and your health to deteriorate
It doesn't matter who you are, what language you speak
You must not forget that the world has many different races
Please broaden your mind, and not be so insular
Everyday you can be eating a bowl of rice, a hamburger, spaghetti
A fried dough, a stick of satay, chotto matte
But only if you have compassion in your heart
You will overcome anything and forge a brand new life
(Chorus)
Different means different
What's the matter? I am just different! Just different!
I am, I am just different!
Different means different, so what! so what!
I am just different! Just different!

Gandhi, Sirkalang***, Laozi, Confucius, Lennon, Chaplin,
Brando, Picasso, Einstein, Freud, Dalai Lama
They are different and brave men, but all our modern day heroes
Each and every one came from different backgrounds
So we can see that with different personalities
Only then the world can have a beautiful future
Digest this interesting fact and get rid of your prejudice
That's why next time when you encounter someone with a tatoo
Or if your friend feel that the music of golden oldies is cool
Doesn't matter if they are Taiwanese, other people or they are fat
They are still the same as you, their love the same as yours
You must be tolerant, your manners tolerant, your feelings tolerant
Without hope, I only wish you have compassion in your heart
So you will overcome anything and forge a brand new life

Music by David Tao, lyrics by David Tao, sang by David Tao from his I'm OK album
*Fictional account of how a Chinese monk seek for the Sutra with the help of a monkey, pig and mole.
**'Eat fat oil' could be taiwanese saying, not sure
***Not sure what the chinese characters mean

2 comments:

zoe said...

I dunno about hit songs in Chinese music world since I live in Thailand & mostly we listen to Western music or Thai [& I rather avoid it as much as possible] ^^;
the song probably not cathy enough but since u first post the translation for this.. I was like 'OMG~!! I must find this meaningful song' & yeah it was hard to find as hell ^^'' but when I listen to this song.. I get the feelin' soothing all over~ very nice recommendation!

Zhao said...

Hi Zoe, so glad u took the trouble to find the song! Its really great, hope more ppl like it, maybe will upload it soon.