So, I was reviewing my notes for my upcoming finals and I decided to procrastinate (what else is new here). Worst, I've been trolling on seoulbeats.com a lot lately and even commented on some of their articles (*punch self*, hey, at least I LIKE seoulbeats. Their articles are a lot longer, wittier, funnier than Allkpop.com, whose credibility is sometimes very debatable) Oh, for your information, I love Kpop too, just not as much as Cpop because I hate it when I don't understand what people are singing. For me, a song consists of two parts: the music and they lyrics. The music, the melody help convey the emotions, the sentiments, the feelings of the singer/writer while the lyrics is the physical manifestation of those feelings. And I find it frustrating when I listen to something beautiful yet cannot fathom its meanings.
Okay, where was I? Ah, I love Kpop too. And my favorite artists of all time are DBSK and recently Big Bang. Although they have different styles, there is one thing in common : they are the biggest and the best Korean band I've ever heard (I like DBSK more though, because in case you can't tell from previous posts, I'm kinda a sucker for ballads and sweet vocals, and personally I think Kim Junsu has the best vocal in the entire Korean entertainment industry. See here and here for yourself, this one right here and here are DBSK at their finest (all the links are their LIVE performances, LIVE I'm telling you) and if you need more proof, buy the Tokyo Dome live DVD :)
Okay, back to the title. I think I've done enough of ramblings and now it's time for the second video in a series of Chinese songs that I've been listening to ever since I was a kid. "Journey to the West" or 西游记 is a staple in Chinese culture (In fact, I think all the Great Four books in 四大名著 are). But unlike the morose and profound "Dream of the Red Mansion", the bandit drama-like "Water Margin" and the historically-inspired "Romance of the Three kingdoms", the 16th-century "Journey to the West" for me is like an impeccably written fairy tale, full of adventurous quests and endowed with magical properties. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King with his 72 magic tricks or transformation, is like the cinema version of Doraemon (though Wukong is much more of a trouble maker than the robotic cat) with his poket. I've read and seen all of the four books but to this day I only recall details from 西游记 (Seriously, you can't expect a elementary schooler to comprehend the other three, right?). I guess if you're from East Asia and South East Asia, you would know the whole story by heart now :)
So now in the midst of finals and papers, and I know this is also the college app seasons in the states and all of us are now probably too overwhelmed with work, I'd like to dedicate the soundtrack of the popular drama "Journey to the West" to all of you. The melody, as expected from the 80s and early 90s, is beautiful and the lyrics are just inspiring. The words can actually act as a summary of the whole drama, with a lot of references to the plots. All in all, the song's about how people, despite many obstacles and adversity will always persevere and conquer all hardship. So, enjoy it
And here are the lyrics:
你挑着担，我牵着马，
迎来日出, 送走晚霞。
踏平坎坷成大道，
斗罢艰险又出发，又出发。
啦……啦……
一番番春秋冬夏. 一场场酸甜苦辣。
敢问路在何方，路在脚下。(X2)
Okay, it's 1 a.m already! I think I'm gonna review until 2 and then hit the sacks. Great week ahead everyone!
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