新谣: 我们的心声 (Xinyao: Our Voice)

结了婚我才知道　什么叫做债 It was only after getting married that I realized what debt was 老婆总算娶回来　没钱生小乖乖 Though I managed to get married, I couldn’t afford to have children 家俱电器真不赖　价钱更精彩 Household furniture and electrical appliances were really attractive but their prices, exceptionally wonderful 夜夜缤纷看开怀　其他一步一步来 As there was a great variety of programs to enjoy every night Other things could be carried out step by step 49

什么时候驾着车往儿子学校开 When I drove my car to fetch my son from his school 放学的儿子告诉我　他明天考天才 He told me he was due to take his talent examination the next day 天才不是人人做　平凡也不坏 Not everyone can be a talent, being normal is not bad either 我说搭巴士也要把队排　你要一步一步来 I said even taking a bus one has to queue up “You need to go step by step” Pr o b a b l y h ow I ' ll b e l ik e if I ha v e a f a mil y i n t h f u ur e? e t 50

太阳下山明早依旧爬上来 The sun after setting will rise again the next day 高楼再高它还是要爬上来 No matter how tall the buildings are, it’ll still rise 花儿谢了明年还是一样地开 The flowers, after withering, will bloom again next year 只要空气还没污染得太坏 As long as the air is not badly polluted 太阳下山明早依旧爬上来 The sun after setting will rise again the next day 我的青春匆匆地铁那样快 My youth went by as fast as the MRT train 花儿谢了明年还是一样地开 The flowers, after withering, will bloom again next year 人生最好还是一步一步来 It’s best to go step by step in life 51



我的人生观 THE PERSON I'D LIKE TO BECOME 53

小人物的心声 VOICES OF AN ORDINARY FOLK (1986) 作词 (Lyrics)：温雪莹 (Bon Sek Yieng) 作曲 (Song) ：陈天进 (Tan Kian Chin)

I've never given this idea much thought until chancing upon this song. Its lyrics gave such a meaningful perspective and inspiration towards life and it was this last line that I identified with most: \" Simple and ordinary days can be just as fulfilling \" Well with social media these days being easily accessible and just at our fingertips, I find myself often unknowingly comparing myself to others. The song was like a constant reminder to myself that I didn't need to do or have what others have done or own in order to feel happy or contented; learn to appreciate whatever you have. Joy can be found in the littlest and simplest of things! 55

也许我一个人不能成就一翻大事业 Maybe I alone cannot accomplish a great feat 但我尽力贡献一份微薄的力量 But still I'm able to give off my best 也许我自己不能发出万丈光和亮 Maybe I alone cannot emit brilliant lights 但我能为斗室带来足够的光芒 But I am able to bring sufficient light to a small room 56

我从来都不在乎 自己不是一个大人物 I never bothered to be a big shot 因为平凡也是一种幸福 Because being ordinary is also a kind of happiness 看到名人总是忙忙碌碌 Famous people are always seen busy 我的时间由我控制 But my own time is in my own hands 平凡日子一样会充实 Such simple and ordinary days can just be as fulfilling 57



新的我 A NEW ME 59

星空下 UNDER THE STARRY SKY (1985) 作词 (Lyrics)：黄元成 (Huang Yuan Cheng) 作曲 (Song) ：巫启贤 (Eric Moo)

As someone who lacks motivation at times, I was inspired by the story told in the song to become a better version of myself. The songwriter wrote of the individual not having any ambition or aim in life but decided that he shouldn't continue on being as such. He became determined to change his life around. And as much as having identified with the other song 《小人物的心声》(Voices Of An Ordinary Folk) which sang how \"simple and ordinary days can be fulfilling may come across as a conflicting thought here, I still think that it's necessary for one to have some sort of goal in life be it career wise or as simple as a daily achievement to work towards to to keep them in check, driven and motivated if that makes sense... At least that's how I see it. 61

星空下 星空下 星空下 Under the starry sky... Under the starry sky... Under the starry sky! 星空下一盏半明不暗的火 Under the starry sky there was a light that was neither dim nor bright 就使我想起过去庸庸碌碌的我 It reminded me of my mediocrity and lack of ambition in the past 夜空里一抹流星划过天际 As a meteor shot past the night sky 使我的眼神刹时之间充满活力 Instantly my eyes became alive 62

让我把大海握在手里 Let me hold the ocean in my hands 让我把天空踩在脚底 Let me put the sky under my feet 让我把过去的不如意一切都抛弃 Let me throw away all the unhappiness of the past 旧时梦不必去记 Dreams of the past need not be remembered 只要把经验藏在心底 Just keep our experience at the bottom of our heart 美丽的明天 For a beautiful tomorrow 须要自己去努力 We'll need to put in our efforts 63



一切都会过去 IT'll ALL PASS 65

遗忘过去 FORGET ABOUT THE PAST (1985) 作词 (Lyrics)：木子 (Mu Zi) 作曲 (Song) ：巫启贤 (Eric Moo)

I have to admit... being someone who constantly overthinks, it isn't usually all that helpful most of the time. Well except maybe it does help with being meticulous with executions of several things. Thoughts such as \"Why does it have to happen to me...\", \"Did I do or say something wrong?\" and more, they are a constant cycle of feelings that runs through the mind of an overthinker like me and it's hard to shake them off easily. So this song felt like yet another reminder to myself that things will get better and they really do. Whenever I hear things that would affect me, those that said it would have probably forgotten that they did, quicker than I thought. 67

对生命你不必存有怀疑　 You need not have any doubt about life 人生它本来像一出戏 Life itself is like a play 故事的结局是悲是喜 Whether the ending is tragic or comic 自己总会有些决定 Somehow some kind of decision has to be made 68

看朝阳又带着希望升起 The morning sun rises again with hope for a new day 岁月的脚步从来不停息 The footsteps of time never stops moving forward 等到那星月走进你梦里 When the moon and the stars enter your dream 生活变得更美丽 Life becomes more and more beautiful 工作上有多少不如意 Regardless of the number of disappointments in the course of work 让明天去好好忘记 Let them be totally forgotten by tomorrow 道路上总有许多不平的遭遇 There will always be many unfair encounters along the road 化做点点滴滴 That will eventually be broken down into pieces 把它全部遗忘在回忆里 And buried in your memories 69

我忘不掉心碎的过去　 I can’t forget the heartbreaking past 可是我必须面对我自己 But I have to face myself 生存还要靠自己去努力　 To survive I need to depend on myself and work hard 我不再犹豫 I won’t hesitate any more 我挥不去昨日的恋情　 I can’t shake off the romance of yesterday 可是我必须面对我自己 But I have to face myself 未来生命该用什么代替 What kind of life I live in future 靠自己争取 Depends on me to strive for it 70

霓虹灯里埋藏了几许 叫人们迷失自己的骗局 Within the neon lights are hidden certain frauds 漫漫长夜请听我告诉你 That lead people to go astray 漫漫长夜请听我告诉你 Please listen to me as I tell you during the long, long night 71



转出胜利 I'LL MAKE IT 73

心宇寂星 LONELY HEART IN THE UNIVERSE (1986) 作词 (Lyrics)：黄元成 (Huang Yuan Cheng) 作曲 (Song) ：许环良 (Billy Koh)

Another song that gave comfort and motivation when times were tough. Just like the other songs《遗忘过去》 (Forget About The Past),《星空下》(Under The Starry Sky) and 《小人物的心声》(Voices Of An Ordinary Folk), all these songs were really inspiring and encouraging. Here, the song gives hope to one that tomorrow will be a brand new day and that things will definitely get better with success coming my way eventually. However, it doesn't come easy... It requires one to push on and just like what the song says: \"Only when I hold the stars in my hand can I turn out a victory\", to not give up that easily. I'll get there! 75

我的心怀着破碎 一次一次未曾枯萎 My heart is broken, but time and again it never withers 现实生活负累太多 太多负累又使我心碎 There are far too many burdens in realistic life And too many of them break my heart once again 奔向天宇超越时空 环视人间光明的一面 Travelling across time and space, I looked around the bright side of the world 总有一天真理会重现 是我成功的那一天 There'll be a day when truth will reappear and that'll be the day when I succeed 抹去心头的阴影 重整曾经破碎的心灵 Removing the dark shadow from my heart, I restore my once-broken heart 过去茫然与迷惑 塑造今日较冷静的我 Being at a loss and confused in the past has made me more sober today 银河星星在旋转 象征你我命运的换转 The rotation of the Milky Way and the stars symbolised the changes in our fates 唯有我星星握在手里 转出一个胜利 Only when I hold the stars in my hand can I turn out a victory 76

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我爱新加坡 I LOVE SINGAPORE! 79

新加坡派 SINGAPORE PIE (1990) 作词 (Lyrics)：梁文福 (Liang Wern Fook) 作曲 (Song) ：梁文福 (Liang Wern Fook)

Being someone who loves the local culture, almost anything and everything Singapore, this song instantly caught my attention with its folksie, bubbly and lighthearted tune. I loved how its lyrics sang of Singapore's growth from the 1960s to the 1990s while featuring many historical locations of the past, coupled with stories of the songwriter's personal experience growing up during those times. With the song being very personal and written in first person, it made me feel like I actually lived in that time period. The whole song just felt really heartwarming and inexplicably nostalgic. 81

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爸爸说我出世在六十年代　 My father said I was born in the 1960s 一岁多国家才算诞生出来 The nation came into being when I was about a year old plus 那时候没人相信新加坡牌 At that time no one believed in the Singapore brand 还有人移民海外 Some even migrated overseas SodDinanagyy9afpcAooeurrl geeubosrgutaar ti 1nai9eon6 nd5nsu, ai wnl dhNei cpahetniidso en ce t he nal 83

旧家的戏院建在六十年代 The theatre near my old home was built in the 1960s 我钻在人群里看明星剪彩 I squeezed through the crowd to watch the stars at the opening ceremony 那时候粤语片是一片黑白 Cantonese (Hong Kong) films then were all in black and white 有些来新加坡拍 And some of them filmed in Singapore 84

渐渐地我们进入七十年代　 Slowly we entered the 1970s 一穿上校服我就神气起来 As I put on my school uniform I looked smart and impressive 裕廊镇烟窗个个有气派 All the smoke funnels in Jurong stood tall and in style 比我长高得更快 Growing taller and taller faster than I 85

林青霞 B R I G I T T E L I N is a Taiwanese actress, regarded as an icon in Chinese cinema for her varied and extensive roles in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong films; having debuted at a young age of 19 in 1973. 那时候林青霞的电影最卖 Brigitte Lin’s movies were the most popular then 凤飞飞抒情歌曲全班都爱 And Fong Fei-fei’s love songs were well loved by everyone in class 孙宝玲赢了一串金牌回来 Junie Sng won a series of gold medals for Singapore 我一夜兴奋难捺 Making me extremely excited throughout the night 86

凤飞飞 F O N G F E I - F E I was a legendary Taiwanese pop diva who had numerous hit songs such as: 《掌声响起来》 (When I Hear Applause) 《爱的礼物》 (Present of Love) and more. “Queen of Hats”: She was a huge lover of hats and had a collection of over 600 of them. She would wear a different hat each time she performed on stage. 孙宝玲 J U N I E S N G is the first Singaporean woman swimmer to win a gold for Singapore at the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1978 (8th Asian Games). She won two golds, breaking the Games’ records at only 14 - youngest gold medallist in the history of the Games of that period. 87

Si Nng gaoanvpeoi mtr esb 'esorpMe1 9rRa8Tt7i fir st ons on 7b e 当我们不觉到了八十年代 As we unkowingly entered the 1980s 地铁将这个传奇讲得更快 The emergence of the MRT sped up the story even faster 大家都忽然要向自己交代 All of a sudden everyone had to take responsibility for himself 将新谣唱起来 And it was the year that Xinyao began 88

我们已搬家住得舒服自在 We then moved into a comfortable new home 旧戏院变成教堂做礼拜 After that the old theatre was turned into a church 有时我独自回到旧地感怀 Sometimes I would visit the old place alone with nostalgia 惦记那昔日小孩 Trying to recollect my childhood days of yesteryear

SVianngdaap o re 's s NJaotaiqo n al Flower: M is u im 朋友们说我越活越不赖 My friends said my life was getting better and better 像岛国一样实在 In exactly the same way as the country 到底是它给了我胸怀 Did the country give me the breadth of vision 还是我给了它爱？ Or I gave the country my love? 一晃眼已经来到九十年代 In the blink of an eye we came to the 1990s 爸爸你再唱一遍往日情怀 Father please sing again that sentimental song of the days of yore 我们的故事我们自己记载 Our stories we’ll record them by ourselves 未来就看下一代 The future lies in the hands of the next generation 90

别人将苹果派都送过来 Since other people have sent over their pies 我们也可以创造新加坡派 We can also create our own Singapore pie 现在是别人纷纷移民前来 Now is the turn for other people to migrate here 谁不爱新加坡牌 Who does not love the Singapore brand? SINGLISH is a colloquial form of English in Singapore being a mixture of slangs and various dialects found across the races in Singapore (e.g. Chinese, Malay and more) I like it Singapore Pie 我最爱新加坡派 I most like the Singapore brand!



父母的时代 MY PARENTS' GENERATION 93

麻雀衔竹枝 THE SPARROW CARRYING A BAMBOO STICK (1990) 作词 (Lyrics)：梁文福 (Liang Wern Fook) 作曲 (Song) ：梁文福 (Liang Wern Fook)

This is another song peppered with multiple local references as it too tells of the Singapore story. However, I feel that I'm able to better relate to this song as I'm more familiar with its context, specifically the places mentioned. As a schooling student, there's this one particular experience that's very much relatable even till today: Studying only at the last minute for examinations and having to visit the temple to pray for good grades. Well what a relatable situation! What's even interesting is that growing up as a Buddhist, coincidentally the temple mentioned in the song (the one down Waterloo street) is the temple my family and I frequently visit to pray at ever since I was young, even till today! And even though I may not have been through these myself, they were the stories of my parents. With the song being pretty much a collection of similar stories of their generation growing up to a certain extent, it made it all the more meaningful. 95



DID YOU KNOW The ban on the song was finally lifted after 23 years in 2013 and now allowed to be played on radio. The song was initially banned as it contained lyrics in the Cantonese dialect.

我们这里是新加坡 PIRATE TAXIS They were a form of unlicensed transport This is Singapore popular in the 1960s. Private cars operated as taxis, picking up passengers at negotiated 我阿爹系海山街住过 rates making it convenient for many then My father used to stay at Upper Cross Street 1941年轰炸机经过 In 1941, a Japanese bomber flew by the place 一枚炸弹在街头降落 And dropped a bomb 98