Never Understand

Thank you, the Smiths.

我一直覺得the Smiths有兩種面向，第一種面向是大家熟悉的慘綠少年，唱著黯淡憂鬱的花草情歌，永遠有自溺還不忘在身上加鉛塊的哀愁，在霧裡摸索著人生與未來，記錄著每一種青春忘憂的情緒；而另一個面向比較複雜，它討論著同性情誼、社會政治，以及對這個世界的疑惑、他們穿著文人的意識外皮、用諷刺用嘲笑用憤怒用忽視作為武器來對抗生命。有時候兩個面向只是簡單的交會，一首絕佳的吉他搖滾歌曲就此誕生。

How Soon Is Now? 一直是我最喜歡的the Smiths歌曲之一，它在表象裡聽起來就是年少惆悵混雜苦澀情緒的吉他詩歌，但其實Morrissey用著彷彿抗辯般的自我獨白，鏗鏘地抱怨著出於平凡但不甘於平凡的改變渴望，一句”Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar”，是多麼自嘲諷刺又寫實的自我詮釋，你可以把它解讀為普羅少年們制式的煩惱，但也可以看做是強調著自己的生活方式與格調，即便是小眾怪咖也需要被人理解或是需要被愛的溫暖，Moz用十分淺顯的用詞遣字埋伏了許多遐想的空間， How Soon Is Now? 這個取名的提綱挈領更是令人拜服，其詞作功力早就不言而喻。

音樂方面，Marr捨棄了叮咚光亮的解構和絃，忘卻了聰慧靈巧的撥弦技法，而是讓效果器穿梭籠罩在整個曲子裡， tremolo-effect不停地迴盪堆疊，尖銳粗礫的吉他聲響再負責振臂一呼，彷彿一切都配合著Moz的舞步行走，甚至連串場的口哨聲都一再地說明著這首歌朗誦式的自我表白。一首接近於七分鐘的辯護自嘲青年史詩，在那個瞪鞋才剛萌芽的時間點(1985年)，這首歌的編曲不僅在the Smiths的歌曲裡十分特別，在英國獨立吉他樂壇裡也是相當可愛的創意。

聽著超級小眾的音樂，被大家當成怪喀的我們，這首歌就是一個沈溺的藉口，或許會有更多人加入我們、或許終究我們的Style是值得驕傲的 、或許開始有人能理解我們在聽什麼音樂、或許也有另外一個怪咖等著我們去愛 。

什麼時候會發生這些事呢？

How Soon Is Now?


How Soon Is Now?

I am the son
and the heir
of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and heir
of nothing in particular

You shut your mouth
how can you say
I go about things the wrong way
I am human and I need to be loved
just like everybody else does

I am the son
and the heir
of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and the heir
of nothing in particular

You shut your mouth
how can you say
I go about things the wrong way
I am human and I need to be loved
just like everybody else does

There's a club if you'd like to go
you could meet somebody who really loves you
so you go, and you stand on your own
and you leave on your own
and you go home, and you cry
and you want to die

When you say it's gonna happen "now"
well, when exactly do you mean?
see I've already waited too long
and all my hope is gone

You shut your mouth
how can you say
I go about things the wrong way
I am human and I need to be loved
just like everybody else does



The Smiths - How Soon Is Now (Six Minute Version)




The Smiths - How Soon is Now?



The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? (live)