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April 12,2008

Starálfur - Sigur Rós



人生不是電影，更不可能是一部歌舞片，在你低潮的時候，冒出一對疣豬和獴貓，對著你唱Hakuna Matata。

不過總有某些旋律，在生命中重複出現，在電影裡頭，這樣忽然冒出來的音樂叫做配樂。儘管我的人生濫到無法拍成一部電影，但我還是很想大言不慚地稱它為我的主題曲，至少在我大學畢業後的「畢業生」階段，因為這幾段旋律，讓我某些生命片段下的某些行為、某種心境，突然間接續成「非如此不可」的堅定意志。

2006年12月31日，那時在桃園當替代役，下班後，跑去人擠人的中正藝文特區拍跨年晚會煙火。煙火升空的倒數計時階段，忘了帶腳架的我，只能慌亂地抬頭捕捉一朵朵燦爛的煙花，夜晚頓時明亮，濃濃硝煙四起，周遭男男女女仰望天空，興奮地尖叫，緊緊地擁抱，我擱下相機，低垂著雙手，突兀地站著發呆。

研究所考試失利後，生活頓失重心，零丁孤寂的情緒在內外巨大對比拉扯下急速膨脹。對於一個總是墊高腳尖、攀著高牆，試圖窺探社會科學、人文領域堂奧的自然組學生來說，一場研究所考試不只是考一個入學資格，也是對過往玩票式興趣能否通過學術殿堂正式考驗的嚴峻挑戰，你真的夠格嗎？或者，你還是乖乖縮回去當一個繼續打嘴炮自爽的門外漢比較安全呢？沒考上，你真的甘心嗎？

煙火讓我想起這首歌。

Sigur Rós唱的是冰島話或自創的Hopelandic，歌詞在唱些什麼，一點兒都不重要，重要的是這首歌在那一瞬間帶給我希望（hope），讓我能在未來混沌未明的當下，暫時脫離自我否定的抑鬱（異域），踩著宛如在薄冰上跳舞的步伐，自在而狂喜地穿梭在緩緩離去的黑壓壓人群之中。



2007年12月30日，那天和退伍同梯及學弟吃飯，在過去與未來銜接的脫勾空缺，心虛卻故作鎮定說：「我還沒去工作，要考研究所」，但內心頻頻自問：唸研究所能加多少分？不如早點去工作卡位！想走傳播工作，又不一定要唸研究所！更何況，你真的考得上嗎？你不過就是個博而不精的半吊子、頂愛賣弄的半瓶水！

隔日，一年的最後一天，在誠品信義店看完《道頓崛川》，宮本輝以平淡的敘事緩慢而綿密地鋪陳每個角色過往記憶及當下與未來期望間的矛盾，最末以撞球無助地被撞擊，滾動於亮得嚇人的翠綠色小宇宙，點出人世無常、命運乖違的本質，但最後主角武內在那恰巧也是一年的最後一天，奔跑於道頓崛川，試圖握住某些僅存的可能，竟讓我溼紅了眼，掩卷低迴。

距離2007年結束只剩不到一小時，我的意識抽離身體，信義區的繁華街景及逐漸聚攏的跨年人潮，這些眼前的風景宛如道頓崛川的河水湧來，我拉緊衣領、手埋口袋，視人潮如無物地反向離去，只要有那熟悉旋律伴隨，就像被溫暖的潮水緊緊包覆。當耳際削過颯颯殘風，遠方隱約傳來倒數聲，我默默許下卑微的心願。

現在，我把Ágætis byrjun（An alright start）這張專輯重複播放，無論接下來會有哪些挑戰，終於，我可以暫時欣喜迎接an alright start。


Posted by infero at 樂多Roodo!│ 1:52 │ 回應(1) │ 引用(0)

December 2,2007

Across the Universe

Across the Universe是Beales另一首經典名曲，John Lennon的歌詞寫得很美，這邊有現成的中英歌詞對照。

這首歌的翻唱版本超多，包括Davie Bowie、Pink Floyd這些響噹噹的大咖，個人特別鍾愛Fiona Apple的版本。Fiona Apple在MV中戴著耳機，張大眼睛看著觀眾，時而一抹微笑，以輕柔慵懶的聲音唱著「Nothing's gonna change my world 」，外界的混亂失序彷彿發生在另一個不小心交錯的時空。

Fiona Apple有著深邃的黑眼圈，聲音低沉抑鬱，卻有華麗的編曲，暴躁與沉穩並置，第一次聽到就非常驚豔，讓我一直對這名18歲就製作頭張專輯的才女感到好奇。她有著童年父母離異、12歲被強暴的坎坷過去，她的音樂闡述的主題幾乎都是孤獨，音樂是她對外的表演語言，也是對內重建的磚瓦，Apple．Apple、不可思議的女聲這兩篇好文提供不少背景資料，來思考Fiona Apple在MV中形象是堅持自我的姿態，或是害怕二度傷害的逃避呢？而這又能與現實生活中的她，產生多大的連結呢？

MV的導演Paul Thomas Anderson是Fiona Apple的男友。他也是美國獨立製片界紅人，年紀輕輕，已在三大影展拿下兩座大獎。



此外，我也蠻喜歡Rufus Wainwright的版本，這首歌出自《他不笨他是我爸爸》（I Am Sam）這部電影。MV很有意思，有明顯的致敬企圖。拿紅氣球的小女孩（Dakota Fanning飾演），是向1956年的法國電影《紅氣球》(Le Ballon Rouge)致敬；懸浮半空中穿黑外套戴帽人的設計，則來自擅長並置乖誕、荒謬畫面的超現實畫家Rene Magritte的代表作。MV導演Len Wiseman（聰明人！這名字取得好）拍過《決戰異世界》，近作是《終極警探4》，嗯嗯，有點難以聯想…

Posted by infero at 樂多Roodo!│ 3:22 │ 回應(0) │ 引用(0)

November 19,2007

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Monty Python



《Life of Brian》是英國電視喜劇團體Monty Python跨足電影唯四作品之一，Monty Python對後來的喜劇影響很大，有評論者甚至以喜劇界的披頭四形容，英文中還有pythonesque這個字勒。

回到這部片，這部喜劇爭議性雖高，遭宗教團體強力抵制，但這無損於電影的價值。《Life of Brian》在2000年時被英國雜誌Total Film的讀者票選為最偉大的喜劇電影，2004年Total Film再度選它為英國影史第五，IMDb的排名也始終在前250名。

為什麼這部片爭議性高呢？主角Brian Cohen跟耶穌同一天出生，而且是在耶穌家隔壁，電影一開始東方三賢者還跑錯地方，誤以為Brian是彌賽亞，不得不忍受Brian粗魯市儈的老母。耶穌與Brian兩人的命運隱然相連，有著相似的遭遇，但過程與結果大不相同就是了。

面對外界提出褻瀆耶穌的指控，Monty Python聲稱他們同意「耶穌絕對是個好人」，但他們不信任那些有組織的宗教團體，才決定針對偽善且輕易崇拜冒牌彌賽亞的追隨者，創作一齣諷刺電影。

故事發展過程中讓人噴飯的荒謬百態就不提啦，反正Brian最後被送上十字架。上面的影片就是Brian被老母放棄後，萬念俱灰，了無生念，旁邊那位忽然轉過頭來唱起Always Look on the Bright Side of Life。

這段實在很有趣，一群快被烈日曬成人乾的將死之人，居然唐突地吹起口哨，唱起如此歡樂的曲子。明知道這只是電影，一切都是虎濫，幹嘛當真，但我還是很配合地隨著節奏把頭左點右點。我有Brian那麼衰小嗎？沒有嘛，那靠腰三小！

糟糕，這部片被我說到最後，好像不太好笑…

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the right side of life...
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the bright side of life...
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(I mean - what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life...


Posted by infero at 樂多Roodo!│ 7:51 │ 回應(0) │ 引用(0)

November 14,2007

Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie



開始只有鋼琴、背景中如火車前進般的重複聲音，然後歌聲進來，吉他進來…

這首歌是Death Cab for Cutie的作品，由樂團主唱Ben Gibbard作詞作曲。前面兩分鐘用宛如神話敘述般的口吻緩緩道出，我不是很懂這部分的具體內容，只能從一些字句，如「making islands where no island should go」、「most people were overjoyed」、「distance」、「It seems farther than ever before」，去感覺寂寞、疏離、遙遠的情感描述。這樣緩慢、隱晦、帶有距離感的描述，隱約暗示著「不敢大聲說出來」的壓抑。

我第一次聽就被從頭到尾簡單卻富些許變化的聲音處理所吸引，一層疊過一層的聲音，像是一波又一波淹過身體的浪潮（呼應「making islands where no island should go」的歌詞?!），也像是望著火車上漸行漸遠的可人兒。

聲音處理營造出的距離感，配合詞曲部分緩緩累積的力量，使得最後面「I need you so much closer」、「So come on, come on」這兩句坦白直接到稍嫌濫情地步的歌詞，爆發出讓人心碎的張力。

嗯嗯，沒錯，音樂是種心理治療。

The Atlantic was born today and I'll tell you how
The clouds above opened up and let it out

I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere
When the water filled every hole
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean
Making islands where no island should go
Oh, no

Most people were overjoyed; they took to their boats
I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flatlands to your door
Have been silenced forevermore
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before
Oh, no

I need you so much closer (x8)

I need you so much closer (x4)

So come on, come on (x4)


Posted by infero at 樂多Roodo!│ 10:20 │ 回應(1) │ 引用(0)

November 2,2007

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman



第一次聽到Fast Car這首歌，看到剛出道時的短髮模樣，以為是小男生。

Fast Car是Tracy Chapman1988年同名專輯中最廣為人知的一首，Tracy Chapman也在當年獲得葛萊梅獎，在銷售量上也有可觀的表現。這首歌在敘事上是漸次的故事性發展，描述底層社會階級難以打破的循環。

歌曲敘事者與酗酒父親住在一起，她滿懷希望和男朋友（註）一起開著快車（fast car），離開沒有未來的鄉下小鎮，來到大城市的郊區；然而他們還是沒有打破這詛咒般的循環，男朋友開始熬夜酗酒，對他們的孩子漠不關心。最後女主角要求男朋友再度做決定：分手或繼續下去。

Tracy Chapman用很簡單的文字描述底層社會的心聲，結構上讓副歌多次重複，讓主角短暫的幸福與「could be someone」的夢想屢次遭逢殘酷現實。Tracy Chapman接受訪問時說：「It's not really about a car at all... basically it's about a relation-ship that doesn't work out because it's starting from the wrong place.」

註：雖然Tracy Chapman不曾對她的性向做過公開表示，不過Alice Walker（小說【紫色姊妹花】的作者）曾在一篇訪談中談到兩人的戀情。因此有些說法會以她的性向而對歌曲加以詮釋。


You got a fast car,
I wanna ticket to anywhere,
Maybe we can make a deal,
Maybe together we can get somewhere,
Any place is better,
Startin' from zero, got nothin' to lose,
Maybe we'll make somethin',
Me myself I've got nothin' to prove.

You got a fast car,
I got a plan to get us outta here,
Been working at a convenience store,
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive to far,
Just 'cross the border and into the city,
You and I can both get jobs,
And finally see what it means to be livin'.

You see, my old man's got a problem,
Lives with the bottle, that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for workin',
I say his body's too young to look like his,
My mama went off and left him,
Wanted more from life than he could give,
I said somebody's got to take care of him,
So I quit school and that's what I did.

You got a fast car,
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision,
Leave tonight or live an' die this way.

CHORUS:
So I remember when we were drivin',
Drivin' in your car,
Speeds so fast I felt like I was drunk,
City lights lay out before us,
And your arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder,
And I, I had a feelin' that I belonged,
And I, I had a feelin' I could be someone,
Be someone, be someone.

You got a fast car,
We go cruisin' to entertain ourselves,
You still ain't got a job,
And I work in the market as a checkout girl,
I know things will get better,
You'll find work and I'll get promoted,
And we'll move out of the shelter,
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs.

CHORUS

You got a fast car,
I got a job that pays all our bills,
You stay out drinkin' late at the bar,
See more of your friends than you do of your kids,
I'd always hoped for better,
Thought maybe together, you and me'd find it,
I got no plans, I ain't goin' nowhere,
So take your fast car and keep on drivin'.

CHORUS

You got a fast car,
Is it fast so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision,
Leave tonight or live and die this way.

Posted by infero at 樂多Roodo!│ 21:38 │ 回應(0) │ 引用(0)

August 16,2007

Hoppipolla - Sigur ros

這是個有趣、值得紀念的夜晚，不只因為颱風將至，風狂雨驟，雷鳴電掣，更因為那自北國冰川迸裂出的獨一無二勝利玫瑰(Sigur ros)的歌聲盈滿整棟死氣沈沈建築物的雀躍瞬間。

老早就想偷用文化局的廣播系統放音樂，一方面享受當DJ的快感，另方面堅信「獨樂樂不如眾樂樂」，隨著退伍日接近，機會越來越少。今天是同樣喜歡Sigur ros的同梯值夜，值此時機實行肖想已久的計畫，再好不過啦！雖然過程中經歷些許障礙，但都阻止不了滿腔熱血，最後讓五樓唸書的學生及一樓佈置展覽的社區人士，還有三樓上課的學員們，一同「分享我們的喜悅」。

興奮走出側門，便是一道閃電自天而降相迎，陣陣雷聲徘徊頂上伺機，過沒兩分鐘，豆大雨滴劈哩啪啦落下。

就像《雙面薇若妮卡》的主角一樣，當眾人倉皇躲雨，卻獨個兒仰望天空，享受沐浴的恩澤。雨越大，越痛快！

我跟大雨、閃電有緣，幾個生命中值得留念的場景都有他們陪襯。高中宿舍生活的樂趣之一，是跟好友一起翹晚自習，躺在偌大籃球場中央看遠方閃電如金蛇般奔竄；去年四月考完最後一間輔大，回程一路上邊飆車邊唱U2的Where the Streets Have No Name，在隆隆雷聲和閃閃金光陪襯的華麗高潮中劃下句點；之後的綠島貧窮旅行，從花蓮到蘇澳一段，也是被大雨追著跑，慘到極點！

不過，這就是我人生的樂趣，冒著酸雨、感冒、禿頭、雷擊、犁田的危險，以迅捷、敏銳的身手人車一體，如鯊魚般尾一擺加速劃破水窪，濺起青春的血柱。



〈Hoppipolla 〉   Sigur ros

Smiling
Spinning 'round and 'round
Holding hands
The whole world a blur
But you are standing

Soaked
Completely drenched
No rubber boots
Running in us
Want to erupt from a shell

Wind in
Aand outdoor smell of your hair
I hit as fast as I could
With my nose
Hopping into puddles
Completely drenched

Soaked
With no boots on
And I get nosebleed
But I always get up
(Hopelandic)

And I get nosebleed
But I always get up
(Hopelandic)

Posted by infero at 樂多Roodo!│ 23:15 │ 回應(0) │ 引用(0)
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