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隨著年代的轉移﹐相信聽音樂因為歌曲收錄型式不同﹐故此感覺也不同。

筆者年輕時﹐聽唱片都是一些Long Play Album﹐一般都翻譯成長行唱片﹐即是比早年的 SP (Standard Play) 留聲唱片播放時間較長﹐每一面可播放多首歌曲。既然每一面收錄幾首歌曲﹐於是歌曲編排次序自然會講究起來﹐第一首可能是較搶耳的歌曲﹐中間可能是一首抒情歌曲﹐至於每面最後一首歌曲﹐自然是較被忽視的 Side Track或完場曲了。當然﹐現在慣聽 MP3的年輕人未必理解為何有這種講究﹐但是以往有聽黑膠唱片的樂迷﹐相信不多不少對這觀點會有一定的認同。

來自 ABBA第8張專輯“The Visitors”(1981/Polydor) 的單曲 One Of Us﹐給筆者的就是這種唱片末完場曲的感覺。雖然這是專輯中的首支單曲﹐可是卻沒有聲勢凌人﹐相反卻是一首 ABBA深入感受的歌曲﹐而且也有樂隊接近尾聲的感覺﹐唱片封套四人雖然處身華麗的房間中﹐可是4人的感覺是疏離的。1979年﹐Agnetha跟 Björn宣告離婚﹐雖然許多人都在猜測 ABBA將會何去何從﹐然而他們堅稱即使離婚﹐也不會影響到 ABBA的合作﹔可是1980年Anni-Frid與Benny也告仳離﹐於是另一首講及他們婚姻的歌曲 One Of Us也告面世。ABBA的歌曲已經不是開開心心的流行音樂﹐4人的婚姻也深深影響著Benny Andersson與Björn Ulvaeus的創作。ABBA的音樂也不是強勁節拍的Disco Music﹐現在歌詞觸及的﹐乃婚姻的傷痛處﹐題材變得嚴肅了﹐歌曲更像該樂團的完結曲﹐因為 The Visitors也成為他們最後一張全新歌曲專輯。

One Of Us (1981/Polar/Polydor) Track List:
01 One Of Us
02 Should I Laugh Or Cry

ABBA雖然征服歐亞洲的樂迷﹐甚至在南非﹑墨西哥的流行榜也能取下不錯成績﹐可是美國的樂迷偏偏對他們若即若離。One Of Us算是他們在美國Billboard成績最差的單曲了﹐只得到第107位﹐而英國方面得到第3。事實上它雖然還能在比利時﹑荷蘭﹑德國及愛爾蘭稱冠﹐然而它也是許多國家最後一支ABBA冠軍歌了。至於澳洲及新西蘭則分別攀上第48及第43位。

初聽 One Of Us時﹐心想這70年代樂團會否在80年代有過時的感覺﹐然而還是向朋友借來唱片錄歌。因為電台DJ介紹One Of Us 時﹐已提及歌曲的背景﹐故此因為沒有刻意把他們跟當時流行的英倫音樂比較﹐倒是對它更加倍留意了﹐直到現在 One Of Us 仍是我印象深刻的歌曲。

One Of Us﹕原收錄於“The Visitors”(1981/Polydor) 專輯中。
(Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus)


They passed me by, all of those great romances
You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances
My picture clear, everything seemed so easy
And so I dealt you the blow
One of us had to go
Now it’s different, I want you to know

One of us is crying
One of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
One of us is lonely
One of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all

I saw myself as a concealed attraction
I felt you kept me away from the heat and the action
Just like a child, stubborn and misconceiving
That’s how I started the show
One of us had to go
Now I’ve changed and I want you to know

One of us is crying
One of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
One of us is lonely
One of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all
Never left at all

Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
One of us is lonely
One of us is only
Waiting for a call

**********

Should I Laugh Or Cry﹕原收錄於“One Of Us”的 B Side ﹐並沒有收錄在“The Visitors”(1981/Polydor) 專輯中。
(Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus)


He stands towering over me beside my bed
Losing his head
Tells me I must take him seriously
Droning on the usual way
He’s such a clever guy
Then I wonder should I laugh or cry

He’s dressed in the striped pajamas that I bought
Trousers too short
Gives me all his small philosophy
Carries on the way he does
And me I get so tired
And I wonder should I laugh or cry

High and mighty his banner flies
A fools pride in his eyes
Standing there on his toes to grow in size
All I see is a big balloon
Halfway up to the moon
He’s wrapped up in a warm and safe cocoon
Of an eternal lie
So should I laugh or cry

Strange how dangerously indifferent I have grown
Cold as a stone
No more pain where there was pain before
Far away he rambles on, I feel my throat go dry
And I wonder should I laugh or cry

I don’t mind if his banner flies
A fools pride in his eyes
Standing there on his toes to grow in size
All I see is a big balloon
Halfway up to the moon
He’s wrapped up in a warm and safe cocoon
Of an eternal lie
So should I laugh or cry?



ABBA Official Website: http://www.abbasite.com



筆者相關文章介紹﹕
瑞典經典樂團 - Björn & Benny & Agnetha & Anni-Frid (ABBA)
ABBA - People Need Love
ABBA - Ring Ring
ABBA - Waterloo
ABBA - Honey Honey
ABBA - Hasta Manana / So Long
ABBA - I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
ABBA - SOS
ABBA - Mamma Mia
ABBA - Fernando
ABBA - Dancing Queen
ABBA - Money Money Money
ABBA - Knowing Me Knowing You
ABBA - The Name Of The Game
ABBA - Take A Chance On Me
ABBA - Eagle / Thank You For The Music
ABBA - Summer Night City
ABBA - Chiquitita
ABBA - Does Your Mother Know
ABBA - Voulez-Vous / Angeleyes
ABBA - Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
ABBA - I Have A Dream
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
ABBA - Super Trouper



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