Song with local appeal
Ode to Singapore posted on YouTube finds fans young and old, with calls to make it an NDP song
By Nicholas Yong and Valerie Wang
July 26, 2009
Even as some Singaporeans are learning to sing this year's National Day Parade theme song, there are calls for an uncommissioned song to be included in the National Day Parade celebrations.
Things So Singaporean is an affectionate and slightly irreverent ode to Singapore written and composed by civil servant Judith d'Silva and singing teacher Ann Hussein. The song mentions things and habits that are uniquely Singaporean, such as using tissue packets to reserve seats at hawker centres, leaving slippers outside the front door and queueing to buy lottery tickets.
In contrast to the moody-sounding What Do You See?, which was commissioned for National Day Parade 2009, Things So Singaporean has caught on like wildfire among Singaporeans after a video clip of it was posted on YouTube.
Tampines North Primary School has adopted the song for its National Day celebrations this year and Raffles Girls' Primary School has used it in its social studies classes. The pupils from Raffles like it so much that they have memorised it.
Ms Poon Wei Ling, 29, a social studies teacher at Raffles, says: 'Many of my pupils were able to identify and relate to certain parts of the song and they laughed at the part about using packets of tissue to reserve seats.'
One of her pupils, Belinda Zhang, 11, says: 'I think it could be used as an NDP song. It's not dull and the melody is quite cheery, it really makes you want to sing along.'
Ms d'Silva, 57, wrote the song in May last year because 'I have always wanted to write a song about Singapore that people can recognise and relate to in concrete ways'.
It had to be 'easy to sing, easy to learn, with a catchy tune and beat', she adds.
Indeed, an online campaign has started to make Things So Singaporean official.
Public officer Victor Tan, 28, who heard about the song through a former colleague, was sufficiently moved by it to set up a Facebook page called 'Let's make Things So Singaporean one of the songs of NDP 2009!'.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61491663184
extracted from straitstimes digital
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_408252.html
Things So Singaporean - Unoffical NDP Song 2009
Lyrics by Judith d'Silva
Composed, Arranged, Sung by Ann Hussein
比正式的国庆歌更贴近民生。:P
ReplyDelete我也很喜歡。但是上面的人大概不喜歡，因為不能鼓勵賭博(買彩票)和用singlish("chop" the place).
ReplyDeletebut then hor, 林北就是喜歡...管他的...
呵呵呵。。。欢喜就好~
ReplyDelete不管上面喜欢不喜欢，
新加坡的英语早就已经被localise 了~
不是每个人都能去英国剑桥进修的咯！XD
I realise one thing that this song can't be used forever to represent Singapore, unless they insert a clause saying that the lyrics can be changed after certain periods. Cos the clip showing buildings and some of the things that maybe in 3-5 years time, they will 'demolish' and rebuild...nothing is very 'permanent' in Singapore, hence can hardly represent the rich culture of Singaporean...
ReplyDeleteOn the other good side that the song does represent is the inbuild charateristics of Singaporean which really shows the charisma of Singaporean where we can hardly find anywhere in the world :)
哦，因為他們搞了個請願，這是回應他們。
ReplyDelete對啊，我們喜歡就好。
sad to said that but its true.
ReplyDeleteby then this song will be a classic, er,,,, i mean in 5 years time the building wil be gone. hehehe.... :p
ReplyDeleteThis is Mr Bown's version of Unofficial NDP Song 2009
ReplyDeleteLekuasimi
========
All my friends say I’m a chiongster
Who like to drink Teh Si
My Civic may be lau pok chia
But can almost hit 50
I just minding my own business
Why the others all cut me?
They change lane don’t use signal and
They always challenge me
Le Kua Simi?
Le Kua Simi?
See the light when turn green, see my super chio rim
Even though your car faster than me, my Honda still more swee
You may think you reach there faster then can order your ice cream
Le Kua Simi….
My car more swee
I only earn 900 but my petrol 550
They say now is the downturn but my car got leather seat
I know my car is not last forever
Because of COE
But a man must have his vision, and his density
Wa Kua Simi
Wa Kua Simi
Find more ger at the bar, when they see my new car
You can feeling the tetno beat, my bass tube sibei tua
I will drive you to Mt Faber and together we see star
Le Kua Simi
Bridge:
Le Kua Simi tonight
Got sea and got mountain
You and me tonight
We going to reach Milky Way
Together we can join to make the downpayment
Get a better car than I can afford
Chor kang cannot keow kar, I must work extra hard
I must work in the sun until my face become chow tar
When patience is a virgin, you must wait long long time
No Ah Beng at the traffic light can hope to challenge me
Le Kua Simi
Le Kua Simi
This is THE official NDP song. compare n enjoy...
ReplyDeleteNDP09 Theme Song - What do you see? (English)
Composition & Lyrics by Electrico
Verse 1: There’s a jewel on the ocean,
a gem upon the sea
Where the future is an open book
A land of destiny
We could set our sights into the wind and sail the seven seas
or climb the highest mountain top as long as we believe
What do you see? What do you see?
Chorus: See the moon and the stars, look how far we have come
Look around at our faces, they shine brightly in the sun
With our hopes and dreams, imagine what tomorrow it may bring
What do you see? What do you see?
Verse 2: Now the time has come to reach out,
To open up to see
That we stand together in this land
Cos we are family
As thoughts of reaching to the sky are carried on a dream
With hearts and minds united, our dreams we will achieve
What do you see? What do you see?
Chorus 2: See the moon and the stars, look how far we have come
Look around at our faces, they shine brightly in the sun
With our hopes and dreams, imagine what tomorrow it may bring
What do you see…
Bridge: What do you see when life makes you take on a mountain
You’ll see that nothing’s gonna stand in your way
Together we can share
The strength of a million
and the courage of a million more
Chorus End: See the moon and the stars, look how far we have come
Look around at our faces, they shine brightly in the sun
With our hopes and dreams, imagine what tomorrow it may bring
Cos the sky’s the only limit when you’re not afraid to dream
What do you see? What do you see..
NDP09 Theme Song - 就在这里 (Chinese)
ReplyDelete曲：Electrico
词：小寒
Verse 1:
A1 没有山脉的雄伟这有靛蓝海水
晚霞中古城或许很美我有家的堡垒
A2 有些优势世界忘了给我们不曾後悔
没有翅膀的人类一样也能起飞
B 就在这里 把梦开启
Chorus:
C 其实我们很像 决心握在手上
有你在我身旁 就不怕 更高地翱翔
越不可能到达的理想越助燃我胆量
就在这里我们启航
Verse 2:
A3 懂得万物会枯萎我们不掉泪水
懂得幸福之所以完美是因为这堡垒
A4 我们掌握自己是谁不让命运插嘴
你我就算是人类也要跟着起飞
B 就在这里 把梦开启
Chorus 2:
C 其实我们很像 决心握在手上
有你在我身旁 就不怕 更高地翱翔
越不可能到达的理想越助燃我胆量
就在这里
Bridge:
D 我们启航远方
带回天空更晴朗
你看远方逆风造不成阻挡
我和你加在一起会更加勇敢
去打开 从未见过的光芒
Chorus End:
C 其实我们很像 决心握在手上
有你在我身旁 就不怕 更高地翱翔
越不可能到达的理想越助燃我胆量
越靠近太阳越不怯场我只会更坚强
就在这里我们启航
陈伟联唱这首歌的技巧进步多了，
ReplyDelete至少没听到很浓的鼻音。
歌唱技巧感觉上轻巧许多了。：）
哦，我沒有注意到這點，我不熟他的人和歌曲。
ReplyDelete我是沉溺在搞笑之中...
没办法，这几年被无处不在的什么什么star什么什么星的比赛搞到怕怕。
ReplyDelete无论怎样不多不少还是会知道一些些什么什么星的。:P
現在興這套？星還是猩？姓什麼？姓郉？有沒有型？唱歌行不行？還是有幸得獎？問我他的性向？醒醒吧....不要搞到一身腥，然後還要被判刑。
ReplyDelete(繼續無聊中...)
哈哈哈，管他星星猩猩还是性行。。。与我无关。
ReplyDelete因为根本没看到几个像样的。:P
:)
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDelete