Track by Track: Gary Lucas, Feifei Yang, Jason Candler - The
Edge of Heaven Volume 2
Track 1: Old Dreams (Originally performed by Bai Guang)
GL: Originally recorded by Bai Guang. “the Mae West of
China” in 1948 in Shanghai. A sad, poignant love song about lost love and lost
youth, which we open the album and our live show with.
I set up a phantasmagioria of swirling celestial music and
out of the mists start the song proper, played on my 1941 J-45 acoustic guitar
in an open tuning of my own invention. Feifei has a spoken word section in the
middle which she intones beautifully, which reminds me of American doo-wop
songs of the ‘50s with a sincere spoken word section in the middle before
the harmony group singing resumes. I love it when Jason comes in on sax
here.
Old Dreams
花落水流 春去無蹤
Flowers fall, water flows, spring departs without a trace
祇剩下遍地醉人東風
All that are left are drunken people and east wind
everywhere
桃花時節 露滴梧桐
It is the season of peach blossoms, when dew drips from the
wutong tree
那正是 深閨話長情濃
It is when talk is long and passion strong in the deep
chamber
青春一去永不重逢
Youth is gone, never to return
海角天涯 無影無蹤
It disappears to the corner of the sea and edge of heaven
without a shadow or a trace
燕飛蝶舞 各分西東
The swallows fly and the butterflies dance, each going east
or west
滿眼是春色 酥人心胸
The color of springs fills the eye; softness fills the chest
花落水流 春去無蹤
Flowers fall, water flows, spring departs without a trace
只剩下遍地醉人的東風
All that’s left are drunken people and east wind everywhere
玫瑰般的美麗 夜鶯似的歌聲
Beautiful as roses, songs like the nightingale’s
都隨著無情的年華消逝
All fade away with the unforgiving years
啊 我到那兒去尋找我往日的舊夢
Ah, where will I find the dreams of yesterday
只剩下滿腹的心酸
All that’s left is the sadness that fills the heart
無限的苦痛
Boundless pain
青春一去永不重逢 海角天涯
Youth is gone, never to return, [disappears] the corner of
the sea and edge of heaven
無影無蹤 斷無消息
Disappears without a shadow or a trace, never to be heard
from
石榴殷紅 卻偏是昨夜 魂縈舊夢
The dark red pomegranate is but my soul clinging to the old
dream last night
Track 2: “If I’m
Without You” (Bai Guang)
G.L.: I love this
song. It’s the theme from the 1948 Chinese movie musical “The Nightingale’s
Song”. Bai Guang was also known in China “White Light”, and has a low
husky mezzo-soprano range. She invariably plays “bad girls” in the
Chinese films she made. When the communists took over she fled to Taiwan where
she had a long career making records and live appearances. She is buried in
Taipei.
If I’m Without You
如果沒有你 日子怎麼過
If I am without you, how can I go on?
我的心也碎 我的事也不能做
My heart is broken, and I can’t manage anything
如果沒有你 日子怎麼過
If I am without you, how can I go on?
反正腸已斷 我就只能去闖禍
My inside is shattered anyway, I can only go and make
trouble
我不管天多麼高 更不管地多麼厚
I don’t care how high the heaven, how thick the earth
只要有你伴著我 我的命便為你而活
If I could only have you by my side, I would live my life
for you.
如果沒有你 日子怎麼過
If I am without you, how can I go on?
你快靠近我 一同建起新生活
Come to me quick, and let us build a life together
Track 3: “New Pair of Flowers” (Originally performed by Zhou Xuan and Yan Hua)
G.L.: A rollicking
wedding song duet based on a Northeast China folk song "Zheng Dui
Hua”, originally recorded in Shanghai in 1948 for Pathe EMI. Here Feifei and
I sing alternate lines with tongue trilling that’s fun to do live. I am singing
the part sung on the record by Yan Hua, who was married to Zhou Xuan for three
years 1938-1941 and wrote many of her hit songs, including the music and lyrics
of this one. Not being a fluent speaker of Mandarin, I learned the part
phonetically from Feifei (besides being a fantastic musician and vocalist she
is also an excellent teacher of Mandarin).
New Pair of Flowers
新對花 (周璇.嚴華)
Xian Duihua
MALE
正 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
Zheng de er yue de er
li de er lai
When the first month (of the lunar year) comes around
開 的 的 什 麼 的 花 得 儿 來?
Kai di di shen me di hua de er lai?
What flower blooms?
FEMALE
正 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the First month (of the lunar year) comes around,
迎 春 又 開 花
[We] welcome spring and flowers bloom
MALE
小 姐 得 儿 妹妹
來看 花
Young lady, younger sister, you should come and see then
flowers
M&F
旗 把 隆 冬 鏘 冬 鏘 得 儿 哈 薩
Qi ba long dong qiang dong qiang, de er ha
sa
Banner [long dong qiang dong qiang = onomatopoetic: drum and
cymbal] [ de er ha sa = ?]
MALE
二 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the second month (of the lunar year) comes around,
開 的 的 什 麼 的 花 得 儿 來?
What flower blooms?
FEMALE
二 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the second month (of the lunar year) comes around,
紅 杏 又 開 花
The red apricot blooms again
MALE
小姐 得 儿 妹妹 來看 花
Young lady, younger sister, you should come and see then
flowers
M&F
旗 把 隆 冬 鏘 冬 鏘 得 儿 哈 薩
Qi ba long dong qiang dong qiang, de er ha
sa
Banner [long dong qiang dong qiang = onomatopoetic: drum and
cymbal] [ de er ha sa = ?]
MALE
三 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the third month (of the lunar year) comes around,
開 的 的 什 麼 的 花 得 儿 來?
What flower blooms?
FEMALE
三 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the third month (of the lunar year) comes around,
桃 李又 開 花
The peace and plum bloom again
MALE
小姐 得 儿 妹妹 來看 花
Young lady, younger sister, you should come and see then
flowers
M&F
旗 把 隆 冬 鏘 冬 鏘 得 儿 哈 薩
Banner [long dong qiang dong qiang = onomatopoetic: drum and
cymbal] [ de er ha sa = ?]
MALE
四 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the fourth month (of the lunar year) comes around,
開 的 的 什 麼 的 花 得 儿 來?
What flower blooms?
FEMALE
四 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the fourth month (of the lunar year) comes around,
薔薇又開花
The roses bloom again
MALE
小姐 得 儿 妹妹 來看 花
Young lady, younger sister, you should come and see then
flowers
M&F
旗 把 隆 冬 鏘 冬 鏘 得 儿 哈 薩
Banner [long dong qiang dong qiang = onomatopoetic: drum and
cymbal] [ de er ha sa = ?]
MALE
五 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the fifth month (of the lunar year) comes around,
開 的 的 什 麼 的 花 得 儿 來?
What flower blooms?
FEMALE
五 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the fifth month (of the lunar year) comes around,
石 榴 又 開 花
The pomegranate blooms again
MALE
小姐 得 儿 妹妹 來看 花
Young lady, younger sister, you should come and see then
flowers
M&F
旗 把 隆 冬 鏘 冬 鏘 得 儿 哈 薩
Qi ba long dong qiang dong qiang, de er ha
sa
Banner [long dong qiang dong qiang = onomatopoetic: drum and
cymbal] [ de er ha sa = ?]
MALE
六 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the sixth month (of the lunar year) comes around,
開 的 的 什 麼 的 花 得 儿 來?
What flower blooms?
FEMALE
六 得 儿 月 得 儿 里 得 儿 來
When the sixth month (of the lunar year) comes around,
青 蓮 又 開 花
The green lotus blooms again
MALE
小 姐 得 儿 妹 妹 來看 花
Young lady, younger sister, you should come and see then
flowers
M&F
旗 把 隆 冬 鏘 冬 鏘 得 儿 哈 薩
Qi ba long dong qiang dong qiang, de er ha
sa
Banner [long dong qiang dong qiang =
Track 4. “The Mad World” (performed by Zhou Xuan)
G.L.: From one of Zhou Xuan’s most popular film musicals,
1943’s “Daughter of the Fisherman”, this is perhaps my favorite Chinese pop
song to perform as both an instrumental and with Feifei and Jason. I'm playing
in open A tuning for all you guitar freaks and it utilizes very rapid
fingerpicking. The song concerns Zhou Xuan in the film going mad after a
rival’s deception and her abandonment by her fiance. Tragic, as in real life
Zhou Xuan. the “Golden Voice of China”, succumbed to mental illness at
the end of her short life.
The Mad World – Chow Hsuan
鸟儿拼命地唱,
The birds are singing their hearts out
歌
花儿任性地开
The flowers are blossoming unrestrained
词
你们太痛快, 太痛快
You’re so joyous, so joyous
呀 太痛快
Ah, so joyous
鸟儿为什么唱
Why do birds sing?
花儿为什么开
Why do flowers blossom?
网
你们太奇怪 太奇怪
You’re too strange, too strange
呀 太奇怪
Ah, too strange.
什么叫痛快
What is joyous?
什么叫奇怪
What is strange?
什么叫情
What is passion?
什么叫爱
What is love?
ｃ （歌词转自 音魁网 www.inkui.com）
鸟儿从此不许唱
Birds are not allowed to sing from now on.
ｍ
花儿从此不许开
Flowers are not allowed to blossom from now on.
我不要这 疯狂的世界
I don’t want this mad world,
这疯狂的世界
This mad world.
鸟儿从此不许唱
Birds are not allowed to sing from now on.
ｍ
花儿从此不许开
Flowers are not allowed to blossom from now on.
我不要这 疯狂的世界
I don’t want this mad world,
这疯狂的世界
This mad world.
Track 5: “On Two Roads” (by Zhou Xuan)
G.L.: This song has a
bluesy, slow boogie-woogie feel to it a la “Harlem Nocturne," played on
piano in the original and here transposed to guitar. Feifei shows off her
extraordinary range here and Jason comes in with a great King Curtis-inspired
wailing sax solo.
两条路上
Liangtiao lushang
On Two Roads
在 早 晨
走 的 一条 路 上,
The road I walk on in the morning
只 看见 行人,
只 看见
车辆
I only see passersby, only see cars
我 带 着 跳跃 的 心,
With a thumping heart, I
慌 慌
张
张 的 向前
闯.
Dash forward helter-skelter
在 晚上
走 的 一条 路 上,
The road I walk on at night
只 看见
灯光,
只 看见 月亮,
I only see lights, only see the moon
我 带 着 空 虚
的心,
With my empty heart, I
冷 冷 清
清 的 向
前
望.
Look ahead in loneliness
这 条 路 是 太 凄凉,
This road is too desolate
那 条 路 又 太 紧张,
And that road is too nerve-wrecking
找 不 到 更
好 的 地方,
I cannot find a better place
我 天 天 在 这 两
条 路上.
Every day I’m on these two roads
Track 6: “The Moon Represents My Heart” (originally
performed by Teresa Teng)
G.L. The most recent song on our album, a 1977 hit for
Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng. Feifei Yang and I perform it as a duo, and we
were a big hit performing this at the Moon Festival held at Lincoln Center a
few years ago. Feifei drilled me on my Mandarin and I had it down by the time
we hit the stage there, but as a gweidze (“foreign devil”) I can tell you
that Mandarin is not an easy language to learn.
你問我愛你有多深
You ask me how deep my love for you is
我愛你有幾分
How much I really love you
我的情也真
My affection is real
我的愛也真
My love is real
月亮代表我的心
The moon represents my heart
你問我愛你有多深
You ask me how deep my love for you is
我愛你有幾分
How much I really love you
我的情不移
My affection will not waver
我的愛不變
My love will not change
月亮代表我的心
The moon represents my heart
輕輕的一個吻
One soft kiss
已經打動我的心
Has already moved my heart
深深的一段情
Our time of deep affection
叫我思念到如今
Has made me miss you ever since then
你問我愛你有多深
You ask me how deep my love for you is
我愛你有幾分
How much I really love you
你去想一想
Think about it
你去看一看
Take a look
月亮代表我的心
The moon represents my heart
輕輕的一個吻
One soft kiss
已經打動我的心
Has already moved my heart
深深的一段情
Our time of deep affection
叫我思念到如今
Has made me miss you ever since then
你問我愛你有多深
You ask me how deep my love for you is
我愛你有幾分
How much I really love you
你去想一想
Think about it
你去看一看
Take a look
月亮代表我的心
The moon represents my heart
Track 7: “Spring in Zhong Mountain” by Zhou Xuan
G.L.: From 1941 comes
this gorgeous tango, a paean to the natural beauty of China with an exquisite
choral vocal on the original by Zhou Xuan and male backup singers. Here Feifei
does it all in a stunning showcase of her vocal prowess, including an
overdubbed angelic chorus. A hymn to Nature and a renunciation of both the
smoky city and the false gods of wealth and ostentatious splendor.
Spring in Zhong Mountain
巍 巍 的 鐘
山
The towering Zhong Mountain [in Nanjing, Jiangsu
province]
巍 巍 的 鐘
山
The towering Zhong Mountain
龍 蟠 虎 踞 石頭 城
The Stone City [in Nanjing, Jiangsu province] where the
dragon coils and the tiger crouches
龍 蟠 虎 踞 石頭 城
The Stone City where the dragon coils and the tiger
crouches
啊．．畫 樑 上
呢喃 的 乳 燕
Ah … the twittering baby swallows on the beam
柳 蔭 中
穿
梭 的 流 鶯
The fleeting orioles that fly back and forth in the
willow shade [Liu yin = oriole: euphemism for prostitute]
一片 煙 漫 無邊
的 風景
A misty, boundless landscape
裝 點 出
江南
新春
Bedeck the New Year in the south of the Yangzi River
[referring to the southern Jiangsu, southern Anhui and northern Jiangsu
provinces]
裝 點 出
江南
新春
Bedeck the New Year in the south of the Yangzi River
巍 巍 的 鐘
山
The towering Zhong Mountain
巍 巍 的 鐘
山
The towering Zhong Mountain
龍 蟠 虎 踞 石頭 城
The Stone City where the dragon coils and the tiger
crouches
龍 蟠 虎 踞 石頭 城
The Stone City where the dragon coils and the tiger
crouches
啊．．莫 向 那 秦淮
煙 柳
Ah … do not head toward the smoke and willow of Qinhuai [a
district in Nanjing]
不管 那 六 朝
金 粉
Pay no attention to the glitter of the Six Dynasties
[refers to wealth and splendor?]
大家 努力 向 前
程
Let us put our efforts into going forward
看 草 色 青 青
Look at the green of the grass
聽 江 濤
聲
聲 起來
Listen to the sound of the river torrents rising again
and again
共 燃 起 大 地 的 光 明
Together they illuminate the earth.
Track 8: “Pretense” by Bai Guang
G.L.: This is a super
fun song to perform as an acoustic fingerpicked duo with Feifei Yang. It was originally
recorded by Bai Guang in 1948 and featured in the 1948 film “The 626 Spy
Network” which also starred Bai Guang. A mature woman berating her false
and dissembling lover, it is also sometimes known by the title “Prudish”. Bai
Kwong here brings her husky, world weary voice to the fore in a simple but
powerfully stunning song that is a favorite of Chinese people the world
over.
Pretense
假惺惺 假惺惺
Pretense, pretense
做人何必假惺惺
Why do you need to pretend?
你想看 你要看
If you wish to look, if you want to look
你就仔细的看看清
Just look carefully
不要那么样的装着,
Don’t pretend like that
不要那么样的装着
Don’t pretend like that
一本正经
Dead earnest
一本正经
Dead earnest
何必呢
Whatever for?
假正经 假正经
Pretense, pretense
你的眼睛早已经
Your eyes are already
y
溜过来又溜过去
Sliding this way and that
在偷偷的看个不停
You’re secretly looking without stop
难为情 难为情
Embarrassing, embarrassing
什么叫做难为情
What is called embarrassing?
想爱我 要爱我
if you want to love me, then love me
你就痛快的表表明
Then show it to your heart’s content
（歌词转自 音魁网 www.inkui.com）
不要那么样的扮起
Don’t disguise
不要那么样的扮起
Don’t disguise
面孔铁青 吓坏了人
Your ashen face is frightening
何必呢
Whatever for?
红着脸 跳着心
You’re blushing, your heart pounding
你的灵魂早已经
You soul is already
飘过来又飘过去
Floating this way and that
在飘飘的飘个不停
Floating without stop
Track 9: “Rose Rose I Love You” (Originally Performed by Yao
Lee)
G.L.: A huge hit in
1940 for Yao Lee, one of the Seven Great Singing Stars of Shanghai, also known
as “Silver Voice.” This song was sung in English with new lyrics by Frankie Laine
in 1951 where it rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Here Jason Candler
and I perform it as an instrumental, and it really rips.
Track 10: “Seeing Older Brother Off” (Originally sung by Zhou Xuan and Yao Min)
G.L.: A poignant, bluesy minor key duet by Zhou Xuan and Yao
Min from 1947, based on a Shaanxi folk song. Yao Min was a popular songwriter
and singer and the brother of Yao Lee. Here the duo plays brother and sister.
Zhou Xuan laments for her brother, referencing being sent off to fight in the
civil war going on at the time in China. I am singing the male part here.
FEMALE
我 送 我 的 大哥 黄
草 坡
I accompany my older brother to the yellow grassy slope
黄 草 坡 前 黄
草 多
There is a lot of yellow grass in front of the yellow
grassy slope
一 对 黄
羊 两 对 角
One pair of yellow lamb, two pairs of horns
哎哟 我 的 小妹 送
哥哥
Aiyo I am the little sister seeing older brother off
MALE
哎哟 我 的 小妹 送
哥哥
Aiyo my little sister sees older brother off
哎哟 我 的 小妹 送
哥哥
Aiyo my little sister sees older brother off
FEMALE
我 送 我 的 大哥到 临河
I accompany my older brother to Lin River
临河 里头 有 对 鹅
In the Lin River there is a pair of geese
前面 的 公 鹅 咯咯 叫
The goose in front gurgles gurgles
后 面 的 母 鹅 叫 哥哥
The gander behind calls gege
MALE
前 面 的 公 鹅 哈哈 笑
The goose in front laughs ha ha
后面 的 母 鹅 笑 呵呵
The gander behind laughs he he
FEMALE
我 送 我 的 大哥 五里坡
I accompany my older brother to wu li (five-mile) slope
五 里 坡 上 生
把 火
At wu li slope I make a fire
扯 把 那 柴 草 来 垫 坐
I pull over the firewood to use as cushion
我 俩 并 肩
同
看 月 亮
落
We sit side by side to watch the moon set
MALE
我 俩 并 肩
同
看 月 亮
落
We sit side by side to watch the moon set
我 俩 并 肩
同
看 月 亮
落
We sit side by side to watch the moon set
FEMALE
我 送 我 的 大哥 五 里坡
I accompany my older brother to wu li slope
只 送 五里 不 送
多
I only accompany him for five miles and no more
回 头 人家 来 盘 问 我
If others question me when I return
我 就 说
小
妹 送 大 哥
I just say little sister sees elder brother off
M
/ M&F
我 就 说 小
妹
送 大哥
I just say little sister sees elder brother off
我 就 说 小
妹
送 大哥
I just say little sister sees elder brother off
M&F
送大哥
sees elder brother off
Track 11: “Tell Me” (Originally sung by Zhou Xuan)
G.L.: A delightful
Zhou Xuan song from 1947.
Tell Me
莺 儿 呀 莺 儿 呀
Little oriole, little oriole,
告 诉 我 快 告诉 我
Tell me, quick, tell me.
你 为 什 么 老 不 肯 说
Why don’t you ever say it?
不肯说
ever say it?
莺 儿 呀 莺 儿 呀
Little oriole, little oriole,
告 诉 我 快 告诉 我
Tell me, quick, tell me.
你 为 什 么 见 我 就 躲
Why do you hide when you see me?
就要躲
Hide?
日头 是 呀 今天 的 好 啊
The sun is good today.
可 是 我 感 不 到 一点 暖和
But I don’t feel a trace of warmth.
春 天 是 呀 每 年
都 有 啊
Spring comes every year,
可 是 目 前
没 有 一 点 快
活
But at this moment there’s not a bit of cheerfulness.
莺 儿 呀 莺 儿 呀
Little oriole, little oriole,
告 诉 我 快 告诉 我
Tell me, quick, tell me.
你 为 什 么 老 不 进 窝
Why do you always not come into the shelter?
不进窝
into the shelter?
莺 儿 呀 莺 儿 呀
Little oriole, little oriole,
告 诉 我 快 告诉 我
Tell me, quick, tell me.
你 为 什 么 不 对 我 说
Why don’t you talk to me?
对 我 说
Talk to me?
莺 儿 呀 莺 儿 呀
Little oriole, little oriole,
告 诉 我 快 告 诉 我
Gao su wo kuai gao su wo
Tell me, quick, tell me.
你 为 什 么 老 不 进 窝
Ni wei shen me lao bu jin wo
Why do you always not come into the shelter?
不进窝
bu jin wo
into the shelter?
莺 儿 呀 莺 儿 呀
Ying er ya Ying er ya
Little oriole, little oriole,
告 诉 我 快 告 诉 我
Gao su wo kuai gao su wo
Tell me, quick, tell me.
你 为 什么 不 对 我 说
Ni wei shen me bu dui wo suo
Why don’t you talk to me?
对 我 说
dui wo suo
Talk to me?
Track 12: “Where Is My Home” (Originally sung by Bai Guang)
G.L. The theme from the 1948 film “Everyone Can Be a
Husband” starring Bai Guang, the song was released in 1949. The song
expresses the desperate, mournful feeling of people leaving their homes in that
chaotic era.
Where Is My Home
何处是儿家
where is my home?
渺渺天之涯
In the vast horizon
兵荒马蹄乱
In the great confusion (lit. the soldiers are scared and the
horse steps are in disarray)
飘零逐落花
Flowers fall one after another
何处是儿家
Where is my home?
凝泪望天涯
In tears, I stare at the edge of heaven
门前碧桃树
the peach tree in front of the door is green
春来几度花
Many flowers bloom when spring comes
何处是儿家
Where is my home?
未语悲先发
Sorrow rises before words
年年强歌笑
Strained songs and smiles year after year
日日夕阳下
Day after day in the setting sun
日日夕阳下
Day after day in the setting sun
何处是儿家
Where is my home?
