2009年2月8日 星期日
ABBA外一章--The Piper
The Piper
They came from the hills
and they came from
the valleys and the plains
they struggled in the cold
in the heat and the snow
and in the rain
came to hear him play
play their minds away
We’re all following a strange melody
we’re all summoned by a tune
we’re following the piper
and we dance beneath the moon
We’re following the piper
and we dance beneath the moon for him
and we dance beneath the moon
Sub luna saltamus
They came from the south
from the west and the north
and from the east
they waited for the man
like a parish is waiting
for the priest
longed to hear him play
play their minds away
We’re all following a strange melody
we’re all summoned by a tune
we’re following the piper
and we dance beneath the moon
We’re following the piper
and we dance beneath the moon for him
and we dance beneath the moon
Sub luna saltamus
He gave them a dream
he seduced everybody
in the land
the fire in his eyes
and the fear was a weapon
in his hand
so they let him play
play their minds away
We’re all following a strange melody
we’re all summoned by a tune
we’re following the piper
and we dance beneath the moon
We’re following the piper
and we dance beneath the moon for him
and we dance beneath the moon
之前在YouTube上找到這首歌時,有人留言認為希特勒、史達林都是歷史上的吹笛人(The Piper),懷疑Barak Obama會是下一個吹笛人。留言一出當然馬上遭到嗆聲,認為不該在音樂的地方討論政治,並痛斥將Obama與希特勒、史達林並列的說法。
這首歌的歌詞靈感源自德國的民間故事The Pied Piper of Hamelin,故事內容敘述當1284年Hamelin這個城鎮為鼠患所苦時,一個穿著花斑衣服的吹笛人吹起他的笛子,城裡所有的老鼠被笛聲所惑,跟隨著他的笛聲最後都淹死在威悉河。但是當居民反悔不願意照吹笛人的要求付款時,吹笛人再度吹起笛子,這次笛聲誘惑了130個小孩跟著走,最後被帶入一個山洞,自此再也沒人見過他們的踪跡。
這個故事一再流傳,花衣吹笛人(The Pied Piper)遂成為一個專有名詞,用來代表那些以巧妙的手段蠱惑群眾、激起人們的狂熱,進而盲目追隨的人物。(嚕嗦一下,維基中文版的最後一段:「在現在西方政治當中,「花衣魔笛手」經常被用來指代那些空口許諾,但不兌現其政治承諾的政客。」是個相當離譜的註解。)
另一方面,英文中也有一句"pay the piper",意指再怎麼不情願也得去做的事或是付出的代價,If you don't pay the piper,後果將嚴重到你負擔不起。
在世道動盪、人心惶惶之際,人們總是特別渴望美好幸福的遠景,這樣的渴望有時會超越理性判斷,讓人們盲目的追隨「救世主」或是「領袖」。很遺憾的,大多時候這樣的追隨,只是把人們帶進黑暗的洞穴。
Obama是個相當有感染力的演說家,在總統就職典禮上也小小的吹了一下他的笛子,就一位民選領導人以及當選所具有的指標性來看,這也是剛剛好而已。但他是否就是共和黨人所稱的The Pied Piper,也許在一段比較長的時間後,我們才會知道真相到底如何。
訂閱:
張貼留言 (Atom)
沒有留言:
張貼留言