A Life’s Desire:
No More Whys
一生何求:不再問究竟
Danny Chan’s most attentive song should be his “A Life’s Desire”, especially the lines “Do I possess anything, unable to explain my gains and losses” and the refrain “I haven’t expected, what I have lost, is all I have.” The coda is nothing less than the last songs of an era. No one could have sung it better.
Theo Angelopoulos’ classic Eternity and a Day shares the same Chinese name as “A Life’s Desire”. I have always thought the two works share an uncanny parallel, and mydeceased friend Ng Chi Hung thinks the same. Ng was the one who always stole the microphone, offering his reckless rendition of this classic song.
If we must choose Danny Chan’s second best, it must be “No More Whys”. Mahmood Rumjahn’s great song, Richard Lam’s great lyrics and Danny Chan’s great performance. One is reminded of a great poet, reciting the work that is meant to be his: “Counting stars futilely, / the firmaments look so peaceful …”
No one in the world could sing the refrains (“Uh Ha, Ah Ah…”) in a more delicate or seductive manner than Danny Chan. A life’s desire? Better don’t ask any more whys; no more hard feelings for what is lost, nor desire for what is not meant to be. Like the young Danny, “Let’s play with him / In hopes that he won’t ask any more whys/Ah Ah…”
陳百強唱得最細膩的一首歌,应該是《一生何求》,尤其是唱至「我得到沒有沒法解得失錯漏/剛剛聽到望到便更改/不知哪裡追究」,「沒料到我所失的竟已是我的所有」,那停頓處,彷彿干迴百轉,是一個時代的绝唱,這世上恐怕沒有人能比他唱得更好。
安哲羅普洛斯( Theo Angelopoulos )的經典之作 Eternity and a Day,理應譯為「永恆與一天」,何以譯為《一生何求》呢?我一直以為跟陳百強的同名歌曲關,亡友吴志雄也同意此一臆想,雖然五音不全卻偏愛在卡拉OK搶咪,將這首絕唱蹧蹋得教人欲哭無淚。
如果要選陳百強的 second best,那一定就是《不再問究竟》,林慕德的曲好,林振強詞亦好, Danny仔唱得更好,三位一體,約略有點「顧城上身」之感：「茫茫然在數星星/天際多麼平靜/……/不知一街童正踏著我影/顽童還大膽開聲/他說:哥哥眼睛/怎麼怎麼/又紅又腫如像剛剛哭了十声/ Uh Ha只好苦笑十聲/並輕抹眼角/淡淡的眼淚影/ Uh Ha只好解釋有淚水/乃因風砂吹入了眼睛Ah Ah……」
這世上恐怕沒有人能比陳百強Uh Ha、Ah Ah得更干迴百轉了。一生何求?最好「不再問究竟,街童无知(如果真有其人曾踏我影,如今已是人到中年了),不必再強求甚麼了,就像斯時的陳百強那樣,「只好跟他玩耍/祈望他不再問究竟Ah Ah……」