When I became conscious of stars and singers, Danny Chan has receded in the limelight for long. I first came in touch with Danny through his encouraging songs. “Why experience tortures pain, go straight to the path of happiness” – but there was always a hint of weathered sadness.
我懂得喜歡偶像的時候，陳百強已退下燈光焦點很久了。對陳百強的了解,最初是課堂上學到的勵志歌——為甚要受苦痛的煎熬，快快走向歡笑的跑道，剩一分熱仍是要發光，抓緊理想……不知何故聽着卻聽出了幾分滄桑。
We lost Danny forever.
陳百強的風采難再一睹矣。
he best days of
Danny in the 8o’s.
八十年代風華正茂的 Danny.
DANNY ERA
TIMES OF FULL BLOSSOM
We are always nostalgic about the 80s Hong Kong. Not only was it an age of economic acceleration, the year 1984 also marked the Sino-British Joint Declaration. That was the water-shed moment for the 1980s – on the one side was colonial Hong Kong, on the other is a wholly different identity.
Which was why the 80s had a fin-de-siecle beauty, as well as a feeling before tempest.
“Just heard and it’s already different, who should we ask for recompense?” The year 1989, Danny Chan’s “A Life’s Desire” became so popular, it was the theme song for Looking Back in Anger. Looking Back in Anger was first broadcasted in 3 April, and ended in 9 June. Ironically, the melancholy of “A Life’s Desire” reminds of June Fourth. From then on, Hong Kong entered post-89 period, the 1980s is officially at a close.
Perhaps this is my over-interpretation, but I am also reminded of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience. Divided into “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs of Experience”, the book records the innocence of children as well as the experience of grown-ups. The poet interspersed fresh innocence with the melancholy and bitterness of adults.
Is this not also an accurate description of Danny? From the early films like On Trial and Merry Christmas, Danny portrayed a tender but innocent youth. Yet, in “A Life Not Self-Decided”, Danny sang his life out with unprecedented bitterness, “Losses interspersed with gains / Even sadness seems unnecessary…”
This is a kind of hopelessness and bitterness that couldn’t be portrayed by the early Danny Chan. There was also a silent anger: anger for not being understood, anger for not wanting to explain. “Who knows my blazing heart/Who knows the needlessness of explanations / I would rather a life’s worth of lack / Than exposing myself before others…”
A year after the debut of this song, Danny was found unconscious in his apartment. In October 1993, the mega-star passed away. Even though the sunny 1980s remained in a generation of people, it was time to draw to a close. A death warrant was issued.
韶華勝極 開到荼蘼
我們老在懷念香港八十年代的舊,不止因為其时香港經濟起飛,或許更因其時正是定奪香港前途之際,1984年尾簽署中英聯合聲明,這是八十年代一條重要的分隔線,一邊是殖民地香港,一邊是朝向另一身份奔去了。
由是,八十年代既有末日的狂歡,也有靜待風暴來臨的日子.
「剛剛聽到望到便更改,不知哪裡追究?」1989年,陳百強一曲《一生何求》唱到街知巷聞,《一生何求》是電視劇《義不容情》主題曲,《義不容情》於4月3日首播,於6月9日結束,……..香港開始進入後89時期,八十年代草草結束。
這些或許都是我的穿鑿附會,不禁想起英國詩人威廉布萊克(William Blake)的詩集《天真與經驗之歌》,詩集分為「天真之歌」和「經驗之歌」兩部分,一半是孩童的天真狀,一半是成人的經驗,由是清新、簡靜、苦澀、華美、悲愴……各種情緒交纏難分。
這何嘗不適用於 Danny?八十年代前期《失業生》、《聖誕快樂》中簡單上進的年輕人，時或淡淡的唱出《漣漪》，時或輕哼《幾分鐘的約會》。也不過是轉瞬，青澀變為苦澀與無力，1991年的《一生不可自決》幾近唱出 Danny仔自己的人生:「我沒有自命灑脫/悲與喜無從識别/得與失重重疊疊/因此傷心亦覺不必……」
這是在八十年代的 Danny不可能唱出的绝望與極度壓抑，當中隱約有憤怒(那是《一生何求》時期所没有的憤怒)。那種憤怒夾雜了不為世人了解、不欲再解釋(端着歌詞:誰人又知道我的心靈熾熱/誰人又知道再說已不必/仍然願一生一世的欠缺/不想再暴露我於他人前……)。
這首歌上台後一年, Danny在寓所裡倒臥昏迷，1993年10月逝世。燦爛的八十年代縱然在一代人心中永駐,也不得不正式蓋章了,不得不正式發出死亡證了。