Here's clip of a HK indie band, My Little Airport, singing an English version of their song, "I love the country but not the party" (我愛郊野,但不愛派對) in Shanghai last Saturday. Notice the local Shanghai audience cheers for the lyric: "I’d celebrate Christmas Day/ I’d celebrate Easter Sunday/But not this
party of your sixtieth birthday". That spirit of independence and playful resistance to the manufactured "virtue" of the political center is very much in keeping with Zhuangzi. Happy National Day!
I love the Country, but not the Party by My Little Airport from btr on Vimeo.
Lyrics:
I love the country
But not the party
If you wanna celebrate
Don’t even think of calling me
You know it’s not easy
Pretending to be happy
There’re still many good guys doing time
Can’t you see?
Rich guys get richer
Poor guys get poorer
In a party there’re many wankers and losers
I’d celebrate Christmas Day
I’d celebrate Easter Sunday
But not this party of your sixtieth birthday
No, not this party of your sixtieth birthday
UPDATE:
Here's a clearer soundtrack:
Isha will be angry with this post. ANGRY!
Posted by: Dr. Red Herring | September 30, 2009 at 10:30 PM
I don't know Cantonese, but it looks like they are using the word "party" as in "birthday party", not political party. And "country" looks more like "countryside", not "nation".
Posted by: Peter | September 30, 2009 at 11:53 PM
Peter--it's sung in English and the political commentary seems abundantly clear.
Posted by: rory | October 01, 2009 at 01:56 PM
Dr. Red Herring:
小小寰球,有几只苍蝇碰壁。
嗡嗡叫,几声凄厉,几声抽泣。
蚂蚁缘槐夸大国,蚍蜉撼树谈何易。
Posted by: isha | October 01, 2009 at 03:29 PM
On this tiny globe
A few flies dash themselves against the wall,
Humming without cease,
Sometimes shrilling,
Sometimes moaning.
Ants on the locust tree assume a great-nation swagger
And mayflies lightly plot to topple the giant tree.
Posted by: isha | October 01, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Richers get richer and poorers get poorer, I thought you are peaking about American's Democracy right now.
Posted by: aa | October 02, 2009 at 10:35 PM
I know the hint of this song but I would like to ask Dr. Crane, now on the earth, if the Communist “Party” is not qualify to represent China, or if I don’t like or trust the Communist “Party,” who else can I trust to be able to protect Chinese of being humiliated, Westerners, no way? To love my country but don’t love the party that can do the job isn’t it a phrase-mongering.
Posted by: aa | October 02, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Ouch.
Posted by: Danny | October 03, 2009 at 04:19 PM
Great song, beautiful sentiment. I'm quite tired of people equating "China" with an authoritarian tyrannical government.
Posted by: Confucian Socialist | October 03, 2009 at 05:10 PM