Chinese Song Feature #1: 那些年

Those who know me will know this one fact. I suck in Chinese. I used to be good back in Primary School, having had an A* for my Chinese, and Merit for Higher Chinese. That was until I entered a Math and Science school, and my Chinese plummeted. Luckily, I managed to scrape past O Levels Higher Chinese with a B4, and never had to attend another lesson. 

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the language. In fact, I'm an avid listener of Chinese Songs, Dramas, and Movies. I decided to start this thread of good Chinese songs to show the songs I hold dear to my heart.

The Song

The first song I list is one that has been around for more than 6 years. It is a theme song from one of the most successful Taiwan movies, You Are The Apple of My Eye （那些年，我们一起追女孩）, a movie about how a delinquent (Guo Ke Teng) and a campus belle (Shen Jia Yi) could form an unusual partnership, romance forms, but never develops. Presenting to you, Those Bygone Years (那些年).


Perhaps a song hits home the most because one can relate to it, along with how much emotions the song can evoke. This song checks off the entire checklist in what I view is a good song.

The theme is about young romance, where the guy reminisces about his time back in school, getting to know the girl whom he would soon fall for. His love for her is strong, but regretfully, they never got the chance to get together, as many things got in their way (quarrels, universities, and eventually marriage). What's left in the end is just sweet memories, and wasted opportunities.

Chorus

那些年错过的大雨，那些年错过的爱情，好像拥抱你，拥抱错过的勇气 

"those years of running through the rain, the love that I'll never regain, want to hold you tight, and be a bit more courageous". 

It represents one's recollection of the past, his regret for not having more actively pursued his love, and how he misses her, and wants to hold her tight. Many would relate this to their childhood crushes, how they took little or no action, and when they decided to pursue it might've been too late.

Other notable lyrics

曾经想征服全世界，到最后回首才发现，这世界滴滴点点全部都是你

"I used to want to rule the world, until when I looked back, this world is nothing without you."

This shows a guy's ambition and confidence, wanting to achieve everything that he pursues. (Perhaps this is like some of us when we were younger, or even now.) But he realizes that every kind needs a queen, and at the end of the day the queen is all he needs; without his queen he is nothing much.

好想再回到那些年的时光，回到教室座位前后故意讨你温柔的骂。

"Hope that we can go back to those times, when we sat together and I tried to get your gentle chiding."

This is a flashback to where most teenage crushes begin, back in school. He thinks about the times where he tries to get his crush's attention by intentionally disturbing her, but actually trying to flirt with her.

又回到最初的起点，呆呆地站在镜子前，笨拙系上红色领带的结，将头发梳成大人模样，穿上一身帅气西装，等会儿见妳一定比想像美。

"Standing in the mirror, putting on a red tie, combing my hair into an adult, putting on a suit, cus I know when I see you you'll look even better."

This shows a scene where many can relate to, going on our first date with a crush, getting very nervous beforehand about what's going to happen, trying to look our best. But we know that whatever happens, she will still be the beauty that she is.

Reflections

Personally, I relate to the song, as now that I'm serving the military, I think back to my time in NUS High. The ambitious younger self that I was tried chasing after some dreams, but alas rejection hit, despite all the false hopes, time spent flirting through text, and the meet-ups which I took as dates. I look back and think how things would be different now had things turned out differently back then. But in the end, I realize that while some stories have sad endings, I have no choice but to continue to find my own happy ending. Yeah, my love story is a tragic one. But regardless...

I will try to pursue my Shen Jia Yi.

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