"Hand In Hand" and another passion, Singing!

Two days ago, I dedicated this song to my friends and family members in Facebook, and I want to share it with everyone here too.

The title of this song is "Shou Qian Shou" or "Hand In Hand".

This is not a new song, in fact it was written to raise awareness about SARS, and it was recorded back in 2003, during the height of the SARS scare throughout Asia.

In "We Are The World" and "Do They Know It's Christmas?" fashion, this song was a major collaborative effort between many big Mandopop stars in Asia. They all came together for a good cause, and this song was the result of their efforts.

I love this song very much... the lyrics are really beautiful, and I still get goosebumps whenever I listen to it.

Watch the clip and see if you can pick out any familiar faces there.

I’m dedicating it to you, because it is a really touching song… for those of you who can’t understand Mandarin, I’ve included the lyrics below in Hanyu Pinyin, with English translation.

Life is tough. It was not made to be smooth. But the path is most definitely easier when you are walking hand in hand with your friends 


The video clip for "Shou Qian Shou" or "Hand In Hand":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Fzij6G6g8

[Verse 1]
这世界乍看之下有点灰 (蔡琴)
Cai Qing: zhe shi jie zha kan zhi xia you dian hui
The world looks dusty

你微笑的脸有些疲惫 (王力宏)
Lee Hom: ni wei xiao de lian you xie pi bei
Your smiling face seemed restless

抬起头天空就要亮起来 (许茹芸)
Valen Hsu: tai qi tou tian kong jiu yao liang qi lai
Lift up your head and the sky is brightening

不要放弃你的希望和期待 (孙燕姿)
Stef Sun: bu yao fang qi ni de xi wang he qi dai
Do not give up your wish and hope

沙漠中的一滴泪 (周华健／lead、林慧萍Ｓpan class="word_break">??harmony)
Wakin/lead, Lin Hui Ping/harmony: sha mo zhong de yi di yan lei
A drop of tear in the desert

化成绿洲的湖水
hua cheng lu zhou de hu shui
transforms into lake water in the oasis

真心若能被看见梦会实现 (伍思?
Sky Wu: zhen xin ruo neng bei kan jian meng hui shi xian
If your true heart can be seen dreams will come true

[Chorus]
手牵手我的朋友 (庾澄庆)
Harlem Yu: shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?(庾澄庆Ｓpan class="word_break">??lead、李心洁／harmony)
Harlem/lead, Li Xin Jie/harmony: ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

不要再恐惧 绝不要放弃 (张信哲／lead、顺子／harmony)
Jeff Chang/lead, Shun Zi/harmony: bu yao zai kong ju jue bu yao fang qi
Do not be afraid, never give up

这一切将会晒?因为你咼span class="word_break">?我 才有明天的彩虹 (陶晶莹[一]、吴宗宪[span class="word_break">?)
Matilda Tao/lead, Jacky Wu/harmony: zhe yi qie jiang hui du guo yin wei ni he wo cai you ming tian de cai hong
Everything will be over soon, because with you and me, there will be rainbow tomorrow

[Chant]
手牵手我的朋友 (ENERGY)
Energy: shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?(BAD)
BAD: ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

[Verse 2]
这一刻 不要阍诤ε潞竺?(张宇)
Phil Chang: zhe yi ke bu yao duo zai hai pa hou mian
At this moment, do not hide behind fear

这个世界需要嘁坏阈拍?(萧亚轩)
Elva: zhe ge shi jie xu yao duo yi dian xin nian
This world needs more faith

那尘埃不会真的将你打败 (蔡依林)
Jolin: na chen ai bu hui zhen de jiang ni da bai
That dust will not defeat you

你将会意外生命的光采 (睫?
Jiang Hui: ni jiang hui yi wai sheng ming de guang cai
You will be surprised by the glory of life

风雨过去那一天 (苏芮／harmony、游鸿明Ｓpan class="word_break">??lead)
Su Rui/lead, You Hong Ming/harmony: feng yu guo qu na yi tian
The day which the wind and rain stops

悲伤就要停下来
bei shang jiu yao ting xia lai
will be when misery ends

感觉你身边的爱它存在 (鸪担痩ead & harmony)
Power Station: gan jue ni shen bian de ai ta cun zai
Feel the love by your side, it exists

[Chorus]
手牵手我的朋友 (张清芳、芬莩迹痷nison)
Zhang Qing Fang/lead, Van/harmony: shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?(张清芳Ｓpan class="word_break">??harmony、芬莩迹痩ead)
ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

不要再恐惧 绝不要放弃 (周杰伦／lead、张惠妹Ｓpan class="word_break">??harmony)
Jay Chou/lead, A-Mei/harmony: bu yao zai kong ju jue bu yao fang qi
Do not be afraid, never give up

这一切将会晒?(周杰伦Ｓpan class="word_break">??lead、张惠妹／harmony)
zhe yi qie jiang hui du guo
Everything will be over soon

因为你和我 才有明天的彩虹 (张惠妹)
A-Mei: yin wei ni he wo cai you ming tian de cai hong
Because with you and me, there will be rainbow tomorrow

[Bridge]
我的手 握著温暖的火种 (李玟)
Coco Lee: wo de shou wo zhe wen nuan de huo zhong
My hand, holding the warm spark

散发一点光和热就看到笑容 (陶吉吉)
David Tao: san fa yi dian guang he re jiu kan dao xiao rong
Give out a little light and warmth, we will see smiling faces

[Chorus]
手牵手我的朋友 (徐若萱、周渝民、朱孼span class="word_break">?天／unison)
Vivian Hsu, Vic Chou, Ken Chu (unison): shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?(信乐团Ｓpan class="word_break">??lead & harmony)
SHIN: ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

不要再恐惧 绝不要放弃 (TENSION／lead & harmony)
TENSION: bu yao zai kong ju jue bu yao fang qi
Do not be afraid, never give up

这一切将会晒?(老爹)
Lao Die: zhe yi qie jiang hui du guo
Everything will be over soon

因为你和我 才有明天的彩虹 (庾澄庆／lead、彭佳慧Ｓpan class="word_break">??harmony)
Harlem Yu/lead, Julia Pang/harmony: yin wei ni he wo cai you ming tian de cai hong
Because with you and me, there will be rainbow tomorrow

[Chorus]
All Together:
手牵手我的朋友
shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?br />
ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

不要再恐惧 绝不要放弃
bu yao zai kong ju jue bu yao fang qi
Do not be afraid, never give up

这一切将会晒?
zhe yi qie jiang hui du guo
Everything will be over soon

因为你和我 才有明天的彩虹
yin wei ni he wo cai you ming tian de cai hong
Because with you and me, there will be rainbow tomorrow

[Chant]
手牵手我的朋友 (MACHI)
MACHI: shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?(SHE／lead & harmony)
S.H.E.: ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

手牵手一起晒?(5566)
5566: shou qian shou yi qi du guo
Getting over it together hand in hand

爱永栽谀阕笥?(可籼span class="word_break">?小子)
Comic Boyz: ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

[Chorus]
All Together:
手牵手我的朋友
shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

爱永栽谀阕笥?
ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Love will forever be by your side

不要再恐惧 绝不要放弃
bu yao zai kong ju jue bu yao fang qi
Do not be afraid, never give up

这一切将会晒?牵著我皼span class="word_break">?手 看见明天的彩虹
zhe yi qie jiang hui du guo qian zhe wo de shou kan jian ming tian de cai hong
Everything will be over soon, hold my hand, look at the rainbow of tomorrow

[Chant]
All Together:
手牵手 我的朋友 爱永栽谀阕笥?br />
shou qian shou wo de peng you ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Hand in hand, my friends, love will forever be by your side

手牵手一起晒?爱永栽谼span class="word_break">?阕笥?
shou qian shou yi qi du guo ai yong yuan zai ni zuo you
Getting over it together hand in hand, love will forever be by your side

手牵手我的朋友 (陶吉吉、王力宏)
David Tao, Lee Hom: shou qian shou wo de peng you
Hand in hand, my friends

(Artists: A*Mei, BAD, Cai Qin, CoCo Lee, Comic Boyz, David Tao, Ekin Zhou, Elva Siu, Energy, Harlem Yu, Ken Chu, Jay Chou, Jacky Wu, Jiang Hui, Jolin Tsai, Lao Die, Lin Huipin, Lin Xinjie, Machi, Pang Jiahui, Powerstation, S.H.E, SHIN, Shunzi, Surui, Sky Wu, Stefanie Sun Yan Zi, Tension, Valen Hsu, Vic Zhou, Vivien Hsu, Van Fan, Wang Lee Hom, You Hongming, Zhang Qinfang, Zhang Xinze, Zhang Yu & More ~That’s 37 people listed, but 86 people feature on this song)

OK, I couldn't help myself... I just HAD to include this other video clip of Wang Lee Hom teaching a school choir to sing "Hand In Hand"... apparently, this school choir is an award-winning choir in Taiwan, and they do a pretty good job of singing this song... I think it's pretty amazing that Lee Hom actually took time out of his busy schedule to do this with the school choir... I'd have loved to have Lee Hom come to my school and instruct me in singing! He would certainly give Mrs Singam a run for her money, so to speak... Haha!


Video clip of Lee Hom teaching choir:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfCeN5paNP8

When I was in Primary 3 (equivalent to 3rd Grade Elementary School in the USA), Sister Jo had handpicked me for a lead role in a musical production that the school would be staging the following year, called "The Child". She felt it such a pity when my parents decided to transfer me to another school after I finished Primary 3, because she felt that I was good for the role... so why transfer me?!??

When I was in Secondary School, I disappointed yet another choir mistress, Mrs Singam. Mrs Singam taught us Music in Secondary 1 (equivalent to 7th Grade Middle School in the USA), and one day, when she heard me singing in Music class, she said that I should join the choir and try out for a role in "Fiddler On The Roof" or "The Sound Of Music". My school has an evening of entertainment put up by the students every year, and each year, the school choir presents a different musical production.

But I turned down her offer then, because I was already a member of the National Cadet Corps in my school, and it was already a huge demand on my time, so I didn't really want to take on more. Besides, if I jumped ship to join the choir, my Cadet friends would probably have killed me for doing something like that!!!

I still remember the exchange between Mrs Singam and me during Music class that day...

She had complimented me on my lovely singing voice, asked me to join the school choir, and to try out for a role in that year's musical production. She also asked me which activity I was already involved with in school. When I said National Cadet Corps, she shook her head and said "What a waste! All that shouting during drill sessions will only end up damaging your voice."

I'm not so sure she was right about that though... 'cos I mean, Corrinne May was 2 years my senior in Secondary School and she was in the National Cadet Corps too, but her voice definitely wasn't damaged, and she's now working as a professional singer/songwriter in LA under Pink Armchair Records and Warner Music Singapore.

So was I ever in a choir? Yes, once... I joined the Kristokos Choir in Holy Family Church at Katong... and for some time, I did my part and served in Church by singing hymns during Mass, but that was about it.

Oh yeah, and once, when my friend Jerry was studying Sound Engineering at SAE in Singapore, he had me sing for one of his project assignments... it was the only time I ever had my singing "professionally" recorded... I sang "Colours of the Wind" by Vanessa Williams, and it was an overnight recording session... interesting experience!

I learned a lot... like how to relax my voice, so that it wouldn't come across as sounding strained in the recording... and I learned some of the tips and tricks of doing sound recording, so as to manage the popping sounds of the "B's" and "P's" and the hissing sounds of "S's" in a recording... I also learned a great deal about how to be more expressive with my voice when I am singing a song, and how proper breathing and knowing where to pause makes for great phrasing in a song... I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! Maybe I should go contact Jerry and ask him to record me again, just for old times' sake... hehe!

These days, the only singing I ever get to do is when I'm at a KTV, or when I'm at home... I'd like to celebrate my birthday at a KTV place, either this year or next year... I think it would be fun for everyone... but hmmm, we'll see about that...

Yipes! Looks like it's yet another LONG blog entry from me here! But hey, if you're still reading at this point... Thanks for putting up with me... Haha! Till next time! Cheerios amigos!