用音樂讀史詩～Chris de Burgh／克里斯迪博夫

這一首「Borderline」，1987年齊豫曾翻唱過，風格不同卻各有韻味。

特別提起，是因為自己本來就很喜歡 Chris de Burgh，而有一次跟朋友們正在山上露營，夜已深沉時，營火之外伸手不見五指，偷偷帶去的幾瓶啤酒幾個傢伙開始小酌了起來，大家舒適地躺著，望著美麗星空，沒有人想開口說話。

宏仔帶去的手提收錄音機兀自播著一堆他自己節拷收錄的歌曲，放到這首歌之際，空寂的滄涼飄蕩在整個山谷，悲戚的傷感迴響直入心裡，配著那百般不捨的心碎，高亢歌著我們莫負年輕的強說愁：「And it's breaking my heart, I know what I must do, I hear my country call me, but I want to be with you...」
(這多令我心碎，我知道我必須這麼做，我的國家在召喚我了，但我只想和妳廝守在一起...)

軍人背負的國家責任，與親人愛人必須的離散。
戰火的無情，難料的死生；摧毀的，豈只那剩下的斷壁殘垣與瓦礫？

Chris de Burgh - The Getaway (1982)

Borderline (1990 High on Emotion – Live from Dublin)

I'm standing in the station,
(I am) waiting for a train,
To take me to the border,
And my loved one far away,
I watched a bunch of soldiers heading for the war,
I could hardly even bear to see them go.
此刻我站在火車站  等待著那班將我載往邊界
與愛人見面的火車
一群準備上車的士兵們從身邊走過
我心有不忍地目送他們離去

Rolling through the countryside,
Tears are in my eyes,
We're coming to the borderline,
I'm ready with my lies,
And in the early morning rain, I see her there,
And I know I'll have to say goodbye again.
火車的隆隆聲快速地穿越故鄉的田野  
我已經淚眼模糊
即將來到邊界
心中也已默背著準備好的謊言在清晨薄雨之中  我遠遠地看到了她
同時也明白我必須再次對她說再見

And it's breaking my heart, I know what I must do,
I hear my country call me, but I want to be with you,
I'm talking my side, one of us will lose,
Don't let go, I want to know
That you will wait for me until the day,
There's no borderline, no borderline.
這多麼令我難過  但我知道我必須這麼做
祖國已經在召喚我了  而我卻只想和妳長相廝守
我選擇了我的立場  我們之間有一人將會遺憾
但是請別放棄  我想要知道
妳會等我直到那一天
那不再有邊界的一天

Walking past the border guards,
Reaching for her hand,
Showing no emotion,
I want to break into a run,
But these are only boys, and I will never know
How men can see the wisdom in a war...
走過守備邊界的士兵
伸出握她的手 
臉上不敢有任何表情
心裡卻想著如何強行闖越
但這些都還只是孩子的士兵啊
我永遠無法知道
人們如何從戰爭中洞悉智慧

And it's breaking my heart, I know what I must do,
I hear my country call me, but I want to be with you,
I'm taking my side, one of us will lose,
Don't let go, I want to know
That you will wait for me until the day,
There's no borderline, no borderline,
No borderline, no borderline...
這多麼令我心碎  我知道我必須這麼做
祖國已經在召喚我了  而我卻只想和妳長相廝守
我選擇了我的立場  我們之間有一人將會遺憾
但是請別放棄  我想要知道
妳會等我直到那一天
那不再有邊界的一天  沒有邊界
我和妳之間  再也沒有邊界

被譽為「愛爾蘭國寶」的吟遊詩人Chris de Burgh 是在古堡中長大的，由於父親是外交官，小時候隨著父親去過許多國家，因此他的歌曲中，有不少是與地名有關，要不就是像「Borderline」、「Spaceman」等有遼闊地域感的歌曲；更因目睹過許多被戰爭摧殘的景況，歌曲中不乏以悲憫的精神、史詩般的壯闊雄偉來提醒世人避免戰爭，詞意總是充滿人文關懷，緩緩在聽者心底泫染起一陣溫暖感動的漣漪，濃郁的愛爾蘭風加上他溫潤醇厚的嗓子，真情摯性地打動許多人的心扉。

其中氣勢最磅礡宏偉的，我想應該是那描述十字軍東征、不斷呼喊「Jerusalem is lost...」(耶路撒冷淪陷了)的「Crusader」跟滄涼孤寂的「Spanish Train」。

Chris de Burgh - Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)

Spanish Train

There's a Spanish train that runs between,
Guadalquivir and old Seville,
And at dead of night the whistle blows,
And people hear she's running still...

And then they hush their children back to sleep,
Lock the doors, upstairs they creep,
For it is said that the souls of the dead,
Fill that train ten thousand deep!!

Well a railwayman lay dying with his people by his side,
His family were crying, knelt in prayer before he died,
But above his head just a-waiting for the dead,
Was the Devil with a twinkle in his eye,
"Well God's not around and look what I've found, this one's mine!!"

Just then the Lord himself appeared in a blinding flash of light,
And shouted at the devil, "Get thee hence to endless night!!"
But the Devil just grinned and said "I may have sinned,
But there's no need to push me around,
I got him first so you can do your worst,
He's going underground!!"

"But I think I'll give you one more chance"
Said the Devil with a smile,
"So throw away that stupid lance,
It's really not your style",
"Joker is the name, Poker is the game,
We'll play right here on this bed,
And then we'll bet for the biggest stakes yet,
The souls of the dead!!"

And I said "Look out, Lord, he's going to win,
The sun is down and the night is riding in,
That train is dead on time, many souls are on the line,
Oh Lord, he's going to win!.."

Well the railwayman he cut the cards
and he dealt them each a hand of five
And for the Lord he was praying hard
Or that train he'd have to drive...

Well the Devil he had three aces and a king,
And the Lord, he was running for a straight,
He had the queen and the knave and the nine and ten of spades,
All he needed was the eight...

And then the Lord he called for one more card,
But he drew the diamond eight,
And the Devil said to the son of God,
"I believe you've got it straight,
So deal me one for the time has come,
To see who'll be the king of this place,
But as he spoke, from beneath his cloak,
He slipped another ace...

Ten thousand souls was the opening bid,
And it soon went up to fifty-nine,
But the Lord didn't see what the Devil did,
and he said "that suits me fine",
"I'll raise you high to hundred and five,
And forever put an end to your sin",
But the Devil let out a mighty shout, "My hand wins!!"

And I said "Lord, oh Lord, you let him win,
The sun is down and the night is riding in,
That train is dead on time, many souls are on the line,
Oh Lord, don't let him win...

"Well that Spanish train still runs between,
Guadalquivir and old Seville,
And at dead of night the whistle blows,
And people fear she's running still...
And far away in some recess.
The Lord and the Devil are now playing chess,
The Devil still cheats and wins more souls,
And as for the Lord, well, he's just doing his best...

And I said "Lord, oh Lord, you've got to win,
The Sun is down and the night is riding in,
That train is still on time,
Oh my soul is on the line,
Oh Lord, you've got to win..."

Chris de Burgh - Crusader (1979)

Crusader

What do I do next? said the bishop to the priest,
I have spent my whole life waiting, preparing for the feast,
And now you say jerusalem has fallen and is lost,
The king of heathen saracen has seized the holy cross.

Then the priest said oh my bishop, we must put them to the sword,
For God in all his mercy will find a just reward,
For the noblemen and sinners, and knights of ready hand
Who will be the lord’s crusader, send word throughout all the land,

Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost.

Tell me what to do, said the king upon his throne,
But speak to me in whispers for we are not alone,
They tell me that jerusalem has fallen to the hand
of some bedevilled eastern heathen who has seized the holy land.

Then the chamberlain said lord, we must call upon our foes
In spain and france and germany to end our bitter wars,
All christian men must be as one and gather for the fight,
You will be their leader, begin the battle cry,

Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost...

Ooh, high on a hill, in the town of jerusalem,
There stood saladin, the king of the saracens,
Whoring and drinking and snoring and sinking, around him his army lay,
Secure in the knowledge that they had won the day.

A messenger came, blood on his feet and a wound in his chest,
The christians are coming! he said, I have seen their cross in the west,
In a rage saladin struck him down with his knife
And he said I know that this man lies,
They quarrel too much, the christians could never unite!

I am invincible, I am the king,
I am invincible, and I will win...

Close they came, the army of richard the lionheart,
Marching by day and night, with soldiers from every part,
And when the crusaders came over the mountain and they saw jerusalem,
They fell to their knees and prayed for her release.

They started the battle at dawn, taking the city by storm,
With horsemen and bowmen and engines of war,
They broke through the city walls,
The heathens were flying and screaming and dying,
And the christian swords were strong,
And saladin ran when he heard their victory song.

We are invincible, God is the king,
We are invincible, and we will win!

What do I do now? said the wiseman to the fool,
I have spent my whole life searching, to find the golden rule,
Though centuries have disappeared, the memory still remains
Of those enemies together, could it be that way again?

Then the fool said oh you wise men, you really make me laugh,
With your talk of vast persuasion and searching through the past,
There is only greed and evil in the men that fight today,
The song of the crusader has long since gone away,

Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost...
Jerusalem.

除了充滿史詩情懷及反戰的作品之外，Chris de Burgh 於1986年寫給愛妻的美麗情歌「Lady In Red」或許是大家比較耳熟能詳的抒情歌曲，當時登上英國排行榜冠軍、美國抒情榜亞軍的這首歌，因為直譯也叫「紅衣女郎」，常常使人與電影「紅衣女郎」連想在一起。 

Lady In Red 

I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
They're looking for a little romance
Given half a chance

And I've never seen that dress you're wearing
Or the highlights in your hair
That catch your eyes
I have been blind

The lady in red is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
There's nobody here
It's just you and me
It's where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never forget the way you look tonight

I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright, you were amazing
I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side
And when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away
And I have never had such a feeling
Such a feeling of complete and utter love
As I do tonight

The lady in red is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
There's nobody here
It's just you and me
It's where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never forget the way you look tonight

I never will forget the way you look tonight
The lady in red
My lady in red
I love you

1997年3月25日，這位不以偶像見長，卻擅長以真情打動人心的愛爾蘭吟遊詩人來台演唱，或慷慨激昂，或傷感狂飆，或溫柔輕唱，各是不同饗宴，使樂迷大飽聆聽之耳福並目睹這位吟遊詩人的動人樂章和風采。

至今 Chris de Burgh 仍以原創性極高的音樂持續地發光發熱，不搞花俏譁眾取寵、始終堅持如一的他，2004年發行新專輯「The Road To Freedom」(自由大道)中，寶刀未老地更嘗試以浪漫西班牙風、神秘的居爾特風、北美洲流行風及東歐優雅古味等世界音樂風格融入他豐沛的想像力，令我意外於這位從1975年發片至今的偉大詩人的改變之外，更多了一份驚喜與折服。

Chris de Burgh - The Road To Freedom  (2004)

What You Mean To Me

The Journey

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Chris de Burgh 好聽的歌太多了....

The Girl With April In Her Eye

Carry Me