Pulp(果漿)的Common People,和Radiohead的Fake Plastic Trees是《搖滾世代》(Glastonbury)中我最喜愛的兩首。


  單就架構上,迥異的長篇敘事歌詞,就已凸顯出這首歌的不凡。
  再細看後,便會深深被歌詞所探討的概念所打動。

  Pulp,或者應該說主唱Jarvis Cockor的搖滾歷程非常坎坷。
  你能想像一個樂團在80年代就出道,卻一直到94年才以專輯《His 'n' Hers》嶄露頭角,95年的大碟《Different Class》才將Pulp帶入15年來前所未有的高峰。
  95年最火熱的英搖大戰(The Battle of Britpop):Oasis V.S. Blur,前者成軍於1991年,後者則在1989年才組團。相較於Pulp自1978年來的努力,誰能不感到辛酸呢?
  (順帶一提,我狂愛的Radiohead《The Bends》也在95年發行。)


  Jarvis Cockor所受過的磨練都一一寫在Pulp的音樂當中。早年出道的他,在造型、唱腔、姿態手勢上,都明顯有70年代華麗搖滾(Ex: David Bowie)的餘味,略帶風騷、脂粉味反而成了一種年代的象徵。

  細聽Jarvis的歌曲詮釋,搭配歌詞,就能體會他所體察到的社會現象,他所要諷刺的社會階級,以及搖滾樂企圖吼出的反抗意識。

 



 




  強烈不建議只看歌詞,至少要配著音樂才能了解背後真正的意涵,不要忽略口氣的重要了。

【Lyrics】

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College, that's where I caught her eye.
She told me that her Dad was loaded
I said in that case I'll have a rum and coke-cola.
She said fine and in thirty seconds time she said, I want to live like common people
I want to do whatever common people do, I want to sleep with common people
I want to sleep with common people like you.
Well what else could I do - I said I'll see what I can do.
I took her to a supermarket
I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere, so it started there.
I said pretend you've got no money, she just laughed and said oh you're so funny.
I said yeah? Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
Are you sure you want to live like common people
You want to see whatever common people see
You want to sleep with common people,
you want to sleep with common people like me.
But she didn't understand, she just smiled and held my hand.
Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags and play some pool, pretend you never went to school.
But still you'll never get it right
'cos when you're laid in bed at night watching roaches climb the wall
If you call your Dad he could stop it all.
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do what common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view, and dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do.
Sing along with the common people, sing along and it might just get you thru'
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they're laughing at you and the stupid things that you do.
Because you think that poor is cool.
I want to live with common people, I want to live with common people [etc..]




【歌詞中譯】 翻譯:國立中央大學英文系副教授林文淇

  她來自希臘,她渴求新知。她在聖馬丁學院主修雕塑,我就是在那裡引起她的注意。她告訴我她老爸錢多的是。我說:「既然如此,我要點萊姆酒加可樂。」她說:「沒問題」。三十秒後,她說:「我想要過普通人的生活,我想要做普通人做的事,我想要跟普通人上床,我想要跟像你這樣的普通人上床。」她都這麼說了,我還能怎麼樣?我說:「我來想想看我能幫什麼忙。」

  我帶她到超級市場,我不知道為什麼,只是我總得找個地方開始,所以她的體驗就從那裡開始。我說:「假裝妳一毛錢也沒有。」她聽了笑了出來,說:「喔你真好笑!」我說:「是啊。可是我沒有看到店裡有誰在笑。」妳真的確定妳想要過普通人的生活,妳想要看普通人看到的一切,妳想要跟普通人上床,妳想要跟像我這樣的普通人上床?但是她沒有聽懂我的話,她只是拉著我的手直笑。

  租間在商店樓上的公寓,把頭髮剪短去找個工作。抽些煙,打幾回彈子,假裝妳從來沒上過學。即使如此,妳還是不可能變成普通人。因為當妳晚上躺在床上,看著蟑螂一隻一隻爬在牆上,如果妳打通電話給你老爸,他可以立刻終結一切。是的,妳永遠也無法過普通人的生活,妳永遠也無法做普通人做的那些事,妳永遠不會像普通人那樣經歷失敗。妳永遠不會看著妳的生活從妳眼前慢慢消失,然後去跳舞、喝酒、做愛,因為妳根本無能為力去挽回。

  跟這些普通人一起歌唱吧,跟著一起唱也許可以體驗一點他們的生活。跟這些普通人一起笑吧,跟著一起笑,雖然他們是在笑妳,還有妳的愚蠢的行為,因為妳以為貧窮很酷。就像一隻躺在角落的狗,他們會毫無預警地咬人。小心!他們會把妳咬得體無完膚。因為大家都討厭觀光客,
特別是那種以為這一切都很可笑,還有炸薯塊(勞工階級的便宜食物)的油漬在浴缸裡泡一泡就可以洗掉的人。

  妳永遠不會了解過一個沒有意義,沒有主權,沒有方向的一生是像什麼樣子。妳會驚訝世上竟然有這樣的人,而且他們的生命燃燒得如此閃耀,妳只能在一旁百思不解。

  租間在商店樓上的公寓,把頭髮剪短去找個工作...。(副歌)

  我想要跟像你這樣的普通人共同生活(延續)。








  Glastonbury 1995 Live (讚)









(好想去Glastonbury喔……)










延伸閱讀˙推薦部落格:
  毅人:Jarvis Cocker
  柏蒼學長(叫學長爽死了!):Jarvis















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