一無所有 (song)

During the Chinese New Year, I finished the book “The Sound of Resistance: from Bob Dylan to U2,” reviewing a convention of protest singers of the past century passed along from Joe Hill, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger to Bono.

As someone born in the 60s, growing in the 70s and 80s ‘s Taiwan, it’s almost impossible for me not to have heard of songs such as “We Shall Overcome,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “Blowing in the Wind,” and “One.” Likewise it’s impossible for us not to have seen such a familiar scene of protest from the 70s, 80s in Taiwan.

In June of 1989, we shed tears in front of TV displaying what was happening in Tiananmen Square. We saw a man stood tall in front of a tank and later as a flat piece on the ground, which you thought could only be seen in cartoon. That year we heard the song一無所有(yi4 wu2 suo3 you3) "Nothing to My Name" by 崔健(cui jian4) as an anthem to student protestors in Tiananmen Square.

Cui is often labeled as “The Father of Chinese Rock.” His hoarse voice reminds me of Bruce Springsteen. When hundreds of thousands of people shouted and sang that they got “nothing to their name,” the song had its moment in the history.

Earlier this month, a Chinese woman had a clash with a Hong Kong resident, who tried to stop her kid from eating noodles on the subway train. The clash was such that the train had stopped for a while.

To this event a professor from Beijing University 孔慶東(Kong3 qing4 dong) remarked on a show that Hong Kong residents are “dogs,” and only with people of “lower-class” is law necessary. Calling someone a dog is very insulting in the Chinese language for it’s degrading someone as 畜生(chu4 sheng), a beast.

After that controversial remark, he criticized Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 14 this year as a “fake democracy.”

I don’t know why, but I just feel at this moment, some two decades away from the protest students singing the song “Nothing to My Name” in Tiananmen Square, when China has risen as an economic strength, this Cui Jian’s song still sounds great.

As the singer sings in the song, for a man who has “nothing to his name,” it’s next to impossible that any girl would go with him. No wonder the numbers of people in Hong Kong or in Taiwan who consider themselves 中國人(zhong guo2 ren2) are both falling abruptly.
 

      一無所有(yi4 wu2 suo3 you3) Nothing to My Name

我曾經問個不休　妳何時跟我走

(wo3 ceng2 jing wen4 ge bu4 xiu/ ni3 he2 shi2 gen wo3 zou3)

I’ve kept asking when you will go with me.
可妳卻總是笑我　一無所有

(ke3 ni3 que4 zong3 shi4 xiao4 wo3/ yi4 wu2 suo3 you3)

You’re always laughing at me, saying I have nothing to my name.
我要給妳我的追求　還有我的自由

(wo3 yao4 gei3 ni3 wo3 de zhui qiu3/ hei2 you3 wo3 de zi4 you2)
I wanna give you my quest and freedom.

可妳總是笑我　一無所有
(ke3 ni3 zong3 shi4 xiao4 wo3/ yi4 wu2 suo3 you3)

You’re always laughing at me, saying I have nothing to my name.
喔　妳何時跟我走　喔　妳何時跟我走

(Ou ni3 he2 shi2 gen wo3 zhou3/ Ou ni3 he2 shi2 gen wo3 zhou3)

Oh, When will you go with me, go with me.

腳下這地在走　身邊那水在流

(jiao3 xia4 zhe4 di4 zhai4 zhou3/ shen bian na4 shui3 zhai4 liu2)

The land under my feet is moving. The water by my side is flowing.
可妳卻總是笑我　一無所有

(ke3 ni3 zong3 shi4 xiao4 wo3/ yi4 wu2 suo3 you3)
You’re always laughing at me, saying I have nothing to my name.

為何妳總笑個沒夠　為何我總要追求

(wui4 he2 ni3 zhong xiao4 ge mei2 gou4/ wui4 he wo3 zhong3 yao4 zhui qiu2)

Why do you keep laughing? Why do I keep questing?
難道在妳面前我永遠　是一無所有

(nan2 dao4 zhai4 ni3 mian4 qian2 wo3 yong yuan3/ shi4 yi4 wu2 suo3 you3)
Do I always have nothing in front of you?
喔　妳何時跟我走　喔　妳何時跟我走

(Ou ni3 he2 shi2 gen wo3 zhou3/ Ou ni3 he2 shi2 gen wo3 zhou3)

Oh, . . When will you go with me, go with me.
(腳下這地在走　身邊那水在流　腳下這地在走　身邊那水在流)

告訴妳我等了很久　告訴妳我最後的要求

(gao4 su4 ni3 wo3 deng3 le hen3 jiu3/ gao4 su4 ni3 wo3 zhui4 hou4 de yao qiu2)

I’ve been waiting for long. I’ll tell you my final request.
我要抓起妳的雙手　妳這就跟我走

(wo3 yao4 zhua qu3 ni3 de shuang shou3/ ni3 zhe4 jiu4 gen wo3 zhou3)

I wanna hold your hands, asking you to come with me.
這時妳的手在顫抖　這時妳的淚在流

(zhe4 shi2 ni3 de shou43 zai4 zhan4 dou3/ zhe4 shi2 ni3 de lei4 zai4 liu2)

Your hands are shaking; your tears shedding.
莫非妳是正在告訴我　妳愛我一無所有

(mo4 fei ni3 shi zhong4 zai4 gao4 su4 wo3/ ni3 ai4 wo3 yi4 wu2 suo3 you3)

Are you telling me you love me even though I have nothing?
喔　妳這就跟我走　喔　妳這就跟我走
(腳下這地在走　身邊那水在流　腳下這地在走　身邊那水在流)

喔　妳這就跟我走　喔　妳這就跟我走
喔　妳這就跟我走　喔　妳這就跟我走
喔　妳這就跟我走　喔　妳這就跟我走

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy-ez-6GB_w&feature=related

一無所有=一无所有

孔慶東=孔庆东

中國人=中国人

我曾经问个不休　妳何时跟我走

可妳却总是笑我　一无所有

我要给妳我的追求　还有我的自由

可妳总是笑我　一无所有

喔　妳何时跟我走　喔　妳何时跟我走

脚下这地在走　身边那水在流
可妳却总是笑我　一无所有
为何妳总笑个没够　为何我总要追求
难道在妳面前我永远　是一无所有
喔　妳何时跟我走　喔　妳何时跟我走
(脚下这地在走　身边那水在流　脚下这地在走　身边那水在流)
告诉妳我等了很久　告诉妳我最后的要求
我要抓起妳的双手　妳这就跟我走
这时妳的手在颤抖　这时妳的泪在流
莫非妳是正在告诉我　妳爱我一无所有
喔　妳这就跟我走　喔　妳这就跟我走
(脚下这地在走　身边那水在流　脚下这地在走　身边那水在流)
喔　妳这就跟我走　喔　妳这就跟我走
喔　妳这就跟我走　喔　妳这就跟我走
喔　妳这就跟我走　喔　妳这就跟我走