這首歌在應該在表達這幾年的流行文化中,你很常見的一個「偽文青」老梗:「Who~~~ Am~~~~ I?」(吶喊狀) 。他夢到了一條河,想追尋它的源頭,但是又不敢,最後走下去了,卻仍然不知道答案在哪裡。這個問題永遠沒有答案,但你卻不能停止去思考它,真是上帝對人類開的玩笑。
Billy Joel一生的創作題材,從年輕時熱情氣盛、成名後困惑徬徨、到中老年後追尋意義,不時點綴著一些愛情小品,社會關懷。像一片星空,不論人生高低、心境好壞、環境變動,此人總是不停止創作,有黯淡也有搶眼的,每首作品都一直在發光,這種堅持,讓我感動了…
The River of Dreams
原唱者:Billy Joel
發行年:1993
In the middle of the night
(在深夜)
I go walking in my sleep
(我好像睡著了,但是又好像在走路)
From the mountains of faith
(我從在信念的高峰)
To a river so deep
(溯向河流深處的源頭…)
I must be looking for something
(我一定是在找某樣東西)
Something sacred I lost
(某樣我很怕會失去的東西……)
(註:這幾句可能是指他處在事業的高峰,卻長期感覺自己很空虛。突然就很想知道,燦爛的外表下,如果包藏著真正的自己,那究竟是怎樣子的?)
But the river is wide
(但是這條河很寬)
And it’s too hard to cross
(我無法穿越它)
And even though I know the river is wide
(雖然,我知道河很寬)
I walk down every evening and I stand on the shore
(但是我每天都走過來,站在岸邊看)
And try to cross to the opposite side
(試著想要過河,到對面去)
(註:以上這幾句很明顯,應該是當他面對「Who Am I?」這個問題,有種恐懼,但是又無法不去想這個問題)
So I can finally find out what I’ve been looking for
(這樣我就能知道,自己究竟在尋找什麼了)
In the middle of the night
(那個夜裡)
I go walking in my sleep
(我好像睡著了,但是又在走路)
From the mountains of faith
(我從信念的高峰)
To a river so deep
(向河流深處的源頭尋找)
And I’ve been searching for something
(我一直在找某樣東西)
Taken out of my soul
(它從我的靈魂裡,被人抽走了)
Something I would never lose
(但是,我相信自己沒有弄丟它)
Something somebody stole
(但是好像又有人偷走了它)
I don’t know why I go walking at night
(我不知道,為何我會半夜起來閒晃…?)
But now I’m tired and I don’t want to walk anymore
(但現在,我覺得累了,而且也不想再走下去)
I hope it doesn’t take the rest of my life
(我希望這不會用掉我一生的時間)
Until I find what it is that I’ve been looking for
(直到我找到那樣東西…)
(註:這裡暗示,他覺得思考這個問題很困難,可能已經想要放棄了…)
In the middle of the night
(在深夜)
I go walking in my sleep
(我好像睡著了,但是又好像在走路)
From the mountains of faith
(我從在信念的高峰)
To a river so deep
(溯向河流深處的源頭)
I know I’m searching for something
(我知道,我在找某樣東西)
Something so undefined
(某樣無法定義的東西)
That it can only be seen
(你看得到它…)
By the eyes of the blind
(就算你是瞎子,也看得到它)
In the middle of the night
(在深夜的時候…)
I’m not sure about a life after this
(我不知道我的人生,之後會是如何)
God knows I’ve never been a spiritual man
(上帝知道,我從來不相信他)
Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river
(一把火,清洗了我,我終於踏進了這條河,我要走過去了!)
That runs to the promised land
(這條河,會通往約好的樂園?)
(註:其實從前文看來,也有可能是指上帝的天堂?如果Billy Joel本人是虔誠的教徒的話…)
In the middle of the night
(在深夜)
I go walking in my sleep
(我好像睡著了,但是又好像在走路)
From the mountains of faith
(我從在信念的高峰)
To a river so deep
(溯向河流深處的源頭)
We all end in the ocean
(我們,最後都會變成骨灰,被灑入大海裡)
We all start in the streams
(然後成為河流的一部份)
We’re all carried along
(我們會一直流…)
By the river of dreams
(流在夢中那條河上)
In the middle of the night
(在深夜的那條夢河裡…)
