他把對朋友 Georgie 的懷念寫成兩首歌,The Killing of Georgie Part 1 以及 Part 2,我很喜歡 part 1 而不喜歡 part 2,part 2 的慢板讓我覺得很做作,part 1 雖然曲調愉快幽默,但我卻感覺比 part 2 更悲傷 -- 但在看似歡樂的氣氛中,承載著內心的悲痛,那是一種悲到最高點反而哭不出來的感受...
[ Part 1 ]
In these days of changing ways 在這些改變方式的日子裡
so called liberated days 所謂的解放日
a story comes to mind of a friend of mine 想到一個我朋友的故事
Georgie boy was gay I guess 我猜喬治男孩是一個同性戀 (註一)
nothing more or nothin less 不多不少
the kindest guy I ever knew 我所認識最善良的傢伙
His mother s tears fell in vain 他的母親掉下徒勞的眼淚
the afternoon George tried to explain 在喬治試圖向雙親解釋自己是同性戀的那個下午
that he needed love like all the rest 他跟其他人一樣需要愛情
Pa said there must be a mistake 他爸說一定是出了什麼錯
how can my son not be straight 我的兒子怎麼會是同性戀
after all I ve said and done for him 畢竟,我已經說過了並為他做了
Leavin home on a Greyhound bus 他搭灰狗巴士離開家
cast out by the ones he loves 被他所愛的人趕出去
A victim of these gay days it seems 似乎只是同性戀時代的受害者
Georgie went to New York town 喬治去到紐約市
where he quickly settled down 很快就安頓下來
and soon became the toast of the great white way 並很快在百老匯大受歡迎 (註二)
Accepted by Manhattan s elite 曼哈頓的精英接納他
in all the places that were chic 在所有別緻時尚的地方
No party was complete without George 沒有喬治的派對是不完整的
Along the boulevards he d cruise 沿著林蔭大道漫遊
and all the old queens blew a fuse 所有的舊皇后似乎都爆了
Everybody loved Georgie boy 大家都愛喬治男孩
The last time I saw George alive 我最後一次見到喬治活著
was in the summer of seventy-five 是在75年夏天
he said he was in love I said I m pleased 他說他談戀愛了,我說我很高興
George attended the opening night 喬治出席一個開幕晚會
of another Broadway hype 另一個百老匯的炒作
but split before the final curtain fell 但在結束前先離開
Deciding to take a short cut home 他們決定走捷徑回家
arm in arm they meant no wrong 手挽著手,他們沒意識到有錯
A gentle breeze blew down Fifth Avenue 溫柔的微風吹在第五大道
Out of a darkened side street came 走到街道黑暗的一面
a New Jersey gang with just one aim 紐澤西的流氓,目的只有一個
to roll some innocent passer-by 傷害無辜路人
There ensued a fearful fight 隨之而來的可怕戰鬥
screams rang out in the night 夜裡慘叫聲響起
Georgie s head hit a sidewalk cornerstone 喬治的頭撞到人行道的角石
A leather kid, a switchblade knife 一個穿皮衣的孩子,一把彈簧刀
He did not intend to take his life 他沒打算把他的生命了結
He just pushed his luck a little too far that night 他只是當晚運氣不佳
The sight of blood dispersed the gang 流氓見血四處逃竄
A crowd gathered, the police came 人群圍聚,警察過來了
An ambulance screamed to a halt on Fifty-third and Third 救護車鳴叫著在第五十三街和第三街停了下來
Georgie s life ended there 喬治的生命在那裡結束
but I ask who really cares 「但請問誰真的在乎?」
George once said to me and I quote 喬治曾經對我說的,我引用
He said "Never wait or hesitate 他說「不要等待或猶豫
Get in kid, before it s too late 小子,該進來時就進來,在為時已晚之前
You may never get another chance 你可能永遠不會得到另一個機會
Cos youth s mask but it don t last 因為青春的面具不會持續太久
live it long and live it fast" 生命很長也很快」
Georgie was a friend of mine 喬治是我的一個朋友
[ Part2 ]
Oh Georgie stay, don t go away
Georgie please stay you take our breath away
Oh Georgie stay, don t go away
Georgie please stay you take our breath away
Oh Georgie stay, don t go away
Georgie, Georgie please stay you take our breath away
Oh Georgie stay
註釋:
1) 最早聽到這首歌時並沒有歌詞,我很喜歡這首歌的旋律,特別注意聽歌詞辨認內容,有好長一段時間,
這句「was gay I guess」我一直聽成「was gay of gay」-- 同性戀中的同性戀、不折不扣的同性戀。
我的錯聽,好像讓歌詞更有味了。
2) 百老匯(第五大道、Broadway)是美國最早用電燈代替煤油燈的街道之一。
在1880年,刷弧燈照亮延伸了約一英哩長的街道。
「The great white way」、「白色大街」是指沿著百老匯的燈光,「白光」照亮了夜,由此得名。