聽海 (ting hai)

this was the gay anthem in the late-1990s/ early-2000s. i heard it being played when i visited my chiro this evening and it reminded me of the gay clubs i frequent back then. i vividly recall how everyone sang along when this song played in taboo (the old location). all the heartaches, clubbing, dancing, crushes and of course - self-discovery. the singer of this song was a-mei - the taiwanese answer to america's madonna. lots of her songs eventually became gay anthems and i suspect they still are.

here's the lyrics (translated in english too)

聽海

写信告诉我今天海是什么颜色
夜夜陪著你的海心情又如何
灰色是不想说蓝色是忧郁
而漂泊的你狂浪的心停在哪里

写信告诉我今夜你想要梦什么
梦里外的我是否都让你无从选择
我揪著一颗心整夜都闭不了眼睛
为何你明明动了情却不敢靠近

听海哭的声音叹惜著谁又被伤了心
却还不清醒一定不是我至少我很冷静
可是泪水就连泪水也都不相信

听海哭的声音这片海未免也太多情
悲泣到天明写封信给我就当最后约定
说你在离开我的时候是怎样的心情

listening to the sea

write me a letter to tell me what is the color the sea is today,
the sea that keeps you company every night, what is her mood?
when she's gray she's keeps mum, when she's blue she's melancholy
and you whose heart is similarly drifting, where will you stop?

write me a letter to tell me what would you like to dream of tonight
can you not choose between the me in your dreams and the me in real life?
my heart is in suspense, i stay awake all night
why, after having fallen in love, do you insist on keeping your distance?

chorus
listen to the sound of the sea crying
sighing because someone is heartbroken, and yet doesn't realize it
that person cannot be me, at least i am still calm
but my tears, even my own tears, they don't believe that

listen to the sound of the sea crying
the sea is too emotional, she weeps all the way until sunrise
write me a letter, and let it be our last covenant
tell me how you felt at the moment you left me

repeat from second paragraph