Background:
Kay Tze ’s song, “Street of Invitations to Happiness” (囍帖街）is composed by Eric Kwok and the
lyrics is written by Wyman Wong. This song had been very popular for a while since
it released in 2008,. The theme of this song is about inspirational or
conservation, which was packaged by a love story. The title of this song “Street of Invitations to Happiness” (囍帖街）which was also was another name of Lee Tung Street, it located in
Wan Chai. As there were so many printers in Lee Tung Street selling traditional printing wedding cards in the past decades. The government
decided to redevelop the street for a marriage of ideas at mall. Most of people against the project of
redevelopment as Hong Kong people tended to believe that is part of our
collective memory.
The nostalgic feeling and collective memory:
Lee Tung Street (known
as 囍帖街) became part of Hong Kongers’ Collective memory.
According to the this song, the lyrics mentioned a several times of “Forget”,
forget those things that used to have in the past, like the planted flowers (忘掉種過的花 Forget about the flower that you planted.), the lover (忘掉愛過的他 Forget the
one you used to love), homes (忘掉有過的家 Forget the home you used to have.), and the sand (忘掉砌過的沙 Forget the sand (with which) you used to
build.). And
these do no longer exist in the reality nowadays. It implies that these become
memory and it will just exist in our minds. We have to give up our dreams and
restart a new journey. It means that Hong Kong has to catch up the trend and
not to stay in the past. At this case, it allows us to interpret the meanings
behind the song. Since after the British handed over Hong Kong in 1997, Hong
Kong people lost their identity as they deny themselves being Chinese since Hong
Kongers’ nostalgic feeling of under British governance in the colonial period
is still quite strong. Here we can see that our identities may seem grounded in
the past (root), which is collective memory, about becoming who we want to be
or being we think we should in particular contexts (routes).
Time is powerful. It can
wipe every thing which exist in every seconds ago. The left is remembering and
those things what people remember is just history and they become people’s
memory. However, it is hard for people to deny what is happened in the past.
Therefore, people are so scared to lose some things they used to have, which
can represent their memory even they have to accept there is no way to go back
in the past.
築得起 人應該接受 都有日倒下
When something can be built,
one should accept
that it can fall apart someday.
其實沒有一種安穩快樂 永遠也不差
In reality, there isn't a kind of peace and happiness
which always stays the same.
In the lyrics, it tries to comfort people that as a human
beings, we cannot change something we unable to change, what we have to do is
to accept no matter how happy in the past, and the good days do not always stay
(好景不會每日常在), Just
like “something” is built but it will fall apart and collapse someday. For
different interpretations, “something” can be Hong Kongers’ collective memory,
the core values of Hong Kong, etc; these might destroy in some days.
回憶的堡壘 刹那已倒下
The castle of memory has collapsed in a flash.
Lee Tung Street as a
part of Hong Kongers’ collective memory, and it also represent Hong Kongers
identities. However, redevelopment of Lee Tung Street led us keep on losing
something which were exist in the past, and lost something that can represent
our identities.
To conclude, “Street of Invitations
to Happiness” (囍帖街）were popular as it
indicated a sense of helplessness and plaint of changing times in Hong Kong.
words:
References:
冷漠與悲情-略評《囍帖街》的本土意識. 30 March 2009. LN CUS Alumni’s
Blog: Blog. Available from: <
http://lncus.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/冷漠與悲情-略評《囍帖街》的本土意識/>. [11 April 2014.]
Ng, J
2011, ‘Developer aims for a marriage of ideas at mall’, South China Morning
Post 9 November. Available from <http://www.scmp.com/article/984283/developer-aims-marriage-ideas-mall>. [11 April 2014].
Appendix
忘掉種過的花 重新的出發 放棄理想吧
Forget about the
flower that you planted.
Embark a new
journey, and
give up you dream.
別再看塵封的囍帖 你正在要搬家
Don't look at the
dust-covered wedding invitation again:
you are moving to a
new place.
築得起 人應該接受 都有日倒下
When something can
be built,
one should accept
that it can fall
apart someday.
其實沒有一種安穩快樂 永遠也不差
In reality, there
isn't a kind of peace and happiness
which always stays
the same.
就似這一區 曾經稱得上 美滿甲天下
Like this district,
it was once
well-suited to the name:
"Happiest of
the world".
但霎眼 全街的單位 快要住滿烏鴉
However, in a blink
of an eye,
the apartments of
the whole street
are being populated
with crows.
好景不會每日常在
The good days do not
always stay
天梯不可只往上爬
One cannot always
climb upwards on a ladder
愛的人 沒有一生一世嗎
Can't the loved one
last life-long?
大概不需要害怕
Probably we don't
have to be afraid.
忘掉愛過的他
Forget the one you
used to love,
當初的囍帖金箔印着那位他
he whose name
printed in gold on the old wedding invitation.
裱起婚紗照那道牆
The wall on which the
wedding photo is mounted
及一切美麗舊年華 明日同步拆下
and all good old
days
are all dismantled
tomorrow.
忘掉有過的家
Forget the home you
used to have.
小餐枱、沙發、雪櫃及兩份紅茶
The table, the sofa,
the fridge and the two cups of black tea.
溫馨的光境不過借出 到期拿回嗎
Is the borrowed
scene with warmth and fragrance due to return,
等不到下一代嗎 是嗎
before the next
generation comes?
忘掉砌過的沙
Forget the sand
(with which) you used to build.
回憶的堡壘 刹那已倒下
The castle of memory
has collapsed in a flash.
面對這 墳起的荒土 你註定學會瀟灑
Facing this
hump of deserted
sand,
you have to learn to
let go.
階磚不會拒絕磨蝕
Tiles do not refuse
to corrode.
窗花不可幽禁落霞
Window frames cannot
enclose the evening glow.
有感情 就會一生一世嗎
With affection, can
it last life-long?
又再惋惜有用嗎
Does it help even if
you regret?
忘掉愛過的他
Forget the one you
used to love,
當初的囍帖金箔印着那位他
he whose name
printed in gold on the old wedding invitation.
裱起婚紗照那道牆
The wall on which
the wedding photo is mounted
及一切美麗舊年華 明日同步拆下
and all good old
days
are all dismantled
tomorrow.
忘掉有過的家
Forget the home you
used to have.
小餐枱、沙發、雪櫃及兩份紅茶
The table, the sofa,
the fridge and the two cups of black tea.
溫馨的光境不過借出 到期拿回嗎
Is the borrowed
scene with warmth and fragrance due to return?
終須會時辰到 別怕
Don't worry, the
time will come.
請放下手裡那鎖匙 好嗎
Please let go of the
key in your hand
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