When I was in the 5th grade,
RTV (麗的電視) aired the music video for
The Bee Gees' "My World" several times a day.
It was during this period that
I developed a strong interest in
The Bee Gees' pop songs,
captivated by their beautiful melodies.
Among their songs,
one that stood out to me was
"New York Mining Disaster 1941".
This song tells the story of miners trapped underground after a coal mining accident,
expressing the anxiety and despair
they felt while waiting to be rescued.
The lyrics go beyond
the typical themes of love songs,
delving into social events and
the human experiences within them.
To me, the song carried immense power,
which is why I loved it so much.
The Bee Gees -
New York Mining Disaster 1941 (1967)
When I reached middle school,
I discovered another British band that
I grew fond of—Barclay James Harvest (BJH).
One of their early songs,
"The Great 1974 Mining Disaster",
also became a favorite of mine.
I found the song somewhat reminiscent of
The Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941". However, rather than focusing on a single event,
it explored a broader range of
life reflections and insights.
Like the Bee Gees' song,
it wasn't a typical love song.
This song, too, resonated deeply with me
due to its strength and emotional depth.
Barclay James Harvest -
The Great 1974 Mining Disaster (1974)
Recently, I came across some information online
that revealed an interesting connection
between these two songs.
It turns out that BJH's lead singer, John Lees, deconstructed and adapted
The Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster 1941"
to comment on the 1974 UK miners' strike.
John Lees made subtle yet significant changes
to the original lyrics.
For instance,
The Bee Gees' line:
"Don't go talking too loud,
you'll cause a landslide"
was transformed
into:
"All you have to do is
smile to cause a landslide."
Upon discovering this, I was thrilled.
It was a delightful realization that
my two favorite bands were
connected in such a meaningful and tangible way,
with one influencing the other.
——————————————
The Bee Gees - New York Mining Disaster 1941 (1967)
In the event of something happening to me,
There is something I would like you all to see.
It's just a photograph of someone that I knew.
Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it's like on the outside?
Don't go talking too loud,
you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones.
I keep straining my ears to hear a sound.
Maybe someone is digging underground,
Or have they given up and all gone home to bed,
Thinking those who once existed must be dead.
Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it's like on the outside?
Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones.
In the event of something happening to me,
There is something I would like you all to see.
It's just a photograph of someone that I knew.
Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it's like on the outside?
Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones.
Barclay James Harvest -
The Great 1974 Mining Disaster (1974)
Heard a song the other day
About a major out in space
And though the song was kind of grey
It took me far away
Heard the news the other day
About a sailor oh so gay
And though his policies were grey
They took me far away
'Cause I couldn't stand the thought
Of being taken in again
Have you seen my life, Mr. Groan?
Do you know what it's like to be outside?
All you have to do is smile to cause a landslide
And you do, and you do, Mr. Groan
Heard a song just yesterday
About a man who sold the world away
And though the song was still quite grey
It took me far away
'Cause I couldn't stand the thought
Of being taken in again
Have you seen my life, Mr. Groan?
Do you know what it's like to be outside?
All you have to do is smile to cause a landslide
And you do, and you do, Mr. Groan
——————————
我讀小學5年級時，
麗的電視天天播放數次
The Bee Gees 的《My World》MV。
我那時開始很喜歡聽 The Bee Gees 的流行歌曲，
他們的歌曲旋律優美。
其中有一首歌《New York Mining Disaster 1941》，
它的內容描寫一宗煤礦意外事件中，
受困的礦工待救時那種焦急的心情。
這首歌的歌詞講述社會事件以及其中的人情經歷，
並非一般情歌內容。
我覺得整首歌曲很有力量，
所以我很喜歡這首歌曲。
到我初中時，我又喜歡上一隊英國的樂隊
Barclay James Harvest (BJH)。
他們在出道早期有一首歌我也特別喜歡，
《The Great 1974 Mining Disaster》。
我覺得這首歌與 The Bee Gees 的
《New York Mining Disaster 1941》有點相似。
但其內容並非圍繞某單一事件，
而是描寫更多維度的人生領悟，
同樣也不是一般情歌內容。
我覺得整首歌曲很有力量，
所以我也很喜歡這首歌曲。
最近我在網上偶然發現有資料記述，
BJH 的主音歌手 John Lees 通過解構
並改編 The Bee Gees 的
《New York Mining Disaster 1941》這首歌，
以評論 1974 年英國礦工罷工事件。
John Lees 對原歌詞做了一些微妙的改動，
例如將 The Bee Gees 的
「don't go talking too loud,
you'll cause a landslide」
（別大聲說話，小心引發山崩）
改為「all you have to do is smile
to cause a landslide」
（你只需要微笑就能引發山崩）。
我有此發現， 很是開心，
因為我最喜歡的兩隊樂隊，
竟然一隊影響另一隊，
有著一線很實質的牽連。
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