前陣子在電影台看到一部2019年的英國電影" 炫目之光 Blinded by the light ",
主演的都是沒看過的演員 ,
但是轉到內容簡介時 , 我被美國搖滾巨星Bruce Springsteen的名字吸引了 ,
才繼續看下去 。
我原以為是Springsteen 的傳記電影 ,
卻是改編英國作家 Sarfraz Manzoor 受好評的自傳《Greeting from Bury Park 來自貝瑞公園的問候》 ,
劇情講述巴基斯坦裔移民家庭裡一位熱愛文學的高中男孩Javed 成長故事 ,
身處在種族霸凌和歧視的英國社會 , 加上與嚴肅古板的父親之期待有所衝突 ,
經常觀察時事的 J 總將心情藉由詩文創作抒發 ,
直到朋友推薦他 Springsteen 的專輯 ,
人生因而有了轉變的力量和勇氣。
看到片子中段 , 我才知道原來這是一齣歌舞片 ,
不過是由劇中演員演唱他授權的金曲 ,
Springsteen 只出現在背景音樂以及片尾與作者本尊合照中 ,
讓我有點失望 , 畢竟 Springsteen 的嗓音和風格不是一般人能相比擬的 ,
但是他的創作和理念一直是 J 的精神導師 ,
讓我對這位搖滾巨星想要有更多認識 ....
其實從小除了跟著家族中的大孩子聽了一些流行樂 ,
我自己很少真正接觸西洋歌曲 ,
長大後偶爾看電影時聽到特別喜歡的歌 , 才會想去聽聽看其他作品 ,
直接找精選集也是我偷懶的捷徑 ,
Bruce Springsteen 便是因緣際會聽到的。
記得好像是在朋友家聽到用高級音響播放電影 " 費城 Philadelphia " 原聲帶 ,
聽到他唱的主題曲" 費城街道 Streets of Philadelphia " ,
當時沒深究歌詞, 光是旋律和演唱便讓我很悸動了。
現在細讀他寫的歌詞 , 是描述片中受歧視的愛滋病患絕望心情~
" I was bruised and battered 我傷痕累累 I couldn't tell what I felt 我無法述說我的感覺 I was unrecognizable to myself 我認不出自己 Saw my reflection in a window 看著窗戶上的倒影 And didn't know my own face 我不知道自己的長相 "
" I walked the avenue, 'til my legs felt like stone 我在巷弄裡走著 , 直到雙腿僵硬 I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone 朋友的聲音消失而遠離 At night I could hear the blood in my veins 在夜裡我聽到的是來自我血管內的血液流動 Just as black and whispering as the rain 就像在黑暗低語中的雨聲 "
沉重且充滿詩意的詞曲 , 當年獲得奧斯卡金像獎最佳原創歌曲。
在 " 炫目之光" 中男主角描述偶像的音樂 ,
貼切地寫出社會中下階層生活的鬱卒 , 爲絕望的人們唱出吶喊與希望。
記得片中 J 和朋友有合唱一首 " 生來奔跑 Born to Run " ,
就是這張精選集第一首歌曲 ,
原來那是歷經兩張表現不如預期的專輯後1975年的成名曲 , 連他出的自傳書也是用此名 ~
" We gotta get out while we're young 趁我們還年輕時一定要出去闖闖
But the reason I connected with Springsteen is because what he sings about and champions
are not only American values but are the best of human values.
但是我與他的連結是因為他的歌不只是擁護有關美國價值 , 還有身而為人的最棒價值。
He talks about working hard and holding on to your dreams
and not letting the hardness of the world stop you from letting the best of you slip away.
他說努力工作並堅持你的夢想 , 莫讓現實世界的艱難阻擋了最佳的表現機會。
In these words, I see a bridge between Springsteen and my own Asian upbringing.
Just this way. And that is why the music and values of Springsteen's American dream
can reach and touch a boy from...
When I wrote it, I really believed every word, but now... A lot has happened since I wrote those words.
Then, I thought Bruce Springsteen was the answer and all I had to do was live by his words.
I don't think that's true anymore.
寫這篇文章時 , 我真的深信每個字並且決心實踐史普林斯汀歌曲中給我的答案 ,
但是發生很多事後 , 我不再認為事實如此。
Bruce Springsteen got out of New Jersey by following his dream.
Bruce sings, "If dreams came true, well, wouldn't that be nice?
.... If you want it, you take it, and you pay the price."
So the question I'm asking is: Can I pay that price?
I know having dreams doesn't make me a bad son.
I also know that everything I am is because of the sacrifices my mum and dad made.
My dad's not a typical dad. We don't have joky chats..... A lot of the time, he seems pretty angry at the world.
I think Bruce Springsteen would understand my dad,
cause like his father, they both came from poor backgrounds, both worked hard in factories,
both had dreams that never came true, which left them angry.
And they both had sons who wanted the chance to make them proud.
Bruce has a song called "Blinded by the Light."
And when I first heard it, I thought... I thought it was about love and being blinded by the love we might have for a girl or money.
But last night, I listened to it again. And Bruce is saying so much more.
I was blinded by the light when I first heard Springsteen because I was only thinking, in that moment, about Springsteen and me.
But we're not all just individuals. We have friends... and family... and what they think does matter.
Success without them isn't really success.
當我第一次聽到他的創作如此耀眼而感到炫目 , 在那個當下 , 我只想到史普林斯汀和我。
但是我們不是獨自一人 , 我們有朋友 .... 有家人.... 和他們認為重要的事。
缺少他們 , 成功便不是真正的成功。
Being blinded meant I couldn't see how much I am like my dad and my dad is like me.
And as much as I wanted to leave Luton, I understand that it will never leave me.
Bruce says no one wins unless everybody wins.
My hope is to build a bridge to my ambitions but not a wall between my family and me.
That's my dream. My American dream. In Luton.
