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Imogen Heap – Xizi She Knows Lyrics 14 years ago
Random notes
[counting]
A child is counting in Chinese to 8.
1 is 'eee', 2 is 'err', 8 is 'baa'. (non-standard spelling, there are 4 tones which I'm ignoring but just to give an idea where the sequence starts and ends, this should do)

8 is a lucky number.
Chinese will sometimes try to work it into something; a phone number, custom license plate, even as a middle name.

"gold, fire, wood, clay, and water"
She's alluding to the 5 Elements. The Chinese Zodiac assigns an element to a year as well as an animal. 'gold' is a metal. 'clay' alludes to earth. 12 animals, 5 elements. 60 years later, someone born a Water Dragon will see the Water Dragon year again.

"in a terrible hurry"
China has undergone tremendous change. Shenzhen is a city larger than NYC. 30 years ago, it apparently barely rated as a place on a map. Now it makes nearly all of our computer devices, and yes that includes non-Apple stuff too. China bulldozes a lot of history. 200 years old in the US is ancient. In a nation that existed before Jesus Christ and the Western calendar, a 200 year old village gate is just a trivial obstacle to a bigger street.

"adagio to allegro"
Adagio is a musical term for slow. Allegro is brisk. The rate of change has gone from slow to frantic.

submissions
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Hold On to Yourself Lyrics 17 years ago
"Factories close and cars go cruising, in and around the borders of her vision. She says "oh woah woah.." - just before she gets hit by a car. "As Jesus makes the flowers grow around the scene of her collision" - not really Jesus but her mourners placing flowers near where she was killed.

submissions
Ritchie Valens – La Bamba Lyrics 17 years ago
I read that the song is sung at weddings. It's the groom saying "yo no soy marinero" (I'm not a sailor) to the bride. What is a "sailor"? A guy who, when he gets into port, drinks and fools around. "soy capitan" isn't about soybeans. He's saying he's the "captain" - that is, he's responsible (not a 'sailor' anymore).

'gracia' refers to grace, which may be him encouraging himself and his bride in a complicated folk dance. As a 'captain' he is demonstrating that he recognizes he has obligations he must fulfill (learning a new dance, getting through the dance).

The song may also be used to attack someone. Example: The Rock (wrestler) singing to a rival. Apparently ad libbing verses and using it NOT a wedding song is also a traditional use of la bamba

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