I’ve attempted to sing Leehom’s new song six times already. The first time I saw it and he reached those verses in English… somehow I was deeply moved. LOL But I really can’t believe he’s saying all of this on the song. It’s really quite explosive.
Also, the people complaining it sounds like Ke$ha – please, as if she has copyrighted autotuned vocals. Plus, Leehom sounds more Michael Jackson than anything, specially singing in English. And I’m fine with that, in fact… I kinda love the energy when he says those things.
On the rough — seriously, are you going to trust my Google translation abilities? — multi-language lyric translation and pinyin below the break!
火力全開 (Huo Li Quan Kai) – Open Fire
Dǎ dǎo dì guó zhǔ yì
Bù yu àn zài zuò nú lì
Wǒ jiā dà mén bèi rù qīn
Nǐ shuō Lady kǎ kǎ
Wǒ shuō hé bì pà tā
Ō ō ō ō ō oh oh
Bié xiàng tā men kē tóu
Wén huà shì wǔ qì
Mái zài měi gēn shénjīng
Bèi yōu rén shén gǔ dǎ xǐng
Jué bù yǔn xǔ shī bài
Shèng lì bù bì děng dài
Yīn wèi MUSIC- MAN de dào lái
Hū rán jiān zhěng gè shì jiè kāi shǐ zài yáo bǎi
Jié zòu hé yīn yuè rù qīn le xuè mài
Zhè cì de zhàn lüè shì huǒ lì quán kāi
Huǒ lì quán kāi, huǒ lì quán kāi
Huǒ lì quán kāi
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
So many accusations
Of an Asian Invasion
Here they come a point’n fingers at me
Preyin’ on a mass emotion
Stirrin’ up a big commotion
Trying to assign responsibilities
Gonna stop this negativity
Turn it into positivity with integrity
Giving all of me
For all to see
This fight for equality
But even if they blame us
Try to frame us nobody can shame us
I’m a sing this next verse in Chinese
Hū rán jiān zhěng gè shì jiè kāi shǐ zài yáo bǎi
Jié zòu hé yīn yuè rù qīn le xuè mài
Zhè cì de zhàn lüè shì huǒ lì quán kāi
Huǒ lì quán kāi, huǒ lì quán kāi
Huǒ lì quán kāi
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
~ ka-ah-ah-ah-ah-ai ka-ah-ah-ah-ai
—
Down with imperialism,
don’t wish to be slaves.
Our house has been invaded,
you say Lady Gaga,
I say why bother to be afraid of’em
Oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh
Do not vow to them.
Culture is a weapon
buried in each nerve-
Awaken to play the Sacred Drum.
By no means allow failure,
victory doesn’t have to wait
because of the arrival of MUSIC MAN.
Suddenly the world begins to swing,
Rhythm and music invade your blood.
This time’s strategy is to struck the first blow.
Open fire! Open fire! Go!
—
Abajo con el imperialismo,
no deseen ser esclavos.
Nuestra casa ha sido invadida,
tu dices Lady Gaga,
yo digo porque molestarnos en temerles
Oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh
No les hagamos una reverencia.
La cultura es un arma
enterrada en cada nervio-
Despierta para tocar el Tambor Sagrado.
No permitamos el fracaso,
la victoria no necesita esperar
por la llegada del MUSIC MAN.
De repente, el mundo comienza a moverse,
el ritmo y la música invaden tu sangre.
La estrategia es dar el primer golpe.
Abran fuego! Abran fuego! Ahora!
Demasiadas acusaciones
de una invasión asiática.
Aquí vienen a señalarme,
explotando las emociones en masa,
causando un gran revuelo
tratando de asignar responsabilidades.
Voy a detener esta negatividad,
transformarlo en positividad con integridad.
Dando todo de mí
para que todos vean
esta lucha por la igualdad,
y aunque nos culpen
o nos incriminen, no nos pueden avergonzar.
Voy a cantar el siguiente verso en chino.
Is it me or does some part os the English translation gone missing?
Oki, so why is LeeHom angry?
The English translation only includes the bits that are in Mandarin, so there is 2 verses in English missing from the English translation.
I have no idea why he’s so angry, though I know that a lot of singers/idols/musicians in Taiwan and China are often put down because they sound or resemble Lady Gaga (usually. See: Gagaism) or some other international singer/idol/musician. It’s the whole she said, he said, they said you sound like~ thing. At the moment people are saying this song sounds like Ke$ha’s Blow because of the ka-ah-ah-ah-ai part resembling the processing of Ke$ha’s oh-oh-oh-oh xD LOL
I don’t think Leehom’s suddenly angry exactly. I think he’s just speaking his mind. He definitely isn’t attacking the musical style of western music. He’s just putting culture into attention. I think it’s his way of standing up for eastern culture, not to overtake western culture, but probably to say that western culture isn’t better than eastern culture, never should it be put down, hence why he says fight for equality, even if they blame us, try to frame us, nobody can shame us.
And after many years he had never made an english album, I feel that he had always felt there was a negativity breaking into the us music industry. I forgot where but i think he said something like doing so he would probably be address as the chinese whatever who did this and that, and he doesn’t like that. He thinks a lot of ground is left to be broken. He shows no shame in being chinese but doesn’t want to be stereotyped for it, or that is what I think lol.
He’s not exactly angry, but he’s pretty bold. I definitely think he wouldn’t have been given so much flack on the YouTube comments if he hadn’t mentioned Lady Gaga — Check Gagaism.
I think the issue with the US industry is that you are required to release music in English, which he shouldn’t need to because his music tends to be good regardless of language. That’s what he’s ultimately standing up for, I think.
I wish foreign music labels would be able to promote their music outside their home countries without having to rely breaking into the US. At least Latin America has shown that it doesn’t really care if they can understand songs or not as long as the music is good.
thank you for the comment :)
There’s not only kesha elements but also britney elements. Also, much of it is michael jackson and it’s a bit of gaga here and there.
Nonetheless, I think there is a purpose to this music video and the lyrics. It is a message itself. A very satirical one.
Well, Leehom knows what he’s doing. He’s smart enough to not get into plagiarism trouble.
I don’t know if we can say Britney elements, considering she doesn’t compose any of her tracks… and as much as I have a soft spot for her, she does sound like a robot more and more with each album. Maybe you’re talking about the Britney song that happened to be composed by Ke$ha? To be honest, the breaking his voice through autotune, he did that a bit on The 18 Martial Arts album… especially noticeable on that Do U Love Me song.
I do think he sounds extra MJ when he talks about equality – maybe it’s the word and the way he says it… which, seriously~ I really don’t mind. I miss angry pop music.
Because there is an active goal to try to turn english into some kind of international language. Even in imported movies and animation, the drive behind the debate between dubs and subs is so that english doesnt get diluted by other foreign languages. They are desperately trying to inject images of european and foreign looking people into movies, tvs, and music even when it feels entirely out of place. And when that attempt fails, at the very least they will try language and culture. Asian media is essentially being trolled by foreigners.
I did notice that on commercials and music videos – friends are calling it the token white character, especially in Korean music videos. xD
I do supported subs over dubs, however – whatever the case may be. An American/European film should be in its original language in China, while Chinese films should be in its original language in America. Except in children’s film, where I support subs alongside professional dubs… not half-assed dubs that happen a lot in America.
It is of a general knowledge that the average American movie-goer hates subs because they’re not used to, since most of the films at the multiplex are American productions whereas the rest of us rely on subtitles to watch their films.
English is an easily language to learn, compared to Chinese/Japanese/Korean, but in no way should English-based media should be regarded above any other language. I do maintain that the fact that someone like Lady Gaga is so famous is because it is of easier access and better distribution than other forms of entertainment – like, let’s say Leehom.
If they were both on the same platform, same distribution deals and access to radios or tv, Leehom would be huge, or he would have been during his Cockney Girl days.