Instrumental Compositions

I took up a songwriting lessons back in 2003/2004 purely out of interest. Some of my instructors were actually pretty famous in the local songwriting industry, one of them being the duo (作曲：劉國明/劉志文) that wrote the tune for 《一笑而过》sung by 那英.  

During that period of time I composed quite a few original pieces, and wrote them down in an old notebook. Finally transferred all these sketches into recordings/videos, which is really helpful to myself in remembering what they should sound like. 

Here's a collection of five pieces (without lyrics):

1）主题曲

2）爱情合约

3）Winter Sonatina

4）爵士的感觉 

5）Road Trip

Actually, the arrangement for "Road Trip" was just completed earlier this week. When going through all the draft sketches, I managed to find a way to combine two different compositions suitably into one. The style for both felt similar, so. I can totally imagine driving along Highway 1 on the Pacific Coast with this piece playing on the car stereo. 

童年

当我伤心失落的时候

无法摆脱那沉默

就会想到童年的疑惑

是如何轻易地越过

就会想到你

你单纯的微笑

你与我的心照

就想到往事直不停的旋绕

在我脑海中

仿佛是固执的心肝

不肯放弃童年的回忆和

当年的友谊

当我伤心失落的时候

无法摆脱那沉默

就会想到童年的疑惑

是如何轻易地越过

- Written circa 1999

Note: This is obviously an incomplete song with just one verse, bridge and chorus. (It's still unclear to me which stanza should be the verse and which the chorus.) But anyhow, until I find the motivation to write Chinese lyrics again, I'll leave it as is.   

Paper Boats

Little boy in the garden

He is folding those pretty paper boats

He sets them on a lake

And he watches as they float away from him

*Chorus*

Just like you these paper boats

They drift so far away

Out on the horizon setting with

The sunset

Yeah and why, why oh why,

Can't you come back to me

To these ripples I created for you

Little boy in the garden

He takes a stick

And tries to pull those boats back

But they've wandered out of reach

So he just stands at the edge and stares

*Chorus*

Little boy in the garden

He loses interest and finds a new toy

Unlike him I can't turn back

I'd rather stand at the edge and stare

*Chorus*

All those ripples 

Were never meant to chase

Chase you away

Yeah and why, why oh why 

Can't you come back to me

To these ripples I created for you

Little boy in the garden

Wish I could be just, just like him

And walk far away

As far away as you've drifted from me

Little boy in the garden...

- written circa 1999 in the aftermath of a lost friendship

Class Song

If our paths should cross again some day,

I'll thank you for,

For all those times we shared together in those far off childhood days

Just for you 

I'll remember when you gave me hope

for distant dreams

And put your faith in me...

For me to fly so high

Exceeding all boundaries

Soaring above the skies

Rise to new heights

Pushing still further than our dreams.

I'm glad to say despite all the time that's 

Passed between us all

memories turned old

Our love is truer than told

Our friendship's not grown cold.

If our paths should cross again some day,

I'll thank you for,

For all those times we spent together in those far off childhood days

Just for you 

I'll remember when you gave me hope

for distant dreams

And put your faith in me

So willingly.

- class song literally written for secondary school graduation

CHANGE

Mum and Dad always told me

Life’s a long hard ride

Things don’t come easy

You’ll soon realize
The innocence of childhood
Naivety of youth
Just all a part of
The joys of living
But they’ve become, memories
And I’ve realized
Mum and Dad were right

Some friends draw close some drift apart
Love lost, love gained
Many things would come and go, but
Some things will stay
And it’s not that I don’t care about
My future any more, but I’ve
Stopped trying to plan every minute of it
Leave it more to God

*Chorus*

Change, change,

It’s not wrong or right
Just a thing that happens
Every now and then
Change, change
It’s not good or bad
Just that when you look back, you know
You’re no more the same

So a year has passed me by
It’s been rather tumultuous
Like a whirlwind blown thru’ my mind
I feel a little bit older now
These words may not seem much
But I know they’re the truth
And if you listen hard enough, you know
They’re talking about you

*Chorus*

- Wrote this back in circa '98 as a culmination of what one might call teen turbulence. For me, it has been one of those surprisingly relevant songs every time there's been big changes in life, whether potential or actual. Composed on the piano, but really in my head, the accompaniment and rifts are all supposed to be on acoustic guitar.