July 19, 2015

MALVINA REYNOLDS - 3/2 : "Little Boxes"







"LITTLE BOXES  蝸 居"
1962年, 有一天 Malvina Reynolds 與丈夫由三藩市駕車南下前往 La Honda 参加一個名為 "Friends Committee on Legislation" 的應邀作演唱嘉賓。



他們途經 Daly City 的小鎮 Levittowns, 看見一些用料粗糙、漆上不同顏色、同樣外形的房屋, 這是當地政府和發展商的規劃, 為了迎合一些自視有健康家庭, 循規蹈矩生活、高質的社交活動和專業工作的人, 在當年的不景氣之下, 成了吸引他們購置的安樂窩, 至邁向中產的願景。

眼看車外這些 "Little Boxes 小盒子" 和 "Ticky-tacky 粗糙容俗" 的房屋, 一向關注社會事態的 Malvina 着丈夫專心駕車, 馬上拿出衹筆, 很快便把這情景以文字摘錄下來, 內容以抗議和諷刺當時政府的政策, 衹為討好多數沒有政治取向, 不大關心社會的中產階層; 完成後, Malvina 把它撰上曲譜, 就以 "Little Boxes" 為這歌曲的名字。1963年交好友 Pete Seeger 演譯後, 把它登上 "Billboard Hot 100" 第70位置; 這給了美國政府在民生上的關注, 加添了不少壓力和推動。及後, "Little Boxes" 更成了國際上另一首社會活動的歌曲,


"LITTLE BOXES" - Pete Seeger
Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes
Little boxes
Little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same
And the people in the houses all go to the university
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same
And they all play on the golf course and drink their martini dry
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
And they all get put in boxes, and they all come out the same
And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
There's a green one, and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same

NEXT .... Original & Remade