TEACH YOUR CHILDREN - 2/2 : A Song For Fathers

一 張 舊 相 片 ....
Graham Nash 是一位愛好攝影和相片收藏家; 在一次接受訪問中透露, 他藏有一張由女攝影家 Diane Arbus 所拍的相片:「中央公園內一個小孩, 手上拿着一個玩具手榴彈, 面對拍照的 Diane 作出頑抗和憤怒的表情」; 這相片令致他要撰寫一首以戰爭、殺戮、仇視和憤怒對下一代所影響的歌曲, 藉此呼喚對孩子們的關愛。

"Teach Your Children" 烙 印
Graham Nash 年幼時, 因為父親藏有一部懷疑是偷來的影相機, 又無法解釋它的來源, 最終被捕判囚, 這事件引致他對父親的不屑, 父子兩人陷入破烈的境地。毫無疑問, 這是 Graham Nash 磨不去的烙印; 要把過去的傷痛和收藏的一張相片而起的感受, 盡在一曲 "Tech Your Children" 表露無遺。此時, 父已不在, 仍祈盼父親的諒解, 並要告知父親, 孩兒仍然是愛他。

"Teach Your Children" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

"WILD TALES"
這是自從與 Joni Mitchell 分開, 繼而與 Rita Coolidge 的感情劃上句號; 至1974年面世的個人專輯。為避免尷尬, 由創作至完成, 没有跟 Crosby, Stills, Young 任何一人合作。

"PRISON SONG"

"Teach Your Children" 面世後四年, Graham Nash 才在這歌曲 "Prison Song" 透露了導致父子感情破裂的原因, 由於父親對原則和堅持, 不願出賣朋友, 為道義而不惜坐牢。歌曲是收錄在這張專輯 "Wild Tales" 當中。

回 憶 錄

2013年, 一本他的回憶錄自傳, 同以 "Wild Tales" 命名面世, 書中亦有提到 Joni Mitchell 對他在歌曲創作上的影響, 另外亦有談及與 Rita Coolidge 一段短暫的感情, 幾乎引致與好友 Stephen Still 不和; 之外, 亦有講述父子情破的經歴。

"PRISON SONG " - Graham Nash

One day a friend took me aside

And said I have to leave you

For buying something from a friend

They say I've done wrong

For protecting the name of a man

They say I'll have to leave you,

So now I'm bidding you farewell

For much too long.

And here's a song to sing,

For every man inside,

If he can hear you sing

It's an open door.

There's not a rich man there,

Who couldn't pay his way

And buy the freedom that's a high price

For the poor.

Kids in Texas
Smoking grass,
Ten year sentence
Comes to pass
Misdemeanor
In Ann Arbor,
Ask the judges
Why?

Another friend said to her kids
I'm gonna have to leave you
For selling something to the man
I guess I did wrong
And although I did the best I could
I'm gonna have to leave you
So now I'm kissing you farewell
For much too long.

And here's a song to sing,
For every man inside
If he can hear you sing
It's an open door.
There's not a rich man there
Who couldn't pay his way
And buy the freedom that's a high price
For the poor.