"NOBODY'S CHILD"
1949年的歌曲作品, 內容是孤兒院裡悲哀的故事; 一個天生失明而被父毋遺棄的孤兒, 更成為孤兒院內被所有領養家庭忽略的小孩, 由於没有人願意領養他回家, 給予悉心照顧和教導, 令這個孤獨和絕望的小孩寧願夢見自已死去, 希望日後可以找到一個美好如天堂的地方。
五十年代美國樂壇的鄉謠歌曲, 唱出淒迷、悲哀和男女情破心碎的經典作品不乏; "Nobody's Child" 是一首令人傷感和賺人熱淚的歌曲, 一個痛苦無助的小孩, 哀鳴不絕的心聲, 是來自 Cy Coben 與 Mel Foree 的共同作品, 而 Mel Foree 是個全職的鄉謠歌曲範本試唱歌手, 他把歌曲交給加拿大歌手 Hank Snow 演繹, 1949年三月完成錄音, 至十二月由 RCA Victor 唱片公司印製和面世, 雖然不為樂迷注目, 但成為 Hank Snow 在不同場合必會演唱的歌曲之一。
"NOBODY'S CHILD"
1949 - Hank Snow (1914-1999) The Singing Ranger and His Rainbow Ranch Boys
Written by Mel Foree (1911-1990) Cy Coben (1919-2006)
As I was slowly passing an orphan's home one day
And stopped there for a moment, just to watch the children play
Alone a boy was standing and when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that could not see, and he began to cry....
" I'm nobody's child I'm nobody's child
I'm like a flower just growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smiles
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child "
" People come for children and take them for their own
But they all seem to pass me by, and I am left alone
I know they'd like to take me but when they see I'm blind
They always take some other child, and I am left behind "
" No mommy's arms to hold me or soothe me when I cry
Sometimes it gets so lonely here, I wish that I could die
I'd walk the streets of heaven, where all the blind can see
And just like all the other kids, there'd be a home for me "
" I just can't seem to figure out why the folks all pass me by
Cause I know that it's true that God takes little blind children with him in the sky
And they tell me that I'm oh so pretty, and they seem to like my big curls of gold
But then they take some other little child, and I'm left here all alone "
Cause I know that it's true that God takes little blind children with him in the sky
And they tell me that I'm oh so pretty, and they seem to like my big curls of gold
But then they take some other little child, and I'm left here all alone "
" I'm nobody's child I'm nobody's child
I'm like a flower just growing wild
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smiles
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child "
1963 - Billy Fury and The Tornados
The Lords (Sweden singer)
1964 - Houston Wells, The Alexander Brothers, Pat Wayne with The Beachcombers
1964 - Houston Wells, The Alexander Brothers, Pat Wayne with The Beachcombers
The Beatles with Tony Sheridan
初組成的 "The Beatles", 1961年在西德 Hamburg 漢堡認識了 Tony Sheridan 之後, 一度曾經以另一樂隊名字 Tony Sheridan & The Beatles 合作唱片錄音, 1964年, "Nobody's Child" 由 Tony Sheridan 演繹, 收錄在 The Beatles 的單曲細唱片B-面, A-面是主打歌曲 "Ain't She Sweet" 由 John Lennon 演繹, 四月在西德首次面世, 三年多之後至1967年八月, "The Beatles" 才把歌曲收錄在英國印製的專輯唱片 "The Beatles First" 當中。
1965 - Tony Morelli and The Witnesses Show Band
1967 - Hank Williams, Jr. (U.S. Country Chart No.46)
Karen Young
1946年, 生於英國 Yorkshire 約克郡的女歌手 (有别於演繹 "Hot Shot" 的美國女歌手 Karen Young 1951-1991), 1969年七月, Karen Young 亦把 "Nobody's Child" 演繹, 歌曲面世即登上英國單曲榜 UK Single Chart 第六位, 成了七十年代的青年樂迷喜愛的版本, 之外還有1970年的 "One Tin Soldier" 亦是樂迷認識的上榜歌曲之一。
Karen Young 由1965至1971年在樂壇期間, 衹錄製了十幾首歌曲而已, 1974年正式離開流行樂壇。1985年二月, 當時她在一家房地產代理公司工作, 在辦公室內遭遇被搶劫的事件, 幸好衹損失少量金錢, 再次成為新聞人物。事發之後, 同年九月她改以 Karon Young 的名字, 由英國 EMI 唱片公司印製的細唱片面世, A-面 "Nobody's Child", 放在B-面是樂隊組合 "White Plain" 的歌曲 "When You Are A King"。
NOBODY'S CHILD - Karen Young 1969 (UK single Chart No. 6)
"羅 馬 尼 亞 天 使 呼 籲"
1988年, George Harrison 與多位歌手組成 "Traveling Wilburys" 樂隊, 各成員正在進行編製 "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3" 專輯時, George 的妻子 Olivia 與前樂隊 The Beatles 各成員的妻子, 要求樂隊錄製一張專輯唱片, 為非政府組織成立的 "Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation 羅馬尼亞天使呼籲基金會" 籌款, 由於羅馬尼亞共產自1989年十二月垮臺之後, 國內的孤兒院有數千名孤兒正缺乏醫療設施、藥物、生活用品甚至食物不足, 希望以這張專輯為籌款活動作呼喚, 務求引起社會和樂迷關注並加以援助。
George Harrison 的隊友之一 Bob Dylan 建議用 "Nobody's Child" 這首歌曲為主題來傳達相關訊息, 但他們無法記得全曲的歌詞, 經去電話給好友 Joe Brown, 但他衹能給歌詞的第一節而已, George 衹好由第二節歌詞開始重新撰寫, 重點是傳達在羅馬尼亞的孩子和嬰兒, 身處困境和悲哀的訊息。
"Traveling Wilburys"
專輯主題歌曲 "Nobody's Child" 由 George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty 和 Jeff Lynne 演繹之外, 其他歌手有 Eric Clapton, Roy Orbison, Elton John, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder 和 Paul Simon 等同参予唱片錄音製作, 亦包括 Guns N' Roses, Bee Gees, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band 的作品, 共十四首歌曲同收錄在專輯內, 唱片於1990年七月二十三日面世。
L-R: Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty (1950-2017),
Roy Orbison (1936-1988), George Harrison (1943-2001)
NOBODY'S CHILD - The Traveling Wilburys 1990
As I was slowly passing
An orphan's home today
I stopped for just a little while
I stopped for just a little while
To watch the children play
Alone a boy was standin'
And when I asked him why
He turned with eyes that could not see
He turned with eyes that could not see
And he began to cry
I'm nobody's child, I'm nobody's child
Just like a flower, I'm growin' wild
No mama's arms to hold me, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child
In every town and village
There are places just like this
With rows and rows of children
Babies in their cribs
They've long since stopped their cryin'
As no-one ever hears
And no-one there to notice them
They've long since stopped their cryin'
As no-one ever hears
And no-one there to notice them
Or take away their fears
Nobody's child, they're nobody's child
Just like a flower, they're growin' wild
No mama's arms to hold them, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants them, they're nobody's child
Nobody's child, they're nobody's child
Just like a flower, they're growin' wild
No mommy's kisses, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants them, they're nobody's child
Nobody wants them, they're nobody's child
Nobody's child, they're nobody's child
Just like a flower, they're growin' wild
No mama's arms to hold them, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants them, they're nobody's child
Nobody's child, they're nobody's child
Just like a flower, they're growin' wild
No mommy's kisses, no daddy's smile
Nobody wants them, they're nobody's child
Nobody wants them, they're nobody's child
1969 - Harry Hibbs, Heather & The Thunderbirds
1970 - The Cody Nash Outfit, Caroline Du Preez, Danny McGirr, Virginia Lee
1971 - Agnes Chan 陳美齡,
Irene Ryder 黎愛蓮
The Walker, Eva Vivar
1974 - Sydney Devine, Frankie McBride, Walter Hensley and The Dukes Of Bluegrass, Keith Manifold
1975 - Felicia Wong 黄愛明
Cotton Mill Boys, Royston Jones, Ann Coates
1976 - Sally Boyden, Freddy Quinn, Shady Grove
1977 - Lee Towers
1978 - Vernon Oxford, Big Tim Lan, Mal Daron
1979 - The Carlton Showband, The Maxwells
1985 - Tammy Jones, Smokey 007
1988 - The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Rose Marie
1990 - Traveling Wilburys
1992 - Kapena
1993 - Louise Morrissey
1997 - Foster & Allen
1999 - Joy Adams
2004 - Wenche
2006 - Chooka Williams
2010 - William Carley
2012 - Tracy Wells
2017 - The Alex Sutherland Singers
2019 - Owen Mac
DANISH 丹 麥
"Bare en dreng" - Just a boy
Written by Sejr Volmer-Sørensen, Thøger Olesen
Vocal: Birthe Kjær - 1971
"Goddag og farvel" - Hello and goodbye
Written by Sejr Volmer-Sørensen, Thøger Olesen
Vocal: Maria Stenz med Leif Petersens orkester - 1972
DUTCH 荷 蘭
"Een kind kijkt ons aan" - A child looks at us
Written by Joop Portengen
Vocal: Willeke Alberti -1970
ICELANDIC 冰 島
"Ég einskis barn er" - I'm not a child
Written by Jóhanna G. Erlingsson
Vocal: Styrktarsveitin - Páll Rósinkranz - Pálmi Gunnarsson - Sjonni Brink - 2010
"Hjálpin er næst" - Next is help
Written by Kristján Hreinsson
SLOVENIAN 斯洛文尼亞
"Sirota" - Orphan
Written by Gregor Strniša
Vocal: Majda Sepe - 1970
MARK KNOPFLER - 同名版本 "NOBODY'S CHILD 浪蕩小孩" 2018
NOBODY'S CHILD - Mark Knopfler 2018
The ragged kid nobody wanted
Left alone to ramble wild
Long ago he was abandoned
Nobody's child
Never smiles and never chatters
Never quarrels or complains
Grown as hard as the Sierras
And the Western Plains
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
Learned to swing a broken bottle
Learned to use his fists and knife
In the bar rooms and bordellos
Of his life
He drifted down towards the borders
The sky was dark but it did not rain
Came the meanest pistoleros
In the Western Plains
He fell in with these desperadoes
Thieves and killers every one
Prizes hanging from their saddles
With their guns
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
The ragged kid nobody wanted
Left alone to ramble wild
Now he rides beside the Devil
Nobody's child
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
The ragged kid nobody wanted
Left alone to ramble wild
Long ago he was abandoned
Nobody's child
Never smiles and never chatters
Never quarrels or complains
Grown as hard as the Sierras
And the Western Plains
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
Learned to swing a broken bottle
Learned to use his fists and knife
In the bar rooms and bordellos
Of his life
He drifted down towards the borders
The sky was dark but it did not rain
Came the meanest pistoleros
In the Western Plains
He fell in with these desperadoes
Thieves and killers every one
Prizes hanging from their saddles
With their guns
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
The ragged kid nobody wanted
Left alone to ramble wild
Now he rides beside the Devil
Nobody's child
Come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea
A'come a'cow cow yicky yicky yea