黃柳霜 Anna May Wong (1905-1961)
美國在 Anti-miscegenation laws《反異族通婚法》的年代, 是禁止白人與有色族裔的愛情和婚姻關係; 黃柳霜不接受與華裔男子的戀情, 令她在愛情路上更加崎嶇和複雜。她在英國倫敦期間, 沒有這樣的法制下, 很快成為上流社會的社交圈子常客, 認識了多才多藝的文學家, 亦是英國 BBC 廣播公司的綜藝節目總監 Eric Maschwitz。
回憶錄《No Chip on My Shoulder》- 1957 意譯「無怨無悔」
Eric Maschwitz (1901-1969)
他透露這是 "Fleeting memories of young love 年少愛情短暫的回憶", 當中的三位女性, 黄柳霜對 Eric Maschwitz 有最深厚的影響, 令致他在書中寫下這一句:「中國人是個了不起的民族; 每個人一生中都應該認識並熱愛至少一位受過教育的中國人」; Eric 與黄柳霜的地下情結束二十年之後, 1957年回憶錄面世。
1926年, Eric Maschwitz 與英國影星 Hermione Gingold 結婚, 至1945年離婚; 同年與美國影星 Phyllis Gordon 結婚, 之後同在英國倫敦定居, 至1969年 Eric Maschwitz 在護老院離世, 終年六十八歲。
The Foolish Things (Remind me of you) 1935
撰 詞: Eric Maschwitz
譜 曲: Harry Link, Jack Strachey
歌詞 "A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces" 誰的口紅痕跡在香煙上？據稱, 風流倜儻的 Eric Maschwitz, 與英國歌舞表演女星 Jean Ross 有過短暫的浪漫愛情, 而激發了這一曲的歌詞; 亦有傳歌詞當中另一句是 Eric 與妻子 Hermione Gingold 離婚後, 她遷至同一街道的另一公寓亦有一座鋼琴;「A tinkling piano in the next apartment」所指是她嗎？亦由於两人在1926年結婚, 至1945年離婚, 與歌曲1935年面世的日子處境並不相關, 再經 Hermione Gingold 解釋, 只是這一句歌詞的靈感來源而已。
後來, 更傳出這歌曲是關於黃柳霜 Anna May Wong 1928年在英國倫敦認識了結婚衹有兩年的 Eric Maschwitz, 之後兩人發展過一段地下情。黃柳霜是當年荷李活的小演員, 她苗條和優雅的形態, 衣着入時, 濃妝豔抹和紅唇上的香煙, 成為她的個人形象。分開之後, 喚起了 Eric Maschwitz 對她的思念而寫成這一曲, 原名 "The Foolish Things Remind Me of You" 1936年面世, 至今曾經有不同年代的歌手翻唱, 包括純音樂和其他語言的版本, 有記錄共達六百多首。不過, 多數唱片公司均以商業考慮, 删减了多段歌詞之後, 唱片錄音長度只有三分鐘左右而已, 在網上音樂平台只找到1957年 Ella Fitzgerald 長達近八分鐘的錄音, 雖然是原篇歌詞版本, 卻以敍事式的演繹; 一篇男士婚外情的回憶, 為何没有男歌手取原版本歌詞, 來一次富感情的演繹呢?
「一段跨越歐美的異族情緣, 由荷李活、倫敦、德國至法國南部, 滿佈浪漫的足跡。黄柳霜 Anna May Wong 如多數的時尚女士, 抽煙時會偶爾留下 "口紅的痕跡在香煙上 A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces"; 歌詞裡的酒吧打烊、枱上燭光、Gardenia 梔子花香留在枕頭上、猶如女星 Greta Garbo 的笑容、情侶漫步....
這些 "Foolish things 愚蠢的事物", 隨着時光飄逝, 成為短暫的回憶....」
THESE FOOLISH THINGS (REMIND ME OF YOU) - Ella Fitzgerald 1957
Oh! Will you never let me be?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
The ties that bound us
Are still around us
There's no escape that I can see
And still those little things remain
That bring me happiness or pain
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fairground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came, you saw, you conquered me
When you did that to me
I knew somehow this had to be
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
First daffodils and long excited cables
And candle lights on little corner tables
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The beauty that is Spring's
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange, how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
Gardenia perfume lingering on a pillow
Wild strawberries only seven francs a kilo
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The song that Crosby sings, boo-boo-boo-boo-boo
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange, how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smouldering leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
其他語言版本:
Czech - "Věci tak bláhové" 1963
English - "Them Durn Fool Things" 1947
French - "Ces petites choses" 1936
French - "Tots aquests d" 1965
Swedish - "Små dumma tin" 1978