黃柳霜 Anna May Wong (1905-1961)
美國在 Anti-miscegenation laws《反異族通婚法》的年代, 是禁止白人與有色人種之間的任何愛情和婚姻關係, 由於黃柳霜不接受與華裔男子的戀情, 令致她在愛情路上更加崎嶇和複雜。黄柳霜在倫敦期間, 在沒有這樣的法律限制下, 很快已成為上流社會的社交圈子常客, 因而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。
The Foolish Things (Remind me of you) 1935
撰 詞: Eric Maschwitz
譜 曲: Harry Link, Jack Strachey
這歌曲令樂迷縈繞著一個疑問, 歌詞 "A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces" 誰的香煙和口紅印？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。不過, 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, 而歌曲在1935年面世, 名字、歌詞内容和處境並不吻合, 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, 苗條身材和優雅形態, 衣着入時, 濃妝豔抹, 紅唇上的長煙咀燃點着香煙, 成為她的個人形象, 因此喚起了 Eric Maschwitz 對她的思念而寫成這一曲, 原名 "The Foolish Things Remind Me of You"。
《No Chip on My Shoulder》回憶錄 - 1957 意譯「無怨無悔」
By : Eric Maschwitz (1901-1969)
他的回憶錄:「Fleeting memories of young love 年輕愛情轉瞬即逝的回憶」啟發了 "The Foolish Things" 這歌曲的創作靈感; 在他的回憶錄裡, 黄柳霜佔了顯著的地位, 比起任何女性還重要, 因為黄柳霜對他有深厚的影響, 令致他在回憶錄寫下「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」。回憶錄在1957年面世, 亦是與黄柳霜的地下情結束接近二十年之後。1945年, Eric Maschwitz 與 Hermione Gingold 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" 1936年面世至今, 有不少樂迷己聽過這首情歌, 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, 唱片公司均以商業考慮, 大多數的錄音只有三分鐘左右而已, 在網上的音樂平台, 至今只找到1957年 Ella Fitzgerald 長達近八分鐘的整篇歌詞版本錄音。可惜, 這是 Ella 以敍事式的演繹; 一篇男士在愛情路上的回憶, 為何没有男歌手取原版本的歌詞, 來一次富感情的演繹?!
二十世紀三十年代, 一段跨越歐美的異族情緣, 由荷李活、倫敦、德國至法國南部, 均滿佈浪漫的足跡; 歌曲描繪了黄柳霜 Anna May Wong 象徵着那個年代美國的時尚女性, 抽香煙時偶爾會留下 "口紅的痕跡在香煙上 A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces"; 之外, 還有 Gardenia 梔子 (雞蛋花) 香水、酒吧打烊、枱上燭光、玫瑰花香, 與女星 Greta Garbo 同樣的笑容.... 一切景物, 隨着時光飄逝, 成了一篇難忘的回憶....
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