"IN THE YEAR 2525" 預 言 成 真?!
"Zager & Evans"
來自美國中西部 Nebraska 內布拉斯加州的搖滾民歌組合, 成員 Rick Evans 與 Danny Zager 自1962年入讀 Nebraska Wesleyan University 開始認識, 之後同加入 "The Eccentrics" 樂隊任主唱; 1965年 Evans 離開樂隊, 至1968年 Zager 亦相繼離開, 兩人組成 "Zager & Evans" 開始在流行樂壇出現。
L-R: Danny Zager, Rick Evans
IN THE YEAR 2525《Exordium & Terminus 開始 與 終點》
Evans 一首1964年已完成的歌曲, 至1968年與 Zager 組成二人合唱之後, 以借來的五百元租用錄音室, 獲得好友 Mark Dalton 任低音結他, 與鼓手 Dave Trupp 一同参予歌曲錄音, 並以自訂的品牌 "Truth Records" 印製唱片, 衹能夠在 Nebraska 當地的 Lincoln 和 Omaha 廣播電台播出和推廣而已, 在流行樂壇不被注目。
翌年, 两人攜同歌曲的錄音聲帶到 New York 紐約, 獲 RCA Records 唱片公司簽約成為公司旗下的歌手組合, 將這首歌曲與 Evans 的另一作品 "Little Kids" 放在 B-面同錄製單曲細唱片, 1969年四月在全國面世; 同年七月十六日, 美國 "Apollo 11 號" 首次載人成功登月, 舉國歡騰, 世界觸目; 此刻, 在流行樂壇....
"In The Year 2525" 的內容引起不少樂迷的思考和關注, 成為一首令人振奮又恐懼的頌歌, 在搖滾音樂的潮流, 能登上美國 "Adult Contemporary 成人歌曲榜" 與及 "Cash Box 點唱機" 的榜首是實屬罕見。這首關於人類的 "萬年曆" 歌曲, 預測人類被自己創新的科技, 和各種醫學實驗而導致被摧毀至滅絕; 時至今天, "試管嬰兒", "器官移植" 與及 "Artificial intelligence - AI 人工智能", 可預見人類的智慧與潛在能力, 終會步向被淘汰的一天。
同年, "Zager & Evans" 另一首反 "Utopia 烏托邦" 意識形態的作品 "I AM" 面世, 内容富有哲理, 略帶點超現實色彩, 以探索人類存在的意識和自我的二元性, 觸及人類身份為主題的歌曲, 可惜未為 "Hippies 嬉皮士" 年代的樂迷注目; 之外, 另一首與 "In The Year 2525" 相類似的歌曲 "Hydra 15000" 1971年面世, 亦未能引起樂迷關注; 自此之後, 两人在樂壇各自發展, 再沒有任何突破的歌曲出現。
Rick Evans 1943年生於 Nebraska, Lincoln 林肯市, 個人最後的公開演唱是1984年的前夕, 在加州 Lake Tahoe。2018年在 New Mexico 新墨西哥州 Santa Fe 的家中安詳離世, 終年七十五歲。
Danny Zager 1944年生於 Nebrasaka, Wymore 懷莫爾市; 離開樂壇之後, 憑著他精細的手工藝和不減的興致, 在家鄉開設已近達五十年的工作室, 為客人訂製以他的名字 "Zager" 為品牌的木結他。
L-R : Rick Evans, Danny Zager
"In The Year 2525"
被樂壇稱 "One-hit Wonder 曇花一現" 的歌曲, 在加拿大, 英國, 愛爾蘭, 前西德, 義大利, 澳洲, 紐西蘭, 亦曾登上流行歌曲星期榜的首位, 在流行樂壇有記錄, 唱片的銷量達二千萬張; 翻唱, 純音樂演奏與及八種語言共有四十八個版本, 最新的錄音是 2023年十二月由德國的樂隊 "Lord of the Lost" 演繹的英語版本。
IN THE YEAR 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) Zager & Evans 1968
Written by Rick Evans
VIDEO LINK https://youtu.be/yesyhQkYrQM
COVER VERSIONS
1969 - B.W.D. Production (Bill Wellings), Top of the Pops, Chartbusters Dyne & Pye, Nat Stuckey,
Heppe Niebauer Sextett, Ginette Reno, Tirso Cruz III, Whichwhat
1970 - Mieko Hirota 弘田三枝子, Society of Seven
1981 - The Twins (GB)
1983 - Visage
1991 - Project Pitchfork
1994 - Laibach
2002 - Kitbuilders
2009 - an Brown
2015 - Black & White
2020 - Groove Guild feat. Jean Rohe
2023 - Lord of the Lost
In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) Lord of the Lost - 2023
In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie
Everything you think, do and say
Is in the pill you took today
In the year 4545
You ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
You won't find a thing to chew
Nobody's gonna look at you
In the year 5555
Your arms hangin' limp at your sides
Your legs got nothin' to do
Some machine's doin' that for you
In the year 6565
You won't need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube
In the year 7510
If God's a coming, He oughta make it by then
Maybe He'll look around Himself and say
Guess it's time for the judgment day
In the year 8510
God is gonna shake His mighty head
He'll either say I'm pleased where man has been
Or tear it down, and start again
In the year 9595
I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain't put back nothing
Now it's been ten thousand years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what, he never knew, now man's reign is through
But through eternal night, the twinkling of starlight
So very far away, maybe it's only yesterday
In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies...
其 他 語 言
CZECH - V století dvacátém devátém - Marta Kubišová - 1970
FINNISH - Vuonna 2525 - Robin ja Robarit - 1969
FRENCH - L'an 2005 - Richard Anthony / Dalida - 1969
GERMAN - Was wird sein in sieben Jahren - Nina & Mike - 1972
GREEK - Το έτος 2525 (To étos 2525) - The Sounds - 1970
ITALIAN - Nell'anno 2033 - Zager & Evans - 1969
Nel 2023 - Dalida / Combos - 1969 / Caterina Caselli - 1970
SPANISH - En el año 2033 - Los Beta / Los Chijuas - 1969
SWEDISH - Anno 2202 - Lenne Broberg - 1969
"H Y D R A"
以希臘神話 "九頭獸" 所稱的微小水螅, 是一種活於淡水, 行為獨立的肉食性水母狀動物。"HYDRA 15000" 是 Zager
& Evans 1971年一首被認為是科幻搖滾的歌曲, 内容是描述人類為通過化學或技術的干預, 自願犧牲變為
"Hydra 水螅", 要創造一個更優越的基因工程, 從探討科技的演進, 克服戰爭與貪婪的人性缺陷, 達至人類暴力的終結, 讓舊有且具破壞性的人性消逝, 確保有一個更美好且充滿愛的未來。
Hydra 15,000" Zager & Evans 1971
L Y R I C S
口 述 引 子 - 意 譯
" 男人與女人在染色體深處藏著自身存在的藍圖, 以密碼的形式存在。脫氧核糖核酸或 "DNA" 是密碼的守護者。我們的一切存在與否皆凝結於此。時間摧毀所有秘密, 同樣會摧毀這個秘密。答案在此: 人類將會化學化蛻變, 成為他們千百年來所渴望, 成為那種有生產力、和平且充滿愛的生物。Hydra 15000 九頭獸計畫。"
SPOKEN INTRO
"Man
and woman carry the blueprints of their very existence deep within
their chromosomes in the form of a secret code. Deoxyribonucleic acid or
DNA is the keeper of the code. Everything we are and are not is sitting
here. Time will destroy the secret, as it does all secrets. Here then
lies an answer: man will transform himself chemically into what he has
longed thousands of years to be, a productive yet peaceful, loving
creature. Project Hydra 15000."
Hydra... (Hydra...)
Hydra... (Hydra...)
Hydra 15000, I know you are on your way
And like the men who built you
You will be born of DNA
Hydra 15000, I give my life to you
Or kings, premieres and presidents
Will never free me cause they're just men true
Hydra 15000, you will never know
That mankind sacrificed itself
So you could live and grow
Cause Hydra 15000, the code will make you free
It will not have this Frankenstein
As living here in me
But we cannot live together
It is the only way
Or I know I will kill you someday... someday
Hydra 15000, you may never rule a son
But you will love your brother
Like brothers, never have been loved
And Hydra 15,000, before I go
I'm leaving you this message
It's written in your soul
Hydra... Hydra...
Hydra 15000, if you should ever find
That you are not pure and clean
Like I try to make you promise me
Hydra 15000, it's in the DNA
Find the evil cancer
And cut it all the way
Then Hydra 15000, step down as I have done
And sometime before forever
There may be a perfect one
Hydra... Hydra...
Hydra... Hydra...