Yellow Bird流行迄今已逾130年，有許多不同的版本。中學時我第一次聽來自西雅圖華盛頓大學的Brothers Four演唱時，以為這是典型的美國校園民歌。1961年夏威夷Arthur Lyman樂團演奏獲告示牌第四名，又以為這是夏威夷情歌。之後，再次聽到Mills Brothers黑人兄弟1959年獲告示牌70名的演唱，心想黑人靈歌也有這麼輕鬆愉悅的曲調。其實，這首歌改編自海地著名詩人和政治家Oswald Durand，1883年在獄中所寫隱諷自己不幸遭遇的詩『Choucoune』。 Continue reading
“Choucoune” (Haitian Creole: Choukoun) is a 19th century Haitian song composed by Michel Mauleart Monton with lyrics from a poem by Oswald Durand. It was rewritten with English lyrics in the 20th century as “Yellow Bird.” One of Oswald Durand’s most famous works is the 1883 “Choucoune,” a lyrical poem praising the beauty of a Haitian woman of that nickname. Continue reading