Stay with me here, kids, it's worth it.

So, from last night at about 9:30 to this morning at about  9:30, I had goddammed "What's new, pussycat?" stuck in my head.

Nobody wants that.

But...there is a cure, my little monkeys.

This is a song called "Sugar in the Marmalade" by Leon Lai. He recorded three versions (Cantonese, Mandarin, English) but the lyrics in the third are not actually a translation of the first two. I'll put both translations of the lyrics behind a jump at the end of this entry.

I've heard it played at three weddings (my own included) and have friends whose butts start to shake when the opening singer starts her strange, high-pitched thing about "breed another kitty tonight." Okay, I don't think that's what she says, but that's what I like to hear.

It's strangely well-crafted pop that turns crazy violin, rapping, and occasional English. Oh, and the rapper totally hypes the violinist, Eugene Park, at one point. Hell, the actual lyrics don't start properly until 45 seconds in. God I fucking love this song.

The video is the same for all three, even though it only fits with the English version. Oh, and except the we-spent-seven-dollars-on-greenscreen car on the ocean, not available in the Cantonese version.

Moral of the Story: "SUGAR IN THE MARMALADE" IS YOUR GOD NOW.

For those of you who already know the song--and yes, there are a number of those people reading this--you likely know the Cantonese version. Please to enjoy the English version (skipping the Mandarin version) and the 2005 BALLAD VERSION FROM AN ALL LEON LAI COVER ALBUM! And yes, for the video I'm posting of that one, somebody has weirdly pasted the album audio over a live concert.

Did I mention that I'm also posting one of the most adorably bizarre recorded-on-the-webcam karaoke versions of it, complete with background singer guy making Engrish out of words that are already Engrish?

Well...

...prepare to have your MIND completely BLOWN.

Who loves you? 

Daddy loves you.

CANTONESE:



ENGLISH:



JANICE VIDAL COVER:





OMG FUCKING ADORABLE MADE-IN-A-BEDROOM KARAOKE VERSION THING:



DIRECTLY-TRANSLATED CANTONESE LYRIS

ENGLISH VERSION LYRICS

Now go do something productive, like sharing this song with others now that it's stuck in your head until you die.

Smooches,

b
I debated for a long time, and I think that, rather than Japanese, I'll learn Mandarin.
In a perfect world I'd learn Cantonese, but it's supposed to be one of the hardest languages in the world to learn.

Besides, more people speak Mandarin than any other language.

I'll prolly start a night class in the fall.

Any advice from anybody?

b

February 2019

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