SP PATRONS Corn Sunday | 珂拉琪 Collage - 萬千花蕊慈母悲哀 (Song Review)

[@spiderhandspnz]

Hi everyone :) Just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words and for checking out the video. I wasn't 100% happy with my review of this track, but I am going to try and do better in future. The guitar solos in this song were great, I feel bad for not discussing them more in the review.

[@taiwansivispacemparabellum9546]

3:44 "My withered love" (all along the streets) ; the drum roll you hear now are the gunshots chinese military pointed at the Taiwanese. 1947 was when the Feb. 28th Transnational Massacre took place. 1952 was when Peace Treaty of San Francisco officially took effect, ending the war status between Allied forces and Japan; which then also placed Formosan (Taiwan) & adjoining islands into sovereignty status undetermined. Hence the existence of "Taiwan Relation Act" of the USA, placing Taiwan , her stateless residents and decedents under US protection.

[@Daniel-mt2wf]

Collage is a band from Taiwan whose songs often depict various historical tragedies during the Japanese colonial period and the post-World War II era under the Kuomintang (KMT or Chinese Nationalist Party) rule. In this song "萬千花蕊慈母悲哀" , the lyrics evoke the period of the White Terror under KMT governance. This period, which lasted from May 20, 1949, to June 3, 1991, was marked by the authoritarian Republic of China government (under the KMT) using state power to persecute dissidents, creating a politically terrorizing atmosphere that served its own interests. The government utilized special criminal laws as tools to suppress opposition, disregarding basic human rights, democracy, and freedom. It conducted pervasive surveillance on the population, fabricating false accusations against those with suspicious behavior or dissenting views, labeling them as communist spies. This led to widespread arbitrary arrests, executions, torture, and property confiscation across the nation, resulting in numerous wrongful deaths, imprisonments, injuries, and losses. People's lives, property, health, and mental well-being were severely damaged during this time. The story conveyed in the song resonates deeply with the atmosphere of the era, touching on the context of the White Terror in a relatively indirect and subtle way. In fact, it shares some similarities with the literary techniques found in works from the White Terror period. When faced with the hidden wounds of that era, we might still struggle to grasp the full picture. However, we can begin by understanding why Collage’s song “萬千花蕊慈母悲哀" resonates so strongly with the White Terror. From there, by exploring excerpts from White Terror literature, we can catch glimpses of and draw closer to the emotions and inner worlds of the people who lived through that time. At first glance, "萬千花蕊慈母悲哀" seems to be a song about someone anxiously and angrily waiting for their loved one to return. The story depicted throughout the song is quite simple: the protagonist ("I") is left waiting for their beloved, feeling both resentful and abandoned, yet unable to let go. As the lyrics progress, it becomes clear that this endless wait is not because the lover chose to leave, but because they vanished without a trace. Through the buildup in the first half and the instrumental break, the latter part of the song gradually reveals that the disappearance of the protagonist's loved one has striking similarities to the White Terror period, when people would be abruptly taken away and subjected to extreme punishments. The following passage appears after the chanting of the Buddha's name, "Namo Avalokiteshvara." The narrator dreams of holding the hand of a lover's departed soul, indicating that the lover has passed away. Phrases like "佮你恬去的心" (your silent heart), "寫袂了的批" (letters that cannot be finished), and "開袂完的銃" (guns that never cease to fire) are key to evoking the signals of the "White Terror." During the White Terror period, you might encounter situations such as: Teachers at school suddenly disappearing, never to be seen again. Family members being taken away by the police, and either never returning or coming back with a nervous disposition, never speaking of what had happened. Letters from political prisoners or their last messages often failing to reach their families or arriving very late. Therefore, in "萬千花蕊慈母悲哀," the unspoken, yet angry and indifferent attitude towards the lover's "disappearance (death)" can be seen as reflecting the feelings of small, powerless individuals during the White Terror period. They were unable to speak out against injustice, nor did they know whom to address. If this song is understood through the lens of the White Terror, the chanting of "Namo Avalokiteshvara" after the interlude becomes the most significant part of the song. The backing harmony behind this line blends with growling vocals, accompanied by subsequent lyrics expressing the grievances of the bodhisattva, turning the prayer chant into a roar. It signifies an individual's anger towards systemic injustice, with no one to hold accountable, leading them to place all their dissatisfaction and resentment onto the deity. The more the "I" in the song expresses confusion towards the bodhisattva, the more it reflects the helplessness and powerlessness of reality during the White Terror period. "I" cannot blame anyone for the disappearance of a loved one because it was the authoritarian rule of the state that took them away, and we don't even know the specific culprits behind it. Thus, all that remains is to vent this frustration to the deity-questioning why the heavens didn't protect them, why such tragedies were allowed to happen. This seemingly directed resentment towards the bodhisattva is, in fact, a roar against the persecution of individuals during the White Terror. The system was so immense and cruel that it overwhelmed individuals, leaving them with no one to blame. All that remained was to fault "heaven" for giving them such a dark era.

[@陳小胖-u8m]

感謝有你將這首歌完整地介紹給國外的朋友，認識這首歌也認識台灣這段傷痛、至今未解的苦難歷史~

[@yuichang1631]

你寫得太好了吧

[@BanyaEri]

精闢❤

[@christmastreecat]

真的很謝謝你用英文寫得這麼詳細，我的英文太糟糕了，想和外國朋友介紹這首歌都有困難，你真的很棒，給你一個大大的讚👍

[@jeelu821]

好厲害的留言 謝謝你❤

[@MinoFrxv]

As a Taiwanese person, I was deeply moved when I heard this song. It wasn’t just the melody or the vocals that resonated with me but the language used and the way it was expressed, which speaks to those who care about Taiwan’s history. The language in the song is “Taiwanese Hokkien”, a local language that, historically, was deliberately suppressed by ruling authorities. Speaking it could even lead to punishment. Now, only a handful of us, possibly fewer than five in a hundred, can understand the lyrics from beginning to end. This irony is profound, as the song uses the language of the oppressed to tell its story. Moreover, this language holds an inherent beauty, subtlety, and an emotional nuance that is hard to capture in other languages, and the song employs it masterfully. Unfortunately, only those familiar with Taiwanese Hokkien can fully appreciate this aspect. My understanding is limited, yet linguists in Taiwan recognize the depth and richness of the lyrics. The above was described through translation software; I apologize if any part sounds disrespectful or unclear. I’m truly glad that more people can enjoy this music.

[@user-jerryouoll]

我是看到這首歌才點進來的，沒想到他國的人也會來聽這首歌，這首歌真的很棒尤其是歌詞給我的感覺。

[@nil940]

Hello, I’m from Taiwan. I’m very happy that you reacted to this piece of music and shared your knowledge and professional insights. It gives people from other countries a better opportunity to understand our culture. Thank you so much! (My English is not very good, so I apologize if I’ve offended you.)

[@kyklos11]

I got goosebumps listening to the song after learning the history behind the lyrics (allegedly)

[@lonichiu4364]

Thanks for your listening. Please make more people know this song from Collage of Taiwan. I cry everytime when I heard this song.

[@badbadbadteacher]

Love from Taiwan!

[@lichardya]

Finally waiting for the analysis of this song! I would also like to share a clarification of a common misunderstanding here. That is, the song title cannot be understood literally! In fact, there is a note below the title: 『多羅大悲者，一切之慈母(The Great Compassionate One --Green Tara, the loving mother of all. )』Therefore, it would be more in line with the author's original intention to explain the obscure title in the most straightforward terms: "Even Green Tara feels sad (慈母悲哀) about the massacres happening everywhere(萬千花蕊)." Therefore, this song should not be about a mother waiting for her son to come home, but a wife waiting for her husband to come home (based on the social conditions in Taiwan during the 228 massacre (or White Terror period), and the allusion to Taiwanese Opera (歌仔戲) corresponding to the "white horse" in the lyrics).

[@wennychiu3916]

I really love this song, glad to see your reaction

[@roselai723]

Big surprise to see someone do the react on this band! Really love their music, and absolutely gorgeous lyrics!

[@cgcgcg486]

Thank you for supporting this song

[@chenyo0928]

Love this Taiwanese artist ~

[@PumpkinO-rq2be]

If you like Taiwan band, you must listen No Party For Cao Dong - 床 No Party For Cao Dong - 鬼

[@陳小胖-u8m]

From Taiwan!

[@rhioschen410]

try no.2 it's awesome! Collage fan from Taiwan

[@hello_man248]

Taiwanese songs ❤❤

[@wenyuanwu4876]

國民黨最噁心的就是每年228還會擺出一副"啊我就道歉賠錢了不然現在是要怎樣"的態度 你能想像當年納粹沒解散而且現在還是德國第二大黨，在面對猶太受難者後裔擺出"啊我都道歉賠錢了，你們每年是在吵三小"的態度嗎?

[@ingrid45640]

Thank you for your sharing.❤❤❤

[@ginshop]

This song describes young people in Taiwan who secretly read communist books and opposed the government at the time. They were arrested by the brutal government and disappeared without a trace. The song is told from the perspective of the victim’s mother, who waits at home in anguish for these youths, treated unjustly and unable to return home.

[@mxj2372]

This is not entirely true, because at that time the government strictly controlled all thoughts, speeches and behaviors. No matter what your identity was, there were already many Taiwanese scholars working for democratic politics during the Japanese colonial period.

[@多係能火靈聖獸]

外國人怎麼會感受這首歌，這首是描述國民黨統治下的黑暗時代又稱白色恐怖時期，1947年2月27/28之後的大屠殺再來就是進入白色恐怖時期

[@wenyuanwu4876]

我自己是覺得沒關係，要先有人喜歡這首歌才會有人想要了解歌詞內容，才能知道發生以前在台灣的事，才會知道當初屠殺台灣人的類納粹的政黨國民黨現在還有還沒解散

[@cacl26h2o6]

不一定，有幾種可能性 1即便聽不懂弦外之音，純粹意境也不錯阿。 2聽了之後不錯去了解背景知識 3或是說，唯有聽得懂詞才能享受曲嗎？

[@marsturtle]

@@cacl26h2o6 國外也是有各種大屠殺後的悲劇記憶的 最近的像是烏克蘭就遭遇到俄羅斯軍隊的屠村

[@ryanchen2501]

會懂的

[@林俊廷-h5d]

上面有一條留言說得很好啊。 國民黨最噁心的就是每年228還會擺出一副"啊我就道歉賠錢了不然現在是要怎樣"的態度 你能想像當年納粹沒解散而且現在還是德國第二大黨，在面對猶太受難者後裔擺出"啊我都道歉賠錢了，你們每年是在吵三小"的態度嗎?

[@zx123400]

This is sung in Taiwanese dialect

[@壓力]

😮

[@dearizam]

Love from Taiwan!