Music

Music Video: Where Did All The Time Go?

Song Title: 时间都到哪儿去了 Where Did All The Time Go?
Music Composer: 冬冬 (Dǒng Dōngdōng)
Lyrics Composer: 陈曦 (Chén Xī)
Performed by: 王铮亮 (Wáng Zhēngliàng)
Published: 2010

Background: Old Niu’s Family War, a TV show about the Niu family’s internal struggle for obtaining inheritance, requested for the musicians Dǒng Dōngdōng and Chén Xī (who are a married couple) to compose a theme song for the TV show. Chén Xī was inspired to write the lyrics by her mother’s 60th birthday. When she saw her mother’s appearance, how after ‘experiencing the daily struggles of life for a half a lifetime, in the blink of an eye all that was left was all the winkles that filled her face,’ she became overcome with the feeling that time seemed to slip past so fast without us noticing. After Chén Xī finished writing the lyrics, Dǒng Dōngdōng immediately composed the accompanying music.        

 

Original Music Video:

MV created in Dec 23, 2013:

 

Performance by 张靓颖 (Zhāng Jìngyǐng) which introduced me to this song:

 

MV Words:


1 year old – Mama

3 year old – Mommy, I love you

5 year old – I want to hurry and grow up. Mama will forever be beautiful.

10 year old – Mom, whatever.

14 year old – Mom, you’re so annoying.

16 year old – I don’t need you to mind my business!

18 year old – I’m leaving this family.

20 year old – Mom, I miss you.

24 year old – Mom, back then, you were right.

27 year old – Mom, I’ll miss you.

29 year old – Only those who have been mothers understand the meaning of ‘mother.’

33 year old – Time, please slow down. Don’t make Mom age anymore.

In this world, there is only one person you always owe.

Mom

Lyrics:

mén qián lǎo shù cháng xīn yá

门前老树长新芽

yuàn lǐ kū mù yòu kāi huā

院里枯木又开花

bàn shēng cún le hǎo duō huà

半生存了好多话

cáng jìn liǎo mǎn tóu bái fā

藏进了满头白发

 

New sprouts were growing on the old tree in front of the house,

In the courtyard, the withered tree was beginning to bloom again.

During this half lifetime, a lot of words were stored,

Hidden in this head of white.

 

jì yì zhōng dí xiǎo jiǎo yā

记忆中的小脚丫

ròu dū dū de xiǎo zuǐ bā

肉嘟嘟的小嘴巴

yī shēng bǎ ài jiāo gěi tā

一生把爱交给他

zhī wéi nà yī shēng bà mā

只为那一声爸妈

 

The small little child in our memories,

With that chubby little mouth.

We gave our entire lifetime of love to him,

Solely for that cry of ‘mom, dad.’

 

shí jiān dōu qù nǎ’ér le

时间都去哪儿了

huán méi hǎo hǎo gǎn shòu nián qīng jiù lǎo le

还没好好感受年轻就老了

shēng ér yǎng nǚ   yī bèi zǐ

生儿养女 一辈子

mǎn nǎo zǐ dōu shì hái zǐ kū le xiào le

满脑子都是孩子哭了笑了

 

Where did all the time go?

Before we even properly enjoyed our youths, we had already become old.

Giving birth to sons and raising daughters. This lifetime,

All our memories are filled with scenes of when the children cry, when they laugh.

 

shí jiān dū qù nǎ’ér le

时间都去哪儿了

huán méi hǎo hǎo kàn kàn nǐ yǎn jīng jiù huā le

还没好好看看你眼睛就花了

chái mǐ yóu yán   bàn bèi zi

柴米油盐 半辈子

zhuǎn yǎn jiù zhī shèng xià mǎn liǎn de zhòu wén le

就只剩下满脸的皱纹了

 

Where did all the time go?

Before I could even get a good look at you, my eyesight is already beginning to fade.

The daily struggles, after half a lifetime,

In the blink of an eye, all that’s left is this face full of wrinkles.

(added lyrics in Zhāng Jìngyǐng’s performance, from Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey)

Will you still love me

When I’m no longer young and beautiful

Will you still love me

When I got nothing but my aching soul

 

I know you will

I know you will

I know that you will

Will you still love me

When I’m no longer beautiful

(end added lyrics)

jì yì zhōng dí xiǎo jiǎo yā

记忆中的小脚丫

ròu dū dū de xiǎo zuǐ bā

肉嘟嘟的小嘴巴

yī shēng bǎ ài jiāo gěi tā

一生把爱交给他

zhī wéi nà yī shēng bà mā

只为那一声爸妈

 

The small little child in our memories,

With that chubby little mouth.

We gave our entire lifetime of love to him,

Solely for that cry of ‘mom, dad.’

 

shí jiān dōu qù nǎ ér le

时间都去哪儿了

huán méi hǎo hǎo gǎn shòu nián qīng jiù lǎo le

还没好好感受年轻就老了

shēng ér yǎng nǚ   yī bèi zǐ

生儿养女 一辈子

mǎn nǎo zǐ dōu shì hái zǐ kū le xiào le

满脑子都是孩子哭了笑了

 

Where did all the time go?

Before we even properly enjoyed our youths, we had already become old.

Giving birth to sons and raising daughters. This lifetime,

All our memories are filled with scenes of when the children cry, when they laugh.

 

shí jiān dū qù nǎ’ér le

时间都去哪儿了

huán méi hǎo hǎo kàn kàn nǐ yǎn jīng jiù huā le

还没好好看看你眼睛就花了

chái mǐ yóu yán   bàn bèi zi

柴米油盐 半辈子

zhuǎn yǎn jiù zhī shèng xià mǎn liǎn de zhòu wén le

就只剩下满脸的皱纹了

 

Where did all the time go?

Before I could even get a good look at you, my eyesight is already beginning to fade.

The daily struggles, after half a lifetime,

In the blink of an eye, all that’s left is this face full of wrinkles.

 

(added lyrics in Zhāng Jìngyǐng’s performance)

Will you still love me

When I’m no longer young and beautiful

Will you still love me

When I got nothing but my aching soul

 

All that grace

All that body

All that face makes me wanna party

He’s my sun

He makes me shine

Like diamonds

 

shí jiān dū qù nǎ’ér le

时间都去哪儿了 Where did all the time go?

shí jiān dū qù nǎ’ér le

时间都去哪儿了

 

I know you will

I know you will

shí jiān dū qù nǎ’ér le

时间都去哪儿了

 

Will you still love me

When I’m no longer beautiful

 

(end added lyrics)

 

#comment: I think, most people have to rebel at least a little in order to define their own space in this world. But, we can rebel more gently, without rejecting the people that care about us, it’s just a matter of remembering, trying, and keeping some stuff that they don’t need to know secrets for as long as necessary. =_=”

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