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5 Songs That Most Chinoys Know

No matter how “cool” and “advanced” your preferences have gotten since high school, the opening of the songs we will discuss in this article will almost certainly transport you back in time. Most— if not all— Chinoys either sang along to this song alone or with friends or passively listened to it as their parents or grandparents played it while driving them to school. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the songs Chinoys have heard throughout their childhood. Here are five for you to sing along to and reminisce about:

1. Tong Hua or “Fairy Tale”

Fairy Tale is a well-known yet sad song among Mandarin music enthusiasts. In the music video, the singer, Guang Liang appears on stage and sits down in front of a piano. The audience applauds and waits while he pushes a few buttons on his cell phone before placing it on the piano. A girl laying in a hospital bed grins as he begins to play the piano.

There are several flashbacks, one of which is very significant. Guang Liang and the girl are watching a Japanese film while the girl sobs on his shoulder. She asks him what he’s gazing at like she always does, but she stops. When they draw away, her nose is bleeding and some of it has gone onto Guang Liang’s face. All she does is chuckle and wipe his brow. Guang Liang transports her to the hospital in the following flashbacks. In the end, as Guang Liang finishes the song, she closes her eyes and passes away. There has been some discussion about whether or not Fairy Tale was based on a genuine story. According to speculations, the song is dedicated to a lover or sister who died of a serious disease.

Despite the sad meaning behind the song, many Chinoys often listen to this song in the car, sing along to it in Karaoke sessions,  and even rewatch the video for the nostalgic factor. 

 

2. Peng You or “Friends”

“Friends” is a Taiwanese song sung by Wakin Chau. “Friends,” as the title suggests, shows the bonds they have formed and strengthened over the years and how they were able to face many obstacles that have come their way together as friends. It’s a timeless piece that many people can relate to or even desire to have— true friends who are there for you no matter what. 

Similar to Tong Hua, many Chinoys remember Peng You from school, karaoke, or Kim Chiu’s numerous renditions of the song.

 

3. Lao Shu Ai Da Mi or “Mice Love Rice”

“Mice Love Rice” is a Chinese pop song composed by Yang Chengang, a then unknown music instructor, that achieved popularity across Asia after being shared online. Yang’s friend Wang Qiwen sang the original free internet version. 

The song is a typical love song that many love to sing along to when they’re feeling nostalgic, heartbroken, and in love. One of the song’s highlights is a memorable hook centered on the line “I love you, loving you / As mice adore rice.”

4. Tian Mi Mi or “Sweet Honey”

Tian Mimi is about a girl who sees a man that she can’t remember where she saw him before, but he’s very familiar with. She says his grin is as sweet as honey and later compares it to spring flowers budding. Both are quite appealing, but honey does not spoil, whilst flowers wilt rapidly. In other ways, she means that she feels like she’s known him for a long time but understands that their time together is limited.

She then wonders, “zai na li jian guo ni,” “where have I seen you before?” since she recognizes him. After a while, she realizes it was all a dream. The actual implication, however, is that she does know him— although from a previous existence. It is based on the belief in reincarnation. She was in love with him and they had been together in a previous life, but in this song she sees him going by and feels the love she can’t forget or recall. They don’t recognize each other and pass each other by in an instant.

Similar to Lao Shu Ai Da Mi, Tian Mimi is a love song that many love to sing along to when they’re feeling nostalgic, heartbroken, and in love. It’s a song many sing wherever they go—whether it’d be alone in their car or in front of a karaoke machine with friends.

 

5. Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin or “The Moon Represents My Heart”

The Moon Represents My Heart by Teresa Teng is frequently referred to as “one of the most well-known and cherished Chinese songs of all time.”

With the moon in the sky and the stars twinkling around it, nighttime is often seen as a romantic time. The moonlight dispels the night’s blackness and signifies her heart, indicating that she is in love. The sensation of love does not continue day in and day out. It comes and goes, and when it disappears, the successful couples are determined. The moon changes all the time, from full to half-moon to crescent, followed by several moonless nights — then, mysteriously, the crescent moon returns, swells to half-moon, and ultimately becomes full again. This is how love looks for many people. It varies from time to time, yet it is always present.

The entire song depicts how insanity goes from the physical environment to a person’s private life to their psyche, and how they have a mental collapse. Finally, the song appears to imply that individuals grow insane by constantly fighting with each other. Thus, depending on the circumstances, the moon may take on many colors and hues and reflect a wide range of emotions. It may range from a very solemn and dark tone, as in “brain damage,” to a very beautiful and dreamy approach, as in “the moon represents my heart.”

With the Mid-autumn festival coming very near, this is definitely a great song to listen to as you eat mooncakes with your family.

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