中国 Song Spotlight: Long De Chuan Ren
The song Long De Chuan Ren 龙的传人 known in English as “The Descendants of the Dragon” is a tribute from Taiwanese pop superstar Wang Lee Hom 王力宏 to his Chinese cultural heritage.
Growing up in the US Lee Hom longed to get back to his motherland, back to the culture of his ancestors, back to the place that truly felt like his home and eventually he did. Now he’s one of the most adored artists in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong not to mention loved by a few Chinese pop music enthusiast foreign girls!
English Translation
The far east has a river (jiang)
Its name is the Long River (Chang Jiang)
The far east has a river (he)
Is name is the Yellow River (Huang He)The ancient Orient has a dragon
Its name is China (Zhong Guo)
The ancient Orient has a group of people
They are all descendants of the dragonI grew up underneath this huge dragon’s feet
After growing up, I am a descendant of the dragon
Black eyes, black hair, yellow skin
Forever, forever, a descendant of the dragon
But this song goes far beyond paying homage to China. It goes on to tell the story of his parents immigration to the US. It tells the tale of their courage to leave behind their homeland Taiwan in search of opportunity in America, to build a life from scratch “No money, no job, no speak no English.” No only did they conquer the language barrier but they made something great of themselves, built a prosperous life for their family that gave Wang Lee Hom the opportunities to nurture his musical talents that led to his future of pop stardom!
English Rap
Now here’s a story that’ll make you cry
Straight from Taiwan they came
Just a girl and a homeboy in love
No money, no job, no speak no English
Nobody gonna give ‘em the time of day
In a city so cold they made a wish
And then they had the strength to graduate with honors
And borrowed fifty just to consummate a marriage
Under GOD, who never left their side
Gave their children pride
Raise your voices high
Love will never die
Never die……
Long De Chuan Ren, it’s not just another sappy love song, it tells a compelling story that I’m sure so many immigrants can relate to and on top of that it’s a good tune to dance and sing to!
Do you love Chinese music? Check out all our “中国 Song Spotlight’s” for some great tunes, entertaining videos and to practice for your next KTV session!
Category: Chinese Music
