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1968年,Elvis Presley在NBC有個現場演唱會,叫做"'68 Comeback Special",之後,Elvis Preley有些滿有意思、頗具感情的歌曲,譬如"American Trilogy", "Kentucky Rain", "Always On My Mind", "Moody Blue"等等。我這次想介紹一首Elvis Presley翻唱的歌,"Promised Land",這首歌的原作者是Chuck Berry, 美國黑人搖滾樂手。Chuck Berry生於1926年(St. Louis),他曾寫過一篇短篇自傳,說明他和"Muddy Waters"(註一)見面的過程,以及如何以Maybellene這首歌贏得一只合約(註二)。Chuck Berry除了會唱歌外,作曲、寫詞都難不倒他,所代表的是美國搖滾音樂的開端,被譽為搖滾樂之父,他有幾首歌曲很有名,譬如"Johnny B. Goode", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "Roll Over Beethoven"等等,被很多歌手翻唱過,譬如Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison等等(註三)。
我第一次聽到"Promised Land",就對歌詞很有興趣,每次聽都會心一笑。有一次我翻Webster's Dictionary附錄的美國地圖,配合這首歌,覺得這歌詞寫的真是有趣極了(下面我貼了一張美國地圖,可以配著看)。事實上,這首歌曲,簡直就是Chuck Berry自己奮鬥的故事,我認為也可以代表了Elvis Presley從一個窮小子便成搖滾巨星的過程。當然歌詞和他們二人的經歷不相同,但在本質上是一樣的。這次的歌詞,我會做少許翻譯,因為有些地方相關美國地名。

Promised Land
Music & Lyrics by Chuck Berry

I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
Norfolk, 維吉尼亞州東南部靠海小鎮;Virginia,美國東部維吉尼亞州
California on my mind
這句話是標準淘金夢
I straddled that Greyhound
直接翻譯是「我跨坐在灰狗上」,greyhound意思是灰狗沒錯,但是也是美國大眾運輸公司「灰狗巴士」的名稱(Greyhound Bus Line),也就是說,這句話的真正意思是他在維吉尼亞州乘坐灰狗巴士要到加州去
And rode into Raleigh
Raleigh是北卡羅來納州的首都。Raleigh也是一個人的名字,Sir Walter Raleigh, 十六世紀的英國探險家、政治家、詩人。
And on across Caroline
穿越卡羅來納。這裡是指南北卡羅來納州。

We had motor trouble that turn into a struggle
Halfway across Alabam'
走到阿拉巴馬州的一半,車子引擎出問題了。
And that hound broke down and left us all stranded
灰狗不行了,所有乘客被迫下車
In downtown Birmingham
被丟在伯明罕市市區。這句話剛好配合了前兩句的"Halfway across Alabam'",因為Birmingham剛好就在阿拉巴馬州的中央偏上方。

Right away I brought me a through train ticket
我立刻買了張直達車的票
Ridin' across Mississippi clean
穿越密西西比的
And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham
然後那天晚上,我已在夜特快車上,駛離伯明罕
Smoking into New Orleans
開向紐奧良。New Orleans,路易斯安那州靠海城市,紐奧良爵士發源地。 爲什麼叫做"New" Orleans,是因為法國中部有個地名叫做"Orléans",可見紐奧良最早可能是法國人在美國佔領的地方。

Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
徵求便車,讓我離開路易斯安那州
Just to help me get to Houston Town
只要到休士頓就可以了
There are people there who care a little about me
And they won't let the poor boy down

Sure as you're born brought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hand
And I woke up high over Alburquerque
Alburquerque市, 在新墨西哥州的中央,靠Rio Grande(西班牙文,直接翻譯是"大河")河岸的城市
On a jet to the promised land

Working on a T-bone steak a la carte
T-bone steak, 丁骨牛排。A la carte,法文,意思是"Menus",不過特別指標明有每樣東西價錢的菜單。
Flying over to the golden state
Golden State就是California。
Ah when the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate

Swing low chariot come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone

Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
這兩句話我一直在想,如果Tidewater解釋成低窪地區的話,那麼41009又是什麼意思??(整首歌就是這兩句話我還不甚了解...)
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling
And the poor boy is on the line

Working on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the golden state
Ah when the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate

Swing low chariot come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone

Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling
And the poor boy is on the line



註一:Muddy Waters, 美國靈魂樂歌手。曾入搖滾名人堂。
註二:Chuck Berry的自傳請見"Rock and roll is here to stay :an anthology" edited by Willima McKeen。ISBN0393047008
註三:Elvis Presley(貓王);Jerry Lee Lewis, 美國搖滾樂手,1936年生於Ferriday,Louisiana;Bruce Springsteen, 美國搖滾歌手、民謠歌手,生於1949年;Roy Orbison,美國搖滾歌手,和貓王同時,生於1936年,死於1998年,著名歌曲是"Oh,Pretty Woman"。




Promised Land, Music & Lyrics by Chuck Berry
Sung by Elvis Presley in the album "Promised Land", first publishing in 1974
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