Explore the vibrant world of Cantopop with Edgar Chung on his CantoTalk Music Podcast, streaming on Spotify! Edgar has produced eight captivating episodes. Transcripts in Jyutping, written Cantonese, and English translations are available for each episode: Episode #1, Episode #2, Episode #3, Episode #4, Episode #5, Episode #6, Episode #7, and Episode #8.
Additionally, Edgar Chung has penned articles on Cantopop for Save Cantonese and recorded commentaries in Cantonese to accompany some of his writings.
Below are excerpts from three of his commentaries. Full transcripts in written Cantonese, Jyutping, and English translation will be accessible to members of the Cantonese Language Teachers Association.
大家好呀， 我叫 Edgar，今日同大家介紹一首廣東歌，首歌就係力臻嘅都市爬行 [2021]。喺香港樂壇入面，有樣嘢畀人鬧咗好耐，就係聽眾品味守舊，唱片公司唔肯創新，而令市面上嘅歌一式一樣，啲歌嘅曲風大部分都係 ballad，ballad 中文我哋俗稱K歌或者情歌。
而喺二零二一年，唱片公司Kingdom C嘅老闆Bert亞拔就發現而家香港中學生鍾意聽嗰啲歌同埋喺電台上面播嗰啲大明星大公司嘅歌其實有好大落差。
於是佢就搞咗個計劃叫Young Blood：呢個計劃就係要將六個擅長唔同曲風嘅歌手一個一個出道，呢六個曲風分別係 Melodic Rap、City Pop、K-Pop、Emo Electric Sound、Lofi HipHop同Aggressive Rap：都係一啲時下年青人好鍾意聽但係香港市場上冇嘅音樂。
而力臻作為第二位Young Blood佢玩嘅音樂就係City Pop喇。City Pop係一種七八十年代喺日本好流行嘅曲風，佢嘅特點係有簡單同重複嘅拍子 ……
大家好呀，我係Edgar。今日繼續同大家講廣東歌。今日同大家介紹嘅呢首歌，未必係最紅最出名，但係首歌對香港樂壇嘅歷史係非常重要，甚至可以話佢係一個紀錄時代變遷嘅分水嶺呀。呢首歌就係吳林峰同樂壇已死大合唱團嘅樂壇已死 [2021]。
相信大家都知道八十年代九十年代嘅廣東歌有幾金碧輝煌啦，嗰陣時唔單止係香港或者講廣東話嘅地方呀，係甚至成個東南亞嘅人都聽廣東歌呀。咁之後零零年一零年呢？如果你去維基百科粵語流行音樂嗰頁睇，你會見到佢哋形容呢段時間係香港樂壇嘅低潮期。咁究竟發生咩嘢事呢？有啲人就話係唱片公司唔肯創新，搞到啲歌聽嚟聽去都係參唔多款啦，有啲人話係聽眾品味守舊，留戀以前嘅歌而唔肯接受新事物啦，又有啲人話係頒獎禮商業化，淨係大公司或者係自己電視台電台嘅歌手先有得曝光同攞獎……具體原因好難深究，但係事實就係喺果十幾年，大家都寧願聽國語歌英文歌或者韓文歌日文歌，就算係聽廣東歌都淨係聽舊歌 ……
大家好呀，我係Edgar。今日繼續同大家講廣東歌。今日同大家介紹嘅係MastaMic馬米嘅破地獄 [2018]。
MastaMic出咗道已經十幾年，係香港比較早期去玩Hip Hop嘅一個rapper。佢亦都係香港比較罕見遊走喺主流同地下嘅一個歌手。因為香港好多rapper都唔會攞佢哋啲歌去電台宣傳，亦都好少會同其他主流歌手有交集，但係你除咗可以喺電台聽到MastaMic嘅歌之外，你亦會喺側田、鄭秀文，甚至陳奕迅、容祖兒，或者林俊傑嘅歌見到佢個名。
咁到底點解MastaMic咁巴閉呢？因為佢有兩個好特別嘅技能。 第一個技能就係佢嘅freestyle rap，即興說唱。即係你只要俾個音樂佢，佢就可以唔駛任何準備即時創作rap出嚟。填詞人小克係咁形容佢嘅：「如果話曹植可以七步成詩，MastaMic呢條友，飲大兩杯，我親眼睇過，用一步就得。」佢講嘅一啲都無誇張到，因為就算係香港其中一個最出名嘅 rapper 農夫嘅陸永都話 MastaMic 係佢成世人見過最勁嘅廣東話 freestyle rapper ……
Vocabulary Lists from Edgar's Posts with Recordings
- 想出街買 喺𨋢口又唔敢㩒掣落街
I want to buy [bathroom tissue], but I don’t even dare to touch the button (撳掣 gam6 zai3) in the elevator (𨋢 lip1, from British English “lift”) and go out (落街, lok6 gaai1) - 買口罩身家用哂
To buy masks, I used up my entire fortune – 用哂 jung6 saai3 means to “use something something up” - 搭小巴搭巴士 咪由佢飛站囉
Bus or minibus, [I don’t press the “stop” button,] I let it skip the stop (飛站 fei1 zaam6) - 趕唔切返公司 咪大腳射波
If I can’t make it to work on time (趕唔切 gon2 m4 cit3), I just call in sick (射波 se6 bo1, lit. “to shoot a ball,” sounds similar to 卸膊, se3 bok3, i.e. to shirk responsibility). - 就算燒到嚟 都唔會撳火警鐘
Even if there is fire, no one will press the fire alarm bell [火警鐘 fo2 ging2 zung1, required by HK’s law in every large building] - 放低執著就讓 一切隨風
Stop giving a damn and let all be gone with the wind!
Read the entire post on Instagram.
- 大浪避過後撞著壞氣候 daai6 long6 bei6 gwo3 hau6 zong6 zoek3 waai6 hei3 hau6
They thought that big waves are left behind, but the severe weather hits them hard - 一班精英嚇到變石像 jat1 baan1 zing1 jing1 haak3 dou3 bin3 sek6 zoeng6
The elites are petrified! - 草根的小百姓卻如常 cou2 gan1 dik1 siu2 baak3 sing3 koek3 jyu4 soeng4
The grassroots (草根 cou2 gan1) stay as usual - 瑟縮於家裡吃凍香腸 sat1 suk1 jyu1 gaa1 leoi5 hek3 dung3 hoeng1 coeng4
Cowering at home (瑟縮 sat1 suk1), eating a cold sausage - 互罵用粗口,大大力出手 wu6 maa6 jung6 cou1 hau2, daai6 daai6 lik6 ceot1 sau2
They call each other names, a bitter brawl has begun. - 這班精英個個四不像 ze5 baan1 zing1 jing1 go3 go3 sei3 bat1 zoeng6
The cream of the cream, beyond recognition! - 四不像 (sei3 bat1 zoeng6), lit. “four dissimilar,” the expression originally referred to a mythical beast, but has since evolved to describe things or people that are unrecognisable, an odd mix.
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- yuh yiu gīng héi jauh jeui hóu yāt héi
愈要驚喜 就最好一起
Stick together for more surprises to come - waahn naahn waahn behng yáh hóu yáh meih syun jouh jyuht deih
患難患病也好 也未算做絕地
Even through hardships and sickness, it’s not the end - hōi jēung hōi sām dōu hōi dāk héi dāk héi
(開張) 開心 (都開) 得起 (得起)
(Being) Happy! (Open) up now (up now) - jyu6 liu5 bat1 hei2 jyu6 mun5 zuk1 bat1 hei2
愈了不起 愈滿足不起
The more outstanding, the harder it is to be satisfied - yihn joih yiht naauh jing hóu yáuh dihn fong jeuhn meih
現在熱鬧正好 有電放盡未
It’s time to get hyped now, do you have energy left? - chān sān chān nīk dōu chān dāk héi dāk héi
(親身) 親暱 (都親) 得起 (得起)
(In person) let’s get close (Close) up now (up now)
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- 睇不到井底井底有多深
tai2 bat1 dou3 zeng2 dai2 zeng2 dai2 jau5 do1 sam1
I cannot see how deep the well is
Here, the Cantonese 睇 (tai2, to see) is used instead of 看 (hon3) from the Standard Chinese expression 看不到 (hon3 bat1 dou3, can’t see). - 只知道一朝失足會下沉
zi2 zi1 dou6 jat1 ziu1 sat1 zuk1 wui2 haa6 cam4
I only know that one misstep (失足 sat1 zuk1, lit. “to lose a foot”) is all it takes to fall
While the rest of the sentence is written in Standard Chinese, 一朝 (jat1 ziu1, one morning / one day) is a Classical Chinese expression. - 可惜置身低處往事不堪
ho2 sik1 zi3 san1 dai1 cyu3 wong5 si6 bat1 ham1
Unfortunately, down there, with unbearable past,
Both 置身 (zi3 san1, lit. “to place oneself”) and 往事不堪 (wong5 si6 bat1 ham1, or “unbearable events of the past”) are the Classical Chinese style, while the rest is Standard Chines - 美好難過問
mei5 hou2 naan4 gwo3 man6
I can’t bother about beauty - 營造了殘忍
jing4 zou6 liu5 caan4 jan2
Cruelty (殘忍 caan4 jan2) is all that’s left
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- nàhng guhng néih yāt héi
能共你一起
Being together with you - mòuh hàahn sih chyúh léih
無閒事處理
With no trifles to deal with - sèuhn wàih oi lohk jūk sām gēi
純為愛落足心機
Sparing no efforts for love - sèuih yauh yiu yúhn jáu gōu fēi
誰又要遠走高飛
Someone’s going to leave again - dāng sīk jiu pin deih
燈飾照遍地
Christmas lights are shining everywhere - tìhm maht dou yíng yìhng bāt lèih
甜蜜到影形不離
Sweet to the point of being inseparable - sìhng maahn jung fūn tàhng jī sìh chān yāt chān néih
乘萬眾歡騰之時親一親你
Joyfully kissing you in jubilation𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝑷𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈!
聖誕節 sing daan jit – Christmas
天使 tīn si – angel
詩歌 sī gō – hymn/carol
鹿車 luhk chē – reindeer sleigh
聖誕老人 sing daan lóuh yàhn – Santa Claus
燈飾 – dāng sīk – Christmas lights
聖誕樹 sing daan syuh – Christmas tree
薑餅 gēung béng – ginger bread
禮物 láih maht – gift
jing4 zou6 liu5 caan4 jan2
Cruelty (殘忍 caan4 jan2) is all that’s left
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- 對著作曲填詞罵句 deui jeuhk jok kūk tìhn chìh mah geui
Scold the composers and lyricists - 這乜水 怎麼可唱出 jéh māt séui jám mō hó cheung chēut
Who’s this [乜水 māt séui, usually derogatory], how can they sing - 垃圾金句 laahp saap gām geui
Such crappy punchlines - 香港歌手經已死 hēung góng gō sáu gīng yíh séi
Hong Kong singers are already [經已 gīng yíh – already] dead - 贈你這卡式機 聽返你舊時多優美 jahng néih jéh kāa sīk gēi tēng fāan néih gauh sí dō yāu méih
Here’s a cassette for you, go listen to your “beautiful” old-time [舊時 gauh sí, a pun on “a piece of shit” or 舊屎 gauh sí] music
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- néih faai lohk gwo sāng wuht ngóh ping mihng heui sāng chyùhn
你快樂過生活 我拼命去生存
You live happily as I try my best to survive - géi dō yàhn waih yū sāan jī dīn fú ham ngóh dīk pèih gyuhn
幾多人位於山之巔俯瞰我的疲倦
How many people are on the top of the mountain looking down on my weariness - hot mohng beih sìhng chyùhn nóuh lihk jouh yàhn sèuih pa hei chyún
渴望被成全 努力做人誰怕氣喘
Longing for approval, who’s afraid of working hard for a living? - daahn náh jūng dím gwa joih náh tīn bīn
但那終點 掛在那天邊
But the end goal hangs on the other side - néih gaai dihng líuh sāng wuht ngóh móuh yuhk líuh sāng chyùhn
你界定了生活 我侮辱了生存
You define my livelihood, I insult what living should be about - jí sīk yìh jaih yū sāan jī gūk jíng léih ngóh dīk lìhng lyuhn
只適宜滯於山之谷整理我的凌亂
I can only stay in the valley of the mountain to sort out my mess
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- 撚 nan2 – penis
- 裙腳仔 kwan4 goek3 zai2 – mommy’s boy
- 夠皮 gau3 pei2 – to be enough, to be satisfied
- 求其 kau4 kei4 – whatever
- 柒 cat6 – vulgar term for the penis (esp. flaccid), stupid, ugly
- 柒頭 cat6 tau4 – dumbass
- 窒機 zat6 gei1 – lag (on a computer, phone etc.)
- 叻 lek1 – smart, competent, good
- 冚旗 kam2 kei4 – to die, to cover the “for hire” sign on a taxi (e.g., for an off-duty taxi driver or illegal touting) (lit. to cover (a coffin) with a flag)
- 阿豬阿狗 aa5 zyu1 aa5 gau2 – ordinary people, whoever, anyone
- xx啱(晒)你 ngaam1 (saai3) nei5 – something suits you
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- sih lohng maahn dīk chūng gīk yeuhng ngóh sām tiu yáh yān chí jan duhng gwo
是浪漫的衝擊 讓我心跳也因此震動過
It’s the crash of romance, it makes my heart beat fast - biht líuh gáai bāt sīk po
別了解 不識破
Don’t try to decipher it
seuhn jeuk jihk gūn gám gok
順著直觀感覺
Just follow your instincts - sēung seun jéh git gwó
相信這結果
And believe in the outcome - jauh sih sèuhn suhk oi bāt léih deui waahk cho
就是純屬愛 不理對或錯
This is love in its purest form, doesn’t matter whether right or wrong
Read the complete post on Instagram.
pàh jáu pàh dou jeuhn tàuh
爬走 爬到盡頭
Crawling, I arrive at the endtòuh jáu muht yáuh chēut háu
逃走 沒有出口
Fleeing, I see no way outwùih sáu yuh séuhng gwaht tàuh louh
回首 遇上倔頭路
Returning, I reach a blind alleytìhng dāi mòhng keuk yīn mouh
停低 忘卻煙霧
Coming to a stop, only mist and obliviongwaht tàuh louh
倔頭路, or gwaht tàuh louh (gwat6 tau4 lou6), means “blind alley” or “dead-end.” You can say “我行咗條倔頭路” (ngóh hàahng jó tìuh gwaht tàuh louh) to say that you found yourself in a dead-end situation and have to 停低 (tìhngdāi), which means “to stop.” Both 倔頭路 and 停低 are typical Cantonese expressions.
náh léuih joih sím leuhng náh léuih yáuh lohk/ngohk jēung
那裏在閃亮 那裏有樂章
“there is light, and there is music”
Although the lyrics in City Crawling focus mostly on frustrated ambitions and social alienation, the last lines (那裏在閃亮 那裏有樂章, or “there is light, and there is music”) leave room for hope and self-affirmation. At the end of the MV, we see Lagchun walking up the stairs towards a mysterious light.
Read the complete post on Instagram.
- 最纏綿那些歌
jeui chìhn mìhn náh sē gō
The most touching songs - 以後也 會歸於你我
yíh hauh yáh wúih gwāi yū néih ngóh
Will always be for you and me in the future - 一世獨霸 濃情至極 普通人 難以奪下寶座
yāt sai duhk ba nùhng chìhng ji gihk póu tūng yàhn nàahn yíh dyuht hah bóu joh
Occupying you for life, love so saturated that others can’t overtake our throne - 要盡掃 愛的歌
yiu jeuhn sou oi dīk gō
We’re taking all the love songs - 也獨佔 明月共愛河
yáh duhk jim mìhng yuht guhng oi hòh
and the bright moon and the river of love for ourselves - 跟你熱吻 旁人要放閃 閃不過
gān néih yiht máhn pòhng yàhn yiu fong sím sím bāt gwo
Kissing passionately, other couples’ PDA cannot surpass our PDA - 比拼下去 旁人叫愛戀 也是錯
béi ping hah heui pòhng yàhn giu oi lyún yáh sih cho
It’s wrong for others to consider themselves in love in comparison to us💖 WORDS TO KNOW:
熱吻 yiht máhn: Passionate kiss
放閃 fong sím: PDA
愛戀 oi lyún: in love
纏綿 chìhn mìhn: Two people entangled in each other
- fān fān jūng dōu hot mohng gān tā gin mihn
分分鐘都渴望跟他見面
I desire to meet him every minute - mahk mahk deih chyúh hauh yihk chùhng lòih muht yun
默默地佇候亦從來沒怨
Waiting silently and never complaining - fān fān jūng dōu hot mohng yúh tā sēung gin
分分鐘都渴望與他相見
I desire to see him every minute - joih louh seuhng pung jeuk yihk lohk séuhng géi tīn
在路上碰著亦樂上幾天
Bumping into him makes me happy for days - 就是純屬愛 不理對或錯
This is love in its purest form, doesn’t matter whether right or wrong
Read the complete post on Instagram.