最近比較煩 / Feeling More Troubled Recently

Thoughts on Lyrics

This is a very interesting, lighthearted song about three men in different age groups sharing their everyday worries. Their worries tend to struck a chord with real life worries, hence making the song very relatable to most.

Victor/品冠represents the 20s group. His worries are his girlfriend, fledgling career, and money to support his lifestyle. He is also at a junction where he has not found his place in the new city after leaving his hometown.

Emil/周華健 represents the 30-40s group. His worries are money to support his family, and his children.

Jonathan/李宗盛 represents the 50+ group. His worries are age and fear of being phased out, and a hint of midlife crisis as implied by the Viagra line.

The three of them keep boasting how each of them is more troubled than the rest, but after a while, they decide to stop worrying about those things as they feel it’s all worth it.

Note: This song is a gem amongst Chinese songs as it is not about love. About 90% of Chinese songs are about love, breakups, and love. Only occasionally will you find a song that uses societal issues as theme. That’s why we miss Beyond badly.

Thoughts on Arrangement

The melody is arranged in a relaxed, upbeat mood that even though the song reminds listeners of their troubles, they will most likely end up laughing at themselves for worrying too much.

Video

最近比較煩
Feeling more troubled/vexed recently

Singers: 周華健, 李宗盛, 品冠 (Emil Chou, Jonathan Lee, Victor Ping Guan)
Lyricist：李宗盛
Composers：周華健, 李宗盛, 品冠

品：最近比較煩 比較煩 比較煩
總覺得日子過得有一些極端
我想我還是不習慣
從沒沒無聞到有人喜歡

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently. More troubled. More troubled.
I feel that each day has been lived to its limit.
I think I am just not used to it yet.
From nobody cares to having someone liking me.

周：最近比較煩 比較煩 比較煩
總覺得鈔票一天比一天難賺
朋友常常有意無意調侃
我也許有天改名叫周轉

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently. More troubled. More troubled.
I keep feeling that money is progressively harder to earn each day.
Friends often intentionally and unintentionally ridicule me.
That maybe one day I will change my name to “cash flow”.
[Leo: This is an amusing play on Emil’s surname 周. When money is tight, we usually say 周轉不通 which means cash flow is blocked]

李：最近比較煩 比較煩 比較煩
我看那前方怎麼也看不到岸
那個後面還有一班天才追趕 哎呦
寫一首皆大歡喜的歌 是越來越難

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently. More troubled. More troubled.
I cannot see the shore ahead.
From behind, there are tons of geniuses catching up … I-yo (oh my god).
Composing a happy song is getting harder and harder.

品：最近比較煩 比較煩 比較煩
陌生的城市何處有我的期盼
揮別了家鄉的伙伴
現在的我更覺得孤單

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently. More troubled. More troubled. 
Where in this unfamiliar city I can look forward to.
After parting ways with my hometown buddies.
The current me feels even more lonely.

周：最近比較煩 比較煩 比較煩
女兒說六加六結果等於十三
我問老段說怎麼辦
他說基本上這個很難

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently. More troubled. More troubled.
My daughter said 6 + 6 = 13
I ask Old Duan (nickname), “What should I do?”
He said, “Basically, this is very hard.”
[Leo: Usually people tend use 基本上/basically with 不難/not hard. This is a playful joke by inserting a slight pause in between and using unexpected opposite word]

李：最近比較煩 比你煩 也比你煩
我夢見和飯島愛一起晚餐
夢中的餐廳燈光太昏暗
我遍尋不著那藍色的小藥丸

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently. More troubled than you. Also more troubled than you.
I dreamed about having dinner with Ai Iijima (a Japanese adult video star).
In the dream, the restaurant lighting was too dim.
I could not find that little blue pill (Viagra).

周：人生總有遠的近的麻煩
太太每天嫌我回家太晚
品：女友媽媽嫌我長得寒酸
雖然我已每天苦幹實幹

Life always comes with distant and close troubles.
My wife dislikes that I get home too late every day.
My girlfriend’s mother dislikes that I look shabby.
Ignoring the fact that I work hard every day.

合：管它什麼 天大麻煩 久而久之
我會習慣 天下沒有不要錢的午餐

Regardless of how big the trouble is, after a while,
I will get used to it. There is no free lunch in this world.

李：太太發現秘書裙子很短
她就買了八千塊的耳環
周：女兒太胖 兒子不肯吃飯
品：車子太爛 銀行沒有存款

My wife found out that my secretary’s skirt was very short.
So she bought $8,000 earrings. [Leo: A playful rhyme on 短/short and 耳環/earrings]
Daughter is too fat. Son is not willing to eat.
Car is too old. No cash in my saving account.

合：麻煩 麻煩 麻煩 麻煩
麻煩 我很麻煩 麻煩 麻煩 麻煩
Troubled ….

周：最近比較煩
品：比較煩
李：我比較煩 我的頭髮只剩下從前的一半
周：每天的工作排得太滿
品：台北的女生有些高不可攀 最近比較煩
李：比較煩
周：比較煩 我只是心煩卻還沒有混亂
品：你們的關心讓我溫暖
李：家是我最甘心的負擔

I’m feeling more troubled than usual recently.
More troubled.
I AM more troubled. My hair is only half of what it used to be.
My work schedule is packed.
Taipei’s girls are rather unattainable. [Leo: high-maintenance]
Your caring about me gives me warmth
Home is a burden I am most willing to carry.

合：不煩 我不煩 只有一點煩
    你比我煩 我情願心甘 我不煩
    不煩 我不煩 我不煩 我不煩
    我只有一點煩 你和我一樣
    我不煩 不煩 我不煩 我真的不煩
    我不煩 不煩 人生很燦爛
    燦爛 我不煩 不煩 你比我煩
    你比較煩 你比較煩 我不煩

No problem. I’m not troubled. Just a little bit troubled.
You’re more troubled than I am. I feel willingly (doing all those things). I’m not bothered.
No problem. I’m not bothered …
I just have a little stress. You’re like me.
I’m not stressed, I’m really not bothered.
I’m not stressed, life is brilliant.
Brilliant. I’m not stressed. You’re more stressed.
YOU are more stressed. I’m not.

我一點都不煩 我不煩
I am not a bit stressed. I’m not.