2016-01-07 17:08:49流浪阿狗

老歌亂談(528)Me and Bobby McGee



美國歌手兼歌曲作家Kris Kristofferson尚未正式出道前,除了在唱片公司寫歌,也同時在商用直昇機公司兼差擔任駕駛員。某日,他正要離開唱片公司去開直昇機,老闆Fred Foster打電話給他,說已想好了一首歌名 ---《Me and Bobby McGee》,要他在航程中開始構思創作。其實,Bobby McGee是同棟樓中另外一位音樂人的女秘書的名字。



參考了1954的電影《La Strada / 大路》的故事,以及歌曲《Why You Been Gone So Long》的旋律,再經過自己一番的醞釀,Kris Kristofferson終於完成了此首《Me and Bobby McGee》。1969由Roger Miller首錄發行,在告示牌鄉村及熱門榜分別獲得12及22名。1970,Gordon Lightfoot的版本在鄉村榜為第13名 ( 在他自己的家鄉加拿大則是No. 1 )。

1970,美國迷幻搖滾女歌手Janis Joplin也翻唱此曲,並收錄在其專輯《Preal》中,但在此專輯的錄唱期間,Janis Joplin被發現死於旅館房間的地板上,死因為服用過多的海洛因毒品及酒精,享年僅27歲。Janis Joplin在1967的「Monterey流行音樂節」上開始嶄露頭角,接著在1969的「Woodstock音樂節」,更成為被宣傳號召觀眾的重要歌手。或許由於她的意外死亡,使得她的這首《Me and Bobby McGee》受到更多的關注,1971一舉衝上了熱門榜的第一名。也是繼Otis Redding的《Sitting On The Dock of The Bay》之後,第二位身後獲得熱門榜冠軍曲的歌手。

這也算是一首公路歌曲。無論是一起流浪、攔搭便車,或是分手各自追尋理想,感覺處處充滿著自由的氣息。「Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose」,說起來似乎輕鬆自在,但這樣的生活真的會很快樂嗎?可能只有親身去體驗過後才會知道吧……。

Kris Kristofferson和Janis Joplin之前即已認識,並曾約會過,但這首歌並非是寫給Joplin的。Kristofferson並不諱言,由於Janis Joplin的翻唱此曲,使得他之前並不怎麼樣的歌唱事業,進入到了一個新的層次。





Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train
And I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
It rode us all the way to New Orleans

I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna
I was playin' soft while Bobby sang the blues, yeah
Windshield wipers slappin' time, I was holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', don't mean nothin' hon' if it ain't free, no no
And, feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues
You know, feelin' good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGhee

From the Kentucky coal mine to the California sun
There Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done
Yeah, Bobby baby kept me from the cold

One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away
He's lookin' for that home, and I hope he finds it
But, I'd trade all of my tomorrows, for a single yesterday
To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', that's all that Bobby left me, yeah
But, feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues
Hey, feelin' good was good enough for me, mm-hmm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGhee

La da da
La da da da
La da da da da da da da
La da da da da da da da
Bobby McGhee, yeah

La da da da da da da
La da da da da da da
La da da da da da da
Bobby McGhee, yeah

La da La la da da la da da la da da
La da da da da da da da da
Hey, my Bobby
Oh, my Bobby McGhee, yeah

La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Hey, my Bobby
Oh, my Bobby McGhee, yeah

Well, I call him my lover, call him my man
I said, I call him my lover did the best I can, c'mon
Hey now, Bobby now
Hey now, Bobby McGhee, yeah

Woo
La da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la la
Hey, hey, hey Bobby McGhee, yeah
La da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la da, la
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGhee, yeah