老歌亂談(1198)Texas ( When I Die )
此曲為美國鄉村歌手Ed Bruce與人所合寫,並於1977由其首錄發行,單曲獲得告示牌鄉村榜第52名。次年,美國鄉村女歌手Tanya Tucker翻唱此曲,卻拿下了排行榜的第5名。
其實,雖然倆人的版本在排行榜的成績有差距,但未必代表Tanya的版本就一定是優,這其中也關乎歌手的知名度、發行的唱片公司及行銷等等因素,而最主要的還是要看聽歌者個人的喜好。
歌曲的內容還滿讓人有感覺的。開始說的是死後可能不會去天堂,因不知那裡是否接納牛仔?若否,那就讓他回到德州去吧!且德州又近在咫尺。紐約並不吸引他,在底特律則不能唱他的歌 ( 底特律人口非裔佔多數,應該不喜歡西部鄉村歌曲。),就算來日發現他在達拉斯busted flat ( 一文不名?),他也不在乎,因為知道自己是在家鄉。這有點像是俗語「金窩銀窩不如自己的狗窩」,也有「落葉歸根」的念想願望。
Tanya有些版本將歌詞中Merle Haggard改成了Willie Nelson,但我聽Ed Bruce唱的應也不是Merle Haggard。
2021,Ed Bruce 自然死亡於田納西州的Clarksville ( 克拉克斯維爾 ),享壽81歲。並未如歌曲中的願望葬於德州,想來是天堂已經接納他了。
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When I die, I may not go to heaven
'Cause I don't know if they let cowboys in
If they don't, just let me go to Texas
Texas is as close as I've been
New York couldn't hold my attention
Detroit City could not sing my song
If tomorrow finds me busted flat in Dallas
Well, I won't care, at least I'll know I'm home
When I die, I may not go to heaven
'Cause I don't know if they let cowboys in
If they don't, just let me go to Texas
Texas is as close as I've been
I'd ride through all of Hell and half of Texas
Just to hear Merle Haggard(?) sing a country ( cowboy?) song
Beer just ain't as cold in old Milwaukee
My body's here, but my soul's in San Antone
When I die, I may not go to heaven
'Cause I don't know if they let cowboys in
If they don't, just let me go to Texas
Texas is as close as I've been