遇到舊情人-哈利薛平(Harry Chapin)的〈計程車〉(Taxi)與〈續集〉(Sequel)
D Am D Am
It was raining hard in Frisco 三藩市大雨滂沱
D Am D Am
I needed one more fare to make my night我還需賺一趟車資以度過今晚
D Am D Am
A lady up ahead waved to flag me down一位女郎在前方招手攔車
C Bb D D Am/D D Am/D
She got in at the light在車燈照射中她坐進車子
D Am/D D Am/D
Where you going to my Lady Blue我的憂鬱女郎你要去哪裡
D Am/D D Am/D D Am/D
It’s a shame you ruined your gown in the rain真遺憾妳的禮服在大雨中毀了
D Am/D D Am/D
She just looked out the window她正望著窗外
C Bb
She said, "16 Parkside Lane."她說「公園道16巷」
D - Am/D - D - Am/D - C - Bb - D - C - Bb - D - Am/D
D Am/D D Am/D
Something about her was familiar總感覺她很面熟
D Am/D D Am/D
I could swear I seen her face before我發誓我之前看過她的臉
D Am/D D Am/D
But she said, "I’m sure you’re mistaken."但她說「我確定你認錯人了」
C Bb D - Am/D - D - Am/D
And she didn’t say anything more. 接著她不再發一語
D Am/D D Am/D
It, took a while but she looked in the mirror 望著鏡中的她過了一會
D Am/D D Am/D
Then she glanced at the license for my name 她看著執照上我的名字
D Am/D D Am/D
A smile seemed to come to her slowly. 慢慢地她臉上泛起一抹微笑
C Bb D Am/D - D - Am/D
It was a sad smile just the same 和往常一樣的哀怨的笑容
G D
And she said, "How are you, Harry?" 然後她說「哈利，你好嗎？」
C G D
I said, "How are you, Sue? 我說「你好嗎？蘇」
G D Bm
Through the too many miles and the too little smiles 一路走來笑意已稀
Em7 Em/A D Am/D
I still remember you." 我仍然記得妳
D - Am/D - D - Am/D - D - Am/D - D - Am/D
D - Am/D - C - Bb - D - Am/D – D
Am/D D Am/D D Am/D
It was somewhere in a fairy tale 宛如童話故事一般
D Am/D D Am/D
I used to take her home in my car 我曾經開車載她回家
D Am/D D Am/D
We learned about love in the back of a Dodge, 在道奇車的後座我們學會愛
C Bb D - Am/D - D - Am/D
The lesson hadn’t gone too far 彷彿就在不久之前
G Em
You see, she was gonna be an actress你看看，她將成為一個女演員
D Bm
And I was gonna learn to fly 而我將去學習飛行
G D
She took off to find the footlights, 她迎向舞台燈光
C Bb D Am/D
I took off to find the sky. 我啟程發現藍天
D - C - C – C
C
Oh, I've got something inside me 哦！我內心忐忑
Bm E7
To drive the princess blind 拉上車窗的公主簾
Am Am/G Am/F# Am/G Am Am/F# Am/E
There’s a wild man wizard he’s hiding in me 我體內藏著狂野男巫師
D Em
Illuminating my mind 振奮我心
C
I got something inside me我內心忐忑
Bm E7
Not what my life’s about 非關我的人生
Am Am/G Gm/F# Am/G Am Am/G Am/F#
’Cause I been letting my outside tide me 因為我已隨波逐流
Bbmaj7 Ebmaj7
Over ’til my time runs out. 直到我的時間耗盡
Ebmaj7 - Ebmaj7 - Ebmaj7 - Bbmaj7 – F
F Cmaj7
Baby’s so high that she’s skying 幻想著寶貝如此興奮
Gm 7 C 7
Yeah she’s flying, but afraid to fall 耶！她飄飄然，但深怕墜落
F Fmaj7 Em
And I’ll tell you why Baby’s crying 我將告訴你為何寶貝在哭泣
Am 9 Gm 9 D Am/D
’Cause she’s dying, aren’t we all? 因為她傷心欲絕，我們不也都會如此嗎?
D Am/D D Am/D
There was not much more for us to talk about 我們已沒有甚麼好說的
D Am/D D Am/D
Whatever we had once was gone. 我們曾經擁有的已逝去
D Am/D D Am/D
So I turned the cab into the driveway 於是我將車子轉進車庫前的車道
C Bb D - Am/D
Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns 穿過大門是一片修剪整齊的草坪
D Am/D
And she said, "We must get together." 她說「我們得要常聚聚」
D Am/D D - Am/D
But I knew it’d never be arranged. 但我知道這不會再發生
D Am/D D Am/D
And she handed me twenty dollars for a two-fifty fare 2.5元車資她遞給我20元
C Bb
She said, "Harry, keep the change." 她說「哈利，別找了」
D - Am/D - D - Am/D
Dadd2
Well another man might have been angry 有的男人會憤怒
And another man might have been hurt 有的男人會受傷
But another man never would have let her go 有的男人不會讓她離開
C Bb D - Am/D - D - Am/D
I stashed the bill in my shirt. 而我只是把錢塞進襯衫
G D
And she walked away in silence 她默默的走開
C G D
It’s strange how you never know 一種從未感受過的怪異
G D Bm
But we’d both gotten what we’d asked for 但是我們都已各取所需
Em7 Em/A D Am/D - D - Am/D
Such a long, long time ago 在很久很久以前
D Am/D D Am/D
You see, she was gonna be an actress 你看看，她將成為一個女演員
D Am/D D Am/D
And I was gonna learn to fly 而我將去學習飛行
D Am/D D Am/D
She took off to find the footlights 她迎向舞台燈光
C Bb D - Am/D - D - Am/D
I took off to find the sky 我啟程發現藍天
G Em
And here she’s acting happy, 她假裝很快樂
D Bm
Inside her handsome home 在她美輪美奐的家裡
G D
And me I’m flying in my taxi 而我在計程車裡翱翔
C Bb D
Taking tips and getting stoned吸食毒品陷入迷幻恍惚
Em A D Am /D D - Am/D
I go flying so high when I’m stoned 迷幻恍惚間我飛的很高(興奮陶醉)
這首〈計程車〉(Taxi)是由哈利薛平(Harry Chapin)詞曲演唱，也是他的成名曲，選自1972年《標題與故事》(Heads and Tales)專輯。歌曲講述的是雨夜裡一個沉溺毒品的潦倒計程車司機載到一名女客，女客正是他昔日的情人蘇(Sue)，在當時已經是頗有名氣的女明星。兩個人短暫交談後，陷入沉默，一路上哈利回憶起兩人過往種種。
哈利的歌常是其人生經驗的投射，哈利曾說這首〈計程車〉的真實性有6成。在彼得柯恩(Peter M. Coan) 所寫的哈利薛平自傳《計程車：哈利薛平的故事》(Taxi: The Harry Chapin Story)中，提到這位蘇小姐的真名為克蕾芮麥金泰(Clare MacIntyre)，當時就讀班奈特二專(Bennett Junior College)，兩人因分別在相鄰的夏令營擔任輔導員而結識。
哈利憶起當年倆人在道奇車的後座學會愛，她夢想成為一個女演員，而哈利想當飛行員。於是「她迎向舞台燈光，哈利啟程發現藍天」，勾勒出整曲最優美的樂句與意象，也隱喻著倆人註定不能長久。事實上，哈利在高職畢業後，確曾短暫就讀美國空軍官校(United States Air Force Academy)，但不知何故輟學，轉讀康乃爾大學，不過也沒讀畢業。在這段「啟程發現藍天」優美的樂句後，緊接著是大提琴急促的擦弦聲，引領出整曲的關鍵：「哦！我內心忐忑，拉上車窗的公主簾(To drive the princess blind)。我體內藏著狂野男巫師，振奮我心。我內心忐忑，非關我的人生，因為我已隨波逐流，直到我的時間耗盡。」這段歌詞描繪男主角飛行員沒當成，開計程車維生，失志而沉淪於毒海。
哈利在歌曲當中安排貝斯手約翰華勒斯(John Wallace)接著內心忐忑的樂段後，以優美假音(falsetto)演唱了下列這段歌詞，伴隨著繽紛的鋼琴彈奏，豐富了原本稍嫌平淡的旋律：
“Baby's so high, that she's skying
Yes she's flying, afraid to fall
I'll tell you why baby's crying
Cause she's dying, aren't we all...”
這段對仗韻腳安排巧妙的歌詞，沒有艱深的字眼，卻不易參透。應是描寫哈利吸食毒品後的恍惚狀態，吸食古柯鹼會產生短暫強烈的快感，但緊接而來的卻是強烈的沮喪、焦躁不安。在迷離幻境中，感覺蘇行將死去(dying)-這也是個雙關語，意味著在現實生活中，哈利沉迷毒品，蘇因此對他死心(dying)。
在回憶過往的沉默中，哈利將車開開進公園道16巷豪宅前的車道。此時蘇說話了「我們得要常聚聚」，哈里卻礙於男人因強烈自卑感而反彈的自尊，並未應允。最後，蘇拿出20元美金對著哈利說不用找了，此時急促的大提琴聲伴隨哈利激動的唱著「有的男人會憤怒，有的男人會受傷，有的男人不會讓她離開。」隨後在一片平靜中，自嘲的唱著「而我只是把錢塞進襯衫」。在歌曲的最後，哈利唱著「她假裝很快樂，在她美輪美奐的家裡(she's actin' happy inside her handsome home)，而我在計程車裡翱翔，吸食毒品陷入迷幻恍惚。」埋下後續故事的伏筆。“stoned”直譯為石化或呆若木雞，意指服用毒品後的迷幻恍惚狀態。
1972年，哈利在美國國家廣播公司(NBC)電視台強尼卡森(Johnny Carson)主持的今夜秀(Tonight Show)初次獻唱了這首〈計程車〉，節目播映後，觀眾的電話及電報不斷，要求電視台讓哈利再上今夜秀節目，這是該節目有史以來第一次讓表演者連著兩晚上節目。哈利薛平對於行銷的觸角非常敏銳，常到各電台打歌宣傳，於1973年結識了波士頓WMEX電台製作人兼調頻(AM)頻道早晨開車上班時段的節目主持人吉姆康諾斯(Jim Connors)，這首〈計程車〉就是拜吉姆賣力打歌而走紅，哈利薛平也因此一曲成名。
1980年，哈利薛平替〈計程車〉這首歌寫了續篇，歌名就叫做〈續集〉(Sequel)，以雷同的曲調鋪陳10年後哈利和蘇重逢的精采故事。有趣的是，〈續集〉在告示牌上最高排行為23名，比1972年的原曲〈計程車〉高了一名。請聽聽哈利是如何從〈計程車〉一曲結尾凝結的意象“she's actin' happy inside her handsome home”，接續說著他成為知名歌手後，尋訪舊情人的故事。
〈續集〉(Sequel)
So here she's actin' happy inside her handsome home
她假裝很快樂在她美輪美奐的家裡
And me, I'm flyin' in my taxi, takin' tips and gettin' stoned.
而我在計程車裡翱翔，吸食白粉陷入迷幻恍惚
(narration)
Well the years go by, my boys gets tall and all things can change so fast. Still nothing can instead of your heartbeats, when you returned yourself to the past.
(口白)
嗯，時光荏苒，我的男孩長大了，世事快速變遷。當你回顧過往，心靈的悸動仍無可取代。
I got into town a little early.
前一陣子我到城裡
Had eight hours to kill before the show.
在開始做秀前我有八小時空檔
First I thought about heading up north of the bay
起初我盤算著去北灣一趟
Then I knew where I had to go.
然後我明瞭我該去什麼地方
I thought about taking a limousine
我想過搭乘豪華轎車
Or at least a fancy car.
或至少是一輛拉風的車
But I ended up taking a taxi
但最後我坐計程車
'Cause that's how I got this far.
因為我就是靠開計程車獲致現在的地位
You see, ten years ago it was the front seat
你看看，十年前我是坐在前座
Drivin' stoned and feelin' no pain.
陷入迷幻恍忽感覺不到痛苦
Now here I am straight and sittin' in the back
現在我英挺的坐在後座
Hitting Sixteen Parkside Lane .
抵達公園道16巷
The driveway was the same as I remembered
車庫前的車道和記憶中一模一樣
And a butler came and answered the door.
一位男管家前來開門
He just shook his head when I asked for her
當我詢問她的下落時他只是猛搖著頭
And said "She doesn't live here anymore."
回答說「她已經不住在這裡了」
But he offered to give me the address
但是他給了我一個地址
That they were forwarding her letters to.
他們將她的信轉寄到那裏
I just took it and returned to the cabbie
我只有拿著地址回到計程車上
And said "I got one more fare for you."
對著司機說「我會多付給你一些車資」
And so we rolled back into the city
於是車子開回城裡
Up to a five-story old brownstone
到了一棟5層樓的老舊棕色建築
I rang the bell that had her name on the mailbox.
我按了門鈴，瞧見信箱上有著她的名字
The buzzer said somebody's home.
朝著對講機說：有人在家嗎?
And the look on her face as she opened the door
她開門時臉上的神情
Was like an old joke told by a friend.
是那麼熟悉就像朋友說著老笑話
It'd taken ten more years but she'd found her smile
十餘年過去她終於展露笑容
And I watched the corners start to bend.
我看了看週遭後面向著她
And she said, "How are you Harry?
然後她說「哈利，你好嗎？
Haven't we played this scene before?"
這個景像我們可曾經歷？」
I said "It's so good to see you, Sue
我說「蘇，見到妳真好
Had to play it out just once more."
命中注定要重演
Play it out just once more".
再次重演」
She said "I've heard you flying high on my radio"
她說「我從收音機聽到你昂揚的歌聲」
I answered "It's not all it seems"
我回說「不盡然如此啦」
That's when she laughed and she said, "It's better sometimes
此時她笑意盎然的說「有時這樣子比較好
When we don't get to touch our dreams."
當我們未能達成我們的夢想」
That's when I asked her where was that actress
於是我問她那位女演員哪兒去了？
She said "That was somebody else"
她說「那是別人吧(我已息影了)！」
And then I asked her why she looked so happy now
之後我問她為何她現在如此快樂
She said "I finally like myself; at last I like myself."
她說「我終於找回了自我；最終我接納了自己」
So we talked all through that afternoon
我們暢談一整個下午
Talking about where we'd been
談論我們去過的地方
We talked of the tiny difference
我們談論著微妙的人生變化
Between ending and starting to begin.
從那時到現在
We talked because talking tells you things
我們一直談著因為在聊天中可以獲得啟示
Like what you really are thinking about.
諸如你心內真正的想法
But sometimes you can't find what you're feeling
但有時你不能發現你真正的感覺
Till all the words run out.
即使用盡所有的言詞
So I asked her to come to the concert.
於是我邀請她來聽我的演唱會
She said "No, I work at night."
她說「不行，我晚上要工作」
I said, "We've gotten too damn good at leaving, Sue"
我說「蘇，在離別前我們已得到太多」
She said, "Harry, you're right."
她說「哈利，你說得對！」
Don't ask me if I made love to her
別問我是否和她做愛
Or which one of us started to cry
或者我們兩人誰先哭了
Don't ask me why she wouldn't take the money that I left
別問我，為何她拒收我給她的錢
If I answered at all I'd lie.
即使我回答了我也是說謊
So I thought about her as I sang that night
那晚演唱時我一直想著她
And how the circle keeps rolling around.
生命輪迴是如何不停運轉
How I act as I'm facing the footlights
面對舞台燈光時我是如何展現真我
And how she's flying with both feet on the ground.
以及她是如何腳踏實地面對人生
I guess it's a sequel to our story
我想這就是我倆故事的續集
From the journey 'tween heaven and hell
一段上窮碧落下黃泉的旅程
With half the time thinking of what might have been
演唱會中場休息時，思索著究竟會如何？
and half thinkin' just as well.
還是是想想就好吧！
I guess only time will tell.
我想只有時間能說明一切
〈續集〉這首歌描繪已是成名歌手的哈利在演出的空檔，搭計程車去尋訪公園道16巷豪宅的蘇。歌曲中的元素與〈計程車〉原曲呈現強烈對比，倆人的心境與身分地位已截然不同。諸如計程車上主客易位，哈利從司機變為乘客；沉默化成暢談微妙的人生轉變；而往昔在豪宅中假裝很快樂的蘇，已從豪宅搬至老舊公寓，找到真正的自我，腳踏實地面對人生，而需站上炫麗舞台的卻是哈利。最終，蘇拒絕了哈利邀她聽演唱會的請求，也拒收了哈利送給她的錢。
或許是哈利薛平早年做過紀錄片導演以及編寫過百老匯舞台劇之故，他的作品總似電影的畫面一般一幕幕映入眼簾。哈利的用字遣詞簡單卻不落俗套，淺白的字彙往往需要聽眾細細思索玩味其蘊義。他用了許多比擬、對仗，逐步鋪陳互相呼應。因此在歌詞翻譯上，不能僅照字面直譯，需要反覆推敲其其獨創一格的譬喻用字，發掘出深層意涵。例如在〈計程車〉這首歌中，"fly"與"sky"這個字和哈利曾在美國空軍官校(United States Air Force Academy)就讀一陣子的經驗有關，另一方面這兩個字也代表吸毒後的迷幻狀態。而〈續集〉這首歌中的「天堂和地獄之間('tween heaven and hell)」，其實意為上窮碧落下黃泉，比喻到處尋找。至於哈利是否真的開過計程車，唯一確定的是他曾去考過紐約市的計程車牌照，而不是在舊金山。
1980年，在哈利推出〈續集〉這首單曲及同名專輯後，他開玩笑的說如果還要寫第三集的話，那歌名就叫做〈靈車〉(Hearse)，這樣他就可以把歌中的角色一一幹掉。未料一語成讖，幾個月後哈利車禍身亡，人們再也聽不到他說唱新的故事了。
遇到舊情人，你會如何呢？是否一如哈利所言「時光荏苒，物換星移，回顧過往，心靈的悸動無可取代。」
獻給喜歡聽我訴說音樂故事的Claire Lee，數年前公車上的巧遇重逢，在短短六站的距離中，我們得知彼此的孩子都已長大，然後沉默代替了寒喧，下車時的那聲再見，也許是我們之間最後的言語，不再有續集，亦或許只有時間能說明一切。
Harry Chapin - All 14 minutes of Taxi & Sequel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeMX1JfqKuc
1979.12.05克里夫蘭現場錄音
用一把吉他訴說著曲折的人生愛情故事
說故事的歌者、多層次的吉他彈奏、現場觀眾的唱和
盡收耳裡
不得不佩服這位錄音工程師的功力
https://www.facebook.com/django.sun/videos/10200158865569842/
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