哈利薛平(Harry Chapin)-〈流星〉(Shooting Star)

Shooting Star Words and Music by Harry Chapin

Em/F# - Em (4x's)

Em/F#
He was crazy of course的確他已瘋了
C
From the first she must have known it打從一開始她肯定就知道

D Bm

But still she went on with him不過她繼續與他交往
         G
And she never once had shown it她永遠不曾表露
        Em/F#
And she took him off the street她帶他遠離街頭
          C
And she dried his tears of grieving她擦乾他傷心的淚水
       D              Bm
She listened to his visions她傾聽他的願景
       G              Em/F#
She believed in his believing她信奉他的信仰

   C
Ah he was the sun burning bright and brittle他如同烈日般明亮炙人
   D
And she was the moon shining back his light a little她是月亮在他的光芒之後閃爍
C
He was a shooting star他是一顆流星
Bm
She was softer and more slowly她是如此柔軟舒緩
     A
He could not make things possible他無法讓事物成真
C/B C                        Em/F#
But she could make them holy, holy.但她卻能使之完美神聖

Em/F# - Em (4x's)
       Em/F#
He was dancing to some music他隨著音樂起舞
        C
No one else had ever heard無人曾聞
       D                 Bm
He'd speak in unknown languages他說著無人知曉的語言
               G
She would translate every word她卻能字字翻譯
         Em/F#
And then when the world was laughing當世界報以訕笑
         C
At his castles in the sky在他的空中樓閣裡
        D              Bm
She'd hold him in her body她以玉體緊擁著他
           G                  Em/F#
'Till he once again could fly直至他能再次飛翔

   C
Ah he was the sun burning bright and brittle他如同烈日般明亮炙人
   D
And she was the moon shining back his light a little她是月亮在他的光芒之後閃爍
C
He was a shooting star他是一顆流星
Bm
She was softer and more slowly她是如此柔軟舒緩
     A
He could not make things possible他無法讓事物成真
C/B C                        Em/F#
But she could make them holy, holy.但她卻能使之完美神聖

       G
Oh she gave him a daughter哦，她為他生了一個女兒
        D
And she gave him a son她為他生了一個兒子
           Bm
She was a mother and a wife她是一個母親與妻子
       Em
And a lover when the day was done也是日落後的情人
        G
He was too far gone for giving love他不擅於表達愛意
          D
What he offered in its stead取而代之的是
        Bm
Was the knowledge she was the only thing只知道她是唯一
     Em              C       D
That was not in his head不在他腦海中的東西

Em/F# - Em (4x's)
   Em/F#
He took off east one morning某日破曉他起程東行
              C
Towards the rising sun's red glow朝著初升的太陽的紅暈
     D                 Bm
She knew he was going nowhere她知道他無路可走
        G
But of course she let him go不過她還是讓他走
           Em/F#
And as she stood and watched him dwindle當她柠立凝望著他漸漸消逝
          C
Much to empty to be sad是多麼的空虛難過
       D        Bm
He reappeared beside her saying他再次出現在她身邊說著
    G                Em/F#
"You're all I've ever had." 「你是我唯一的擁有」

   C
Ah he was the sun burning bright and brittle他如同烈日般明亮炙人
   D
And she was the moon shining back his light a little她是月亮在他的光芒之後閃爍
C
He was a shooting star他是一顆流星
Bm
She was softer and more slowly她是如此柔軟舒緩
     A
He could not make things possible他無法讓事物成真
C/B C                        Em/F#
But she could make them holy, holy.但她卻能使之完美神聖
Em/F# (4x's)

此歌大意是說：「男人與女人，共結連理，生了孩子，男人卻離開女人去尋找自我，浪蕩男人最終體認這女子對他是多麼的重要，從而回到她身邊。」詞曲作者及演唱為美國知名鄉村歌手哈利薛平(Harry Chapin)，他以流星比喻男子的浪蕩，用月亮象徵女性的包容與溫柔，描繪傳統社會中女性的角色，沒有說教批判，只是用對比和象徵娓娓道出一段平凡卻發人深省的故事。
哈利薛平是我從高中至今心中永遠第一的偶像，他如遊唱詩人般創作的民謠詞曲，幽默客觀的娓娓道來一個個故事，被譽稱為「說故事的歌者」(storyteller)。哈利多才多藝，會寫詩作曲演唱，也從事百老匯音樂劇創作並擔任導演，作品有《最後的抗議歌手》(The last protest singer)，曾獲舞台劇大獎「東尼獎」提名。哈利更是美國最早關注非洲飢荒人道議題的藝人，他募款捐輸成立基金會，幫助無數難民，曾獲頒人道獎。哈利熱心社會公益，企望重振美國社會的核心價值「家庭與愛」，被譽為「美國良心」，也啟發了後來四海一家(We are the world)等慈善活動。然而天嫉英才，哈利薛平於1981年7月16日在紐約長島的一場車禍中意外喪生，當時才39歲，就如流星一般殞逝。
〈流星〉Shooting Star)一曲選自哈利薛平1974年2月14日出版的《真理與妄言》(Verities & Balderdash)專輯，收錄〈搖籃裡的貓〉(Cat's in the Cradle)、〈我想學首情歌〉(I Wanna Learn a Love Song)、〈虛空〉(Vacancy)、〈三萬磅香蕉〉(30,000 Pounds of Bananas)以及〈流星〉(Shooting Star)等名曲。這張專輯我愛不釋手，高中時每天必聽此輯，B版黑膠唱片聽壞了，就再去買一張。在哈利的歌曲裡，我聽到社會底層的吶喊，初探了人性善惡的掙扎，體認人生追尋情感依歸的浮沉。
1990年哈利薛平的許多樂壇好友，為紀念他逝世10週年，在卡內基樂廳舉辦了一場追思演唱會，並將演唱會實況錄製成「向哈利薛平致敬」(Harry Chapin Tribute)專輯，頗具意義與紀念性。參加這場紀念音樂會的藝人都很棒，包括葛拉漢納許(Graham Nash)、朱蒂考琳絲(Judy Collins),布魯斯史普林斯汀(Bruce Springsteen)、佩特班納特(Pat Banater)等人。佩特班納特選擇這首〈流星〉演唱並緬懷她和哈利間的情誼，她的歌聲流露著一股真誠和暖意，深深打動人心。
佩特班納特於1999年灌錄的《同步的浪跡》(Synchronistic Wanderings)專輯中亦收錄此曲。
哈利被埋葬在紐約的杭廷頓田園公墓(Huntington Rural Cemetery)。他的墓誌銘節錄自他的歌曲〈我不知道這世界會發生什麼？〉(I Wonder What Would Happen to this World)的歌詞：
哦，如果一個人想 Oh if a man tried
善用一生時光 To take his time on Earth
並在他死前證明And prove before he died
一個人的生命能值何價What one man's life could be worth
我不知道這個世界會發生什麼？I wonder what would happen to this world