Within seconds, I had memory flashes (no...i did not have a car accident :P). In my mind's eyes, I started to recall the good ol' days, when I was 6 years old and my mother bringing me for my organ lessons at Hougang every week.
I remember that back in those days, every student had a parent sitting next to them. This was because all of us were so short that when we sat on the organ's bench, our legs were not able to reach the pedals. So it was a parent-child coordination every week where the parent was in charged of pressing the pedals while the student would be working away on the upper and lower keyboards. It was really fun because both the parent and the kid were mostly learning together for the first time.
As we grew older and taller, we had pedal extensions. These extensions worked by putting identical pedal fixtures onto the organ's original pedals. At that thought, while driving my car, I started laughing out loud. (The drivers to my left and right must have thought I was going crazy). Naturally, I turned up the volume for my CD player in the car and started singing along.
My Grandfather's clock (English version) was one of the songs that was taught rather extensively during my Yamaha school days . It was so much fun!! Every student was entitled to a shiny sticker to paste in their book at the end of each lesson. When the teacher started playing the "Goodbye my friend" song on her organ, the students would jump out of their seats and rush up to the front of the class to queue up and get their sticker. First comers could select the stickers that they like.
After that, we would have to sing the "Goodbye my friend" song whilst standing in a circle...without much effort, I started to sing in the car "Now its time to say goodbye, sayonara my friend.....lalalalallalala". Its amazing I still remember.
Back to Ken Hirai: Born in 1972, 17 January in Higashi-Osaka, Osaka prefecture, Ken Hirai grew up in Nabari, Mie prefecture. He is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. He released the popular nursery rhyme "My Grandfather's Clock" in 2002 which became one of the biggest hits in that year.
| 大きな古時計 | My Grandfather's Clock |
大きなの古い時計 おじいさんの時計 百年いつも動いていた ご自慢の時計さ おじいさんの生まれた朝に 買ってきた時計さ 今はもう動かないその時計 百年休まずに チクタクチクタク おじいさんといっしょに チクタクチクタク 今はもう動かないその時計 何でもう知ってる古い時計 おじいさんの時計 きれいな花嫁（よめ）やってきた その日もう動いてた うれしことも悲しいことも みな知ってる時計さ 今はもう動かないその時計 真夜中（まよなか）にベルがなっだ おじいさんの時計 お別れ（おわかれ）のときがきたのを みなにおしえたのさ 天国へのぼるおじいさん 時計ともお別れ 今はもう動かないその時計 百年休まずに チクタクチクタク おじいさんといっしょに チクタクチクタク 今はもう動かないその時計 Note: The Japanese version has slight differences from the English version. | My grandfather's clock Was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor; It was taller by half Than the old man himself, Though it weighed not a pennyweight more. It was bought on the morn Of the day that he was born, And was always his treasure and pride; But it stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. Ninety years without slumbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, His life seconds numbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, It stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. In watching its pendulum Swing to and fro, Many hours had he spent while a boy; And in childhood and manhood The clock seemed to know, And to share both his grief and his joy. For it struck twenty-four When he entered at the door, With a blooming and beautiful bride; But it stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. Ninety years without slumbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, His life seconds numbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, It stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. My grandfather said That of those he could hire, Not a servant so faithful he found; For it wasted no time, And had but one desire, At the close of each week to be wound. And it kept in its place, Not a frown upon its face, And its hand never hung by its side. But it stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. Ninety years without slumbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, His life seconds numbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, It stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. It rang an alarm In the dead of the night, An alarm that for years had been dumb; And we knew that his spirit Was pluming his flight, That his hour of departure had come. Still the clock kept the time, With a soft and muffled chime, As we silently stood by his side. But it stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. Ninety years without slumbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, His life seconds numbering, Tick, tock, tick, tock, It stopped short Never to go again, When the old man died. |
