17.2. Tiananmen Square Protests songs (六四事件歌曲)
English:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JTWXqUPQ7I "China" by Joan Baez from the Speaking of Dreams (1989) album. Folk.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OOlXJs4I8k "The blood is on the square" by Phillip Morgan from 1990. Folk.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAZK4apK8Bg Same Cry (Feat. L.T.; Explicit) by MC Jin from the 2004 album "The Rest Is History'. Hip hop American born Hakka Chinese.
Chinese:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7uk0-vlpP0 "Nothing to My Name (一無所有)" by Cui Jian (崔健) from 1986, therefore around the time of 1986 Chinese student demonstrations (八六学潮)
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Lyrics and translation https://eastasiastudent.net/china/mandarin/cui-jian-nothing-to-my-name/
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Chorus: "你合适跟我走" which translates to "When will you walk with me?" Could be talking directly to the Government.
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The singer is/was very popular, the song was composed in 1986, but was very popular at the time of the protests, and became kind of a hymn.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cui_Jian#Tiananmen_and_aftermath
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_to_My_Name | https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/一无所有_(歌曲)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8lWiWaSTtg History’s wound (历史的伤口) 1989-5-28 song by several Taiwanese singers
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdE4Ehte4uU "The square (廣場)" by Li Zhi (李志) from 2019. Slow/sad mood pop/rock.
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https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/2/li-zhi-singer-missing-china-cracks-down-tiananmen-/ the singer disappeared from public view in June 2019 and his songs were purged from public listings
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https://medium.com/@sunlitmount/forbidden-songs-of-li-zhi-square-for-tiananmen-massacre-at-june-4th-1989-f22e7e2dc21a lyrics and translation
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Cantonese
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L_qz7LuqVU "The flower of freedom" (自由花) from 1989
Other good lists:
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https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/六四歌曲 Wikipedia page with an infinite list of songs
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8vMVrLBiW4&list=PLNRZ41lXl9e5iAXH_94DHiLPx_a9Yn711 六四学运 歌 playlist by 杰克 .龙光复民国天下为公
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For non-Tiananmen songs see: Anti-dictatorship songs (反对独裁的首歌).
English:
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JTWXqUPQ7I "China" by Joan Baez from the Speaking of Dreams (1989) album. Folk.
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OOlXJs4I8k "The blood is on the square" by Phillip Morgan from 1990. Folk.
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAZK4apK8Bg Same Cry (Feat. L.T.; Explicit) by MC Jin from the 2004 album "The Rest Is History'. Hip hop American born Hakka Chinese.
Chinese:
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7uk0-vlpP0 "Nothing to My Name (一無所有)" by Cui Jian (崔健) from 1986, therefore around the time of 1986 Chinese student demonstrations (八六学潮)
-
Lyrics and translation https://eastasiastudent.net/china/mandarin/cui-jian-nothing-to-my-name/
-
Chorus: "你合适跟我走" which translates to "When will you walk with me?" Could be talking directly to the Government.
-
The singer is/was very popular, the song was composed in 1986, but was very popular at the time of the protests, and became kind of a hymn.
-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cui_Jian#Tiananmen_and_aftermath
-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_to_My_Name | https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/一无所有_(歌曲)
-
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8lWiWaSTtg History’s wound (历史的伤口) 1989-5-28 song by several Taiwanese singers
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdE4Ehte4uU "The square (廣場)" by Li Zhi (李志) from 2019. Slow/sad mood pop/rock.
-
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/2/li-zhi-singer-missing-china-cracks-down-tiananmen-/ the singer disappeared from public view in June 2019 and his songs were purged from public listings
-
https://medium.com/@sunlitmount/forbidden-songs-of-li-zhi-square-for-tiananmen-massacre-at-june-4th-1989-f22e7e2dc21a lyrics and translation
-
Cantonese
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L_qz7LuqVU "The flower of freedom" (自由花) from 1989
Other good lists:
-
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/六四歌曲 Wikipedia page with an infinite list of songs
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8vMVrLBiW4&list=PLNRZ41lXl9e5iAXH_94DHiLPx_a9Yn711 六四学运 歌 playlist by 杰克 .龙光复民国天下为公
For non-Tiananmen songs see: Anti-dictatorship songs (反对独裁的首歌).