Making Sense

Gary Granada's Home Page - This needs to be updated!

My link today is from one of the most prolific Filipino composers of the last 25 years, Gary Granada. He has some popular songs on the pipeline, but the more familiar ones to the public would probably be "Pag Nananalo ang Ginebra," "I Love You Sabado" from Jollibee and "Sama-Sama Nating Abutin" by Lea Salonga.

My personal favorites from Gary's discography would be some of his '80's and early '90's work (which I will quote presently and perhaps in future posts, if I were to make more time for this), but what resonates with me recently is his 1999 Metropop winner "Mabuti Pa Sila." Fits my present mood, but in a different way, like poking fun at a beached whale (in other news, did you hear about that stranded whale at the River Thames? It died, so sad...).

Mabuti pa ang mga surot, laging mayrong masisiksikan
Mabuti pa ang bubble gum, laging mayrong didikitan
Mabuti pa ang salamin, laging mayrong tumitingin
Di tulad kong laging walang pumapansin

Mabuti pa ang mga lapis, sinusulatan ang papel
At mas mapalad ang kamatis, maya't maya napipisil
Napakaswerte ng bayong, hawak ng aleng maganda
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

Ano ba'ng wala ako na mayron sila
Di man lang makaisa habang iba'y dala-dalwa
Pigilan n'yo akong magpatiwakal
Mabuti pa ang galunggong nasasabihan ng 'mahal'

Kahit ang suka ay may toyo at ang asin may paminta
Mabuti pa ang lumang dyaryo at yakap-yakap ang isda
Mabuti pa sila, mabuti pa sila
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

Mabuti pa ang simpleng tissue at laging nahahalikan
Mabuti pa ang mga bisyo, umaasang babalikan
Mabuti pa sila, mabuti pa sila
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

(Interlude)

Pigilan n'yo akong magpatiwakal
Bakit si Gabby Concepcion lagi na lang kinakasal

Mabuti pa ang mga isnatser, palaging may naghahabol
Ang aking luma na computer, mayron pa ring compatible
Mabuti pa sila, mabuti pa sila
Di tulad kong lagi na lang nag-iisa

Anyhow, before I launch into work today, I'm just wondering if I'm still making sense. Stress, maybe? Have to take care of myself a little better. Where there is doubt, there is always that fear that one's life is not relevant. Gary's "Madaling Araw" is a theme of that search for relevance. In the wee small hours of the morning (no, it's not the Carol King song), sometimes these thoughts take shape and give our heart a tug.

Stop, stop, and let the world come to you instead of you rushing toward it....

Madaling-araw na, isip mo'y malalim-lalim
Kalagitnaan na ng liwanag at dilim
Bakit kailangan pang ika'y pumasok sa silid
Gayung yaong pinto'y matagal ng nakapinid
Sa iyong dibdib

Di mo makapa ang iyong nararamdaman
Hindi lungkot, hindi saya
Hindi bagot, hindi naman din balisa
Isipin mo na lang na lahat ng nilalang
Nahihimlay, nahihimbing
At nananaginip ng nag-iisa

Walang nagsusulat dahil walang nagbabasa
Walang bumabagsak dahil walang pumapasa
Sa bawat bagong iyong natutuklasan
Ika'y natututong kayrami-rami pa palang
Di mo alam

Di mo makapa ang iyong nararamdaman
Hindi lungkot, hindi saya
Hindi bagot, hindi naman din balisa
Isipin mo na lang na lahat ng nilalang
Nahihimlay, nahihimbing
At nananaginip ng nag-iisa

Sa babaw ng mundo, kung ibig mong magtampisaw
Maraming kasundo at kasabay sa iyong galaw
Ngunit ang wika, nagbabago'ng kahulugan
Sa dalas ng bigkas, unti-unting nawawalang
Kabuluhan.

My humble translation, for the benefit of those who don't understand (or refuse to understand) Filipino, and it is loose rather than literal:

Dawn has come, your thoughts are rather profound
It is halfway between the light and the darkness
Why must you go inside the room
When the door to your heart has long
Been shut.

You can hardly grasp what you feel
Not sadness, not joy
Not boredom, not worry
Just remember that all of creation
Has laid down and is fast asleep
And dreaming all alone.

No one would write for no one would read
No one would fail because no one would succeed
For every new thing that you discover
You soon learn that there is so much
You don't know.

You can hardly grasp what you feel
Not sadness, not joy
Not boredom, not worry
Just remember that all of creation
Has laid down and is fast asleep
And dreaming all alone.

If you want to revel on the face of this earth
There are so many others who would match your every move
But words, whose meaning is ever-changing
For surfeit of speaking, slowly ebb and cease
Making sense.