Counting Stars

張儀

很多樂迷認識共和時代樂隊（OneRepublic）估計都是從2007年的單曲《道歉》（Apologize）開始。那首與楊坤的《空城》旋律頗有幾分相似的歌使這支樂隊初出茅廬就得到大家的認可和好評。所謂“成也蕭何，敗也蕭何”，成名太早的副作用就是要超越以往就必須付出加倍的努力，需要更加天才的想象。共和時代等了六年，直到《繁星幾許》（Counting Stars）發行，才讓樂迷們忘了Apologize的影子，并在這首富有濃濃迪斯科樂風的民謠里再次驚訝于主創Ryan Tedder的音樂才華。

Counting Stars詮釋的主題跟時下流行的一句話很像：生活不止眼前的茍且，還有詩和遠方。歌詞一開始就描述了主角彷徨、無望的茍且畫面：人生如風中搖擺的柳藤一樣無常而無奈，失眠迷茫時常常追問生活的初心，感嘆年華老去卻心有不甘，想向天再借五百年卻又患得患失，難復當年之勇。聽到此處時你是不是有種似曾相識的感覺？原來中年危機在全球都有相似的癥候。要么在茍且中沉淪，要么在茍且中爆發。所以歌者向天祈禱，不要數美元，一起數星星。提到錢就傷感情，在文藝作品中尤其如此。無論在歌曲還是電影里，美元幾乎就是世俗、欲望等一切負能量的代名詞。而星星則代表了被凡塵俗世包裹、被柴米油鹽驅逐因而離我們越來越遠的那份詩情畫意、閑云野鶴。Tedder或許也是希望通過這首歌提醒我們為什么而活，為什么而存在，提醒我們不要被金錢迷惑了雙眼，而忘了還有比金錢更美好的詩和遠方。

這首歌更可貴的一點就是它沒有僅僅停留在熬制一碗普天皆宜的心靈雞湯。歌曲當中，作者也拋出了很多富有哲理又充滿矛盾的思考，比如：“I feel something so right， by doing the wrong thing. I feel something so wrong， by doing the right thing.”而“Everything that kills me makes me feel alive”和“Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly”兩句不僅體現了作者破繭重生的決心，更賦予歌曲強大的爆發力。

從Apologize到Counting Stars，Ryan Tedder在歌曲主題上從男歡女愛拓展到了生活形態更廣闊的領域。正如Tedder自己所說：“I felt a responsibility to actually write and sing about things that have a level of human gravity to them … If everybody else sings about sex and love and lust and money， then somebodys gotta be singing about life and faith and hope and things of that nature.”對于一名音樂人所承擔的社會責任，Tedder也有自己的想法：“Id rather have a song that peaks at #15 thats meaningful and embedded in the cultural framework we live in than a #1 song that explodes for five seconds， becomes the dance hit of the summer， then goes away.”那么恭喜Tedder，這首Counting Stars做到了。

Counting Stars

Lately Ive been， Ive been losing sleep

Dreaming bout the things that we could be

But baby Ive been， Ive been prayin hard

Said， no more counting dollars

Well be counting stars

Yeah， well be counting stars

I see this life like a swinging vine

Swing my heart across the line

In my face is flashing signs

Seek it out and ye shall find

Old， but Im not that old

Young， but Im not that bold

And I dont think the world is sold

Im just doing what were told

I feel something so right

By doing the wrong thing

I feel something so wrong

By doing the right thing

I couldnt lie， couldnt lie， couldnt lie

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

★ Lately Ive been， Ive been losing sleep

Dreaming bout the things that we could be

But baby Ive been， Ive been prayin hard

Said， no more counting dollars

Well be counting stars

Lately Ive been， Ive been losing sleep

Dreaming bout the things that we could be

But baby Ive been， Ive been prayin hard

Said， no more counting dollars

Well be， well be counting stars ★

I feel the love

And I feel it burn

Down this river， every turn

Hope is a four letter word

Make that money

Watch it burn

Old， but Im not that old

Young， but Im not that bold

And I dont think the world is sold

Im just doing what were told

I feel something so wrong

By doing the right thing

I couldnt lie， couldnt lie， couldnt lie

Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly

（Refrain ★）

● Oh take that money； watch it burn

Sink in the river； the lessons Ive learned

Take that money； watch it burn

Sink in the river； the lessons Ive learned

Take that money； watch it burn

Sink in the river； the lessons Ive learned

Take that money； watch it burn

Sink in the river； the lessons Ive learned ●

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

（Refrain ★）

（Refrain ●）