17.3.1. Tank Man Song by Xu Lin (坦克人歌曲,作曲家:徐琳, 2016)

This song is amazing!!!

Official tablature on Xu Lin’s blog: https://xulin1523.blogspot.com/2016/01/blog-post_26.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym88UOz5ZC8 (GitHub reupload) Tank Man Song (2016) video on Xu Lin’s official YouTube channel.

我是坦克人
I am Tank Man

站在天安门
I stand at Tiananmen

面对坦克车队
I face the tank column

从容挺出身
I calmly come and stand (? confirm)

广场人潮涌
A tide of people has rushed the square

群情正沸腾
The feelings of the people are boiling right now (正 == short of 正在?)

发出正义呼声
The voice of justice is calling

结束一党专政
To finish the One Party Dictatorship

国家人人有份
Everyone has a share of the country

岂容他们独吞
How can we put up with them taking more than their fair share? (岂容)

自由天赋权利
Free natural rights

岂可葬于铁轮
How can they be buried under the Iron Wheel? (TODO why Iron Wheel? https://cd.hwxnet.com/view/fkkhdjaknlgbnolg.html mentions possibly Buddhist metaphor "Cast iron wheels. According to the Buddhist legend, the torture instrument used to squeeze evil spirits in hell.")

谁挡了谁的路
Who is standing on whose way?

谁是谁的敌人
Who is whose enemy?

谁是正义一方
Who is on the side of the righteous?

谁是历史罪人
And who are the enemies of History?

你们的枪炮是人民造
Your guns were made by the People

你们的俸禄是民脂民膏
Your salaries were paid by the people’s taxes (民脂民膏 is a poetic way of putting it that references historical events apparently)

为什么枪口对着人民
So why are the guns being pointed at the people?

犯下这罪恶天理难饶
Those who commit this crime, can hardly be forgiven by the Heavenly Principles (天理 is a concept from Song Dynasty Confucianism, "heavenly principles", a type of "feudal ethics" according to Pleco and 1

民主是世界的必行之道
Democracy is a necessary Path of the world

实行了民主大家都好
Once democracy is implemented, everyone will be better off

不要做独裁的镇压工具
Don’t be a tool of suppression of the Dictatorship

还不快停车把头调
Quickly stop the tanks, and correct your point of view

Xu Lin with Tank Man song tablature
Figure 221. Picture of Xu Lin and the tablature of this Tank Man Song (2016). Source of portrait, source of tablature. The video contains several images that would make for good ammo.