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