Single in Singapore
You don't know what you're in for
Just pray that some day
You'll find who you're looking for
Who wrote this?
Answer: Dick Lee
These lyrics are from 'Single in Singapore' from Beauty World.
Never in my life would I have thought that one day I would be defending Dick Lee, though I wouldn't really call myself a 'fan' of his. I should think many, many Singaporeans know who he is. I'm one who has had the privilege of watching the man himself perform. That was way back in the mid 80s when my friend pulled me along to a 'lunchtime concert' at NUS. I stood throughout the performance in the crowded LT 13(?) and I was enthralled. He was so talented as a songwriter and, as a performer, so unassuming and boy-next-door, so Singaporean. It was just him and the piano, nothing else, and it was such an entertaining lunch time. Years later, I watched Beauty World (the one with the original cast, including a friend of ours and the husband's ex-neighbour as cabaret girls! Not the one with Sharon Au and co.) and I thought it was wonderful too. And so Singaporean. And unpretentious.
Dick Lee, along with Jack Neo and others, was awarded the Cultural Medallion this year. Apparently, there was some disquiet about it being awarded to these 2 men. Yesterday's Life! presented a few people's views, though it turned out that only one of those people felt that Lee and Neo didn't deserve the award. Ha ha, I didn't even know that there was any controversy about this award.
One of the Life! journalists feels that the two were 'populist choices, not artistic ones', though she does agree that both are 'competent in their fields'. However, to her, their success has been 'commercial' rather than artistic. Of Dick Lee, she says 'While no one would argue with Lee's sucess as a songwriter, few would dare make a claim for his enduring influence as a tunesmith.'
I think I would dare to make a claim for his 'enduring influence as a tunesmith'. How long does 'enduring' have to be? Nearly 30 years is not enough, given S'pore's rather short history? I also looked at the list of past recepients and Jeremy Monteiro was awarded the Medallion in 2002. So there. What's more, he is so Singaporean and so are his works. I'd argue that he has achieved a lot in capturing Singaporean culture, though maybe not in a sufficiently arty and high class manner for some.
As for Jack Neo, I can't say much as I've only watched a couple of his movies. I do think, though, that he is an excellent entertainer and I have enjoyed many episodes of Liang Po Po and Liang Xi Mei, slapstick though they may have been.
You don't know what you're in for
Just pray that some day
You'll find who you're looking for
Who wrote this?
Answer: Dick Lee
These lyrics are from 'Single in Singapore' from Beauty World.
Never in my life would I have thought that one day I would be defending Dick Lee, though I wouldn't really call myself a 'fan' of his. I should think many, many Singaporeans know who he is. I'm one who has had the privilege of watching the man himself perform. That was way back in the mid 80s when my friend pulled me along to a 'lunchtime concert' at NUS. I stood throughout the performance in the crowded LT 13(?) and I was enthralled. He was so talented as a songwriter and, as a performer, so unassuming and boy-next-door, so Singaporean. It was just him and the piano, nothing else, and it was such an entertaining lunch time. Years later, I watched Beauty World (the one with the original cast, including a friend of ours and the husband's ex-neighbour as cabaret girls! Not the one with Sharon Au and co.) and I thought it was wonderful too. And so Singaporean. And unpretentious.
Dick Lee, along with Jack Neo and others, was awarded the Cultural Medallion this year. Apparently, there was some disquiet about it being awarded to these 2 men. Yesterday's Life! presented a few people's views, though it turned out that only one of those people felt that Lee and Neo didn't deserve the award. Ha ha, I didn't even know that there was any controversy about this award.
One of the Life! journalists feels that the two were 'populist choices, not artistic ones', though she does agree that both are 'competent in their fields'. However, to her, their success has been 'commercial' rather than artistic. Of Dick Lee, she says 'While no one would argue with Lee's sucess as a songwriter, few would dare make a claim for his enduring influence as a tunesmith.'
I think I would dare to make a claim for his 'enduring influence as a tunesmith'. How long does 'enduring' have to be? Nearly 30 years is not enough, given S'pore's rather short history? I also looked at the list of past recepients and Jeremy Monteiro was awarded the Medallion in 2002. So there. What's more, he is so Singaporean and so are his works. I'd argue that he has achieved a lot in capturing Singaporean culture, though maybe not in a sufficiently arty and high class manner for some.
As for Jack Neo, I can't say much as I've only watched a couple of his movies. I do think, though, that he is an excellent entertainer and I have enjoyed many episodes of Liang Po Po and Liang Xi Mei, slapstick though they may have been.
Comments
Dick Lee's was under the category of 'music', so I suppose it includes not just his 'pop' songs but also those for stage and perhaps even his national songs etc.