soundtrack of an alternative singapore

And so the nation turns 42, and Marina Bay lighted up as bright as its projected future...

And I'm sure you've been hearing this year's theme song alot, its lyrics urging you to go see the world, but come back and bring back all those secrets you've learnt from overseas for the good of this blossoming small-in-size-but-big-in-ambition country...Will you?

But what if we left the songwriting of the National Day song to some other local musicians, instead of the usual Dick Lee, Jimmy Ye or Iskandar Ismail.....what if we got....The Pinholes instead, waxing lyrical for a song that would express what some of us really feel?

Hmmmmm........well I asked around some of these musicians, asked if they had the chance of writing a National Day song, what would it be like? And here're their answers...no holds barred!


The Pinholes
myspace.com/pinholes

Q1) If you/the band were given the opportunity to write a national day song, it would be called…
"Why London, why not Singapore?"

Q2) The song would sound like…
Just pop music I would say. Not Kit Chan/Dick Lee pop, thats total rich pop. It should be a cool pop song. Think of najip ali/the quests pop kind of song.

Q3) A line or two of the chorus would be…
"Here we are standing still on our own feet
and now that you know it wasn't that hard to open the door sooooooo
why london, why not singapore? "


Joe Ng
localbarkid.com

Q1) If you/the band were given the opportunity to write a national day song, it would be called…..
I take it that “the opportunity” referred to in your question means “government sanctioned/commissioned”. I’d be compelled to write if I feel inspired to of my own free will, and not do so because the government tells me to churn out “patriotism”, which will definitely be tailored to become campaign tunes. As a writer/artist, the compulsion, the urge, the need to express must come from within. Only then will the effort be sincere.

Q2) The song would sound like…
I have no idea. Probably Einsturzende Neubaten-Suicide-Napalm Death style.

Q3) A line or two of the chorus would be…
I’ve no idea but whatever it is, radio won’t play it.


Tiramisu
myspace.com/tiramisuism

Q1) If you/the band were given the opportunity to write a national day song, it would be called…
"Aren't we all Pretending to be Harmonious?"

Q2) The song would sound like…
Trash Metal with ethnic ambience and a slight ragga over dub.

Q3) A line or two of the chorus would be…
"Raise your flags and pretend to smile...
You think we live in peace, we are pissed and we need to wee wee badly...if we can wee wee...We are WE!!!"


Imran Ajmain
imranajmain.com

Q1) If you/the band were given the opportunity to write a national day song, it would be called…
"Don't Cry Out Loud" - a cover of Melissa Manchester's song.

Q2) The song would sound like…
Big ballad, strings and all.

Q3) A line or two of the chorus would be…
"Don't cry out loud
Just keep it inside, learn how to hide your feelings
Fly high and proud
And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all"