The Spirit of Taiwan...

In a song by 張雨生 Zhang Yu Sheng (ZYS) called 我的未來不是夢。”My future is not a dream.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mludz1Mhq4

你是不是像我在太陽下低頭

流著汗水默默辛苦的工作

你是不是像我就算受了冷漠

也不放棄自己想要的生活。

你是不是像我整天忙著追求
追求一種你想不到的溫柔。

你是不是像我曾經茫然失措

一次一次徘徊在十字街頭。

因為我不在乎 別人怎麻說

我從來沒有忘記我

對自己的承諾

對愛的執著

我知道我的未來不是夢

我認真的過每一份鐘

我知道我的未來不是夢

我的心跟著希望在動

I will attempt a translation:

Are you like me? Under the sun with your head hung low?

Sweating as you toil silently in your hard work.

Are you like me, often the recipient of indifference or a cold feelings, but refusing to give up on the life that you want for yourself?

Are you like me, busy the entire day pursuing...

Chasing after a gentle kindness, that you can't even comprehend.

Are you like me, having experienced great loss?

Time after time, hesitating at the busy intersections.

Because I don't mind what others say, I've never forgot myself.

The promise that I made to myself

To keep a grasp on love.

I know that my future is not a dream.

I earnestly live every minute of life.

I know that my future is not a dream.

My heart and my hopes create my action.

I've been familiar with ZYS for several years. He died in a car crash in 1997, but his music lives on. After my first stay in Taiwan, a dear friend suggested that I take some ZYS music home with me in order to improve my Chinese language skills. I wouldn't have predicted at that time - nearly 16 years ago - that I would still be moved by his words today.

Taiwan's Buddhist population is about 35%. As such, Taiwanese culture is heavily influenced by Buddhism. With lyrics like, “I earnestly live every minute of life” making their way into popular songs, we can see its influence.

Another very Taiwanese aspect of this song is the repetition of, “Are you like me?” with the common experience mentioned after it. It is an all-inclusive statement, unifying people by their common experience. The energy of “we are a group of brothers and sisters” is very Taiwanese.