Uyen Linh

I must say one thing about myself: I'm behind people in almost everything:). When I first went to teach eight years ago, everyone was using a cell phone, but I thought, 'What the heck do I need a cell phone for?' One year later, I had to use it, and now it's become an inseparable part from me. And I distinctly remember a time about seven years ago when a friend of mine mentioned her wish for a car. 'Haha, what a material girl!' I thought. Now, a car is my heart's desire.

The same applies with Uyen Linh. I read a lot about her, things like she's a phenomenon among Vietnamese singers. I got a bit curious, and spent five minutes listening to her performance in Vietnam Idol 2010. 'Well, nothing too big!' I thought. Then news of her overwhelmed the forums, the websites, the online newspaper. I gave her another chance. I listened to her songs one more time. This time I listened to the jury's comments as well, and I found them so cliche and corny. I couldn't feel the truthfulness in their comments.

Then, again, her name swamped every bit of news I read. The comments about her were unanimously positive. This time, I knew there was definitely something wrong with me. I listened again with my heart, not with a too critical mind. They were better, so I clicked on other songs by her, which opened my eyes why she is the craze. It was a whole night awake filled with feelings of various kinds, from excitement to grief to the point of being moved to tears, and most of all to the return of the long-gone miracle friend. I must apologize to the jury for my wrong judgement. So, in a word, a truly touching voice that can fly high and far. Take it to the world, Uyen Linh, and make us proud.

Here are the songs that show she can be an international singer:)

And here is my favorite

Kiss While Your Lips Are Still Red - Night Wish

This is a special present by a person who spent a sleepless night translating.

When your lips are still red

Nightwish

Sweet little words made for silence not talk

Young heart for love not heartache

Dark hair for catching the wind

Not to veil the sight of a cold world

Những lời ngọt ngào nhất đâu phải là những lời được thốt ra.

Tận sâu từ trong trái tim, tình yêu vẫn luôn cất nhịp đập.

Tận sâu từ trong trái tim, luôn có chỗ cho sự yên bình của tâm hồn.

Anh thích cái chất giọng của gã Marco này. Nhẹ nhàng và dữ dội. Mạnh mẽ và mong manh. Có cái gì đó từ những lời tâm tình của gã làm anh phải chăm chú lắng nghe.

Kiss while your lips are still red

While he's still silent

Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled

Hold another hand while the hand's still without a tool

Drown into eyes while they're still blind

Love while the night still hides the withering dawn

Hãy hôn khi đôi môi vẫn còn đỏ thắm

Khi gã trai vẫn chìm trong giấc ngủ say

Khi ngực trần vẫn phập phồng hơi thở

Hãy nắm tay khi đôi tay vẫn còn nắm chắc

Hãy chìm đắm vào trong đôi mắt sáng

Hãy yêu khi màn đêm vẫn che phủ ánh bình minh sắp hé

Em vẫn thường bảo anh, sao lại thích nghe cái loại nhạc gào rú, chẳng cảm xúc gì. Hãy lắng nghe và em sẽ thấy. Không có những tiếng guitar trầm ấm rít lên đơn độc. Không có những tiếng trống đảo phách lúc khoan lúc nhặt. Hãy lắng nghe và em sẽ nghe thấy những phím piano tròn trịa và sâu lắng; tiếng violon lảnh lót và da diết. Nhưng nó không hề làm mềm đi sự mạnh mẽ của rock. Đâu phải gào rú để mới chứng tỏ sự mạnh mẽ. Đâu cần phải nói ra mới chứng tỏ là mình yêu.

First day of love never comes back

A passionate hour's never a wasted one

The violin, the poet's hand

Every thawing heart plays your theme with care

Buổi ban đầu trôi đi rất vội

Giây phút đam mê chẳng thể là hoài phí

Tiếng vĩ cầm, bài thơ trao tay

Từng nhịp đập con tim tấu lên giai điệu yêu thương

Bản nhạc có bắt đầu rồi cũng phải kết thúc. Dù đó là bản nhạc ca ngợi về tình yêu. Nhưng anh thích cái cách bản nhạc này kết thúc. Tiếng violon lại trỗi lên réo rắt, mạnh mẽ hơn như nâng đỡ cho giai điệu yêu thương. Giai điệu yêu thương có khi nào là kết thúc?

Songs from Movies that Stir Me to the Core

I need a hero - Shrek 2

In this part of the cartoon, Fiona forgot about Shrek and would keep the beautiful or ugly shape depending on the person she kissed by midnight. The fairy's son tried to persuade her to kiss him, but she was about to leave when the fairy godmother started this song to create a favored condition for her son to win Fiona's heart, while Shrek was struggling to find the way back into the castle to meet with Fiona...

A Time for Us - Romeo and Juliet

Romeo was heart-broken and went to the ball trying to win back the woman he loved, but instead Cupid's arrow aimed at his heart making him fall in love with another pair of fine eyes. Can you feel the intense heat from the eyes of these ever-lasting young lovers?

Speak softly love - Godfather series
Michael listened to his son singing and reminiscenced the love-struck marriage long ago with a ripe-peach-skinned country maid. Unfortunately she died in a set-up bombed car while in pregnancy with his child...

The old me, where are thou?

Where have thou gone, the old me?
Happy like a lark
Carefree and naive

Where have thou gone, the old me?
Passion of the youth
Belief of bright days

The course of time, be it harsh
Will it ever
Bring thee back to me?

Lenka

Goodbye...

A part of me
Has gone
Melancholy
Has filled
Don't wanna
But helpless
To resist
The must of reality

Insatiable - Darren Hayes

When moonlight crawls along the street
Khi ánh trăng vàng trải dài con phố
Chasing away the summer heat
Mang đi hơi nóng oi ả hè sang
Footsteps outside somewhere below
Bước chân vội vã con đường bên dưới
The world revolves I let it go
Quả đất xoay vần còn anh buông lơi
We build our church above the street
Mình xây thánh đường trên đầu ngọn phố
We practice love between these sheets
Tình ái mặn nồng gối chăn cùng ai
The candy sweetness scent of you
Thoang thoảng đêm thanh mùi hương kẹo ngọt
It bathe my skin I'm still near you
Thắm đẫm làn da khi anh gần em
And all I have to do is hold you
There's racing within my heart
Ôm em vào lòng tim anh lỗi nhịp
And I'm barely touching you
Dù rằng tay anh còn chưa chạm em

A very sensual song. There are many ways to interpret the song, and I like the version in which the hero had an affair with the heroine but then they said goodbye. The hero couldn't get himself out of the obsession for her, so he stopped by her movie scenes secretly to admire her from afar. The video clip showed so strong a passion, so lonely a love, and so intense a longing.

Bon Jovi

I sometimes heard a few songs by Bon Jovi, thought they were OK, but not enough to remember his name until some months ago when I found that he and his band had the top-grossing tour in 2008, at $210.6 mil.

Then I thought, 'Hey, who is he?' I went into some researching, and dug into a gold mine.

Actually, he is quite a quite a faithful guy who's been married to his high-school sweetheart for 18 years, and been with the same band for 27 years (since 1983). He's a really handsome guy, esp. when he was young with long curly blonde hair like the mane of a horse.

In 1992, due to too much attention drawn to his hair, he had it cut, which saddened thousands of his fans and made headlines on CNN. Personally, I think he was wildly handsome with the long hair, and got more mature and manlier with the new haircut.

Here are some songs by Bon Jovi I esp. like:

Magic with Shadows

This one is by Raymond Crowe

This at the 79th Oscar ceremony in 2007

And this on a car commercial

Enjoy and let your imagination fly !!!

Fairy Tale - Alexander Rybak

Every year the Eurovision Contest , a music contest with the participation of most European countries is held at the country of the winner of the previous year. Last year, the Norwegian golden boy Alexander Rybak brought his home country the championship with record-high votes.

Fairytale lyrics
Years ago, when i was younger,
I kinda liked a girl I knew.
She was mine and we were sweethearts;
That was then, but then it's true.

CHORUS :

I'm in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts.
'Cause I don't care if I lose my mind
I'm already cursed.

Every day we started fighting,
Every night we fell in love.
No one else could make me sadder,
But no one else could lift me high above.

I don't know what I was doing
When suddenly we fell apart.
Nowadays I cannot find her,
But when I do we'll get a brand new start.

HEAL THE WORLD - Michael Jackson

Do we give a damn
There's a place in your heart and I know that it is love
And this place could be much brighter than tomorrow
And if you really try, you'll find there's no need to cry
In this place, you'll feel there's no hurt or sorrow

There are ways to get there, if you care enough for the living, make a little space, make a better place

Heal the world, make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying, if you care enough for the living,
make a better place for you and for me

If you want to know why there's a love that cannot lie
Love is strong, it only cares of joyful giving
If we try, we shall see in this bliss we cannot feel fear or dread
We stop existing and start living.

Then it feels that always love's enough for us growing
So make a better world, make a better world


And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face
And the world we once believed in will shine again in grace

Then why do we keep strangling life, wound this earth, crucify its soul?
Though it's plain to see this world is heavenly,
be God's glow!

We could fly so high, let our spirits never die
In my heart, I feel you are all my brothers
Create a world with no fear, together we'll cry happy tears

See the nations turn their swords into plowshares
We could really get there if you cared enough for the living
Make a little space to make a better place

YOU ARE NOT ALONE - Michael Jackson

Another day has gone - I'm still all alone - How could this be
You're not here with me - You never said goodbye - Someone tell me why
Did you have to go - And leave my world so cold

Everyday I sit and ask myself - How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says - That you are not alone
For I am here with you - Though you're far away - I am here to stay

You are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
You are not alone

All alone
Why, oh

Just the other night - I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come - And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers - Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand - So forever can begin

Everyday I sit and ask myself - How did love slip away
Then something whispers in my ear and says - That you are not alone
For I am here with you - Though you're far away - I am here to stay
For you are not alone - I am here with you
Though we're far apart - You're always in my heart
And you are not alone

Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

EARTH SONG - Michael Jackson.

What about sunrise - What about rain
What about all the things - That you said we were to gain...
What about killing fields - Is there a time
What about all the things - That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice - All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice - The crying Earth the weeping shores?


What have we done to the world - Look what we've done
What about all the peace - That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields - Is there a time
What about all the dreams - That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice - All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice - The crying Earth the weeping shores


I used to dream - I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far

You're not from here, a heart - touching song

There are special moments in life that are unforgettable... Just a look, a touch, and it follows us to the end.

Time went back... to a moment... you turned around... Our eyes met...

I got lost... thunder-struck... Was it fate?...

No... Just a dream... I woke up... facing the world... Sad and happy... We couldn't be together, but... in me... you live forever...




I don't know what is going on
You turn around and touch my heart
A silent moment speaks the truth
Something has happened all at once
It should have scared me in advance
But I was falling in those eyes of yours
And so - Fear was gone
I knew there was nothing else - I'd ever want

[Chorus:]
I know you - You're not from here
I've waited for you to appear
To take my breath away - And make me weep
You're not from here - Not from this here and now
Just a touch of yours
And I fly... and I fly... and I fly

I can't get used to missing you
If this is how it's gotta be
I need an angel to watch over me
No one can hold the hands of time
But I can hold you in my mind
Over and over like a melody

For now - I'll stand still
For now - I'll be filled by the memory of your skin
I know you - You're not from here
You don't belong to lies and tears

The greatness of your soul - Makes me weep
You're not from here - Not from this here and now
Just a touch of yours
And I fly... and I fly... and I fly
[Chorus]