The Corrs

Before Regina Spektor, before Coldplay (and a few other bands in between), I was first and foremost a Corrs fan. The Corrs is an Irish band consists of four exceptional siblings – Jim, Sharon, Caroline, and Andrea Corr. Aside from being Irish who are known for their music, they come from a family of musicians as their parents were both in their own band back then called the Sound Affair (sounds cool for a band's name). So it’s no surprise that they got the genes from their folks.

I first heard of them when I was a freshman in college, that would be 11 years ago, and I’m still a fan to this day. I used to read a lot about them, their biographies and such! I was ashamed by how much I read about them. You know you are a big fan when your friends hear a Corrs' song and they think of you immediately. Then my brother got me a copy of a magazine (above photo) with them as the cover which he bought overseas, that meant a lot to me. I also got a postcard from a friend who had been on one their concert, that was so sincere of her. Ahh, how I wish it will be my turn to see them in concert someday.

I can’t also seem to decide who my favorite Corr sister is, at one point I wanted to be Sharon, then Andrea, and then Caroline. All of them are pretty and talented, but when I base it on the instrument I wanted to play the drums, it is by far the coolest thing to play next to the violin, the tin whistle,... There were times that I pretended I was on stage singing too. On the other hand I put on the cd on my walkman, closed my eyes and allowed myself to go places...

I think musicians should be a goodwill ambassadors of their countries too, the Corrs got me interested in Ireland. They represent their already beautiful country when they play Celtic music and just even using some of their traditional musical instrument to their own music.

These days The Corrs is on hiatus, but I read they will have a comeback soon so I'm excited for the new stuff. As for now, here are two of their songs in their first studio album “Forgiven not Forgotten”…I miss the Corrs and watching these videos below just brings back memories. Ah, how music has been part of my life, it has been a refuge…

Love To Love You:

Runaway:

The Painted Veil

One of my favorite movie is "The Painted Veil" starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. It is based on a novel of the same title by the author W. Somerset Maugham. It is a period drama set in the 1920s China and England. The movie is about a marriage in distress between Walter and Kitty.



The beautiful music played in the movie is a French children song called "A La Claire Fontaine" translated in English as "At the Clear Fountain". Makes me want to learn it and sing it to my kids in the future, but perhaps i will sing it into English and/or Dutch, hehehe, or in Visayan too, why not. If you like it and want to practice your French then you can sing-a-long, this is a challenge though, more like a tongue twister.

"A La Claire Fontaine"

À la claire fontaine, (At the clear fountain)
M'en allant promener (While I was strolling by)
J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle (I found the water so nice)
Que je m'y suis baigné (That I went in to bathe)

Refrain :
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (So long I've been loving you)
Jamais je ne t'oublierai (I will never forget you)

Sous les feuilles d'un chêne, (Under an oak tree,)
Je me suis fait sécher (I dried myself)
Sur la plus haute branche, (On the highest branch,)
Un rossignol chantait (A nightingale was singing)

Refrain

Chante rossignol, chante, (Sing, nightingale, sing,)
Toi qui as le cœur gai (Your heart is so happy)
Tu as le cœur à rire, (Your heart feels like laughing,)
Moi je l'ai à pleurer (Mine feels like weeping.)

Refrain

J'ai perdu mon amie, (I lost my beloved,)
Sans l'avoir mérité (Without deserving it,)
Pour un bouquet de roses, (For a bunch of roses,)
Que je lui refusai (That I denied her.)

Refrain

Je voudrais que la rose, (I wanted the rose)
Fût encore au rosier (To be still on the bush,)
Et que ma douce amie (And my sweet beloved)
Fût encore à m'aimer (To be still loving me)

Refrain

Better Than Ezra - A Lifetime

My interest in music was mostly influenced by my two older brothers. Way back then, our house was filled with basically alternative rock music played in high volume. This time around, its only me playing not-so-loud music. One of the bands that I listened when I was in high school was Better Than Ezra with their hits like Good, Desperately Wanting, and Rosealia. I can still recall singing along with these tunes (and my brother's theme song is definitely Desperately Wanting.) Better Than Ezra has been around for 2 decades already, I believe they are one of the most underrated bands but I guess its better that way. BTE has a strong fan base though, so thats good.

Allie woke up 8AM Graduation day.
Got into a car, and crashed along the way.
When we arrived late to the wake,
Stole the urn while they looked away,
And drove to the beach 'cause I knew you'd want it that way.

And you were standing on the hood of the car
Singing out loud when the sun came up.

And I know I wasn't right, but it felt so good.
And your mother didn't mind, like I thought she would.
And that REM song was playing in my mind.
And three and a half minutes felt like a lifetime. It felt like a lifetime

And you move like water I could drown in you.
And I fell so deep once, till you pulled me through
You would tell me "No one is allowed to be so proud
They never reach out when they're giving up."

And I know I wasn't right, but it felt so good.
And your mother didn't mind, like I thought she would.
And that REM song was playing in my mind.
And three and a half minutes felt like a lifetime. It felt like a lifetime

Are you sitting in the lights? Or combing your hair again?
And talking in rhymes? Are you sitting in the lights?

When I got home, heard the phone, your parents had arrived.
And your dad set his jaw, your mom just smiled and sighed.
But they left soon and I went to my room.
Played that disc that you'd given me, and I shut my eyes
Swear I could hear the sea.

When we were standing
On the hood of your car
Singing out loud when the sun came up.

And I know I wasn't right, but it felt so good.
And your mother didn't mind, like I thought she would.
And that REM song was playing in my mind.
And three and a half minutes felt like a lifetime.

It felt like a lifetime