用母語唱歌，是歌者獻給生活最美妙的禮物
——有關“五條人”和他們的民謠
“五條人”來自廣東海豐。從2003年開始，他們就用自己的海豐話母語（學名為“福佬話”，屬於閩南語系）唱民謠，
唱的內容往往來自他們熟悉的縣城生活的記憶碎片，或者講故事，或者發感歎，他們通過悅耳的旋律和原汁原味的土著辭
彙，將他們的想法與生活描述得妙趣橫生，而在歌聲的另一面，似乎又顯現著他們對現代生活和時代的暗諷。從整體上
看，五條人的民謠，就如一部音樂化的“侯孝賢電影”（比如《南國，再見南國》和《風櫃來的人》）。五條人認為他們
的音樂，就是他們的生活和母語的本身，多一分則肥，少一分則瘦，用母語唱歌，就是他們獻給生活最美妙的禮物。
“五條人”的民謠是很“南方”的，當他們的吉他和手風琴（有時是口琴或口弦）一響起，就宛如一陣從那個沿海小縣城
吹來的風，將會帶來某種會心的海的暗語，只要將耳朵朝向他們，越聽不懂他們的“土著”語越會覺得樂！他們說，所有
人的母語都有這種功能。
“五條人”的生活和他們的民謠，一直都是充滿樂趣的，他們就像兩隻隨時回家鄉偷啄幾顆米又回到電線杆上唱歌的
麻雀……
To Sing in Dialect Is the Singers’ Best Gift for Life
--About Wu Tiao Ren and Their Music
Wu Tiao Ren is a band from Haifeng, Guangdong. They have been singing in their local Haifeng dialect since 2003. Lyrics
are mainly about episodes of their life in this town, which they are familiar with, or stories or feelings they would like to
share. They depict their life amazingly in dulcet melodies and indigenous language. Beyond the sound, one can find their
satire on the modern times. Wholly speaking, their music can be viewed as movies by Hou Hsiao Hsien, in the musical
form, such as <Goodbye South, Goodbye> and <The Boys from Fengkuei>. In the eyes of Wu Tiao Ren, their music
is their life and language per se. It is just right. To sing in mother tongue is their best gift for life.
Songs by Wu Tiao Ren are much of southern flavor. Upon hearing the sound of their guitars and accordions (sometimes
harmonicas or jew's harps), one can feel a breeze blowing from this small seaside town, bringing along under-
standable whispers of the ocean. Once you lend your ears to their songs, the less you understand the patois, the more fun
you will have. They say it is the same feature of all native tongues.
The life and music of Wu Tiao Ren are always full of joy. They are like two sparrows always ready to peck some rice
back home and then fly back to the wire pole to sing.
