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The Eight Dimensions (traditional Chinese: 八度空間; simplified Chinese: 八度空间; pinyin: Bādùkōngjīan) is Jay Chou's third album, which was released on July 19, 2002.
[edit] Track contents
1. "The Orcs" 半獸人 (Bàn Shòu Rén)
- In 2002, Chou was the spokesperson for the popular computer game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. He wrote "The Orcs" to help promote the software.[1] The music is electronic with a prominent orchestra in the chorus, and features sound effects from the game (such as the footsteps of a marching army). The lyrics, which discuss the creation of the mythical Orc race, are both sung and rapped.
2. "Iron Box of the Island" 半島鐵盒 (Bàn Dǎo Tiě Hé)
- The track begins with the sound of a man entering a bookstore and asks for help finding the novel Iron Box of the Island. In the lyrics, the "Iron Box of the Island" is described as both a locked box and a book title, used metaphorically to represent the memories of a lost lover. The verses are mainly rapped and the chorus is sung. In this R&B song, the most prominent instruments are the acoustic guitar and cymbals. On 25 February 2002, Iron Box of the Island was published into a real novel, written by Vincent Fang and featured a photo collection of Jay Chou.[2]
| "Secret Code" 暗號 |
| Composer |
Jay Chou |
| Lyricist |
Xu Shi Chang 許世昌 |
3. "Secret Code" 暗號 (Àn Hào)
- The song discusses unspoken communication between lovers. To emphasize this theme, imagery is provided by terminology related to signal reception, such as "noise", "interference", "weak signal", "signal lost".[3] Guitar is the main instrument.
4. "Dragon Fist" 龍拳 (Lóng Quán)
- "Dragon Fist" is a rock song highlighted by its Oriental style ("Zhongguo feng" (traditional Chinese: 中國風; simplified Chinese: 中国风; pinyin: Zhōngguó fēng; literally "China wind"). Although electric guitar is most prominent, Chinese instruments such as gu (Chinese drum), dizi (Chinese transverse flute), and yangqin are featured in various parts of the song.
- Lyrics of "Dragon Fist" reflect on Chinese history and geography to generate national pride. The dragon, a major national symbol of China, is mentioned 3 times in the chorus. Unity is emphasized by phrases such as "the same skin color and face," "the same blood flows," "one (facial) expression."[3] Due to this "one China" view, Chou was invited to perform in a national gala in 2004 broadcasted by the Chinese government-run television station CCTV,[4] despite Chou's Taiwanese origin.
5. "Where is the Train Going" 火車叨位去 (Huǒ Chē Dāo Wèi Qù)
- Among Chou's work, this track is the only song performed entirely in Taiwanese so far. Some phrases are phonetically linked by Zhuyin, which are annotated Chinese sound symbols. The lyrics describe one who writes letters to a lover at home, yet receives a reply, depicted in the context of a train to illustrate a relationship's unalterable course to its eventual end. The lyrics are sung and rapped over guitar in an R&B style.
6. "Split" 分裂 (Fēn Liè) (Taiwan Version) /"Leave" 离开 (Lí Kāi) (Mainland China Version)
- Chou reveals his thoughts about entry into adulthood in this track. The first verse begins by describing one's departure from an unspecified place after failing to acquire acceptance into higher education, and ends with a reflection of one's youth (e.g. "The tree I climbed/When did it become so small?"). Taken together, it is metaphor for transitioning from childhood to adultood. The narrative voice is both first- and second-person; both are used to describe himself. The first-person voice is cautious but resolute about moving on ("Let me take you away/.../You will be happier with no one to hold you back"), while the second-person is reluctant to do so ("Give me your hand/Lay (your) worries to rest"). In the China version of this album, the original name "Split" was changed to "Leave" in accordance with China's hesitation to use words with separatist connotations.
- The major instruments of this song are piano, violin, and cello. The lyrics are sung without rap.
7. "Grandfather's Tea" 爺爺泡的茶 (Yé Yé Pào De Chá)
- Although Chinese instruments are not used, "Grandfather's Tea" can considered to have a "Zhongguo feng" style[5] because of its reference to tea, Chinese history, and some stereotypical habits of old Chinese men (such as drinking tea and smoking while discussing Chinese history). The lyrics were written in the point of view of a 9-year old child with an appreciation for family ("Grandfather's tea has a taste called 'home'") The song has an upbeat pace and the lyrics are sung or rapped in a child-like tone. Guitar and violin are prominently used along with scratch effects.
8. "Return to the Past" 回到過去 (Huí Dào Guò Qù)
- "Return to the Past" is a guitar-based R&B song. The lyrics were written by Chou's friend Will Liu.[6]. To depict a melancholy romance, he uses personification such as "...time is bored and is not saying a word," "...sleepiness has gone into hiding again," and "...loneliness is already lying beside me." The dominant imagery is night ("Darkness is already hovering in the air").
9. "Milan's Little Blacksmith" 米蘭的小鐵匠 (Mǐ Lán De Xiǎo Tiě Jiàng)
- This song contains lyrics both rapped and sung over an Italian folk-style arrangement. The lyrics describes the thoughts of a blacksmith who wishes to purchase a guitar but is too poor to afford it. The song makes prominent use of nylon string guitar, which is featured in a 40-second solo, while the entire track is decorated with scratch effects.
10. "The Final Battle" 最後的戰役 (Zuì Hòu De Zhàn Yì)
- In-line with the track title, the song reflects on the thoughts of a young soldier. The verses entail memories of childhood (e.g. "In the midst of smoke [I am] recalling of the taste of soft drinks/and those summers during [our youth] when we did nothing at all"). The chorus describes the sight of a friend dying in one's arms (e.g."Your face is strained/[your] energy will soon be spent/[you] will not allow me to speak of home"). "The Final Battle" is sung in R&B style over orchestra music. The track opens with the sound of a machine gun in rapid fire, and the second verse starts after the sound of a gun being loaded. The song ends with bagpipe music.
[edit] References
- ^ (Chinese) Endorsements (under Profile) (Jay Chou Official Website). www.jay2u.com.
- ^ (Chinese) Fang, Vincent (2002-02-25). Iron Box of the Island 半島鐵盒 (Book), China: Hua Ren Ban Tu. ISBN 9868016703.
- ^ a b (Chinese) Eight Dimensions. In Eight Dimensions 八度空間 [CD liner notes] (2002). Taipei, Taiwan [R.O.C.]: Alfa Music International Co., Ltd.
- ^ (Chinese) "Jay Chou does not pronounce clearly, resulting in a request for a clearer version of "Dragon Fist" 周杰伦咬字不清被退货《龙拳》要出清晰版" (News article), people.com.cn, 2003-12-26. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.
- ^ (Chinese) "Cool music: China wind is crazy 酷辣音樂：瘋了，中國風" (Editorial), china.org.cn, 2006-11-14. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- ^ "Jay Chou supports good friend Will Liu as a "good man" 周杰伦推荐亲密搭档刘畊宏参赛“好男”" (News), sina.com.cn, 2006-05-09. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
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