二週に渡ってお送りして来た「８０年代洋楽特集」も今日が千秋楽。たぶんこの時代の洋楽の凄さを少しは理解して貰えたと思います。ソロ、デュエット、バンドと形態は違えども、当時の人々を熱狂させ、時に感動を与えていた様は垣間見れたと思う。洋楽の影響力を語るには、まだまだ言い尽くせないが、最終回の今回もまた、５曲を紹介し、オーラスは、マイケルジャクソンの名曲を２曲お送りしてこの記事を締めたい。
We Built This City ｂｙ Starship
We built this city,
We built this city on rock and roll
Say you don't know me, or recognize my face
Say you don't care who goes to that kind of place
Knee deep in the hoopla, sinking in your fight
Too many runaways eating up the night
Marconi plays the Mamba,
Listen to the radio
Don't you remember?
We built this city
We built this city on rock and roll!
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Someone always playing corporation games
Who cares they're always changing corporation names
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
They call us irresponsible, write us off the page
Marconi plays the Mamba,
Listen to the radio
Don't you remember?
We built this city
We built this city on rock and roll!
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
It's just another Sunday in a tired old street
Police have got the choke hold, and we just lost the beat
Who counts the money underneath the bar
Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars
Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools
Looking for America, crawling through your schools
Don't you remember ...
Breakout ｂｙ Swing Out Sister
When explanations make no sense
When every answer's wrong
You're fighting with lost confidence
All expectations come
The time has come to make or break
Move on don't hesitate
Breakout
Don't stop to ask
Now you've found a break to make at last
You've got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout
When situations never change
Tomorrow looks unsure
Don't leave your destiny to chance
What are you waiting for
The time has come to make your break
Breakout
Don't stop to ask
Now you've found a break to make at last
You've got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout
Don't stop to ask
Now you've found a break to make at last
You've got to find a way
Say what you want to say Breakout
Let's groove ｂｙ Earth Wind & Fire
We can boogie down, down, upon down
The boogie down, down, upon down
The boogie down, down, upon down
The boogie down, down, ...
(Repeats underneath first verse)
Let's groove tonight
Share the spice of life
Baby slice it right
We're gonna groove tonight
Let this groove, get you to move,
It's alright, alright, alright
Let this groove, set in your shoes,
So stand up, alright, alright
Gonna tell ya what you can do,
With my love, alright
Let you know girl you're looking good
You're outta sight, alright
Just move yourself and glide like a 747
And lose yourself in the sky among the clouds in the heaven cause
Let this groove, light up your fuse, its alright, alright, alright, oo oh oh
Let this groove, set in your shoes so stand up alright, alright
Let me tell ya what you can do
With my love, alright
Gotta let you know girl you're looking good
You're outta sight, alright
Just tell the DJ
To play your fav'rite tune
Then you know it's okay
What you found is happening now, oh
Let this groove, light up your fuse, its alright, alright, alright
Let this groove, set in your shoes, so stand up, stand up, alright
Let this groove, get you to move, its alright, alright, alright, yeah
Let this groove set in your shoes, so stand up, alright, alright
You will find peace of mind on the floor
Take a little time, come and see, you and me
Give a little sign, I'll be there after a while
If you want my love
Always ｂｙ Atlantic starr
Girl you are to me,
all that a woman should be
And I dedicate my life to you always
The love like yours is grand
It must have been sent from up above
And I know you'll stay this way, for always
And we both know, that our love will grow
And forever it will be you and me, hey
Ooh, your life is sun chasing all of the rain away
When you come around you bring brighter day
You're the perfect one for me and you forever we'll be
And I will love you so for always
Come with me my sweet let's go make a family
And they will bring us joy, for always
Oh boy, I love you so
I can't find enough ways to let you know
But you can be sure i'm yours, for always
And we both know, that our love will grow
And forever it will be you and me, hey
Ooh, your life is sun chasing all the rain away
When you come around you bring brighter day
You're the perfect one for me and you forever we'll be
And I will love you so for always
私事で恐縮だが、私が大好きな曲で、結婚披露宴の入場曲に使った名曲だ。
Thriller ｂｙ Mickael Jackson
１９８４年頃に、このPVは爆発的なヒットを記録した。この踊りも流行った。Beat it！もこの頃の楽曲で、マイケルジャクソンの全盛期だった。私が北海道に住んでいた頃のことで、特に思い出深い。東京ディズニーランドでは３Dの「Captain EO」が大人気アトラクションだった。
And, it is true last …
Heal The World ｂｙ Mickael Jackson
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 for 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
Make a better world
Make a better world...
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
この曲は１９９１年のもので、今回のテーマに適合しませんが、マイケルジャクソンで締めたいという小生のたっての希望があったため、ここで掲載させていただきました。どうかご了承願います。彼が生涯をかけて伝えたかったこと。この曲に凝縮されていると思う。私が大好きな曲で、紛争が絶えない殺伐とした戦場にあって、子供たちが笑顔で飛び回っている。誰もがこのような子供たちの笑い声が絶えない平和な世界を願っているはずなのに、些細な感情の衝突やエゴや利権のために、血で血を洗うような殺戮が繰り返されてしまう。このPVはそうした国際紛争の現状を赤裸々に投影し、このままでは世界はいずれ滅びてしまうことを暗示している。幼い子供たちが疫病や戦火によって尊い命を落とし、罪もない人が苦しむような世の中であっては断じてならない。マイケルが命を投げ打って訴えたかった魂のメッセージがこのPVには見て取れる。まさしく涙なくしてはみられない映像だと思う。
今回の企画、最後までお付き合いいただき感謝いたします。８０年代を彩った洋楽の名曲の数々は、とても紹介しきれるものではない。また、違う形で洋楽を紹介できる記事を紗執筆できたら幸いです。シリーズ記事で紹介した方々も３０年程度が経過し、亡くなられたミュージシャン、シンガーも多々ある。今は亡き素晴らしき音楽家たちのご冥福を心からお祈り申し上げます。
記事作成：２月３日（月）
来週からは、通常の記事に戻りますが、数ヶ月前に執筆した古い記事から順に掲載していますので、時期が合わないものも数多く含まれていることを予めご了承ください。