溫哥華失眠夜
嬉笑怒罵皆成文章
因了寫嘻哈音樂題材的文章，連日來嘻哈，藍調音樂不絕於耳。本來咱們聽西洋歌曲就是重曲調輕歌詞，何況這些嘻哈歌手都刻意用口齒不清的哈萊姆英語念白說唱，聽得我雲山霧罩。暗自尋思多半離不開性愛，暴力，毒品和叛逆的內容，此時不懂勝聽懂。
突然，一個情真意摯的中年男聲如泣如訴，初成曲調即有情。一個中年男人，表達了他對已經逝世的父親那份思念，歉疚和愛，與中國傳統的“樹欲靜而風不止，子欲養而親不在”的孝道異曲同工。演唱者 Luther Vandross 是藍調的殿堂級人物，唱了許多膾炙人口的歌曲，平生獲獎無數。他還因此歌而獲得 2004 年的格萊美獎。
To Dance With My Father Again
By: Luther Vandross
Back when I was a child
before life removed all the innocence
my father would lift me high
and dance with my mother and me and then
spin me around till I fell asleep
then up the stairs he would carry me
and I knew for sure, I was loved
If I could get
another chance
another walk
another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
how I'd love love love
to dance with my father again
第一段回憶了孩提時代父親讓孩子騎在脖子上，和媽媽一起跳舞，直至孩子酣然入夢，才把他抱上樓去。既表達了父親那份舔犢深情，也讓我們感到家庭的溫馨，父親和母親那份相濡以沫的愛情。我的思緒也隨著歌聲，回到了童年：父親騎著自行車，馱著我上街，給我買最愛吃的甘草楊桃，鳥梨（一種小沙皮梨） …….
oooo when I and my mother would disagee
to get my way I would run from her to him
he'd make me laugh just to comfort me yeah yeah
then finally make me do just what my momma said
later that night when I was asleep
he left a dollar under my sheet
never dreamed that he would be gone from me
If I could steal one final glance,
one final step
one final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
cause I'd love, love, love, to dance with my father again
這一段回憶了一個慈父如何巧妙地教育孩子聽媽媽的話。沒有喝斥，也不用說教，讓孩子心服口服。許多中國家庭的父母，對孩子給予了太多的期許，所以當孩子不聽話或者成績稍不如人意時，恨鐵不成鋼的複雜心情躍然臉上，總愛把自己的喜好和是非判斷強加於孩子身上，反而激起了孩子的逆反情緒，造成劍拔弩張的緊張局麵。我們能否從這段歌聲裏得到某種啟發呢？
sometimes I'd listen outside her door
and I hear how my mother cried for him
I'd pray for her even more than me
I'd pray for her even more than me
I know I'm praying
for much to much
but could you send back
the only man she loved
I know you don't do it usually
but dear lord she's dying
to dance with my father again
every night I fall asleep
and this is all I ever dream
最後這一段最是催人淚下，令人心碎！從兒子的口中訴說了母親對逝去丈夫的無限哀思和眷戀，並向上蒼祈求，讓父親複活回到愛著他的妻兒身邊。這裏不僅表達了對父親的思念，更委婉地表達了對孤寂的媽媽的心疼，愧疚和孝心。都說男兒有淚不輕彈，聽到這裏，我還是把手伸向紙巾盒 …… 因為它讓我想起銀絲滿頭的媽媽，多年來為照顧因中風而行動不便的父親，任勞任怨全天候護理陪伴著他。每年回去看到她日漸憔悴，身體大不如前，心中也有如歌中的那份愧疚和心疼。媽媽，兒子不孝，身在萬水千山之外，無法與你分擔辛勞。還望你自己多多保重！
謹將這首歌曲獻給與我同齡的海外遊子和我們親愛的父親母親們，向他們感恩！
