再見，詹姆士布朗

昨天聖誕前夜，一邊喝著一點點雪利酒，一邊看兩眼瓶中花開四朵的百合花，一邊和朋友閑聊著，一邊還寫著點兒雪利酒的文字。看看文字裏，堆了好多‘其實’之類的詞，重三遍四，全然說不上‘文采’，隱約間還有點兒‘顛倒淋漓意’在裏麵。倒也不太想去改，想到哪兒說哪兒吧，那是就著詹姆士布朗的funky 音樂落下的文字。 
‘Wo! I feel good, I knew that I wouldn't of
I feel good, I knew that I wouldn't of
So good, so good, I got you
Wo! I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you
When I hold you in my arms
I know that I can do no wrong
and when I hold you in my arms
My love won't do you no harm
and I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you…’

好久以前有個朋友從東京打電話來，記不清說了什麽事情。電話那端背景裏的音樂，正好是我這邊放著的同一支曲子，詹姆士布朗的I am real:
How is it about we get up an' do my thing?
Full force get busy one time
Knockin' on the doors ain't the place to be
I'm feelin' funky right now baby, you know the deal
I'm real
Ooh, come on y'all, do the camel walk
And get the hop out your back - hit me
Get busy - yeah - make it funky - make it funky
Hit me - get on the good foot - get on the good foot
Hit me - get up ah - get on up
Cool time - papa got a brand new bag
Give it to me - give it to me
Give it to me - give it to me…

I'm real
I'm real - I'm the real super bad
And there's nobody out there good enough
To take the things I have
I'm real, I'm real - I'm real super bad
And there's nobody out there good enough
To take the things I have

那時候對詹姆士布朗的音樂有種說不出來的感覺，就是沒有放他的音樂，腦子裏麵偶爾也會冒出些那些旋律,或者哼哼他的曲子什麽的:
You know sometimes a man
Or a woman makes a mistake
Try to find a reason for making a mistake
But there is no reason for making a mistake
The only thing you do is when
You make a mistake is say I'm sorry
Take a man or a woman to say I'm sorry
And it takes a fool to walk away
So right here I want to say I'm sorry
I don't know where you are
But you know I need you
Now there's one more thing I'd like to say right here
I could say goodbye, you just don't understand
I could say baby I believe you got another man
And that I could say I just can't help myself
But I wouldn't be a man
And that I could say maybe we don't have nothing left
But I want you to know I still love you
Oh no matter where you go, I still love you….

今晨，看新聞說詹姆士布朗去世了…就在這個聖誕節。如果沒有記錯，他不是今年被英國列入殿堂級的音樂家嗎？他不是被若幹若幹的音樂同行們稱為音樂教父嗎，他不是那個永遠在台上充滿了活力的人嗎？最為傑出的‘娛樂家’，就是這麽說他的。‘生活因他的存在而有所不同’，有一位音樂家這麽評價他。有多少人的存在讓別人的生活真正有所不同呢？上帝在聖誕節應該很忙的，怎麽還有空搗個亂把這位音樂家給帶走了呢？是天堂裏也需要詹姆士布朗的音樂麽？ 

不寫詹姆士布朗音樂欣賞指南或者類似的什麽東西了。寫和看，是沒有意義的，對他的音樂而言。再來一杯酒，再聽聽他的音樂吧！再見，詹姆士布朗，再見！ 

Well I might take a train, or I believe I'd drive a plane
But if I have to walk I'm goin' there just the same…