Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 1005 O'Connor

The silence lasted for a long time, interspersed with faint sobs.

When Bian Lang's voice came from the stage again, "Goodbye!" the scene returned to its previous state.

Bian Lang is awesome!

"One more song!"

"Encore, encore..."

But no matter how much the fans shouted, the stage lights did not come back on; only the words "All good things must come to an end..." emanated from the speakers.

Only then did the fans believe that there really was nothing more!
Many music fans, still caught up in the emotions of the last song, were reluctant to leave and wanted to stay a little longer. Perhaps they were afraid that once they left the atmosphere of the music festival and were alone, they would find it even harder to cope with the aftereffects of the song.

The endless loneliness following the ultimate revelry, further amplified by "Love That Cannot Speak," will likely only cause the vortex of emotions to grow ever larger!
A middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap, who was inconspicuous at first glance, stood there, unable to move, after hearing the first line of the lyrics. Now, the noise of the crowd receded like the tide, and he felt that the whole world was left with only Bian Lang's singing.

After a long while, seeing that there were no more companions around, he pulled down the brim of his hat and turned to walk towards the exit. He had only gone halfway when he glanced back and saw that the Rolling Stone camp was still bustling with activity. He hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately continued towards the exit.

As for Bian Lang, he himself hadn't expected the song to have such a lasting impact on him. Even as the staff started packing up, he and Guo Sichu remained seated in the center of the stage, leaning against each other. And no one seemed to care about them…

Bian Lang remembered that back on Earth, when he was just drifting through life, he often followed an old mage, going up mountains and down to the sea, wandering around everywhere.

Every time the two of them drove to a place in the mountains with a wide view and stopped to rest, the old master loved to hum that line: "Untie your red bellyband, scatter a blanket of snow white, all the waters in the world ripple in your eyes... Bian Lang, the number one love song in the world is this one for me, when will your band be able to write a song like this..."

Bian Lang couldn't respond to the last sentence, so he could only force a smile and retort: ​​"I've had too many of those kinds of stories about the most unforgettable breakup sex, I can't write anything without feeling for them!"

But when the two set off again, Bian Lang would speak in the tone of someone in the industry, reminiscing with the old master:
"Later generations of Chinese musicians may find it hard to believe that in those difficult years, street performers were arrested and interrogated, and wandering poets had their temporary residence permits checked."

There was Old Zhou, a blind man of flesh and blood, who set out alone with a broken zither, drinking, smoking, dodging the police, chasing girls, and occasionally skipping train tickets when he was broke, singing his way through every mountain, river, and corner of this land.

Back in the original Earth, Bian Lang and Lao Zhou met in Shucun. Later, they met again and again in places like Lijiang, Kunming, Dali, Shanghai, Lanzhou, etc. Lao Zhou was always inseparable from Xiong Xiong. When everyone was drunk and singing together, he was always "looking around blankly".

When he encounters someone busking on the street, Lao Zhou always stops to listen for a while. If he has a guitar nearby, he'll probably strum some chords along...

Time flies! I wonder where Lao Zhou and Xiongxiong's story has gotten to? Does Lao Zhou still often mention O'Connor's tune...?

Seeing that Bian Lang couldn't quite get into the mood, Guo Sichu wasn't worried. She could hear some of Bian Lang's emotions in the song!

Perhaps Bian Lang himself didn't realize that after Dong Youbian thoroughly showed off his colorful resume as an old fruit farmer in his previous life, his view on love became predominantly pessimistic.

Take this song for example. It's the greatest love song in the world, and also the most unforgettable breakup song! But ultimately, it has a regretful ending that reflects universal values...

But Bian Lang's brilliance lies in the fact that, apart from his dear sister and younger sister, he never mentions the word "love" in the entire song, and there isn't even a single word for "affection." Yet, he uses imagery to express these two words with a penetrating clarity!
Although the song sings of "deep-seated hatred," it's actually a declaration of "love to the death"...

With such talent and creative ability, Guo Sichu truly dares to say that she is one of a kind in the whole world.

As for whether anyone would use this song to connect with Dong Youbian and make a fuss about it to disgust her after tonight, she didn't care at all. Because she was absolutely certain that Bian Lang and Dong Youbian could never have such a profound and unforgettable relationship... or even a love-to-death, deep-seated hatred. Dong Youbian could never have that!
If someone really wants to make a fuss about this and amplify it endlessly, then Bian Lang's "Little Love Song" is the best weapon to respond to them.

But then something amazing happened. The next second, Bian Lang leaned close to her ear and said, "I'll sing you another version!"

"Huh? The English version?" If Guo Sichu's admiration for Bian Lang was a 10 out of 10 based on this song, then hearing that there's an English version, that score is probably limitless.

Bian Lang called to his assistant, who was packing up his instruments, "Xiao Meng, bring me my Martin acoustic guitar..."

The shout was quite loud, but it caused an even bigger chain reaction. In the next few seconds, all the staff on stage stopped what they were doing, took out their phones, turned on the camera mode, and pointed the lens at Bian Lang!

After Bian Lang adjusted the sound, he started urging everyone to get back to work: "Those who need to work, get back to work! If I see this video online, none of you here tonight will escape!"

The staff at Rolling Stone were all too aware of the weight of Bian Lang's threat.

Thinking that there would be a few fearless cameramen to show them anyway, everyone pretended to continue working. As for the fearless cameramen Zilong and Guoli, only Guoli, who was practically glued to Bian Lang on stage, was on stage at this moment.

She calmly put down the 600-element camera, took out a spare camera for filming from her waist bag, and pressed the record button before Bian Lang could speak...

“Thank you for hearing me…

Thank you for listening to me
Thank you for loving me...

Thank you for loving me

Thank you for seeing me
Thank you for seeing me
And for not leaving me
And thank you for never leaving me.

Thank you for staying with me
Thank you for being with me.

Thanks for not hurting me
Thank you for not hurting me. You are gentle with me.
You are gentle with me.

Thanks for silence with me
Thank you for your silent companionship.

Thank you for holding me
Thank you for supporting me on my journey.
And saying 'I could be'
Tell me, I can do it

Thank you for saying 'Baby'
Thank you for saying baby.
Thank you for holding me
Thank you for supporting me on my journey.
Thank you for helping me
Thank you for your help.
Thank you, thank you for helping me
Thank you, thank you for helping me…

The preceding verses all repeat "important things" three times, and Bian Lang even deliberately cut out the last four lines:
Thank you for breaking my heart
Thank you for breaking my heart
Thank you for tearing me apart
Thank you for tearing me apart

Now I've a strong, strong heart
Now I have a strong, powerful heart.
Thank you for breaking my heart
Thank you for breaking my heart
After the song was finished, Guo Li commented in a low voice: "So this is how the two top figures in the Chinese music scene date. There's no way to learn this!"

Bian Lang didn't refute, but Guo Sichu stood up and pulled Bian Lang up with her hand: "Let's go..." Then she turned to Guo Li and said: "Send me a copy as soon as you're done, you never know when you might need it!"

"No problem, sister-in-law! I'll get it to you within half an hour!" Guo Li knew all too well what Guo Sichu was going to do, so she wouldn't delay for a moment.

As the two stumbled off the stage, the staff who had been pretending to work began to comment: "This kind of fairytale romance can only be pulled off by these two. No one else could handle it!"

"Yeah, the key is that Brother Lang wrote a classic song first, which is simpler than my Xia Ji Ba Chan. You really have to admit that!"

O'Connor's healing song "Thank You for Hearing Me" was a guiding light for Lao Zhou during his darkest times, so when the poem "Love That Cannot Speak" was to be turned into a song, Lao Zhou did not hesitate to choose this song for adaptation.

As for Sinéad O'Connor, a female musician who looks remarkably like Audrey Hepburn, this veteran Chinese musician was someone that even Wang Banbi and Zhang Chu would go backstage to ask for photos with as a fanboy, and whom Wang Jingwen regarded as an idol...

The final outcome proved the old Chinese saying true: "Heaven is jealous of talent!"

Born on December 8, 1966, in Dublin, Ireland, O'Connor's life has been intense and confrontational since her shattered childhood. Her devoted fans say, "You have to listen to this bald woman sing on your knees."

O'Connor's voice is incredibly versatile, which is evident in this song as it gradually rises from the gentle whisper of "Thank you for hearing me" at the beginning to a powerful high note and an almost painful self-disclosure, all while maintaining a natural rhythm of breathing and a genuine flow of emotion.

Her singing was like a prayer of thanksgiving, repeated and devout, with emotions building layer by layer with the musical phrases, always conveying a psychological impact of "humming + pulse".

"Thank You for Hearing Me" performed exceptionally well in Europe: 5th in Iceland, top 10 in Poland, and 13th and 14th in the UK and Scotland respectively.

As one of the representative works in her artistic career, this song not only continues O'Connor's creative tradition of truly expressing her inner feelings, but also demonstrates her mastery of modern music.

The exceptionally talented singer-songwriter began composing songs at the age of 14. In 1987, she released the album "The Lion and the Cobra," in which almost all the songs were written by her alone.

She then released another album, "Nothing Compares 2U," which received high praise from the music industry. The single "Nothing Compares 2U" topped the charts in various European countries and won her a Grammy Award.

However, O'Connor, who considers herself superior and often does surprising things, denied the value of the award to the music industry and refused to accept it, which added to her mystique.

Some might think she's being pretentious, but you need real talent to pull that off! At the very least, she's a Grammy winner, not someone who gets their awards by manipulating customer data like those on NetEase...

Although her every move exudes an air of untamed arrogance, the moment she opens her mouth, her boundless power and infectiousness will penetrate straight into your chest, like a cool, clear spring slowly flowing into your heart, lingering for a long time.

Her voice was as light as a feather, drifting aimlessly in the sky. It was high-pitched and slightly hoarse, and the melody was full of regret and hurt, yet it also strongly sought warmth and redemption.

In 2000, she revealed that she was in poor health and subsequently took a break from performing for several years. She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. During her treatment, she gave an interview, hoping that people would not stigmatize mental illness.

In 2017, O'Connor changed her name to "Magda Davitt" in the hope of getting rid of the "curse brought to her by her parents".

In 2021, she published her memoir, "Rememberings," in which she candidly discussed her upbringing, musical journey, socio-political views, and psychological trauma and mental health issues.

O'Connor also performed in China once, and his appearance caused quite a stir among Chinese music fans.

However, O'Connor's transformation into someone unrecognizable due to weight gain disappointed many music fans. Many felt that Wang Jingwen's idol, the ethereal bald female singer, ultimately couldn't escape the ravages of time.

But they may not know the story of O'Connor's life. And just when people thought O'Connor would move us with her new songs, she left us forever in this way.

The final straw that broke her back may have been her son. In January 2022, O'Connor's 17-year-old son, Shane, was suddenly reported missing. After an investigation, the police found his body; the cause of death was suicide.

After her son's death, O'Connor was devastated. Just a week later, she attempted suicide again, despite having a history of suicide attempts, and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Just ten days before O'Connor's passing, she once again expressed her longing for her beloved son. She wrote tearfully that since his death, she had been living like a walking corpse.

"He was the love of my life, the guiding light of my soul. Our souls were one, yet divided in two. He was the only one who loved me unconditionally; without him, I would be lost in the middle." These words are filled with endless longing for her deceased son.

Bian Lang had imagined a possibility back then: "Thank You for Hearing Me" might be a song about language, only the object and the result were too tragic.

Therefore, the last four lines of this song, which can be described as a divine turning point and a divine sublimation, are lines that Bian Lang plans to never write, even if it makes the song a little mediocre...

(End of this chapter)