Lin Xi (Hong Kong Edition) Others' Songs + My Lyrics - Hong Kong & Macau Limited Edition

Author: Lin Xi Publisher: Bright Light Culture Size: 140mm x 210mm Pages: 368 ISBN: 978-988-820-21-4 [Synopsis] "Others' Songs + My Lyrics" is the original "Others' Songs" with a new chapter. The new chapter is titled "My Lyrics," featuring writings from Lin Xi's 2014 "Not About Music" column, reflecting on a selection of Mandarin lyrics. Lin Xi describes this chapter as "transcending melody, extending, supplementing, connecting, annotating, and offering marginalia where the lyrics haven't fully expressed themselves: my hands annotating my own words. This act may not be unprecedented, but it is certainly unique." As for the original "Others' Songs," it's more than just a pop song Lin Xi wrote when he first debuted; the title encapsulates the theme of the essays. These are miscellaneous pieces written in his youth about lyrics. Due to the passage of time, the stories told and written down feel like they belong to someone else's songs. "Meeting my younger self today, I feel like a different person; calling it 'Others' Songs' feels incredibly fitting." A lyricist who has been writing for over thirty years, he continues to work diligently. Over these many years, he has been busy writing lyrics, with little time to write *about* lyrics. As he states in the book's preface: "Eileen Chang once said that if you're busy falling in love, you don't have time for love; if you're busy writing lyrics, you don't have the time or mood to talk about writing lyrics. For example, people who write novels rarely discuss the 'way' of writing novels. A mind that's too rational cannot birth life that flows naturally; thinking too much about plotting and structuring can lead to mechanical work, lacking soul. At least, to maintain an image of aloofness, cool, and style, it's better to say less." So, looking back today at these writings from many, many years ago concerning lyrics, songs, and the music scene—time makes everything so wonderfully curious. "These artifacts are rather special; they discuss the ins and outs of pop music and idle chatter about lyric writing. I've hardly written about anything related to songwriting in years since entering the industry. It's rare, and therefore valuable." Rarer still, this book also features Lin Xi's original handwritten lyric manuscripts from years past. While it's not claimed to be the definitive collection of Lin Xi's lyric-writing insights, the pieces included in this book are undoubtedly precious. [Author Biography] Lin Xi Graduated from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Hong Kong, majoring in Translation. He has previously served as a Teaching Assistant in the Chinese Department at the University of Hong Kong, an editor at The Express, Head of Creative/Deputy Manager of the Program Department at Asia Television, Creative Director/General Manager of Music Plus, Head of Advertising Creation and Production/Creative Consultant/Consultant at Commercial Radio Hong Kong. He is currently a full-time writer.