Sarah Chen the Invincible
Analysis of The Mundane World 笑红尘 and Question 问
(陈淑桦/陳淑樺)
The Theme Song Artist
The Theme Song Artist
The magician, therapist, and champion Sarah Chen (陈淑桦; 陳淑樺) lived a secret life outside of her regular job of producing albums: when you were not looking, she doubled up as a theme song artist. And she'd been doing that since the beginning of the universe. Some of her 1980s albums were exclusive collections of songs she performed for movies (e.g., Spring Comes Again; Beauty & Sorrow, 1980). It got so bad that when she released Taiwan's first R&B album Forever (1995), people made the shocking discovery that none of the songs were or became theme songs. Her popularity in Singapore was enhanced, in no small part, by singing the title songs for the 1980s popular TV series Samsui Women (红头巾, 1986). She was so sorely missed that, in 2007, her Singapore fans voted the title song Samsui Women "Top 5 Theme songs of the last 25 years." I think they defined the category "25 years" just so Sarah Chen could make the cut.
The magician, therapist, and champion Sarah Chen (陈淑桦; 陳淑樺) lived a secret life outside of her regular job of producing albums: when you were not looking, she doubled up as a theme song artist. And she'd been doing that since the beginning of the universe. Some of her 1980s albums were exclusive collections of songs she performed for movies (e.g., Spring Comes Again; Beauty & Sorrow, 1980). It got so bad that when she released Taiwan's first R&B album Forever (1995), people made the shocking discovery that none of the songs were or became theme songs. Her popularity in Singapore was enhanced, in no small part, by singing the title songs for the 1980s popular TV series Samsui Women (红头巾, 1986). She was so sorely missed that, in 2007, her Singapore fans voted the title song Samsui Women "Top 5 Theme songs of the last 25 years." I think they defined the category "25 years" just so Sarah Chen could make the cut.
We already witnessed what Sarah Chen was capable of doing for Red Dust, when she was given an entire story, rather than just a few lines, to chew on the meaning of the song. Not surprisingly, her #3 and #4 hits are also theme songs, but they belong to a category that crowns her the Invincible Kung Fu Master江湖不败: martial arts films and TV series. In some corners of the world, Sarah Chen is the "half pop, half country" (半流行, 半江山) artist. That word "country" is not your Western Country Music; it literally means River and Mountain, the stuff that martial arts fighters kill each other for.
We already witnessed what Sarah Chen was capable of doing for Red Dust, when she was given an entire story, rather than just a few lines, to chew on the meaning of the song. Not surprisingly, her #3 and #4 hits are also theme songs, but they belong to a category that crowns her the Invincible Kung Fu Master江湖不败: martial arts films and TV series. In some corners of the world, Sarah Chen is the "half pop, half country" (半流行, 半江山) artist. That word "country" is not your Western Country Music; it literally means River and Mountain, the stuff that martial arts fighters kill each other for.
The Kung Fu Master in the "Mundane World" and "Question"
The Kung Fu Master in the "Mundane World" and "Question"
Sarah Chen is crowned the "Invincible Kung Fu Master" for two reasons. First, her portrayal of the most feared Kung Fu master in the entire world of Wuxia films, the Invincible Asia, as illustrated in her hit song "The Mundane World." Second, her Kung Fu like escape from a tricky situation as depicted in her hit song "The Question about Love."
Sarah Chen is crowned the "Invincible Kung Fu Master" for two reasons. First, her portrayal of the most feared Kung Fu master in the entire world of Wuxia films, the Invincible Asia, as illustrated in her hit song "The Mundane World." Second, her Kung Fu like escape from a tricky situation as depicted in her hit song "The Question about Love."
The Mundane World: Background & Popularity
The Mundane World: Background & Popularity
The "Mundane World" was the theme song for the Wuxia film Swordsman Series. It appeared in the third installation of the movie - The East Is Red (1993), featuring Brigitte Lin and Joey Wong. Lin played the most feared character in the entire world of Wuxia novels - the Invincible Asia (东方不败), a man who progressively took on the physique of a woman as a result of the deadly martial arts he practiced. The movie was shown to two audiences. In the Mandarin version, the theme song was "The Mundane World" (笑红尘); In the Cantonese version, the theme song was "Be My True Self" (做个真的我). Both were performed by Sarah Chen. In the movie, the Invincible Asia sang the song when he encountered a group of women and helped them defeat two formidable groups of men.
The "Mundane World" was the theme song for the Wuxia film Swordsman Series. It appeared in the third installation of the movie - The East Is Red (1993), featuring Brigitte Lin and Joey Wong. Lin played the most feared character in the entire world of Wuxia novels - the Invincible Asia (东方不败), a man who progressively took on the physique of a woman as a result of the deadly martial arts he practiced. The movie was shown to two audiences. In the Mandarin version, the theme song was "The Mundane World" (笑红尘); In the Cantonese version, the theme song was "Be My True Self" (做个真的我). Both were performed by Sarah Chen. In the movie, the Invincible Asia sang the song when he encountered a group of women and helped them defeat two formidable groups of men.
The two versions of the theme song had nearly identical melodies, composed by Jonathan Lee, but differed significantly in the lyrics, written by different songwriters. The Mandarin version, the "Mundane World," was the product of Li Man-Ting (厉曼婷). It opens with a fantastic declaration of defiance and self-sufficiency: "The Mundane World is laughable, infatuation is boring, and it's good to be arrogant." The Cantonese version, "Be My True Self," was written by Pan Wei-Yuan (潘伟源). It captures the Invincible Asia's hesitation about who he (or she) really is: "Wish wind is me, wish moon is me, willows and flying flowers are me." Despite being sung by the same character (Brigitte Lin as Invisible Asia, in Sarah Chen's voice) and having similar musical arrangements, the popularity of the two versions differed sharply, with the "Mundane World" dominating online platforms. Here, although both versions are included in the view counts, the following description of the song will focus mainly on the "Mundane World."
The two versions of the theme song had nearly identical melodies, composed by Jonathan Lee, but differed significantly in the lyrics, written by different songwriters. The Mandarin version, the "Mundane World," was the product of Li Man-Ting (厉曼婷). It opens with a fantastic declaration of defiance and self-sufficiency: "The Mundane World is laughable, infatuation is boring, and it's good to be arrogant." The Cantonese version, "Be My True Self," was written by Pan Wei-Yuan (潘伟源). It captures the Invincible Asia's hesitation about who he (or she) really is: "Wish wind is me, wish moon is me, willows and flying flowers are me." Despite being sung by the same character (Brigitte Lin as Invisible Asia, in Sarah Chen's voice) and having similar musical arrangements, the popularity of the two versions differed sharply, with the "Mundane World" dominating online platforms. Here, although both versions are included in the view counts, the following description of the song will focus mainly on the "Mundane World."
YouTube has about 15M view of the Mundane World and 5M view of Be My True Self. Spotify has 1.7M replays of the Mundane World. The Chinese music site bilibili, which has many uploads of this song from the past 1-3 years, has approximately 4.5M views. The "Mundane World" has received about 26.2M views in the past decade as of Spring 2024.
YouTube has about 15M view of the Mundane World and 5M view of Be My True Self. Spotify has 1.7M replays of the Mundane World. The Chinese music site bilibili, which has many uploads of this song from the past 1-3 years, has approximately 4.5M views. The "Mundane World" has received about 26.2M views in the past decade as of Spring 2024.
Why So Popular?
Why So Popular?
As with Red Dust, the popularity of the "Mundane World" reflects, in part, the popularity of the movie. But the sharp difference between the Mandarin and Cantonese versions suggests that the lyrics played an important role. In addition, whereas there is an official MV of Sarah Chen singing the "Mundane World," there is no MV or live performance of her singing the Cantonese version. The popularity of the "Mundane World," therefore, reflects the combination of two factors: a psychologically important message (credited to songwriter Li 厉曼婷), delivered by the most compelling storyteller (credited to Sarah Chen). The lack of renditions by other artists further suggests that Sarah Chen is essential for the popularity of the song. By then, she had overcome her illness and shifted her priority from being consumed by music to caring for herself. No one else could have grasped the meaning of the "Mundane World" more deeply than Sarah Chen. As with "Dream Awakening," people want to see her or Brigitte Lin singing the words that laugh at the Mundane World.
As with Red Dust, the popularity of the "Mundane World" reflects, in part, the popularity of the movie. But the sharp difference between the Mandarin and Cantonese versions suggests that the lyrics played an important role. In addition, whereas there is an official MV of Sarah Chen singing the "Mundane World," there is no MV or live performance of her singing the Cantonese version. The popularity of the "Mundane World," therefore, reflects the combination of two factors: a psychologically important message (credited to songwriter Li 厉曼婷), delivered by the most compelling storyteller (credited to Sarah Chen). The lack of renditions by other artists further suggests that Sarah Chen is essential for the popularity of the song. By then, she had overcome her illness and shifted her priority from being consumed by music to caring for herself. No one else could have grasped the meaning of the "Mundane World" more deeply than Sarah Chen. As with "Dream Awakening," people want to see her or Brigitte Lin singing the words that laugh at the Mundane World.
The following is the approximate English translation of that magic lyrics.
The following is the approximate English translation of that magic lyrics.
"The mundane world is laughable, infatuation is most boring, and it's good to be arrogant. This life is not over, but nothing bothers me any more, only want to live the second half of my life carefree. Keep a smile when awake, forget all about it in my dream, only lament that night comes too early. The next life is unpredictable, let's cross out all the love and hate, sing a song while drunk, only wish to stay happy till the end. Wind is chilly, but no desire to escape; Flowers are pretty, but no wish to pick; let me glide and sway. The higher the sky, the smaller my heart, don't care how many things have causes and consequences, happy to fall down drunk. Cry today, laugh tomorrow, don't care if others understand me, for I am so proud. Sing a song, dance a dance, through the long night without sensing dawn, only want to seek happiness. "
"The mundane world is laughable, infatuation is most boring, and it's good to be arrogant. This life is not over, but nothing bothers me any more, only want to live the second half of my life carefree. Keep a smile when awake, forget all about it in my dream, only lament that night comes too early. The next life is unpredictable, let's cross out all the love and hate, sing a song while drunk, only wish to stay happy till the end. Wind is chilly, but no desire to escape; Flowers are pretty, but no wish to pick; let me glide and sway. The higher the sky, the smaller my heart, don't care how many things have causes and consequences, happy to fall down drunk. Cry today, laugh tomorrow, don't care if others understand me, for I am so proud. Sing a song, dance a dance, through the long night without sensing dawn, only want to seek happiness. "
The MV of Sarah Chen singing the line "only want to live the second half of my life carefree" in the Mundane World (Rock Records)
200 Years of Laughing at the Mundane World
200 Years of Laughing at the Mundane World
The "Mundane World" is a rare piece of Mandopop with an extremely self-centered view. It contradicts and challenges the collectivist culture; no, it laughs at it. In the film, Lin (well, Sarah) sang the first few lines while drumming on a pipa before she had to fight bad guys. In the MV, Sarah Chen sang the whole thing with the smile of a goddess enjoying the 4 minutes of loving herself while laughing at the absurdity of the mundane world. Here is an image of her, dressed in all black and surrounded by red lanterns.
The "Mundane World" is a rare piece of Mandopop with an extremely self-centered view. It contradicts and challenges the collectivist culture; no, it laughs at it. In the film, Lin (well, Sarah) sang the first few lines while drumming on a pipa before she had to fight bad guys. In the MV, Sarah Chen sang the whole thing with the smile of a goddess enjoying the 4 minutes of loving herself while laughing at the absurdity of the mundane world. Here is an image of her, dressed in all black and surrounded by red lanterns.
Similar to "Dream Awakening," the "Mundane world" is therapeutic. It expresses the universal wish to love oneself and be carefree. Chen's mesmerizing performance shows the beauty of that state of mind, even if it's just for 4 minutes.
Similar to "Dream Awakening," the "Mundane world" is therapeutic. It expresses the universal wish to love oneself and be carefree. Chen's mesmerizing performance shows the beauty of that state of mind, even if it's just for 4 minutes.
Collectively, the 26.2M views (105 million minutes) correspond to 200 years of a person enjoying that state of mind while listening to Sarah Chen.
Collectively, the 26.2M views (105 million minutes) correspond to 200 years of a person enjoying that state of mind while listening to Sarah Chen.
Question About Love: Background & Popularity
Question About Love: Background & Popularity
Sarah Chen became the Kung Fu Master for the song "Question About Love" (问) for a different reason. Although used as the theme song for the Wuxia TV series, The Legend of Condor Heros (神雕侠侣), the song was initially a standalone piece. Master Chen was crowned not for her portrayal of an imaginary Kung Fu character, but for her Kung Fu-like magic in a tricky situation.
Sarah Chen became the Kung Fu Master for the song "Question About Love" (问) for a different reason. Although used as the theme song for the Wuxia TV series, The Legend of Condor Heros (神雕侠侣), the song was initially a standalone piece. Master Chen was crowned not for her portrayal of an imaginary Kung Fu character, but for her Kung Fu-like magic in a tricky situation.
The story goes that Jonathan Lee composed the song (music and lyrics) while on a Rock Records concert tour to mainland China in 1992. Sarah Chen was there, learned it, and performed it live in a matter of two days. One of the live performances, with her dressed in purple and blue, had such stunning results that it became the Rock Records official MV. Chen also recorded a studio version along with an MV and included the studio version in her 1994 album The Dearest of Sarah.
The story goes that Jonathan Lee composed the song (music and lyrics) while on a Rock Records concert tour to mainland China in 1992. Sarah Chen was there, learned it, and performed it live in a matter of two days. One of the live performances, with her dressed in purple and blue, had such stunning results that it became the Rock Records official MV. Chen also recorded a studio version along with an MV and included the studio version in her 1994 album The Dearest of Sarah.
How popular was the song? On YouTube, the live concert received 21M views, surpassing the studio MV of 3M views. The total on YouTube of various versions is approximately 27M views. Spotify has 2.2M replays. On the Chinese music site bilibili, the first page of search returns about 2.2M views, the vast majority are for the live concert. Altogether, in the past decade, "Question" has received about 31.4M views as of Spring 2024, with about 80-90% of the views for the live concert.
How popular was the song? On YouTube, the live concert received 21M views, surpassing the studio MV of 3M views. The total on YouTube of various versions is approximately 27M views. Spotify has 2.2M replays. On the Chinese music site bilibili, the first page of search returns about 2.2M views, the vast majority are for the live concert. Altogether, in the past decade, "Question" has received about 31.4M views as of Spring 2024, with about 80-90% of the views for the live concert.
Why so popular?
Why so popular?
While the lyrics of the song may have contributed to its popularity, the large discrepancy in view count between the live concert and studio MV suggests that viewers wanted to see Sarah performing the song live. Why? Please, don't say it's because she's attractive. That doesn't explain why this specific version of the video received so many views. And don't repeat the answer from "Dream Awakening" - there's no group therapy here; no giving out free mental health counseling. But, yes, there's some magic going on with her soul-singing as in "Red Dust," but that does not explain the discrepancy between versions.
While the lyrics of the song may have contributed to its popularity, the large discrepancy in view count between the live concert and studio MV suggests that viewers wanted to see Sarah performing the song live. Why? Please, don't say it's because she's attractive. That doesn't explain why this specific version of the video received so many views. And don't repeat the answer from "Dream Awakening" - there's no group therapy here; no giving out free mental health counseling. But, yes, there's some magic going on with her soul-singing as in "Red Dust," but that does not explain the discrepancy between versions.
The live concert is so popular because it is the most stunning live performance ever. For Sarah, Rock Records, anyone. As other singers found out later, "Question" is a difficult song to perform; if you don't pay attention, you'll be reading the lines rather than singing it. In addition, the lyrics of the song pose risks to a female singer. It is easy to fall down a slippery slope and humiliate herself in front of tens of thousands of people. With just days to learn to sing in front of a live audience, Sarah Chen had to find a narrow angle of interpretation that preserved her dignity while capturing the emotion of the song. She delivered in that live concert perfect performance both in terms of vocals and emotions. And importantly, she didn't make a fool of herself.
The live concert is so popular because it is the most stunning live performance ever. For Sarah, Rock Records, anyone. As other singers found out later, "Question" is a difficult song to perform; if you don't pay attention, you'll be reading the lines rather than singing it. In addition, the lyrics of the song pose risks to a female singer. It is easy to fall down a slippery slope and humiliate herself in front of tens of thousands of people. With just days to learn to sing in front of a live audience, Sarah Chen had to find a narrow angle of interpretation that preserved her dignity while capturing the emotion of the song. She delivered in that live concert perfect performance both in terms of vocals and emotions. And importantly, she didn't make a fool of herself.
What's in the lyrics?
What's in the lyrics?
Sarah Chen singing "Question" live, for the line "Who feels for you?" (1992)
Who moves your heart, who hurts your heart? Who makes you want to occasionally hold him tight? Who cares about your dreams? Who says that he understands you? Who feels for you?
Who moves your heart, who hurts your heart? Who makes you want to occasionally hold him tight? Who cares about your dreams? Who says that he understands you? Who feels for you?
The next lines pose risks to female singers as they depict the woman as voluntarily accepting an inferior position to her man.
The next lines pose risks to female singers as they depict the woman as voluntarily accepting an inferior position to her man.
If a woman, always has to wait until late night, willing to sacrifice her youth, then he will be true to you. Should a woman never ask questions, she'd better always stay naive, for the man she loves. [repeat earlier lines] Except, a woman, she is prone to fall passionately in love. She is always ensnared by love, falling deeper and deeper. But a woman, love is her soul. She is willing to sacrifice her life, for the man she loves.
If a woman, always has to wait until late night, willing to sacrifice her youth, then he will be true to you. Should a woman never ask questions, she'd better always stay naive, for the man she loves. [repeat earlier lines] Except, a woman, she is prone to fall passionately in love. She is always ensnared by love, falling deeper and deeper. But a woman, love is her soul. She is willing to sacrifice her life, for the man she loves.
To understand the risks posed to a female singer, let's imagine a male singer performing the following lines:
To understand the risks posed to a female singer, let's imagine a male singer performing the following lines:
"If a man, always has to wait until late night, willing to sacrifice his youth, then she will be true to you. Should a man never ask questions, he'd better always stay naive, for the woman he loves... Except, a man, he is prone to fall passionately in love. He is always ensnared by love, falling deeper and deeper. But a man, love is his soul. He is willing to sacrifice his life, for the woman he loves."
"If a man, always has to wait until late night, willing to sacrifice his youth, then she will be true to you. Should a man never ask questions, he'd better always stay naive, for the woman he loves... Except, a man, he is prone to fall passionately in love. He is always ensnared by love, falling deeper and deeper. But a man, love is his soul. He is willing to sacrifice his life, for the woman he loves."
A male singer would likely have found these lines offensive and would have refused to perform the altered song. In fact, when Lee himself sang this song, he sang the original version where the woman sacrifices her life for the man.
A male singer would likely have found these lines offensive and would have refused to perform the altered song. In fact, when Lee himself sang this song, he sang the original version where the woman sacrifices her life for the man.
Sarah Chen the Invincible
Sarah Chen the Invincible
Unlike some of the later performers of this song (such as Sandy Lam), Sarah Chen did not have a personal relationship with Lee. The song is risky for any female singer, let alone the fiercely independent Sarah Chen who had been striving for gender equality in personal relationships. The situation was dicey in light of Chen's professional relationship with Lee. How did Sarah Chen emerge from the muddy mud pristine clean, like a lotus flower? The live performance showed how. She spoke with pride and dignity when announcing the title of the song; she smiled triumphantly in the middle of the song; and she was walking on cloud 9 at the end of the flawless performance. She didn't just sing the song perfectly. Her clever escape from a tricky situation crowns Sarah Chen the ultimate, Invincible Kung Fu Master江湖不败.
Unlike some of the later performers of this song (such as Sandy Lam), Sarah Chen did not have a personal relationship with Lee. The song is risky for any female singer, let alone the fiercely independent Sarah Chen who had been striving for gender equality in personal relationships. The situation was dicey in light of Chen's professional relationship with Lee. How did Sarah Chen emerge from the muddy mud pristine clean, like a lotus flower? The live performance showed how. She spoke with pride and dignity when announcing the title of the song; she smiled triumphantly in the middle of the song; and she was walking on cloud 9 at the end of the flawless performance. She didn't just sing the song perfectly. Her clever escape from a tricky situation crowns Sarah Chen the ultimate, Invincible Kung Fu Master江湖不败.
A final note. "Question" is the only song of Sarah Chen's where competing renditions have matched her studio version. Sandy Lam's live concert received 5.2M views, and Liang (梁靜茹)'s live received 2.2M views on YouTube. While Sarah Chen still leads in her live concert view counts, the competing versions from non-original singers are remarkably successful. Sarah Chen was viewed only 4 times as much as Lam, not 40 times more as with "Dream Awakening." Perhaps Sarah had held back some of her soul singing when performing this song. After all, Kung Fu Masters must know how to strike with precision.
A final note. "Question" is the only song of Sarah Chen's where competing renditions have matched her studio version. Sandy Lam's live concert received 5.2M views, and Liang (梁靜茹)'s live received 2.2M views on YouTube. While Sarah Chen still leads in her live concert view counts, the competing versions from non-original singers are remarkably successful. Sarah Chen was viewed only 4 times as much as Lam, not 40 times more as with "Dream Awakening." Perhaps Sarah had held back some of her soul singing when performing this song. After all, Kung Fu Masters must know how to strike with precision.
List of the Big 4
List of the Big 4
Let's summarize the Big-4 hits and admire the Kung Fu master for her career longevity.
Let's summarize the Big-4 hits and admire the Kung Fu master for her career longevity.
Based on play counts on YouTube, Bilibili, and Spotify, the following songs are Sarah Chen's "Big 4." The total view count from the last decade, as of Spring 2024, is approximately 185M.
Based on play counts on YouTube, Bilibili, and Spotify, the following songs are Sarah Chen's "Big 4." The total view count from the last decade, as of Spring 2024, is approximately 185M.
- The Mundane World (笑红尘), 1993 (26.2M views)
- Question about Love (问), 1992 (31.4M views)
The Incredible Longevity of Sarah Chen's Career
The Incredible Longevity of Sarah Chen's Career
A striking fact to note: All four hits were produced at a relatively late stage of Sarah Chen's career. Sarah started singing at age 9 and was releasing albums nonstop from about age 19. She was arguably the most durable female singer in Taiwan's music history - not just in how long her career was, but also in how well she maintained her vocal quality. Her career overlapped with Teresa Teng 邓丽君 in the 1970s, Julie Su 苏芮 in the 1980s, and Mai Meng 孟庭苇 in the 1990s.
A striking fact to note: All four hits were produced at a relatively late stage of Sarah Chen's career. Sarah started singing at age 9 and was releasing albums nonstop from about age 19. She was arguably the most durable female singer in Taiwan's music history - not just in how long her career was, but also in how well she maintained her vocal quality. Her career overlapped with Teresa Teng 邓丽君 in the 1970s, Julie Su 苏芮 in the 1980s, and Mai Meng 孟庭苇 in the 1990s.
Sarah Chen was said to have considered retiring in the mid-1980s. But instead, she dedicated 10 more years of her life to music, producing the big-4 that had been enjoyed by listeners in 185M views (706 million minutes), the equivalence of 1,343 years.
Sarah Chen was said to have considered retiring in the mid-1980s. But instead, she dedicated 10 more years of her life to music, producing the big-4 that had been enjoyed by listeners in 185M views (706 million minutes), the equivalence of 1,343 years.
She really is a magician and the Invincible Kung Fu Master.
She really is a magician and the Invincible Kung Fu Master.