My Favourite Music #6: My Little Airport

My Little Airport (MLA) is the most influential independent music duo in Hong Kong. They began in 2004 with home-made lo-fi music composed by Lam Ah P and sung by Nicole Oujain. Some of their music featured poems written and recited by their friend Ah Suet.

Their unorthodox music is considered a genre of its own. It is characterised by simple tunes accompanied by soft singing and sometimes synthesised arrangement; ironic, humorous and localist lyrics that cover topics from politics, arts, literature, sex, social issues and ideology etc. Although they began in the alternative music scene, MLA became so popular that their music was adopted in movies, advertisements and documentaries. Many fans in Mainland China would climb the Great Firewall to reach out to their music, which was banned in China for the obvious reason. During the height of the Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Protest in 2019, their concert Taste of Tears turned into a mass anti-government rally, where the audience chanted slogans that are now deemed subversive under the National Security Law in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the concert has now been taken off YouTube.

In this blog, I'll again translate the lyrics and poems of some of my favourites, as well as brief intro on few others.

Victor, Fly Me To Stafford was from their debut album in 2004. In the beginning, MLA songs were mostly about stories and trivial matters among themselves and their friends, and this is one of their finest examples.

Victor, Fly Me To Stafford

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

This is the last song I write for you
This is the last night I think of you
Your name is Victor Ching, how do you do?

I phoned you this morning you couldn’t hear me
I sent you letter you couldn’t receive
It’s my favourite game, but I have changed

* It’s too late to say I miss you Victor Ching
And you are on your way to Stafford in UK
I know it’s too late to say I’m fond of you
You’ve got a girlfriend from Singapore who you didn’t like before

I love you when you no longer love me
I need you when you no longer need me
You wanted me, but you have changed already

Repeat *

Pak Tin Shopping Centre, together with Lai Chi Kok Park, were two short numbers (around a minute each) featuring poems in French. Pak Tin and Lai Chi Kok are two ordinary working class neighbourhoods in Hong Kong where Ah P grew up and studied. These contrast to the French language, which is considered a high-class and artistic language studied and understood by few privileged people in Hong Kong. The poems depicted the struggle of adolescence in sex and relationship.

Mei Foo's Gainsbourg and Pak Tin's Jane Birkin was almost an autobiography of MLA. This poem referred to the French musicians Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. MLA, like many other free spirited artists in Hong Kong, were trapped in the commercialism of the financial hub and the cruel reality of this cultural desert.

美孚根斯堡與白田珍寶金 Mei Foo's Gainsbourg and Pak Tin's Jane Birkin

music by The Lee's, poem by Lam Ah P

我們在炎熱與抑鬱的夏天 無法停止抽煙
We can't stop smoking in the vicious and blue summer
我們在炎熱與抑鬱的辦公室 無法停止寫詩
We can't stop writing poems in the vicious and blue office
我們是美孚根斯堡與白田珍寶金
We are Mei Foo's Gainsbourg and Pak Tin's Jane Birkin
金錢對於我們來說 輕如鴻毛
To us, money is as light as feather

我們是香港最後一群缺乏社交技巧的詩人
We are the last group of poets who lack social skills in Hong Kong
我們是演奏家、思想家
We are performers, thinkers
我們是迷失在森林裏的旅人
We are travellers lost in the forest
在同樣不仁慈的善良與邪惡之間 與潮人抗衡
In between the equally unkind good and evil, contending with the hipsters

我們在嶺南之風、美孚之巔
We are at the Lingnan Garden, the peak of Mei Foo
在公園、電影院、商場 送別所有成長的記憶
In the park, the cinema, the shopping centre, farewell all the memories of growing up

我們喝著涼茶聽著音樂
We drink herbal tea and listen to music
大口大口地把煙噴到天上
Puffing smoke into the sky
日出日落 我們如在巴黎法國
Sunrise and sunset, as if we're in Paris, France

我們在炎熱與抑鬱的夏天 無法停止抽煙
We can't stop smoking in the vicious and blue summer
我們在炎熱與抑鬱的辦公室 無法停止寫詩
We can't stop writing poems in the vicious and blue office

Sorrowful Procurement (or this remix version) had an exhilarating musical arrangement, but the lyrics were about the opposition towards consumerism. Follow on from the above, it expressed the inevitable struggle under unfettered capitalism and on how people lost their ideals along the way.

悲傷的採購 Sorrowful Procurement

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

訂了一季 又到下季
Ordered for one season, and then the next season comes
為何人大了就要成為工作的奴隸
Why do people become slaves to work when they grow up
最愛作的不可發揮
Cannot develop on their favourite work
我的感覺 逐漸流逝
My feeling fades away
從前曾話過要如何欣賞世界的美麗
I once talked about how to appreciate the beauty of the world
現在只懂得放假去消費
Now I only know how to spend during holiday

* 如果繼續這樣 我還是我嗎 我還喜歡我嗎
If it continues like this, am I still me? Do I still like me?
或者我應該死去吧 總好過變得更差
Or should I die? It's better than being worse
如果繼續這樣 你還願意嗎 和我奏著吉他
If it continues like this, would you still like to play the guitar with me?
日子不應該這樣吧 而現實就是這樣可怕
Life shouldn't be like this, but the reality is scary

Repeat *

To Those Inside the Train at Admiralty MTR Station was a satire based on the peak hour crowd at the busy metro station where four metro lines meet. Wealth disparity is extreme in Hong Kong, especially between those who own their home (on-boarded) versus those who don't. This song was a criticism against the selfishness of many rich Hong Kongers. I always think of this song every time I visit the busy station.

給金鐘地鐵站車廂內的人 To Those Inside the Train at Admiralty MTR Station

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

曾經你都是夾在月台上的人
Once you were one of those who were squeezed on the station platform
當時你覺得入了車廂內的人 有責任盡量前行
At that time, you felt that people who entered the train had a responsibility to move forward as much as possible
如今你經已是進入了車廂內的人
Now you are one who get inside the train
但你忘記了四班車之前 你的月台人身份
But you forget that four trains ago, your status as a platform person

機會來了你變更
You change when the opportunity arrives
你不再為後面的人諗
You no longer consider the people behind you
曾經你是月台上有理想的人
Once you were a person on the platform with ideals
對月台人充滿憐憫
Full of compassion for the platform people

金鐘地鐵站車廂內的人
Those inside the train at Admiralty MTR station
為什麼你們不行入啲呢？
Why don't you move further in?
你們曾經都是夾在月台上的人
You were once squeezed on the platform
曾經都希望前面的人行入啲
Used to hope that the people in front moved further in
但光陰似箭日月如梭時移勢易
But as time flies like arrows, as the sun and moon shuttle, as situation changes
等咗四班車之後你們的機會來了
After four trains your opportunity arrives
入了車廂你們就不再行入啲
Once you get on the train you don't move further in
歷史不會原諒你們
History will not forgive you
渣滓
Scum
你們曾經是夾在月台上有理想的人
You were once squeezed on the platform and had your ideal
理想是什麼？
What was your ideal?
人們說理想是在彼岸
People said the ideal was on the opposite shore
但你知道理想就是逼前面啲人行入啲
But you know your ideal is to push the people in front to move further in
入啲 再行入啲
Further, and move further in

改變在入車門時發生
Change happens the moment you enter the train door
你發覺搭兩個站無謂入咁深
You find that two more stops only, better not move too deep inside
所以站近門邊諗住容易啲走人
So you stand near the door and think it'll be easier to get off
不再前行為他人犧牲
No longer move forward and sacrifice for other people
這事每日也發生
This event happens every day

Selling CDs at Sino Centre was a user guide on how to sell second hand CDs. Sino Centre is a shopping centre popular with young people in Hong Kong. During the 80s and 90s, there were few dozens record stores in the shopping centre. For me, I'm still hanging on to my hundreds of CDs, although I don't have a CD player at home anymore (I'm not ready to burn out my dreams yet).

去信和賣碟 Selling CDs at Sino Centre

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

到你再過多兩年
In two years time
差不多三十歲的某天
One day when you almost reach 30
你會去最後一次二手唱片店
You will visit second hand record stores for one last time
賣去過往十數年 買落的幾百張唱片
Selling hundreds of records that you bought over the past decade
這個時候你要賣得有技巧一點
At this moment, you need to sell these with a bit of skills

技巧是要知道有兩種唱片店
The trick is to know that there are two kinds of record stores
一種是每張碟報不同價錢
One quotes a different price for each CD
一種是一個價錢報一堆唱片
The other gives a single quote for a stack of CDs
你要以第一種店為先
You should go to the former first
它不會收下所有唱片
It will not take all the CDs
餘下的就再賣去第二種店
Then sell the remaining ones to the later

這次序當中的重點
The importance of this sequence
不只可整體賣高一倍價錢
Not only the overall price can be doubled
還可讓你盡量忘掉眼前
It can also make you forget the present as much as possible
事關一下子失去所有唱片
Because losing all CDs at once
會有把夢燒光的感覺出現
would lead to a feeling of burning out all the dreams
忙著分析價錢有助讓這感覺不見
Busy analysing prices will help make this feeling disappear

A Night of Foot Massage in Guangzhou told the story of Ah P meeting a masseur in Guangzhou. The poor migrant worker had never seen the sea or could not understand why the rich city folks would want to learn farming. Consider that Guangzhou is not far away from the sea or Hong Kong, it lamented the inequality and questioned the meaning of life in general.

廣州足沐一夜 A Night of Foot Massage in Guangzhou

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

人生是什麼？
What is life?
我今晚不知道喎
I don't know tonight
只想你不要難過
Only wish you not be sad
什麼都不算什麼
Whatever means nothing

明天我不會來過
I won't come again tomorrow
快樂不捨得用太多
Reluctant to use up too much happiness
只知我今晚如何過
I only know whatever I do tonight
明天你已忘記我
You'll forget me by tomorrow

你話你未離開過廣州
You said you had never left Guangzhou
你話你未見過海
You said you had never seen the sea
你問香港係唔係好繁榮
"Is Hong Kong very prosperous?", you asked
你問香港嘅海係點
"What does the sea in Hong Kong look like?", you asked

你話 上年返鄉下種田之後
"After I went back to the countryside to farm last year", you said
覺得人應該留喺城市
"I think people should stay in the city"
我話 香港有啲年青人開始學種田
"Some young people in Hong Kong are now learning to farm", I said
你話香港咁繁榮
"Hong Kong is so prosperous", you said
點會有人去種田
"Why would anyone farm?"

努力又是什麼？
What is great effort?
如果目標已經出錯
If the goal is already wrong
這裡有沒有人清楚
Does anyone here know
愈努力愈錯得多
The harder you try, the more you go wrong

人生是什麼？
What is life?
我今晚不知道喎
I don't know tonight
這裡有沒有人可
Is there anyone here
將一切告訴我
who can tell me everything

Beautiful New Hong Kong was the theme song of the movie Golden Chicken 3, a comedy about the romance between a prostitute and a jailed gangster. On the surface, the song followed the movie plot on how the gangster found himself in an unfamiliar city after spending a long time in jail. But of course this song was about the "New Hong Kong", which was becoming more strange and unfamiliar to the many Hong Kongers who grew up in the city under the British rule.

The song was nominated for the best original song in the 34th Hong Kong Film Award. During the award ceremony, MLA performed the song and added God Save the Queen at the end. This was broadcasted live in China and MLA was criticised by the Chinese as a colonial sympathiser.

美麗新香港 Beautiful New Hong Kong

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

自你決定要走以後
Since you decide to leave
沒人知我有多難受
No one knows how miserable I am
再沒勇氣在派對逗留
No more courage to stay at the party
碰見朋友不敢問候
I dare not greet my friends

自你遠去不再回頭
Since you left and not turning back
青山綠水不再依舊
The green hills and waters are no longer the same
再沒有早起身的理由
There's no more reason to get up early
再沒可安睡的枕頭
There's no more pillow to fall asleep on

這世界只有一種鄉愁
There is only one kind of nostalgia in this world
就是沒有你的時候
That is at times without you
這香港已不是我的地頭
This Hong Kong is no longer my turf
就當我在外地旅遊
Just pretend I'm travelling overseas

自美夢再不可尋求
Since the dream can no longer be sought
我便學會清風兩袖
I learned to stay poor with no belongings
命運要令我學識奮鬥
Fate makes me learn to strive
但我只懂得荒謬
But I only know the absurd

這世界只有一種鄉愁
There is only one kind of nostalgia in this world
是你不在身邊的時候
When you are not beside me
這香港已不是我的地頭
This Hong Kong is no longer my turf
就當我在外地飄流
Just pretend I'm drifting overseas

我知已走到盡頭
I know it comes to the end
為何還要擔憂
Why keep worrying
這世界也不是我的地頭
This world is no longer my turf
就當我在宇宙飄流
Just pretend I'm drifting in the universe

Tonight We Sleep at Connaught Road Central was released during the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, where thousands of protesters occupied the main roads in Hong Kong for over two months in protest of the Chinese government decision to stifle democratic reform in Hong Kong, by handpicking all nominees of the Chief Executive election, and retaining the Legislative Council functional constituencies which were made up of tiny number of eligible voters. The protest ended in failure with no concession from the government, but it seeded activism in many Hong Kong youths, which ultimately led to the even bigger Anti-Extradition Protests in 2019.

今夜到干諾道中一起瞓 Tonight We Sleep at Connaught Road Central

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

今夜到干諾道中一起瞓
Tonight we sleep at Connaught Road Central
這是我最可負擔的租金
This is my most affordable rent
以後會否改變都不要問
Don't ask if it will change the future
起碼這夜你我同行
At least tonight you and I are together

明天到登打士街那邊瞓
Tomorrow let's go to sleep at Dundas Street
明知半夜或會被嗌起身
I know that I may be woken up in the middle of the night
到處也是睡醒了的人
Everywhere people are awake
只怕洗手間不太近
I'm only afraid there's no toilet nearby

失眠只為路燈
Insomnia is only because of the street lights
防暴使你我心更近
Anti-riot police brings our heart closer
大會的咪可否細聲一陣？
Can the microphone of the organiser be turned down for a minute?
我聽不到愛人的聲音
I can't hear my lover's voice

我將記得面前黑社會的佈陣
I will remember the formation of the triad thugs in front of us
曾經一晚煙霧使我看你更真
There was a night when the tear smoke made me see you more clearly
還有龍和道站最前的女生
And the girl standing at the front in Lung Wo Road
草地跑過的腳印
Footprints running across the lawn

對不起這位市民
I'm sorry to this citizen
我知我阻礙你 很不忿
I know I'm blocking you and you are angry
但我也是為這下一代人
But I'm doing this for the next generation
我也無愧於心
I am not ashamed

明朝要清場我或會走人
Tomorrow morning when the ground is cleared perhaps I'll leave
然後 晚上又來瞓
Then in the evening I'll again come back to sleep

Miss Ng was released during the 2019 protests. It told the story of a middle age woman who got herself involved in the street protest on the day of the general strike. The song is now too sensitive and MLA did not include it in their album. The song may very soon be taken down from YouTube too, so take a listen while it is still available.

吳小姐 Miss Ng

music and lyrics by Lam Ah P

吳小姐畢業之後 做咗銀行十幾年
Miss Ng worked in the bank for over a decade after she graduated
最近佢單身
Recently she became single
罷工嗰日自己一個去彌敦道
On the day of the general strike, she went to Nathan Road by herself
黃昏嘅時候 成條馬路都係黑衫嘅年輕人行嚟行去
In the evening, the whole street was full of young people wearing black walking back and forth
尖沙咀同其他區已經放咗催淚彈
Tear gas was fired in Tsim Sha Tsui and other districts
佢一路行 一路睇吓live
She watched live broadcast while she walked
聽吓條街啲人講點部署
Listened to people on the street talking about their deployment strategy

無幾耐天開始黑
It went dark soon after
行到豉油街 經過兩間日本嘢
She walked to Soy Street passing two Japanese restaurants
佢都好想入去食住涼冷氣
She thought of getting in and eating something under air-con
不過咁好似幫襯咗無罷市嘅食店
But it felt like supporting shops that did not join the strike
最後佢猶豫咗一陣
At the end she hesitated a bit
都係喺小販檔買咗兩個桔返示威區
And bought two mandarins from the hawker stand and went back to the demonstration area
坐喺十字街口嘅馬路邊
Sitting on the roadside at the cross junction
一路食一路有啲涼風
There was a breeze while she ate

就在她坐下的那個瞬間
It was at that moment when she sat down
她竟有前所未有的嘆
She had never enjoyed it so much before

食食吓有人問佢要唔要水
While eating, someone asked her if she'd want some water
有人問佢去唔去深水埗警署聲援
Someone asked her to go to Sham Shui Po police station to support the protesters
有個女仔指住太子方向 話一直行就會到
A girl pointed towards Prince Edward and said, "keep walking and you'll get there"
吳小姐走咗幾步覺得太遠
Miss Ng walked a bit and thought it's too far away
都係搭地鐵
So she rode the metro

去到現場 有人叫佢唔好行咁前
When she arrived, someone told her not to go too far in front
然後 佢第一次 親眼見到催淚彈
Then, for the first time, she saw the tear gas
佢跟住大家 向後褪 開遮 踎低 行返前
She followed the crowd, retreat backwards, opened umbrella, squatted down, moved forward again
來來回回 幾粒催淚彈之後 佢有種從未試過嘅感覺
Back and forth after few tear gas bombs, she had a feeling like never before

時間突然好慢 周圍好靜
Time suddenly went very slowly, the surrounding was very quiet
佢覺得呢個瞬間 最前線嘅人係自己
She felt at that moment, the person in the front line was herself
後面用士巴拿拆緊鐵欄嘅人又係自己
The person dismantling the fence with a spanner at the back was herself
旁邊鬧緊街坊唔好影相嘅人又係自己
On the side, the person scolding the neighbours not to take photos was herself
遠處坐緊監嘅人又係自己
In far away, the person in jail was herself

無幾耐大家話轉場去另一個警署
Soon after, people said to go to another police station
吳小姐坐喺紅綠燈下面食咗支煙
Miss Ng smoked a cigarette while sitting under the traffic lights

就在她坐下的那個瞬間
It was at that moment when she sat down
她竟有說不出的感嘆
She had this indescribable emotion

最後防暴衝出嚟
At the end, anti-riot police rushed out
吳小姐狂跑嘅時候 竟然跑得快過晒所有嘅人
Miss Ng ran madly, and surprisingly she ran faster than everyone else
佢決定 以後都出嚟
She decided to always come out in future

There are many other songs that I would highly recommend, and here are the links to some of these:

• 和陳五msn MSN with Chan Ng - a classic MLA style of musical arrangement, the song was released in 2007 about two friends chatting nonsense over MSN messenger. It was later adopted by the movie Candy Rain (clips in the MV).
• 社會主義青年 Socialist Youth - a humorous song about Ah P who was so poor that he could only afford to bring the girl to the sea shore on a date. He then described himself as a socialist youth who saw the need for the world to change, but only hoped not to be unemployed for over half a year.
• 北歐是我們的死亡終站 Northern Europe is Our Death Terminus - an ironic song about two friends discussing the best way to commit suicide and decided that frozen to death would be the best. They then had an idea to travel around the world first and to finish in Finland to "freeze the death" at 29. With such a goal, they became hopeful and happily started saving money for their plan.
• 直到人類滅亡 Until the End of Mankind - another short poem from 2011 about a couple discussing their plan ahead of the Mayan doomsday in 2012. The plan included travelling to Paris, sipping hot chocolate in Champs-Élysées, drawing in front of Oscar Wilde's tomb, and living in modernity like Charles Baudelaire. It was an exquisite and romantic poem and music.
• 悼二零一二年的夏 Mourning the Summer of 2012 - a solemn poem mourning the death of Li Wangyang, a Chinese dissident labour rights activist whose suspicious death in jail was originally claimed by authority as suicide and later an accident.

• 憂傷的嫖客 The Sad Brothel Client - similar to Foot Massage in Guangzhou, this song told a story of a brothel client who could not stop crying when the prostitute looked very much like his ex. He only stopped crying when she asked for more tips.

  From not knowing each other to having this heartfelt conversation and then back to normal
  This 40-minute relationship was like a dream. Life experience was so unpredictable

• 濕濕的夢 Wet Wet Dream - a funny song that compared having sex to exercising. I'd rather not translate the lyrics here haha.
• 菊花的味道 The Scent of Chrysanthemum - another funny song with sexual references. Again I'm not going to translate or explain it here. You can google what chrysanthemum means in Chinese.
• 羅曼蒂克 Romantic - a humorous song about a rogue who wanted to touch a woman's breasts.
• 土瓜灣情歌 Love Song from To Kwa Wan - Ah P used to live in To Kwa Wan, an old district in Hong Kong undergoing rapid gentrification. This song from 2014 talked about the uncertainty faced by him

  Only wish that station in the new Shatin-Central line can be built slower
  I can't afford any rent increase

  The To Kwa Wan MTR station was finally opened in 2021.

• 給親戚看見我一個人食吉野家 My Relative Saw Me Eating at Yoshinoya By Myself - it was an awkward situation when Ah P bumped into his relatives while having a meal at Yoshinoya by himself. In case you don't know, Yoshinoya is a Japanese fast food chain famous for its beef rice bowl.

  My relative saw me eating at Yoshinoya by myself
  I almost wanted to say you got the wrong person
  But I now learnt how to say few courtesy words
  Though I really wanted to give up the beef bowl and rush back home
  If I saw him sooner I would have ordered takeaway
  But he already sat down with his wife
  If I pretended that I had to save the seat for my companion
  Even I found this excuse too lame

  When this song was released, it attracted a response from Yoshinoya on Facebook telling MLA not to be too pessimistic and perhaps they could encounter their other half at Yoshinoya. Nice marketing job!

• 年輕的茶餐廳老闆娘 Young Café Owner - it was a lovely ballad about a secret admirer of a young café owner and he visited the café often just to see her.
• 驗孕的下晝 Pregnancy Test Afternoon - while waiting for the result, he started having this imaginary talk with his future child, although admitting that he didn't know the mother well and hoped for a negative result.
• 下亞厘畢道 Lower Albert Road - a pleasant waltz about two people on their first date.
• 詩歌舞街 Sycamore Street - another song with reference to a local street in Hong Kong. This song was about him bumping into his ex, who already got married and had a baby. They walked and talked along the way. While she already moved on, he was still the same as before.

• 那陣時不知道 Back Then I Didn't Know - a sentimental song from 2021 on the desolation that the best had already happened in the past, only back then I didn't know. The song contained implicit references to works by Milan Kundera and Wong Kar-wai.
• 十八 Eighteen - this was a live cover of the song by the Cantopop band Beyond. It was significant because Edward Leung, a Hong Kong dissident, sang the song in his documentary before he was jailed. Leung invented the slogan "liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times", and has long been seen as the spiritual leader of the anti-government movement in Hong Kong.

Sorry this is a lengthy blog and I tried to squeeze in as many songs as possible, but there are still many that I missed. As you can see, My Little Airport is a polarising group in Cantopop and many of their songs are politically themed. By reading this blog or answering Taiwan as an independent country in the COTW quiz, you are breaking the Chinese law and if you plan to travel to China or Hong Kong in future, you should reconsider.