on a certain sappy song.

For those surviving the horrible hairdos of 80s in Indonesia, and I don’t hesitant in pointing this to people like Rio, Pram, Qyu, Irvan, or the likes of them, they surely remember one unthinkable event, if not unpredictable, coming from one of the ministers known for his famous trademark: waiting for a further guidance from Mr. President.

It happened that during a ceremony held in his office, suddenly he began singing a verse from this song, Hati Yang Luka (A Tormented Heart), one of the iconic Indonesian songs of the era. He continued singing the song in full to the amazement of the participants. When he finished, they burst into laughter and clapped their hands, only to have their moods changed within seconds as the minister declared such sappy and tear-jerking songs were deemed inappropriate for the development of youth in this country.

I couldn’t really recall if there were further bans to those kind of songs from being played in radios or broadcasted on television, but it created quite a fuss among people involved in music industry, and these people objected his one-sided statement by continued creating those melodramatic tunes. For once, such a bravura act of democracy really started that early.

Now, looking back to the event, I could only wonder what would happen if the ban was applied, and no one bothered to protest about it.


Maybe every single guy were forced to listen only to macho group like KISS, Metallica, AC/DC, but not TOTO, especially with the songs like I’ll Be Over You, that’s considered haram maybe. The girls would tie their hair like a ponytail while humming traditional folk song like Ampar-ampar Pisang, but not the love-themed song like, well, can anyone care to mention any traditional songs with mellow themes? I run out of any example here.

Maybe I would never follow the step of my sister who used to be so crazy over New Kids on the Block and Tommy Page, and maybe I would never be able to memorize any Debbie Gibson’s songs. And maybe I would never hear about many more heart-rending songs in many years to come, just like the one I listened to this morning, the kind of song that affected my mind in coming to terms with whatever I am having right now.

These are the songs that, magically, translate whatever we may wish to say to whomever we want these songs to be dedicated to. It does not take a radio to filter my wish, for I only wish the song below to tell my twinnie, who almost never read my blog these days, about my wish.

If that unfortunate minister shall rise again, perhaps I let an orchestra playing that tacky song he condemned on whatever future ceremonies he might carry.

Anyway, nyot, here’s to you.


I thought sometime alone / was what we really needed
You said this time would hurt more than it helps / but I couldn’t see that
I thought it was the end of a beautiful story
And so I left the one I loved at home to be alone
And I tried to find out this one thing is true / that I’m nothing without you
I know better now / and I’ve had a change of heart

I’d rather have bad times with you / than good times with someone else
I’d rather be beside you in a storm / than safe and warm by myself
I’d rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart
I’d rather have the one who holds my heart

………………………………………

I can’t blame you if you turn away from me like I’ve done to you
I can only prove the things I say with time
Please be mine

I’d rather have bad times with you (please be mine) / than good times with someone else (I know that)
I’d rather be beside you in a storm (anytime) / than safe and warm by myself
I’d rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart
I’d rather have the one who holds my heart

I’d rather have bad times with you (surely) / than good times with someone else (surely)
I’d rather be beside you in a storm / than safe and warm by myself
I’d rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart
I’d rather have the one who holds my heart

I’d rather have the one who holds my heart

(luther vandross – i’d rather)

Tacky?
I’d like to think it as thoughtfully and creatively corny.