臺灣填詞人陳樂融老師的這本書陪伴著我十一、二年之久，從外面租屋到回家住，一直到有了自住的地方，每次搬家都必定沒有漏掉這本書。說來奇怪，身邊很多東西包括喜愛看的書往往在不斷搬家的過程中漏東漏西，但是對我非常重要的幾十本書包括這本，是一直都沒有丟失過的。我想說的，可能是書與人也需要靠緣份吧。
平日除了翻譯、寫文案，師大畢業後的這些年以來，我也經歷過生活中的高低起伏跌宕，覺得自己需要振作的時候，除了好好游泳、聽音樂，就是靠讀書走出低檔時期。閱讀給我重新出發的力量，尤其是閱讀同為寫作人的書，例如陳樂融老師編寫的《我，作詞家》。
我最常讀的章節是十一郎與許常德的訪談。十一郎的想法常常讓我想起林夕為王菲寫的〈暗湧〉的一句歌詞：「愈美麗的東西我愈不可碰」。她總是每件事上面都可以適得其所，對於寫歌詞也是能寫就寫，不會對被退稿的事情覺得很糾結，我這個讀者讀來就覺得她身段很好。至於她說以前考逢甲大學財稅系是為了「吃飯看花」，而不是上中文系「吃花看飯」。這個問題我也想過好多年，只是覺得沒有絕對，因為語文能力好就可以跨領域學好其他知識，這都是看大學畢業之後下了多少苦功。
許常德的成長經歷相當坎坷，我常常讀得彷似產生了移情作用，將自己擺入那個每天想著如何殺出一條血路的年輕男子的角色之中。陳樂融老師在書中說他認為林秋離是最有生意頭腦的填詞人，我反而認為是許常德最懂文字生意。
我自己的觀點是文字生意不能僅限於填詞，因為機會愈來愈少而且能靠它過生活的成功機率太低，如果寫作人有許常德的寫作功力，提升中文加一個外語的能力以好好拓展廣告文案、商業企劃的生意來源，我相信是絕對好賺過當填詞人。
另一位受訪的填詞人厲曼婷認為「這個圈子要不了什麼了不起的東西，你覺得在歌詞裡，有什麼曠世鉅作嗎？」讀來真的是擲地有聲，對於曾經以為歌詞是非常厲害的文體的人來說，這也是相當震撼的。不過話說回來，我倒是認為，若說臺灣整體的歌詞創作是相當完整的中國語文通俗作品庫，應當是相當公允的評價。方文山在書中也有類似的觀點，有興趣的讀者可以慢慢細讀。
這本書也有介紹陳樂融老師的部落格，我搜尋了一下，原來舊的已經沒在用了，他平日的所思所想都在https://fc.iwant-in.net/上面發表了。
謝謝陳樂融老師，不論詞作和部落格寫作都讓我有了很多想法。
This book written and edited by Taiwanese lyricist Mr Chen Lo-Jung has been accompanying me for eleven or twelve years. From renting house to relocating back home until I have my own place, I still carried this book with me every time I was moving. Strangely enough, many things of mine including my favourite books were lost during relocation. What I didn’t lose were tens of very important books of my collection. I feel like there is a destiny that bonds books and their collectors. And this is the book always remains safely in my bookshelf.
Other than working on translation and copywriting projects, I have been through thick and thin in life upon graduation from NTNU. Whenever I feel like I need a stronger mental strength, in addition to swimming and listening to music, I am usually walking out of dark cloud by reading. Reading gives me strength to restart, especially books about writing written by writers—such as this book titled Me, a Lyricist by Mr Chen Lo-Jung.
I am always reading the interviews of Shi Yi-lang and Adam Hsu. Shi Yi-lang’s viewpoints often remind me of Faye Wong’s song Undercurrent: the prettier it is, the more untouchable it gets.
From her stories it looks like she finds her position in every matter appropriately. She was writing when her lyrics were well received by music labels, and it didn’t bother her if some of her works were not accepted. From my perspective as a reader, I find her posture to be elegant in business writing.
She also shared that she chose to read Finance and Taxation at Feng Chia University because she wanted to be able to ‘eat meals and enjoy flowers-viewing’, instead of opting to read Chinese Studies which might let her end up ‘eating flowers and viewing meals’.
Such is also a paradox that I have pondered for some years, but with no definite answer. This is because we can always learn new genres of knowledge when we are good at languages. The question is how much effort we put in after university studies.
Adam Hsu had a tough time during his formative years, and I can put myself in his shoes to imagine the role of a young man striving to achieve a breakthrough in life.
Mr Chen wrote in his book that he always thinks that Eric Lin was the lyricist with the best business mindset. I beg to differ on this point, for I think Adam Hsu knows the best about copywriting business.
My point of view is this: copywriting is never limited to lyrics writing, because lyrics writing—if there still is such an industry—offers fewer and fewer opportunities and the success rate of earning a living from lyrics writing is far too low.
If some copywriters are writing as good as Adam Hsu does, I believe they can earn more than a lyricist. Master Chinese language and another language to explore business opportunities in advertising and business proposals. That’s a good start for copywriting business.
Another interviewee Manting Li commented that “this circle is not able to have any great thing. Do you think you see great work in lyrics?”
What a powerful comment. For readers who once viewed lyrics as a very outstanding literary form, this is a shocking insight.
Despite her comment, I still think that it is fair to say that Taiwan’s overall lyrics writing is a comprehensive database of Chinese-language pop culture writings. Vincent Fang had similar viewpoints in the book, and readers who are interested can always read his interview.
The book also introduced Mr Chen’s blog. A quick search discovered that he is no longer using the old site. And now, he is blogging at https://fc.iwant-in.net/
Thank you, Mr Chen. I am inspired by your lyrics and blog writing.
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