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Song of the week - Chinese Translation by M. Ward

Contrary to the words I am typing right now, the video for Chinese Translation by M. Ward does not need an introduction for you to see how awesome it is.  Please take a few minutes to check out this video.  Really sit back and watch and listen.  I would advise you have the lyrics of "Chinese Translation' in front of you, but if not, I think it's fairly easy to catch on to.

excerpt of 'Chinese Translation by M. Ward

"I sailed a wild, wild sea
Climbed up a tall, tall mountain
I met a old, old man
Beneath a weeping willow tree
He said now if you got some questions
Go and lay them at my feet
But my time here is brief
So you'll have to pick just three

And I said
What do you do with the pieces of a broken heart
And how can a man like me remain in the light
And if life is really as short as they say
Then why is the night so long
And then the sun went down
And he sang for me this song"

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/m_ward/#share


Chines Translation by M. Ward





This brilliant song shows the age old journey of trying to figure out the world and love, and how beautiful it is that this can be explored over and over again.

Just as the mission is constantly anew in the video, the ability to revisit old music and find some gems is a somewhat constant undertaking for me.  I first heard, the video back in late '08 when I download an Edge Video Podcast.  The four song set, contained the stardom propelling Feist song '1234', The Fratellis risque 'Flathead', our featured track, and something from Air.  Honestly, I rarely got past the Fratellis, with my somewhat short attention span.  I listen to lots of music on the go, but rarely would have time to sit down for some videos. 

A year later, I first obtained the song from my music guru AXB(whom I also owe my affinity for "the Dude").  He had provided me with the current (at the time) two albums, to get into.  Even after setting a smart playlist to push for further listening, I found myself hooked on other new finds from my one-time music mentor.  Spoon, My Morning Jacket & Kings of Leon (before I realized they were tools) received the heavy play counts and M. Ward was left behind. 

I had given plenty of "play time" for M. Ward 'Chinese Translation', but hadn't really given the album a fair listen until recently.  Once I had decided to make this song a future post, I started listening to the album again.  My biggest other favorite on 'Chinese Translation' is 'Right In the Head' dealing with post-war issues, as the album title suggests. 

M. Ward currently is one half of the duet She & Him, shared with Zooey Deschanel.  He has been featured and parts of many albums in recent years.  including  Monsters of Folk

To find out more about M. Ward try  :
mwardmusic.com or
sheandhim.com

Enjoy!

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