And so I have made a countdown of my Top 5! (It's actually 6 but 6 is a weird number)
Prior to "Home", there were also numerous community songs and NDP theme songs produced in the 80's that have become crowd favourites, such as "We Are Singapore", "Stand Up For Singapore", "One People One Nation One Singapore", and my personal favourite, "Count On Me Singapore". For this list though, we won't be including the "pre-Home" era.
This will be based on just my personal feelings and memories connected with the songs. We won't say too much about the lyrics or technical aspects since I'm no music expert. Almost all NDP songs are written by Dick Lee anyway.
To be fair it isn't easy to write an NDP song. First of all, it has to please the ears. At the same time the tune must be easy enough for it to be a sing-along. The lyrics have to relate to Singaporeans of all walks of life, without being too corny. You can't have people being too embarrassed to sing a national song. And because every new year demands a new song, there is a need to be fresh.
So having to tick all these boxes, which special few made the cut?
To be fair it isn't easy to write an NDP song. First of all, it has to please the ears. At the same time the tune must be easy enough for it to be a sing-along. The lyrics have to relate to Singaporeans of all walks of life, without being too corny. You can't have people being too embarrassed to sing a national song. And because every new year demands a new song, there is a need to be fresh.
So having to tick all these boxes, which special few made the cut?
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Honorable Mention: What Do You See (2009)
Definitely the most hipster NDP song to date, it being the only one to be performed by an indie rock band, Electrico. But while I easily took a liking to this refreshing change, many others did not. Perhaps the masses still prefer the formulaic recipe of a pop ballad.
They could still take this song and rehash it into a pop song, but they instead opted for a more acoustic/folk version in 2014 (true to current trends in music). No matter what, even with my indie rock bias aside, I still think the melody and lyrics for this song is really good, and it will always be up there among my favourites.
"There’s a jewel on the ocean,
a gem upon the sea
Where the future is an open book
A land of destiny"
I like the description in this verse.
"The strength of a million
and the courage of a million more"
Conspiracy theorists will say this line is trying to desensitize us to the Population White Paper though...
They could still take this song and rehash it into a pop song, but they instead opted for a more acoustic/folk version in 2014 (true to current trends in music). No matter what, even with my indie rock bias aside, I still think the melody and lyrics for this song is really good, and it will always be up there among my favourites.
"There’s a jewel on the ocean,
a gem upon the sea
Where the future is an open book
A land of destiny"
I like the description in this verse.
"The strength of a million
and the courage of a million more"
Conspiracy theorists will say this line is trying to desensitize us to the Population White Paper though...
5. We Will Get There (2002)
By 2002, Stefanie Sun was blowing up in Taiwan and Asia. Nobody was more deserving than her to lead the nation in not one, but two NDP songs, the first being We Will Get There in 2002, and the other, "One United People" in the following year. It was the former that would be more fondly remembered (and featured in one of her top selling albums), partly because of the dance that came along with it.
I remember having to meticulously practice the moves in school as if our grades depended on it. 2002 was also the year my batch as Primary 5 students, would get a chance to watch the NE Show/NDP Rehearsal. To date, it is still the only time I've been to a National Day parade so I have fond memories of this particular song.
"So why don't we try? If we stand side by side
I know we'll build a new world
A world of hope for ever after"
Yes, can we please start being nicer to one another? Deep in my heart I know we can.
I remember having to meticulously practice the moves in school as if our grades depended on it. 2002 was also the year my batch as Primary 5 students, would get a chance to watch the NE Show/NDP Rehearsal. To date, it is still the only time I've been to a National Day parade so I have fond memories of this particular song.
"So why don't we try? If we stand side by side
I know we'll build a new world
A world of hope for ever after"
Yes, can we please start being nicer to one another? Deep in my heart I know we can.
4. Shine On Me (2000)
Not many people remember this song but for some reason, it has always been up there among the best, for me. It could be just the melody that I like in particular, or it also could be the lyrics which I thought was symbolic.
"Stars and Crescent shine on me
Make us more than what we can be"
"Stars and Crescent shine on me
Make us more than what we can be"
3. Together (1999)
A similar case to the previous entry, perhaps. I don't think many people remember this one too. Perhaps both songs suffered the fate of having to match the standard of its almighty predecessor. Still, it has always been a personal favourite of mine. It's message, which tells us to aspire to achieve, creating a future with everyone in mind, and to never be afraid if we have to change our ways are all valid points to me. The MV is pretty cute too.
"Together we make a difference, one voice, one destiny
We remain undivided, our hearts in harmony
Together we make a difference, our friends, our families
We will share a special dream, together we feel the Singapore heartbeat"
Dreamz FM don't release any songs in English any more these days, do they?
"Together we make a difference, one voice, one destiny
We remain undivided, our hearts in harmony
Together we make a difference, our friends, our families
We will share a special dream, together we feel the Singapore heartbeat"
Dreamz FM don't release any songs in English any more these days, do they?
2. Home (1998)
What can I say about this one? "Home" is like the song to end all songs. The one song to rule them all. It is the Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali of NDP songs. There won't be anything else like it. Home is probably the closest that we have to a representative Singapore tune, that is almost universally accepted as a timeless classic. Unfortunately, it is only ranked second best on this list, but hey, that's just me.
This is the song that sparked the whole 'one new song every year' thing, really. Yet still, among so many others that have come after it, none can compare. The lyrics written by Dick Lee convey very earnest feelings of belonging, and Kit Chan carries it perfectly.
This is the song that sparked the whole 'one new song every year' thing, really. Yet still, among so many others that have come after it, none can compare. The lyrics written by Dick Lee convey very earnest feelings of belonging, and Kit Chan carries it perfectly.
It has even inspired many remixes down the years, such as a choir version in 2004, and a rock version by JJ Lin in 2014. An ensemble of local singers also got together to do their own rendition in 2011, in similar style to 25 For Haiti which was released the year before. Musicians from other countries cover it, and it was also sang during the wake of the late LKY. "Home" will go down as a true Singaporean classic.
"Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go"
You know these lyrics. And you will sing along.
"Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go"
You know these lyrics. And you will sing along.
1. Where I Belong (2001)
And so, the big revelation. This is MY favourite NDP song of ALL TIME. Where I Belong, written and performed by Tanya Chua (where is she these days??).
It isn't the soft, sentimental crooner that Home is. It starts slow and subtle, but almost immediately steps up a gear, turning into a bright and uplifting song. Its light pop rock tone instantly won me over, and I find it clever that Tanya managed to write a Singapore song without mentioning the country by name in the lyrics.
It is, however, the music video that seals the deal for me. I actually think it is perfect. While most NDP videos are filled with spectacular shots of Singapore and it's biggest attractions, or involve a few characters acting out different scenes, Where I Belong's MV is pretty simple.
It follows the singer, which we assume is in a cab, leaving Changi Airport and then peeping into the lives of everyday people, as it passes by everyday places in the singer's sunny island. This isn't Singapore dressed for an occasion. This is plain Singapore as it is, be it a couple in a light embrace, students on the way to school, or boys having a football kick-about. Even the neighbourhood cat gets featured. It is a candid view of Singapore through the window pane of a taxi.
It follows the singer, which we assume is in a cab, leaving Changi Airport and then peeping into the lives of everyday people, as it passes by everyday places in the singer's sunny island. This isn't Singapore dressed for an occasion. This is plain Singapore as it is, be it a couple in a light embrace, students on the way to school, or boys having a football kick-about. Even the neighbourhood cat gets featured. It is a candid view of Singapore through the window pane of a taxi.
I think about this song every time I'm on that long cab ride home from the airport, back from overseas. You know that long drive out of Changi with large trees over you as you pass by the entire east coast? And then you're on that really tall highway near Tanjong Rhu where you start to see the bright city lights and the skyline, and you know you're back home. It's a sad thing that you don't get to use this route any more since the MCE opened. But point being, Where I Belong had become an automatic soundtrack in my mind whenever I'm on a long drive around Singapore.
I digressed a little bit there, but it's really the song that's talking. It makes me think of all the little things like the island's glorious greenery, bright lights that shine on the streets at night, friends and families by my side, and every little day's experience, bitter sweet or sour, they're still wonderful.
Unlike most other songs, Home and Where I Belong's lyrics do not focus on clichéd themes of unity, togetherness and achieving our goals. Instead, they tend to evoke strong feelings of shared memory and longing for home. I guess that's what made the two songs stand out.
Where I Belong is truly, where I keep my heart and soul...
I digressed a little bit there, but it's really the song that's talking. It makes me think of all the little things like the island's glorious greenery, bright lights that shine on the streets at night, friends and families by my side, and every little day's experience, bitter sweet or sour, they're still wonderful.
Unlike most other songs, Home and Where I Belong's lyrics do not focus on clichéd themes of unity, togetherness and achieving our goals. Instead, they tend to evoke strong feelings of shared memory and longing for home. I guess that's what made the two songs stand out.
Where I Belong is truly, where I keep my heart and soul...
Looking back on this countdown, my top 5 were all from the first 5 years (1998-2002). Is it because they used to write better songs back then? Or is it because I was just a little kid and I was more impressionable towards these songs which were being fed to me in school and on the telly?
Why is it that I do not connect as well, with the newer songs? Maybe I've grown old enough to properly digest the words that I hear, and feel that these lyrics don't necessarily always represent how I feel? Is the quality of the songs to blame or is it our perspective that has changed?
Whatever the reason may be, it is a comforting fact that there are a few that will be immortalized through the years.
"Just like the river which brings us life
There'll always be Singapore"
In this case, there will always be the classics.
Happy National Day, everyone, and have a great Golden Jubilee, my Singapura!
#majulah
Why is it that I do not connect as well, with the newer songs? Maybe I've grown old enough to properly digest the words that I hear, and feel that these lyrics don't necessarily always represent how I feel? Is the quality of the songs to blame or is it our perspective that has changed?
Whatever the reason may be, it is a comforting fact that there are a few that will be immortalized through the years.
"Just like the river which brings us life
There'll always be Singapore"
In this case, there will always be the classics.
Happy National Day, everyone, and have a great Golden Jubilee, my Singapura!
#majulah
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