睡在我上铺的兄弟 / shuì zài wǒ shàng pù de xiōngdì / Brother Who Sleeps in the Top Bunk
A nostalgic song by 老狼 (“old wolf”) about growing apart after college.
(If, in an enlightened paroxysm of hegemonic benevolence, They are still blocking YouTube, you should be able to see the video here (youku) or here (tudou), or just listen to the mp3 below.)
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The university years are like a window of relative freedom for the Mainlanders who get there. Before university millions sacrifice their childhoods in preparation for the national college entrance exam. After university they have to build a career that can eventually support their parents, grandparents, and child’s education. But in college all they have to do is go to class and do homework (work-study is much less common), so it’s a time to relax and have fun. This song is abut how the pressures of post-college life can strain even the closest relationships from the college days.
Lyrics & Guitar Chords
Download: ShuiZaiWoShangPuDeXiongDi.pdf (lyrics & guitar chords with pinyin/English cheatsheet).
歌词 / gēcí / Lyrics
[Verse 1:]
睡在我上铺的兄弟 / shuì zài wǒ shàng pù de xiōngdì
Brother who sleeps in my top bunk
无声无息的你 / wúshēng wú xī de nǐ
You’re silent and uncommunicative
你曾经问我的那些问题 / nǐ céngjīng wèn wǒde nàxiē wèntí
Those questions you used to ask me
如今再没人问起 / rújīn zài méirén wèn qǐ
Now no one asks
分给我烟抽的兄弟 / fēn gěi wǒ yān chōu de xiōngdì
Brother who shared my cigarettes
分给我快乐的往昔 / fēn gěi wǒ kuàilè de wǎngxī
In the past sharing my happiness
你总是猜不对我手里的硬币 / nǐ zǒngshì cāi búduì wǒ shǒu lǐ de yìngbì
You always guessed wrong the coin in my hand
摇摇头说这太神秘 / yáoyáotóu shuō zhè tài shénmì
Shaking your head saying this is too mysterious
[Chorus:]
你来的信写的越来越客气 / nǐ lái de xìn xiě de yuèláiyuè kèqì
Your letters that come are written more and more politely
关于爱情你只字不提 / guānyú àiqíng nǐ zhǐ zì bù tí
You don’t write about love
你说你现在有很多的朋友 / nǐ shuō nǐ xiànzài yǒu hěnduō de péngyou
You say you have a lot of friends now
却再也不为那些事忧愁 / què zàiyěbù wèi nàxiē shì yōuchóu
but you don’t bother about those matters anymore
[Verse 2:]
睡在我上铺的兄弟 / shuì zài wǒ shàng pù de xiōngdì
Brother who sleeps in my top bunk
睡在我寂寞的回忆 / shuì zài wǒ jìmò de huíyì
Sleeping in my lonely memories
那日子里你总说起的女孩 / nà rìzi lǐ nǐ zǒng shuō qǐ de nǚhái
In those days the girl you always talked about
是否送了你她的发带 / shìfǒu sòng le nǐ tāde fàdài
Whether or not she gave you her hairband
你说你每当回头看夕阳 红 / nǐ shuō nǐ měidāng huí tóu kàn xīyáng hóng
You said whenever you turn to look at the red sunset
每当你又听到晚钟 / měidāng nǐ yòu tīng dào wǎn zhōng
Whenever you hear the evening temple bell
从前的点点滴滴会涌起 / cóngqián de diǎn diǎn dī dī huì yǒng qǐ
Every detail from before will well up…
在你来不及难过的心里 / zài nǐ láibùjí nánguò de xīnli
…in your not-enough-time-to-feel-sad heart
[instrumental break]
[Chorus:]
你来的信写的越来越客气 / nǐ lái de xìn xiě de yuèláiyuè kèqì
Your letters that come are written more and more politely
关于爱情你只字不提 / guānyú àiqíng nǐ zhǐ zì bù tí
You don’t write about love
你说你现在有很多的朋友 / nǐ shuō nǐ xiànzài yǒu hěnduō de péngyou
You say you have a lot of friends now
却再也不为那些事忧愁 / què zàiyěbù wèi nàxiē shì yōuchóu
and don’t bother about those matters anymore
你问我几时能一起回去 / nǐ wèn wǒ jǐshí néng yīqǐ huíqu
You ask me when can we go back together
看看我们的宿舍我们的过去 / kànkàn wǒmende sùshè wǒmende guòqu
To have a look at our dorm and our past
你刻在墙上的字依然清析 / nǐ kè zài qiáng shàng de zì yīrán qīng xī
The words you carved on the wall are still distinct
从那时侯起就没有人能擦去 / cóng nàshí hóu qǐ jiù méiyǒu rén néng cā qù
From that time on no one’s been able to erase it
[End:]
睡在我上铺的兄弟 / shuì zài wǒ shàng pù de xiōngdì
Brother who sleeps in my top bunk
睡在我寂寞的回忆 / shuì zài wǒ jìmò de huíyì
Sleeping in my lonely memories
你曾经问我的那些问题 / nǐ céngjīng wèn wǒde nàxiē wèntí
Those questions you used to ask me
如今再没人问起 / rújīn zài méirén wèn qǐ
Now no one asks
分给我烟抽的兄弟 / fēn gěi wǒ yān chōu de xiōngdì
Brother who shared my cigarettes
分给我快乐的往昔 / fēn gěi wǒ kuàilè de wǎngxī
In the past sharing my happiness
你曾经问我的那些问题 / nǐ céngjīng wèn wǒde nàxiē wèntí
Those questions you used to ask me
如今再没人问起 / rújīn zài méirén wèn qǐ
Now no one asks
如今再没人问起 / rújīn zài méirén wèn qǐ
Now no one asks
如今再没人问起 / rújīn zài méirén wèn qǐ
Now no one asks
I haven’t picked the next song yet. Any requests?
More for your karaoke repertoire:
- Nothing to My Name / 一无所有
- Even in Death I’ll Love / 死了都要爱
- Liang Shanbo & Juliet / 梁山伯与茱丽叶
- Mouse Loves Rice / 老鼠爱大米
