To Be Free
Single released on August 3, 2016. Be included in Hua Chenyu’s 3rd album “H”.
Promotional song for the movie “The Warriors Gate”.
1. About the song
“To Be Free” is a promotional song created by Hua Chenyu for the movie “The Warriors Gate”. The film crew found Yin Yue, who had cooperated with Hua Chenyu, to write a tailor-made lyrics for the song, and it went through several drafts. The main melody of the song was originally completed by the piano, but Hua Chenyu felt that the piano was not “burning” enough, so he invited his friend Zuo Li home to help, and finally completed the demo with a guitar. When communicating for the arrangement with producer Bernard Zheng, Hua Chenyu hoped to incorporate choir in the verse, when Bernard Zheng suggested using children’s chorus, an agreement was achieved immediately on using children’s chorus in the verse to highlight the theme.
The style of the song is passionate and powerful, and the melody is quite exotic. The prelude starts with intermittent Bass, the smooth and fully powerful drum part, together with Hua Chenyu’s magnetic tone and lazy to explosive vocal style, it shows the singer’s confusion, hesitation, rebellion, and anger towards the world. The lyrics fully represent the image from the film. it not only describes the process of a cowardly and confused teenager growing into a warrior, but also analyzes the emotional changes in the characters’ hearts, and shows many microcosms of the real world as well.
2. Videos
Movie MV
3. Lyrics Translation
Lyricist: 尹約 |
| To Be Free | To Be Free |
|---|---|
| 四面筑起高墙 | High walls are built on all sides |
| 画地为牢的空间 | In the prison that they draw on the ground |
| 狭窄的安全 | There is safety in its narrow space |
| 为什么嘲笑我们冒险 | Why only by laughing at our adventures |
| 才能让他们感到一秒钟优越 | Can they feel superior for a split second? |
| 究竟谁发明时间 发明空间 | Who on earth invented time, space |
| 发明身边每个瞬间 | And every moment in life? |
| 发明了傲慢偏见 | Who invented pride and prejudice? |
| 哪怕我们被困在原地 | Even though we are trapped at where we are |
| 黑布蒙住眼睛 | With eyes covered by a black cloth |
| 伸手也能触碰黎明 | Reaching out our hands we can still touch the dawn |
| 勇士之门尘封着奇迹 | The Warriors’ Gate seals a miracle with dust |
| 信念拔地而起 | Faith rises up from the ground |
| come on we are bound to be free | |
| 真相有多锋利 | The sharper the truth is |
| 精心编织的谎言就有多细腻 | The finer the carefully weaved lies are |
| 苟活在龙卷风的中心 | Surviving in the eye of a tornado |
| 看起来风平浪静 却暗藏杀气 | It is seemingly calm yet deadly dangers are hidden |
| 我们要远离洗脑 远离虚荣 | We need to stay away from brainwashing, vanity |
| 远离煽动 远离盲从 | Demagoguery and blind following |
| 年轻不需要缓冲 | In youth, one does not need shielding |
| 哪怕我们被困在原地 | Even though we are trapped at where we are |
| 黑布蒙住眼睛 | With eyes covered by a black cloth |
| 伸手也能触碰黎明 | Reaching out our hands we can still touch the dawn |
| 勇士之门尘封着奇迹 | The Warriors’ Gate seals a miracle with dust |
| 信念拔地而起 | Faith rises up from the ground |
| come on we are bound to be free | |
| 是谁困在原地 | Who are trapped at where they are? |
| 是谁蒙住眼睛 | Who has their eyes covered by black cloth? |
| 是谁双手高举 | Whose hands are held up high |
| 不顾一切地碰触光明 光明 | To give it all to reach the light, the light? |
| 哪怕我们被困在原地 | Even though we are trapped at where we are |
| 黑布蒙住眼睛 | With eyes covered by a black cloth |
| 伸手也能触碰黎明 | Reaching out our hands we can still touch the dawn |
| 勇士之门尘封着奇迹 | The Warriors’ Gate seals a miracle with dust |
| 信念拔地而起 | Faith rises up from the ground |
| come on we are bound to be free | |