Complaints Choir of Singapore
I went to watch the Complaints Choir of Singapore with Theresia on Sunday. Actually we asked Benny and sylv along, but too bad they weren’t free.
It was lucky that we got *ahem* invited (to quote from chillycraps) to the performance, since all public performances were cancelled as the police claimed that foreigners should not meddle in Singapore’s politics.
That means that the foreign members cannot sing if they want to perform for public, which was impossible since many of the members are foreigners and even the conductor himself is a Malaysian. The choir had to resort to performing at The Arts House by invite only for “friends” of the choir.
The choir itself was really good. It was funny and I could relate to most parts of the lyrics (read more to see). Maybe I’ve been staying in Singapore for too long. As you might be able to read in the lyrics too, there are not much mention about Singapore politics, mostly just complaints about daily life in Singapore.
When we were there, they even added a complaint on the banning of the public performance of the complaints choir. Talk about self-reference.
My only complaint (!) is that they sang a bit too fast, presumably because this is Singapore where everyone speaks really fast.
Also read mintea’s, chillycraps’s, rinaz’s and Nicole’s blog posts on the Complaints Choir of Singapore. They went a day earlier, which left me kicking myself for not joining them.
We get fined for almost everything
Drivers won’t ‘give chance’ when you want to ‘change lane’
The indoors are cold, the outdoors are hot;
And the humid air, it wrecks my hair
Those answering machines always make you hold
Only to hang up on youWhen a pregnant lady gets on the train
Everyone pretends to be asleep
I’m stuck with my parents till I’m 35
Cause I can’t apply for HDB
We don’t recycle any plastic bags
But we purify our pee*chorus:
What’s wrong with Singapore?
Losing always makes me feel so sore
Cause if you’re not the best
Then you’re just one of the restMy oh my Singapore
What exactly are we voting for?
What’s not expressly permitted
is prohibited“Ooh”
When I’m hungry at the food court, I see
People ‘chope’ seats with their tissue paper
To the aunty staying upstairs:
Your laundry’s dripping on my bed sheets
Please don’t squat on the toilet seats
And don’t clip your nails on MRTStray cats get into noisy affairs
At night my neighbor makes weird animal sounds
People put on fake accents to sound posh
And queue up 3 hours for donuts
Will I ever live till eighty five
to collect my CPF?*chorus
Singaporeans too kiasu! (so scared to lose)
Singaporeans too kiasi! (so scared o die)
Singaporeans too kiabor!(scared of their wives)
Maybe we’re just too stressed out! (even the kids)“Ooh”
Old National Library was replaced by an ugly tunnel
Singaporean men can’t take independent women
People blow their nose into the swimming pool
And fall asleep on my shoulder in the trainSingapore’s national bird is the crane (the one with yellow steel girders)
Real estate agents’ leaflets clogging up my mailbox (en bloc, en bloc; en bloc, en bloc)
Why can’t we be buried when we die?
No one wants to climb Bukit Timah with me*chorus
“Ooh”
There are not enough public holidays
My neighbor sings KTV all night
Wedding dinners never start on time
My hair is always cut shorter than I want
Channel 5 commercials are way too long
Why do men turn bad?*At first it was to speak more mandarin
Then it was to speak proper English
What’s wrong with my powderful Singlish?People sit down during rock concerts
We have to pay for tap water at restaurants
ERP gantries are everywhere
But I can still see traffic jams on the road
All the bus stops have tilted benches to keep you off balance*chorus
Lyrics courtesy of the Complaints Choirs of the World website.
Say, will I get into trouble for posting this?
Not complaining,
bcc
January 29th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Link me
There is a video of the choir with some comments with the pingsters too
http://rinaz.net/2008/01/complaint-choir/
January 29th, 2008 at 11:51 am
rinaz: Done!