Song Description

Soundtrack from the Vietnamese Song "Dong Doi". Lyrics are available with the vocal version on Broadjam or upon request.

Lyrics

Written in Vietnamese with English Translation (below)
By Duke Nguyen Browning
Copyright © 2006. All Rights Reserved
License & Performance Rights: BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.)

The translation below, and other songs on this website, were intended to assist the English speaking audience who may be interested in knowing the general meaning of the lyrics. It was challenging for me, however, because it is very difficult to convey the full meaning of the lyrics through translation because besides understanding the words, one has to understand the culture to fully appreciate it, and in some cases, to make sense of it. Nevertheless, no matter in which language we are communicating, I hope that the audience will enjoy listening to these songs, and share my feeling that in music and arts, there are no boundaries between us. Duke Nguyen Browning (July 2006)
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Returning to my old hometown, my life?s already half way through
Returning to my old hometown, my mother?s already in her seventies
There, an old path of green coconut trees running along my neighborhood of simple dreams,
Coming back to old the river that takes me to the East oceans.

In an old creek, during the first rains of the season fish hastily go upstream, spawning in the farms,
Working in our farm without compensation, hoping for reward with a good harvest season,
When evening comes, we wait for our parents to come home from planting rice in the farm,
When evening comes, our simple hopes and dreams are to have a meal and the clothes in our back.

As long as there?s still a vast ocean, life?s still a struggle.
As long as the rain?s still falling down, life is still unpredictable (up and down)
The road of life?s winding and long, dividing into ten thousand directions
But who really knows which way to takes us to happiness and which way to misfortune

Life is a dream, a hope, and it is like poetry
Love is a song, its melodies, telling the love story that is already gone
Life is a river and if we misstep, it takes us in the wrong direction, going upstream,
Then a half of our life will be there waiting, half of our life will already be wasted.

I left my hometown for survival and life, hoping for a better and fuller one,
I left my hometown for life and survival, not to worry about the changes along the way;
If my journey turns out badly and leads to misfortune and bad luck,
I will not be sad nor will I blame anyone because I?ve already accepted life?s changes.

Returning to my sister, whose love was broken before happiness was found
Her dream in life was high and ambitious, but it turns out to be such a misfortune
Once married, but that togetherness and love ended suddenly.
Fortunately for me, though once wandering aimlessly, God blessed me with peace and happiness.

Returning to my home, my mother comes out to greet under the old path of coconut trees.
My younger siblings are no longer in their youth with full dreams of life,
They?re still in our little house, and as it rains the water leaks through and tears are falling.
I, once an aimless journeyer, return to fulfill my dream, giving my mother a decorated brick house.