Common - I Used To Love H.E.R.

I Used To Love H.E.R.

1994年，Common(或稱Common Sense)發表了專輯Resurrection，其中的I Used To Love H.E.R.變成了Common最廣為人知的歌曲之一。而台灣傳奇饒舌團體參劈也有唱過（算翻唱？）這首歌。基本上內容是同樣的主題和筆法，大家可以品味看看！（正在試著把參劈的版本翻成英文哈哈）

其實只要聽完歌就會發現，Common對於東岸發跡的嘻哈文化（主要是饒舌）往西岸去並不感到開心，甚至有點生氣。但同時又因為西岸把饒舌推到主流，又無法全面批評。但是在他心中的饒舌音樂，已在前往西岸的路上變了...他愛的...是過去的她....

[Hook]
Yes, yes, y'all and you don't stop
To the beat ya'll and you don't stop
Yes yes, y'all and you don't stop
1, 2, ya'll and you don't stop
Yes yes ya'll and you don't stop
And to the beat Com sense'll be the sure shot
Come on

[Verse 1]
我遇到這女孩時, 我才十歲
I met this girl, when I was ten years old
而我最愛她的地方就是她是如此的富有靈魂
And what I loved most she had so much soul
她很老派, 當我還只是個小毛頭時
She was old school, when I was just a shorty
當時從沒想過, 她會就此在我生命中活著
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me
她一向不是個信仰宗教的女孩, 只是個世俗之人
On the regular, not a church girl she was secular
不是為了金錢, 但她讓那些豬公在她身上上下其手
Not about the money, those studs was mic checking her
但我很尊重她, 因為她打動了我的心
But I respected her, she hit me in the heart
一些紐約黑人, 在公園裡玩弄著她
A few New York niggas, had did her in the park
但她還是一直在那支持我, 我也在這支持著她
But she was there for me, and I was there for her
為她拉一張椅子, 為她開空調
Pull out a chair for her, turn on the air for her
就這樣靜靜著待著, 這樣靜靜地聽著她
And just cool out, cool out and listen to her
點著一根煙, 想著哪天我能夠和她翻騰
Sitting on a bone, wishing that I could do her*1
如果這是注定會發生的, 那終究會發生
Eventually if it was meant to be, then it would be
因為我們早已交融在一起, 身體和心靈都是
Cause we related, physically and mentally
她以前很風趣, 每次她走過我都會小鹿亂撞
And she was fun then, I'd be geeked when she'd come around
當她還是默默無聞時, 她是如此纖細而清新
Slim was fresh yo, when she was underground
原創, 純淨, 不被汙染, 像一個鄰家女孩
Original, pure, untampered, a down sister*2
但男孩, 我告訴你, 我錯過她了...
Boy I tell ya, I miss her

[Hook]

[Verse 2]
現在我偶而會看到...
Now periodically I would see
...這個年長的女孩在夜店, 或是在派對裡
Old girl at the clubs, and at the house parties
她不在保有姣好的身材, 反而是迅速的變胖
She didn't have a body but she started getting thick quick*3
拍了一些影片, 也開始回歸非洲
Did a couple of videos and became Afrocentric
出則是穿編織風, 入則是辮子, 串珠, 和大獎章
Out goes the weave, in goes the braids beads medallions*4
她曾是平息暴力的先鋒
She was on that tip about stopping the violence
關於我們的文化都是她教我的
About my people she was teaching me
不是靠說教, 而是以一種很輕鬆的方法告訴我
By not preaching to me, but speaking to me in a method that was leisurely
是如此的簡單, 伸手能及
So easily I approach
她傳授了我饒舌, 那也是我們親近的方法
She dug my rap, that's how we got close
但後來她去了西岸, 那確實滿酷的
But then she broke to the West coast, and that was cool
因為在那同時, 我離開了學校
Cause around the same time, I went away to school*5
而且既然我是個嚮往飛翔的人, 我又有什麼理由擋在她的跑道上呢
And I'm a man of expanding, so why should I stand in her way
她大概在L.A賺到了錢吧
She probably get her money in L.A
她也上了些帥哥, 她還出現在充滿汙穢的大夜店裡
And she did stud, she got big pub but what was foul
她說以前的黑人音樂, 已經落伍的東西了
She said that the pro-black, was going out of style
她說「非洲主流」也已經是過去式了
She said, Afrocentricity, was of the past
她開始唱R&B, hip-house bass, 和爵士
So she got into R&B hip-house bass and jazz
現在黑人音樂是這樣子, 那也很好
Now black music is black music and it's all good
我並不難過, 就算她和男孩們一起在街頭上混
I wasn't salty, she was with the boys in the hood*6
因為那對她是好的, 她現在不是變的出名了嗎
Cause that was good for her, she was becoming well rounded
但我覺得她的freestyle是很酷的
I thought it was dope how she was on that freestyle shit
就是玩得開心, 什麼也不必擔心
Just having fun, not worried about anyone
你可以很清楚地看出來, 只要看看他的胸部就行了
And you could tell, by how her titties hung*7

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
我可能忘記提到她是很富有創作力的
I might've failed to mention that this chick was creative
一旦某個男人擁有她了, 他會改變她的原貌
Once the man got to her, he altered her native*8
並告訴她如果她有美麗的形象和花俏的裝飾
Told her if she got an image and a gimmick
她可以賺到更多錢, 而她也像個笨蛋一樣照做了
That she could make money, and she did it like a dummy
現在我在廣告裡看到她, 她無處不在
Now I see her in commercials, she's universal
她以前只在內城裡搖擺
She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle
現在她出現在郊區, 看起來很搖滾, 穿的很嬉皮
Now she be in the burbs looking rock and dressing hippie
當她進城時, 只會講一些很笨的屁話
And on some dumb shit, when she comes to the city
講些什麼格洛克, 或是販毒和手槍保險
Talking about popping Glocks serving rocks and hitting switches*9
現在她成了一個和太妹混在一起的痞子
Now she's a gangsta rolling with gangsta bitches
總是呼麻和喝醉
Always smoking blunts and getting drunk
然後跟我說些悲劇故事, 再和放克搞在一起
Telling me sad stories, now she only fucks with the funk
不斷強調她有多硬派和多真實
Stressing how hardcore and real she is
她的確很真實, 但那是在她進入演藝事業之前
She was really the realest, before she got into showbiz
我和她在一起, 而不是只上了她
I did her, not just to say that I did it
但我得承認, 太多人上過她了
But I'm committed, but so many niggas hit it
她已經變了, 現在她讓那些追星族也上她
That she's just not the same letting all these groupies do her
我看見尼哥對她動粗, 再帶她去下水道
I see niggas slamming her, and taking her to the sewer*10
但我會帶她回去跳到這些狗屁停止
But I'mma take her back hoping that the shit stop
因為我在對你們講的就是嘻哈
Cause who I'm talking bout y'all is hip-hop

*1 這裡的bone我不太確定是什麼意思。整句的意思就是Common年輕時正做著他的嘻哈夢，期待哪天也能手握麥克風。

*2 down sister我真的不知道確切的意思...應該是鄰家女孩...?

*3 這裡Common不僅講了Hip-Hop的快速蓬勃，也暗示了他這首歌講的女孩沒有身體(didn't have a body)

*4 這句是在講黑人文化（主要是衣飾）開始流行。Medallion應該是指饒舌歌手帶的大項鏈，代表自己的信念，很重要啊！（有些人不戴啦）

*5 A reference to his brief stint at Florida A&M to study business administration < 想去讀書..?

*6 在嗆Ice Cube。Ice Cube演過電影 Boyz n the Hood

*7 這裡的意思是，判斷真不真，就看是不是真奶............

*8 順便暗示Native Tongue movement。這裡稍微簡介一下，The Native Tongues是Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, ATCQ三個團體為主發起，倡導positive rap，不唱槍槍火火，回歸zulu nation最開始的信念peace love have fun
其中最具代表性的作品就是這個(By CL)

*9 Glock是槍的品牌 

*10 sewer也有（對女性）施暴的意思

*補充funk的部分：funk搞上它應該暗示那些gangsta rap都以g funk做beat然後把gangsta rap從西岸推向主流 而這些人就是common砲火指向的ice cube等人(By CL)