I find it amazing how the hooha about this year’s national day song, “There’s No Place I’d Rather Be” is still going on, 9 days after National Day. Didn’t all the critics of the song, some of whom have talked about how the National Day song should not just be written with overseas Singaporeans in mind, hear the song before the NDP?? Why not bring this up much earlier on? Why talk about now that NDP 2007 is like way over?
The more i listen to the song, the more i like it. It sounded a little boring at first… but the song has really grown on me. I find myself swaying along whenever i hear the song being played, and humming the chorus long after the song has ended.
I believe the song speaks to all Singaporeans. You don’t need the word “Singapore” inside the lyrics for it to be a National Day song. I mean, which moron does not know that this song was written and sung by Singaporeans? I would be insulted if someone thought that Singaporeans are so stupid that we need to have information brazenly waved in our faces before we figure something out.
Moreover, i don’t think this song was meant only for overseas Singaporeans. Come on… air travel is a lot cheaper nowadays… and given the comfortable standard of living of most Singaporeans, don’t tell me your typical guy on the MRT has not gone overseas ok? Even if that person couldn’t afford an air ticket, please just walk across the causeway then. Take a bus and go see KL’s twin towers or something. Duh. To say that (i quote from today’s forum page) the song displays “superiority complex” is being even more ridiculous. The song did not say that Singapore’s the best country in the world! The song did not say that we have more beautiful sights than the famous tourist spots mentioned! The song said no matter how beautiful/famous/wonderous other places may be, it doesn’t matter. The only place i want to be is Singapore because Singapore is home. “Experienced sweet and sour but that’s ok”.
The most embarrassing thing is… there was also a letter in today’s forum page by an Indian who’s here on a social vist pass… and even he knew what the song was trying to say. Good grief. If takes a foreigner to tell us that, i think all Singaporeans who do not get the song should just go knock their heads against the wall now. Quick, go! Stop wasting ink and print space in the papers.
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