Reported 8 months ago
On June 17, 2024, Deng Hongyuan watched a YouTube video titled 'Graduating junior high school boys tearfully bid farewell, crying so hard that they can't recognize classmates: What to do if you can't meet?' while also listening to the old English song 'Farewell' with lyrics by Li Shutong, based on the melody of American musician John Audubon's song 'Dreaming of Home and Mother' and the Japanese lyrics 'Traveling Melancholy' by Inudokyo Ball Creek. 'Farewell' is a song popularly sung in new schools between the 1920s and 1940s, originally created during the American Civil War period to express longing for hometown and mother. Li Shutong was captivated by the melody while studying in Japan from 1905 to 1910, later adapting it to Chinese lyrics after being moved by a performance from his Japanese wife, Haruyama Shuko, which led to the creation of 'Farewell' as a tribute to his friend Xu Huanyuan. The song has been mistakenly attributed solely to Li Shutong, but it actually features a blend of various music elements from different countries. The lyrics of 'Farewell' resemble classical Chinese poetry, combining elegance with clarity, and have been appreciated as a classic song of lamentation for years.
Source: YAHOO