Knowledge from English songs

The 1st song:

Eternal Flame

We may know that this song was about LOVE, the composer showed us how her love was, and... that`s all. Most of us translated the word Eternal Flame as the flame burnt eternally. We may think the composer was magnifying her love by using that symbol. Actually, there is an existence of Eternal flame.

An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns constantly, fed by a measured supply of propane gas or natural gas. It is most often used as a symbol to acknowledge and remember a person or event of national significance, or a group of brave and noble people connected to some event, or even a laudable goal such as international peace.

The eternal flame to commemorate President Kennedy in the United States in 1963 was the first time in the world that an individual person was given such an honor. Henceforward, eternal flames would be designated more frequently around the world to honor the loss of persons of great significance, in ad***ion to major tragic events.

Eternal flames exist in nature as well, as byproducts of natural gas deposits leaking through the ground.


JFK`s eternal flame


The Eternal Flame Falls is a small waterfall in the Shale Creek Preserve, a section of the Chestnut Ridge Regional Park in New York. A small grotto at the waterfall''''''''s base emits natural gas, which can be lit to produce a small flame.


Source: Wikipedia, key words: Eternal flame


Dear all,


We`ve already got a music topic, now I create this one is not to spam. As a new member who just took a look on some topics, I just want to take a hand in contributing SEC.


There are an amount of uncountable English songs we`ve known. I wonder that how much among them you can understand clearly. I meant the terms and knowledge in songs that we may not be learnt from schools. By introduce you a song - new or old - the sender may give you some interesting explanation. By this way we can know more and more new words and easily remember them as listening to or singing along it.


The music topic created by FJX is a place to share, to request music, or to express our feeling about the song. So purposes of 2 music topics are quite different. I hope moderators won`t press the delete button on my 1st topic in SEC.


Được thelordofdevil sửa chữa / chuyển vào 09:50 ngày 24/09/2006

well done, thelordofdevil
The topic you''''ve just created is so wonderful and i''''m sure that it will be received all SEC mem''''s concernment, at least me who was the 1st person came here and leaved comment.
In fact, modern English music is the most favourite field of mine. And I have enough confidence be with you to debate modern E songs.
Thankful to you for your introduction about Eternal Flame, one of songs I often listened to at the time I started to enjoy E songs. Though Its lyric is so short, so simple but it''''s deep meaning. Like a tender whisper
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand?
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?
I believe it''''s meant to be, darling
I watch when you are sleeping, you belong to me
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming
Or is this burning an eternal flame?
Say my name, sun shines through the rain
A whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain
I don''''t want to lose this feeling
If you wanna tell someone your sentiment to them, but you are too shy or you haven''''t got any suitable moment to unbosom, please follow my advice, let him/her listen to this song in silent night by your side.. and.. um.. he/she will see.
éu?c coldbutcool s?a vo 19:56 ngy 24/09/2006

Great post.
Clearly and throuroughly understanding of something is a very intersting thing to encourage our love of studying not only in English but also in all aspect of life, not only in English song but also in Vietnamese one. For instance, an English teacher of mine used the analysis of Trinh''s songs to show the rich and colorful meaning of our language. After his talk, when listen to the songs, I pay more attention, and sometime can even extract out some attractive pieces.
I thank you for giving me good information. And I will sing this - with this explanation - to my beloved one (good advice, Ms CBC).

The 2nd song:
Rivers of Babylon
Lyrics
An old song, well, you might be listened to it when you were a kid. "Rivers of Babylon" is a spiritual song penned by the late Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Melodians. It is based on the Biblical hymn Psalm 137. Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The rivers of Babylon are the Euphrates river, its tributaries, and the Chebar river. The song also has words from Psalm 19:14.
NFTY, the youth group of the Union for Reform Judaism, uses the song in its songbook. This means that the song can be substituted for the actual prayer, which in Hebrew is called "Y''hiyu L''ratzon".
At least once in your life you did hear about the word: Babylon, but how much do you know about it? Here I have only some basic information, if you have more, please share with me, ok?
Babylon, ancient city, Mesopotamia

(bbÂln) (KEY) , ancient city of Mesopotamia. One of the most important cities of the ancient Middle East, it was on the Euphrates River and was north of the cities that flourished in S Mesopotamia in the 3d millennium B.C. It became important when Hammurabi made it the capital of his kingdom of Babylonia. The patron god of Babylon, Marduk (identical with Bel), became a leading deity in the Neo-Babylonian pantheon. The city was destroyed (c.689 B.C.) by the Assyrians under Sennacherib, and its real spendor belongs to the later period of Babylonia after the city was rebuilt. The brilliant color and luxury of Babylon became legendary from the days of Nebuchadnezzar (d. 562 B.C.). The Hanging Gardens were one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The walls of Babylon, its palace, and the processional way with the famous Ishtar Gate were decorated with colorfully glazed brick. Among the Hebrews (who suffered the Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar) and the later Greeks the city was famed for its sensual living. Under the rule of Nabonidus the city was captured (538 B.C.) by Cyrus the Great and was used as one of the administrative capitals of the Persian Empire. In 275 B.C. its inhabitants were removed to Seleucia, which replaced Babylon as a commercial center.

Notes:
Hamurabi (1792â?"1750 B.C), king of Babylonia.
Sennacherib or Senherib, d. 681 B.C., king of Assyria (705â?"681 B.C.).
Seven Wonders of the World: in ancient classifications, were the Great Pyramid of Khufu (see pyramid) or all the pyramids with or without the sphinx; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, with or without the walls; the mausoleum at Halicarnassus; the Artemision at Ephesus; the Colossus of Rhodes; the Olympian Zeus, statue by Phidias; and the lighthouse at Pharos, Alexandria, or, instead, the walls of Babylon.
Some images:

A 16th century depiction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (by Martin Heemskerck). The Tower of Babel is visible in the background.

Babylon (drawn)
Sources:
1. wikipedia, key words: Babylon
2. bartleby.com, key words: Babylon, Mesopotamia
3. uoregon.edu

In this song, there is another name of place, Zyon. I think this is a famous name too. Do you have any suggestions?
By the way, this make me remember the manga: Apple Seed.

Sion, or Zion
I don`t know how Zion reminds you of some certain manga, but as I know, Zion is a term that most often designates the land of Israel and its capital Jerusalem. It was originally referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion).
If you read the novel named The Da Vinci Code, you may know something about Sion, it`s an organisation which established in 1099.
More information about Zion, click here. I think this kind of information is so strange to most of us, so I don`t post here.
Được thelordofdevil sửa chữa / chuyển vào 14:54 ngày 27/09/2006