They are locally regarded as the best rock band after Beyond, a popular rock band that is based in Hong Kong. Mayday's songs resonate greatly with many Taiwanese youths who can identify with their themes of love, world peace and growing up. They are also influenced by The Beatles, which is their favourite group whom they aspire to be like.
Their music has the unique ability to bring the listener to his feet or move the listener to tears. They sing songs mostly in Taiwanese and Chinese although some fans profess that their Taiwanese songs are more emotional and touching. Unlike some rock bands, they also project a clean and healthy image and have never been seen smashing musical instruments willfully, drinking or gambling. Mayday represent the zeitgeist of the Taiwanese and Chinese youth who identify with the band's themes of innocence, childhood, dreams, aspirations, loneliness and determination. At the same time, the band's unique outlook on life has attracted many fans who find their views refreshing.
黑白讲
五月天 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
整天是拢无意义的走冲
天光到天黑 万事拢照常无聊
叫人要起狂
忍受到一遍又一遍的啰唆
你给我的世界只有一条路
爱拼才会赢 我不是听无前途
我拢看不着
我渴望流血 有什么绝招作你变
我的好兄弟 我打拢不死
我想要走路有风
我想要作真真正正的英雄
你叫我麦憨麦憨麦憨
我听你黑白讲
The lyrics of "黑白讲" ("Black and White Dialogue") by 五月天 (Mayday) talk about the monotony and senselessness of life. The singer walks the same streets every day, going through the motions without purpose. Everything is as boring and uneventful as the day before, causing a sense of frustration and the need to break out of the routine. The world presented to him is a one-way street with little opportunity for change or growth. But the singer rejects this view, arguing that only when one is willing to fight can they achieve victory. Despite the lack of direction, the singer wants to be the hero of their own journey and find a way to escape the mundanity of their current existence.
The use of contrasting imagery throughout the song is powerful in conveying the emotions of the singer. The black and white mentioned in the song's title symbolize the binary nature of the world that is presented to the singer. But within this duality, the singer hopes for something more colorful and dynamic. The portrayal of youth as a war also adds to this sense of struggle and adversity, emphasizing the need to fight for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
转过了一遍又一遍的街仔路
I've walked down these same streets so many times it feels like a never-ending cycle
整天是拢无意义的走冲
Every day is filled with purposeless wandering
天光到天黑 万事拢照常无聊
From dawn till dusk, life is mundane and unchanging
叫人要起狂
It drives me crazy
忍受到一遍又一遍的啰唆
I can't bear to listen to the same old nagging over and over again
你给我的世界只有一条路
You've given me a world with only one path to follow
爱拼才会赢 我不是听无前途
You say 'no pain, no gain', but I don't believe there's no other way forward
我拢看不着
I can't see it
那会世界拢无声音 青春是战争
The world used to be silent, but youth is a battleground
我渴望流血 有什么绝招作你变
I long for bloodshed, anything to make a change
我的好兄弟 我打拢不死
My good brother, I won't let you die
我想要走路有风
I want to feel the wind as I walk
我想要作真真正正的英雄
I want to be a true hero
你叫我麦憨麦憨麦憨
You call me foolish, foolish, foolish
我听你黑白讲
But I still listen to your black and white talk
Contributed by Levi K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.