He was the national singing champion in Hong Kong 1984 with the song Fatherland, ousting more than ten thousand other contestants. He was signed by the then Polygram Records, now Universal Music Group. Although encouraged by a bright start, he was not yet able to achieve immediate supremacy in Cantopop, then dominated by 譚詠麟, 梅艷芳, Leslie Cheung and 陳百強. Cheung suffered a nosedive in his career in 1988 after a best-selling first two albums. That year he did not have a single song awarded in the annual TVB JSG. His subsequent sales record dipped and one of his albums in the late 1980s managed just around ten thousand in sales. The reason for the fall in his CD sales was partially attributed to his alcohol problem - he could get drunk 5 times a week. After disrupting his friend's birthday party while being drunk, Cheung vowed in public that he would not consume alcohol again till he was 40. He kept that promise.
His recording career subsequently returned to its track. Then, in 1991, with the song 每天愛你多一些 (Loving You More Everyday), his career took a massive upturn. The album, 真情流露True Love Expression in 1992, as well as the succeeding release, 愛火花Love Sparks in 1992, became the two most successful albums in Hong Kong history, achieving audited sales of over 400,000 copies in Hong Kong alone and turned Cheung into a superstar, paving the way for himself and his contemporaries, Andy Lau, Leon Lai and Aaron Kwok, to take Cantopop to even greater heights. Subsequent albums continue to be a hit like 我與你True Love Expression 1993, 餓狼傳說 Wolf Tale 1994 etc. Since then his career has grown from strength to strength, and Cheung has managed to garner thousands of fans overseas as well as numerous music awards both in Hong Kong and elsewhere, including the best-selling Chinese singer in the Worlds Music Awards. Cheung has also been elected one of the world's Ten Outstanding Young Persons.
Among his most famous songs are Amour, 只想一生跟你走 (Only Thinking of Going Through Life With You) and the everlasting 吻别 (Goodbye Kiss) which confirms his status as one, and many consider the pre-eminent member, of the Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop. Goodbye Kiss, a Mandarin number, was also one of the best-selling albums of all time, achieving more sales in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia such as not attained before, with an astounding 5 million copies sold in 1993 alone, a record that has remained yet unbroken. Goodbye Kiss was also instrumental in helping Cheung to break into the mando-pop market, and it also prompted other Hong Kong singers who wanted to gain a wider market to follow suit, even though, to this very day, very few indeed have been able to approach Cheung's level of success.
His work on the ground-breaking cantonese musical, Snow, Wolf, Lake musical (1997), was also enthusiastically received by both audiences and critics. Cheung not only played the male lead, but was also the artistic director for this production. The female lead was played by Sandy Lam and they achieved 43 full-house performances at the gigantic Hong Kong Coliseum. In November 2004, Jacky and his concert manager, Florence Chan Suk-Fan, worked on a revised Mandarin version of Snow, Wolf, Lake so as to bring it to a wider audience. The estimated budget for this revised production was HK$100 million and the show premiered on 24 December 2004 in Beijing. The production subsequently toured China and other Asian destinations to huge acclaim.
Cheung won, for the umpteenth time, the Best Selling Cantonese Album Award in the Hong Kong IFPI Awards of 2005 with his live album, Jacky Live Performance. In the fast-changing scene of canto-pop, Cheung is able to maintain his popularity and sales power for more than 20 years after his debut, which is unparalleled in the history of Hong Kong pop music.
Cheung acted in many films, although singing has always been his priority. His versatility and acting skills have enabled him to play a lot of diverse parts. He received the Best Supporting Actor Golden Horse Award for his work in Swordsman (1990). He also received the Best Actor Award at the New Dehli Film Festival for his portrayal of the protagonist in July Rhapsody. His song Perhaps Love, which serves as the theme song for the multi-award-winning film Perhaps Love, also won the Best Song Award at the 2005 Hong Kong Film Awards.
He is married to May Lo with two daughters.
Cheung was named spokesperson for Hong Kong Disneyland in 2004. As the theme park's spokesperson, Cheung took part in a number of large-scale marketing events organized by The Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, beginning by hosting a TV program, Magical World of Disneyland. [1] He also recorded a song for Hong Kong Disneyland, a multi-lingual song entitled One. The music video for One was filmed at Hong Kong Disneyland.
童話
張學友 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
是你面容 天真可愛令我心醉
落葉輕飄 柔柔風中
但你淚流 每點鬱結盡放於心裡
願可將這歌輕輕的演奏著
讓我開解你心裡悶困
願可將愛的真摯向你傾訴
凡塵夢裡 我願同面對此際
若我在旁 夢裡孤單也不須抖震
無休無止的純真 長長沙灘悠然相親
若你倦時 我的關注似熱烘
La... la... la...
The lyrics of 張學友's song 童話 depict a serene and tranquil night with a vague appearance of the person the singer loves. The falling leaves are gently floating in the breeze, yet the girl's tears are flowing with every pinching knot in her heart. The singer wishes to play this melody softly and soothe his lover's troubled mind. He wants to express his love and support to her and face the world together, like a beautiful painting of the sunset reflected in peachy autumn colors. He assures his lover that whenever she feels weary, he is there to give her warmth and attention.
The lyrics of the song are full of hidden meanings and metaphors. The singer describes the outer world as serene and peaceful while the inner world is full of turbulence and emotions. The song talks about finding solace in one's love and standing by them in both emotional and physical difficulties. The song has a powerful message about love and support in a world full of hardship and emotional turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
靜夜的空 朦朧之中
Amidst the misty silence of the night, your innocent and lovable face captivates and makes my heart drunk with love.
是你面容 天真可愛令我心醉
Your gentle face, innocent and cute, fills my heart with joy and takes my breath away.
落葉輕飄 柔柔風中
As the leaves gently fall and sway in the breeze, your tears flow down, releasing all the knots in your heart.
但你淚流 每點鬱結盡放於心裡
With this song, I hope to play it gently and ease the burden in your heart. I want to express my true love to you and face this worldly dream together with you.
願可將這歌輕輕的演奏著
I hope to gently play this song, bringing you comfort and peace, releasing any burdens in your heart.
讓我開解你心裡悶困
Allow me to speak of my unwavering love for you and share with you all the details of this idyllic autumn night.
願可將愛的真摯向你傾訴
Even if you are lonely, you don't have to be afraid as I will always be by your side. In this endless pureness, let us walk down the long sandy beach, hand in hand.
凡塵夢裡 我願同面對此際
As the picturesque dusk unfolds, casting an enchanting pink and red color, let us bask in the warmth of our love and enjoy each other's company.
如詩如畫的黃昏 映照桃紅秋色悠然相親
If you feel overwhelmed, know that I will always be there to support and care for you.
若我在旁 夢裡孤單也不須抖震
Let the endless pureness embrace us as we slowly walk along the never-ending sandy beach, admiring the beauty of this world.
無休無止的純真 長長沙灘悠然相親
Whenever you're tired, I hope that you'll feel my presence like a warm hug. Forever by your side, I'll always be there, holding your hand with all of my love.
若你倦時 我的關注似熱烘
La...la...la...
Writer(s): Tsan Kit Chui
Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.