David Tao was born on 11 July 1969. He is the oldest singer among the three other major stars in the "Mando" media. He speaks English fluently and has a Master degree from UCLA. David Tao is a typical perfectionist who does everything to achieve perfection. His hobbies are watching movies & dramas, visiting museums and reading psychology books. David Tao studied in Taiwan from kindergarten to junior high school, then returned to America from high school onward. In 1997, David Tao entered the entertainment business.
"Airport 10.30" was the first song to catch people's attention, but it was the simply arranged, melodic "I Love You" that became Tao's signature tune. The album also featured an a cappella song, "Spring Wind", which was a new R&B cover of a classic Taiwanese song. David sang all the vocals in this song which remained one of the best a cappella songs in Mandarin Chinese. "Airport 10:30" was also nominated for MTV award for Best Chinese Video in 1998 along with Coco Lee, who was the winner. Tao became famous overnight; unable to cope with the media attention, he went back to Los Angeles. Other then releasing a remixed "Bastard" pop EP, writing and producing songs for Taiwanese singers such as A-Mei, and producing theme for Ford cm which was later to become one of Tension's hit songs, "I'll Be With You," David disappeared from the Chinese language entertainment scene.
In 1999, two years after his first album, Tao released his second album "I'm OK". Although this was his best selling album, many still considered his first album to be his best, despite the fact that "I'm OK" had more hit singles, from the rock ballad "Rain," the country flavored "Small Town Girl," the classic R&B "Ordinary Friends," the soulful "Leave", to the love ballad "Close to You." In this album Tao tried many musical styles, including his favorite, rock music. Each song is different in their style and music arrangement. David was nominated for six GMA awards - Best Album, Best Producer, Best Singer, Best Video, Best Song and Best Song Arrangement. He only won the Best Producer Award, but he had the last laugh as "Rain" went on to win Best Chinese Video at the 2000 MTV Music Awards. His critically acclaimed third album, "Black Tangerine," was not nominated for any GMA awards.
In the second part of 2002, Tao released "Black Tangerine," an album that cannot be easily categorised although it was a classic David Tao album. It has a hardhitting rock song, "Black Tangerine," an updated old Mandarin hit in R&B style, "Moon Over My Heart," a rousing song that makes you smile, "My Anata," a love ballad, "Angel," some great tunes, "22" and "Butterfly," and a few alternative songs, "Dear God" and "Lullaby," as well as a surprise hit in the English demo, "Katrina". What set "Black Tangerine apart" was the strong social commentary including a track consisting of news snippets. While "Black Tangerine" did not have the wonderful melodic feel of his first album or the hits of "I'm OK," it was an album that wanted to reach out to people's hearts and minds with the power of music. It's one of the few Chinese language albums that has no intentions of inducing hits for the karaoke lounge. "Black Tangerine" won a slew of awards in Asia but was overlooked for the GMA in Taiwan.
David has since held a series of successful concerts in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore in 2003. His concerts like his music are simple in concept but dynamic in delivering 100% of pure music to his audience.
After almost 3 years since David's last major album release, David Tao teamed up with producer Li Zhuoxiong to release his long awaited fourth album, "The Great Leap 2005". His latest principal track "Ghost" describes a person's fears among a mass media driven society that is getting too close for comfort. "Susan Says" is a track that skillfully combines Beijing Opera sounds with David's exceptional contemporary music style. "The Great Leap 2005" is David's most successful album so far.
Circus
陶喆 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let them burn
Punish and erase me
High time I suffer
Count all my addictions
That surprise erection
That dirty obsession
My blood is on your hands
Turn away from me, turn away
Take everything away from me
You can still hear me laughing at you
This soul cannot be chained
Can I get a witness
Here I am
So what, here I stand
See you when I get there
Rok hard dik in my hand
No, I don't expect you to understand shit
In the garden of heathens
We fuck confession
Let the motherfucker fall
I watch him fall hard
Turn away from me, turn away
Cut me in half and play with me
Now, both of me are laughing at you
The lyrics of 陶喆's song Circus seem to express feelings of rebellion and defiance against some sort of oppression or punishment. The phrases "let them burn," "punish and erase me," and "high time I suffer" indicate that the singer is under attack, possibly from society or authority figures. The singer proceeds to expose their flaws and addictions, with lines like "count all my addictions," "that surprise erection," and "that dirty obsession," suggesting a rejection of societal norms and a desire for self-expression.
Despite being judged and mistreated, the singer seems to find some sort of comfort in their own identity, as expressed in the lines "this soul cannot be chained" and "so what, here I stand." The phrase "rok hard dik in my hand" may denote a sense of sexual or creative power, with the singer taking control of their own narrative. However, the lyrics also imply a sense of loneliness and isolation, with lines like "turn away from me" and "cut me in half and play with me" indicating a sense of abandonment or betrayal.
Overall, the lyrics of Circus seem to paint a picture of a person who is rejecting societal norms and finding strength in their own identity, despite the consequences that might entail. The music video for the song reinforces this theme, with images of a clown wandering through a circus filled with surreal and grotesque characters.
Line by Line Meaning
Time to pay
It's time for me to face the consequences of my actions.
Let them burn
I am willing to let others suffer the consequences with me.
Punish and erase me
I want to be punished and forgotten for my wrongdoing.
High time I suffer
It is about time for me to experience the pain that I've caused.
Count all my addictions
My addiction to pleasure and excitement has led me to this point.
That surprise erection
I am driven by my impulsive desires, even when they are inappropriate.
That dirty obsession
My persistent preoccupation with something dark and taboo is consuming me.
My blood is on your hands
You are partly responsible for the harm that I have caused to myself and others.
Blood is on your hands
You cannot escape the blame for my pain and suffering.
Turn away from me, turn away
I am too difficult to face or deal with, so you choose to ignore me.
Take everything away from me
I am willing to give up everything I have, including my identity, to escape my guilty conscience.
You can still hear me laughing at you
I am amused by the power that my actions have over you, even in my lowest state.
This soul cannot be chained
I am determined to live my life on my own terms, refusing to be limited or controlled by anyone else.
Can I get a witness
Is there anyone who can attest to the struggles that I am facing and the pain that I am feeling?
Here I am
I am fully present and accountable for my actions.
So what, here I stand
I am unapologetic and defiant, even in the face of my mistakes.
See you when I get there
I am heading down a dangerous path and I know I will face consequences. But I am unafraid of the future.
Rok hard dik in my hand
I am playing with fire and pushing my luck, regardless of the danger.
No, I don't expect you to understand shit
I don't care if you don't understand or approve of my choices and actions, because I am determined to live my life my way.
In the garden of heathens
I am surrounded by other reckless and dangerous people who are also living life on the edge.
We fuck confession
We refuse to feel guilty or confess our sins, instead embracing our reckless lifestyles and actions.
Let the motherfucker fall
I am willing to see someone else suffer or fail, even if it is because of my own actions.
I watch him fall hard
I am detached and uncaring towards the harm that my actions are causing to others.
Cut me in half and play with me
I am willing to be destroyed and used as a cautionary tale to others.
Now, both of me are laughing at you
Even though I am going through a difficult time, I still find pleasure in seeing others suffer or fail because of my actions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRAD SHAIN, WES GEER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind