It was only when two of its four members were about to retire from the field of amateur music, however, that the APO, then known as the Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, finally had a city-wide audience. One of them was scheduled to leave for Turkey as an exchange student. The other had a position waiting for him in his father's advertising firm.
Why a talented young man of 21 would want to go to Turkey, every young man in the early seventies would probably understand. But what the APO could not understand was their fourth member's decision to leave the irresponsibility of being unemployed to join the ranks of the corporate world.
The trip to Turkey did not materialize and the APO, now a tentative trio, pushed on steadily towards fame and fortune.
Looking back, the APO members Danny Javier, Boboy Garrovillo, and Jim Paredes do not regret never having been regular wage earners. Their farewell concert, which had SRO audiences for two stormy nights, not unexpectedly became a hit record the following year.
In the three decades since that "farewell" concert, the APO has made 22 record albums; hosted several television shows including their own noontime Sunday show "Sa Linggo nAPO Sila"; and launched hugely successful major solo concerts and countless provincial, dinner, and corporate shows. They have performed in over 50 cities in the United States, in Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Japan to bring Original Pilipino Music to Filipinos the world over.
In October of 1987, during their annual US tour, the APO became the first Filipino pop artists to perform at the Main Hall of New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall. They also performed at the equally prestigious Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada's music capital. Both concerts, as well as the other shows held during that particular concert tour, were sold out. The APO were also the first Filipino artists to perform in a public concert in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1987, they were one of the first Filipino artists to be recorded on compact disc. And in 1994, they were awarded the first Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino by Awit Awards - the Filipino equivalent of the Grammy. They have also been conferred the Tanglaw Ng Lahi Award, the highest accolade given by Jesuits in the field of culture and arts.
The APO also earned international recognition for Jim Paredes' anthem on the bloodless Philippine revolution in 1986. "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo" was recorded by 15 Filipino artists in April 1986. A few months later, the English version "A New and Better Way" was launched in Australia. In February 1987, the first anniversary of the Philippines' People Power revolution, the song was released in London, England. The lyrics of the song are embedded on a wall of Our Lady of Edsa Shrine, the center of the revolution.
Now That It's Over And Done
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where do I begin?
Now that you've sung me your song
Where do I begin?
It's the loneliest song to sing
When you're, you're all alone
It's not the time that you don't hear around you
Now that you've left me and gone
How can I go home?
Where do I find myself?
Where do I belong?
There's a cold wind outside
And I, I'm scared of the dawn
How can I?
How can I go on?
If I had to beg you
Not to leave me all alone
You don't have to mean it, darling
You just sing me your song
What the hell will it do
If we try once more?
If it brings me the pain
I once knew before
But what do we have to lose
If we try it again?
I've got so much inside of me
And baby, you can share it with me
But if I had to beg you
Not to leave me all alone
You don't have to mean it, little darling
You just sing me the goddamn song
Baby, you know how much I love you
Why don't you stay with me awhile?
You know, you know how much I need you
Why don't you come on, right on, back to me?
But now that it's over and done
Now that you've left me and gone
Where do I begin
Now that it's over and done?
The song "Now That It's Over And Done" by the Philippines' legendary band Apo Hiking Society revolves around the feeling of heartache and loneliness after a break-up. It reflects the difficulty of moving on and finding oneself again after being left alone. The song begins with the singer being lost and unsure of where to start after the end of a relationship. The lyrics emphasize how difficult it is to deal with the loneliness of being alone and the fear and despair of being uncertain about the future because of the absence of the other person.
The line "It's the loneliest song to sing, when you're, you're all alone" portrays the true essence of the song. The feeling of loneliness and emptiness is too much to bear for the singer, as he wonders how he can go back to where he belongs, with no idea where to start and how to make things right. The lyrics also talk about how futile it is to hold on to the past and try to revive a lost relationship. Hence, the singer suggests that it is not worth trying again if it only brings pain and misery.
The song ends with a plea for the other person to come back, acknowledging how much the singer loves and needs them. Despite the sadness of the lyrics, the melody of "Now That It's Over And Done" is catchy, and the harmonies of the Apo Hiking Society members easily capture the listeners’ hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that it's over and done
The relationship has ended, and I don't know where to go next.
Where do I begin?
I am lost without you and not sure how to move forward.
Now that you've sung me your song
You have expressed yourself to me, but I'm still unsure of what to do.
It's the loneliest song to sing
Being alone and missing you is the hardest thing I've faced.
When you're, you're all alone
Without you, everything else fades away, and I feel so lonely.
It's not the time that you don't hear around you
Being young, it's easy to ignore what's going on around you.
Now that you've left me and gone
I am left here by myself, and I don't know what to do.
How can I go home?
Home is not the same without you, and I don't know how to face it alone.
Where do I find myself?
Without you, I don't know who I am or what I want.
Where do I belong?
You were my home, and now I feel lost.
There's a cold wind outside
The world is cruel, and I am unprotected without you.
And I, I'm scared of the dawn
The start of each new day is scary without you by my side.
How can I?
I don't know how to move forward without you.
How can I go on?
Without you, I don't know if I have the strength to keep going.
If I had to beg you
I would do anything to keep you by my side and not feel so alone.
Not to leave me all alone
I don't want to be without you.
You don't have to mean it, darling
Even if you don't actually want to stay, just pretend for a little bit longer.
You just sing me your song
Just being close to you, hearing your voice, is enough to make the pain go away.
What the hell will it do
Trying again may not turn out well, and it could be a mistake.
If we try once more?
Is there any hope for us to reconcile and be together again?
If it brings me the pain
Going through this again could be just as difficult as the first time.
I once knew before
I remember how hard it was to be away from you before, and I'm scared of feeling that way again.
But what do we have to lose
We don't have much to lose by trying again and seeing if it works out.
If we try it again?
Is it worth it to try and make it work between us once more?
I've got so much inside of me
I have so much love to give, and I want to share it with you.
And baby, you can share it with me
Let's be together and share our love, rather than being apart.
Baby, you know how much I love you
I don't want to be without you, and I hope you know that I love you deeply.
Why don't you stay with me awhile?
Let's spend some time together again and see if we can rekindle what we had before.
You know, you know how much I need you
I can't do this without you, and I hope you realize how important you are to me.
Why don't you come on, right on, back to me?
Please come back to me, because I can't bear to be without you any longer.
Writer(s): Jim Paredes And Danny Javier
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bernadette Arcena-Jacinto
on Blue Jeans
a sa on sa ondai.