The APO HIKING SOCIETY first gained recognition in 1973 when they gave a fa… Read Full Bio ↴The APO HIKING SOCIETY first gained recognition in 1973 when they gave a farewell concert at the plush Meralco Auditorium in Metro Manila. Just out of college, the group was the talk of the Ateneo University and adjoining campuses for their music and humor.

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.

Syotang pa Class
Apo Hiking Society Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Di ko pwedeng, sakay sa jeepney
Sobrang usok at sikip
Pag nasa sine, di mayakap
Laging merong sabit
Ganyan ang syota ko
Sobrang class ang kanyang trip

Pag kakwento niya ang nanay niya

Siya'y nag-lispanis
Pag kausap niya ay aso
Laging nag-linglis
Ako'y naiinis na
Sa aking syotang burgis
(Ang syota kong burgis minsan nang-iinis)

Refrain
Kahit ganyan siya, ako'y nagtsatsaga
Pagkat mga pare ko, minamahal ko siya
Sa aking barkada, akong pinakasiga
Ngunit bumabait pag kasama ko sya

(instrumental)

Sa pagkain, siya'y pihikan
Di lang burger machine
Ang sundo niya sa eskwela
Laging naka-chedeng
Ganyan ang syota ko
Class na class ang kanyang trip

Refrain
Kahit ganyan siya, ako'y nagtsatsaga
Pagkat mga pare ko, minamahal ko siya
Sa aking barkada, akong pinakasiga
Ngunit bumabait pag kasama ko sya

Paminsan-minsan sa kagipitan
Ako'y kanyang nililibre
Susmariusep, kapag humirit
Ako'y natuturete
Ganyan ang syota ko
Hindi maawat ang pagka-class
Ganyan ang syota ko
Hindi maawat ang pagka-class

Hindi maawat ang pagka-class
Hindi maawat ang pagka-class

Overall Meaning

The Apo Hiking Society's song Syotang pa Class is about a guy who has a girlfriend who is very classy and sophisticated. He complains about how he cannot ride a jeepney with her because of the smoke and cramped spaces. He also talks about how he cannot properly hold her in the cinema because there is always something or someone in between them. However, despite her high maintenance and often annoying ways, he still loves her and treasures her company. He talks about how his girlfriend's mother speaks Spanish and how his girlfriend talks to dogs in English. He is often annoyed by her behavior, but he still admires her and loves her company. The song has a catchy tune and a relatable topic, which makes it a favorite among many Filipinos.

The song was released in 1976, and it became an instant hit in the Philippines. It was written by Danny Javier and Buboy Garovillo, two of the members of the Apo Hiking Society. The song's popularity was fueled by the group's easygoing and catchy melodies and lyrics. The song's title, Syotang pa Class, is a colloquial term in the Philippines that means "girlfriend with high standards."

Line by Line Meaning

Di ko pwedeng, sakay sa jeepney
I cannot ride the jeepney

Sobrang usok at sikip
It is too smoky and cramped

Pag nasa sine, di mayakap
In the cinema, I cannot hold her

Laging merong sabit
There is always something hanging around

Ganyan ang syota ko
That's my girlfriend

Sobrang class ang kanyang trip
She is very classy

Pag kakwento niya ang nanay niya
When she talks about her mother

Siya'y nag-lispanis
She speaks Spanish

Pag kausap niya ay aso
When she talks, even the dog listens

Laging nag-linglis
The dog always wags its tail

Ako'y naiinis na
I am already annoyed