Frances Yip Lai-yee (born 1947) is a Hong Kong English pop and C… Read Full Bio ↴葉麗儀
Frances Yip Lai-yee (born 1947) is a Hong Kong English pop and Cantopop singer. She is best known for performing many of the theme songs for television series produced by TVB in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Born in 1947, Yip is of Hakka ancestry, and is the youngest of 5 siblings. She grew up in a rural area in Hong Kong, and studied in St. Clare's Girls' School, an English Catholic school.
Her first singing job was in 1969 when she won a talent contest called Sharp's Night Four Lights Competition on Hong Kong television where she met the composer, Joseph Koo. Koo used Yip to sing commercial jingles while she was working as a secretary in HSBC, one was the jingles was a song about savings account for HSBC. Her first record, Bu Liao Qing (Love Without End) was recorded in the same year. She recorded predominantly English covers of Mandarin songs and Mandarin songs then.
In 1972, Yip and Joseph Koo went to Japan's World Singing gathering in Nippon Budokan. In 1973, Yip was working for Cathay Pacific as an Ambassador of Hong Kong under Hong Kong Tourism Board for a year, and her album, Discovery, was based on her experiences travelling. Discovery was sung in nine different languages to represent the 9 major destinations for Cathay Pacific then, and the album inspired a London talent agent to find her. She signed onto EMI records and lived in London for two years.[3]It was a worldwide contract, meaning she can have one English album released in 6 different languages in different areas of the world. Since then, she had renewed her two-year contract until now.
Yip hit international fame with her signature tune, The Bund from the TVB drama of the same title.[4] After she recorded The Bund, she returned to Hong Kong.
In her 45-year career, Yip has released more than 80 albums, mostly of songs in American English, Indonesian, Thai, Malay, Mexican Spanish, Japanese, Tagalog, Hong Kong Cantonese, and Taiwanese Mandarin. She has performed on television, and in films, concerts and cabarets in more than 30 countries on five continents. Her linguistic skills, with unique interpretations of lyrics in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as several other Asian languages, have led to a fan base across a wide range of cultures and countries.
Yip has worked with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Macau Chinese Orchestra, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, the Youth Orchestra from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Thammasat University Philharmonic Orchestra in Bangkok as well as large orchestras in Kuala Lumpur.
Yip achieved worldwide recognition when she was selected by the Hong Kong government to be a co-presenter at the British Farewell Ceremony to mark the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong. The event on June 30, 1997, was watched by a television audience estimated at 120 million, in more than 80 countries worldwide.
In 2012, Yip recorded her first Christian album, Grace and Glory Psalm 84.
Yip is fluent in Chinese (Hong Kong Cantonese and Taiwanese Mandarin) and English. She often spends time in Sydney where her son and grandchildren live.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, but was considered free of cancer in 2002. To celebrate eight years of being cancer-free, in 2010, she held a charity concert in Kuala Lumpur to benefit cancer research and treatment.
Since 2013, she and her husband have lived in the rural suburbs of Sydney, Australia with their son and grandson. They have Australian citizenship, and also own rental properties in England. She occasionally returns to Hong Kong to perform and make TV appearances.
Waltzing Matilda
Frances Yip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watch'd and waited till his billy boiled,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me,
And he sang as he sat and waited till his billy boiled,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shaoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me,
And he sang as he shaoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred,
Downe the troopers, one, two, three,
Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me,
Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Up jumped the swagman, sprang into the billabong,
Youll never catch me alive, cried he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me,
Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
You'lle a waltzing matilda with me.
Frances Yip’s classic Australian folk song "Waltzing Matilda" tells the story of a swagman, or a travelling worker, camping out by a billabong (a small body of water attached to a river) and singing as he waits for his billy, or metal pot, to boil. The swagman then sees a jumbuck, or a sheep, drinking at the billabong, he catches and kills the jumbuck to cook for his meal. Soon after, a squatter, or landowner, rides by and questions the swagman about the jumbuck. The swagman jumps into the billabong and drowns himself and his ghost is said to haunt the site.
The song is symbolic of the Australian spirit of struggle and resistance. The swagman represents the ordinary, working-class people who often found themselves in conflict with the ruling class. The squatter and the troopers who come asking about the jumbuck embody the power and privilege enjoyed by the wealthy landowners. The swagman's decision to refuse capture and death is a testament to the courage and determination of the common people.
Line by Line Meaning
Once a jolly swagman, camp'd by a billabong,
A swagman, or a wandering laborer, was resting by a small body of water called a billabong.
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
He was shaded by a type of eucalyptus tree called a coolibah.
And he sang as he watch'd and waited till his billy boiled,
He hummed a tune as he kept an eye on his metal pot until the water boiled.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
He invited someone to join him on a journey, using the phrase 'waltzing Matilda', meaning to travel with a backpack.
Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
A sheep or a 'jumbuck' came to the water source to drink.
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
The swagman quickly caught the sheep and was pleased to have captured it.
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
He sang gleefully as he put the sheep in his food bag or 'tucker bag'.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Once again, he extended the invitation to join him on his journey.
Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred,
A wealthy landowner or 'squatter' rode in on his purebred horse.
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
Police or 'troopers' arrived in groups of three.
Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
The squatter demanded to know who the swagman had caught and put in his food bag.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
The swagman responded with the invitation once again, but this time with an undercurrent of danger.
Up jumped the swagman, sprang into the billabong,
The swagman jumped into the water source from excitement or perhaps to escape the questioning of the authorities.
You'll never catch me alive, cried he
He declared that he would never be caught by the authorities alive.
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
The swagman is said to have died and his ghost is present in that area.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
The invitation to join him on a journey is repeated, but this time it carries a somber tone due to the presence of the swagman's ghost.
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
The final line of the song restates the invitation and overall meaning of traveling and living a nomadic lifestyle.
Contributed by Claire G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@uyraellsensenmann8931
Kiwi I am; as An ANZAC relative : I am Proud of my Aussie cousins;
who have stood so-very steadfastly beside us Kiwis for so long, and so often;
during so-very many conflicts and wars since our two Nations were founded.
Hearing "Waltzing Matilda" brings tears to my eyes, just as "Now, is the Hour":
and for the same reasons.
... How many times in how many places has an Aussie stood-to on a battlefield, reached-out and touched his Kiwi cousin on the shoulder and quietly said, in that dead-serious Aussie way:
"It'll be all right, mate;" ? And how many times in how many of those same places has a Kiwi touched his Aussie mate on the shoulder, and said in that same quiet, dead-serious tone: "Mate, it'll be all right;"?
Or words close-enough to those?
-- From the Boer war to Gallipoli, from the Western desert to Viet-Nam. --
And into the present era.
With humble Respect to my Aussie ANZAC cousins:
Kind and Respectful Regards, Uyraell, Wgtn, NZ.
@JasonMasters
The song Waltzing Matilda is all about the loneliness and desperation of a man driven to walking around looking for any work available during hard times, when work was hard to come by. It is also about the Australian spirit of defiance of authority when that authority is perceived to be unfair or too harsh.
The bits in brackets are not part of the song and are included so that everyone can fully understand the meanings of the sometimes archaic words and expressions used.
Once, a jolly swagman (itinerant worker) camped by a billabong (an oxbow lake or a section of a river or stream cut off when the flow changed),
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree (a variety of eucalyptus tree).
And he sang as he watched and waited 'till his billy boiled (a billy is a tin pot, often used to make tea in),
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
(Matilda was slang for a bedroll-swag which was often carried at the hip which caused it to sway back and forth as one walked, imitating the movements of a waltz)
"Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
And he sang as he watched and waited 'till his billy boiled,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
Down came a jumbuck (male sheep) to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him, with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker-bag (food bag),
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
"Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tucker-bag,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
Down came the squatter (farmer occupying crown land), mounted on his thoroughbred (pure-breed horse).
Down came the troopers (predecessors to the police), One! Two! Three!
"Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me!"
"Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
"Whose that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker-bag?
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me!"
Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive," said he...
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
"Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me!"
In the end, the swagman chooses to kill himself rather than go to prison (which could be almost a sentence worse than death during the times in which this song is set) for what he sees as a trivial offence in order to provide himself with food.
The ending is intended to evoke a sympathetic reaction to the swagman's fate, and to promote the idea that every Australian would rather die than live under oppression.
Whether or not you agree with the sentiments expressed is, of course, entirely up to each individual.
@petercane6890
This must surely be your Official Anthem.
The words themselves by Banjo Patterson to the adapted Scottish tune have so much meaning that most Aussies will not know until they read " Waltzing Matilda" by Dennis O Keefe.
It is all about the true Australian.
This beautiful song full of meaning is known world wide.
This is your song Australians and not Australia Fair.
Fight to keep what was once a love song but the text made happy by Mary Cowan.
It still makes the hairs on my back stick up when you all sing it loud together.
Australian soldiers ordered to charge Japanese machine guns to certain death sang Waltzing Matilda as they every one were mown down.
This is your song.
I am proud of you and live here with you.
Peter
@andrerieu
André Rieu & his Johann Strauss Orchestra performing Waltzing Matilda, "the unofficial national anthem of Australia", live in Melbourne in front of a record audience of 38,605. The biggest attendance of any André Rieu show anywhere in the world. A giant, life-size reproduction of Vienna's Schonbrunn Castle dominated the eastern end of the Dome.
Next week is the kick off of our 2013 tour Down Under. We can't wait to be back in Australia and New Zealand! — http://youtu.be/7UFmwArST-I
@bastelha1
Maravilha!!!
@gloriamariaarangobetancur4745
Me encanta. Espectacular!
@MariaConceicao-rm9pb
Impossible not to cry too! Beautiful, touching, marvellous! - Thank you Mr. Rieu!!!
@maria11bonita
I had the DVD of that awesome show in Melbourne Australia. I saw one of the shows in Sydney which was also magnificent.
@Sibirjachka1
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@steven10271
I wish we Americans were as proud as you Australian. GOD BLESS you all
@linajurgensen4698
You are lol. You’re literally one of the most patriotic countries in the world.
@Noctifern
bruh most of us are. we have gotta be the most patriotic nation without a doubt
@skullvader4173
My father emigrated to Australia in 1970 from Turkey, when I visited Turkey 6 years ago and came back I turned to my father almost with tears and said thanks for choosing this country , we truly live in the greatest country on the planet.