My People, My Country (song)

"My People, My Country" (simplified Chinese: 我和我的祖国; traditional Chinese: 我和我的祖國, literal translation Me and My Motherland/My Motherland and I) is a patriotic lyric song composed by Zhang Li of the Shenyang Conservatory of Music and composed by Qin Yongcheng which debuted in 1985.[1] The lyrics are expressed in the first person, depicting one's love for the motherland. The song was circulated widely after being sung by the famous singer Li Guyi, and remains one of the most popular songs in the country.[citation needed] On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, "Me and My Motherland" was sung all over the country.[2][3][4] This song has been shortlisted for 100 patriotic songs recommended by the Central Propaganda Department and 100 excellent songs celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.[5]

"我和我的祖国"
Song by Li Guyi
from the album My People, My Country
LanguageChinese
English titleMy People, My Country
ReleasedJanuary 1984 (1984-01)
GenrePopular music
Length3:30
LabelChina Audio-Video Publishing House
Composer(s)Qin Yongcheng (秦咏诚)
Lyricist(s)Zhang Li (张藜)

History

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Composed in 1983 within 20 minutes by Qin Yongcheng,[6] this song didn't receive its lyrics until 1984, a delay of over half a year until the lyricist Zhang Li went on a trip to Zhangjiajie.[7] The natural beauty of the land struck the Zhang, providing the inspiration needed, whereupon he completed the lyrics for the song.[7] Based on mountains and rivers, lakes and seas, and one's love to the motherland, this song expresses the natural beauty of China, epitomizing one's relationship with their motherland.[8]

Li Guyi was chosen to sing the debut of this song in 1984, and performed this song all over China.[8] This song was an instant hit, and was added to the music curriculum for vocal students in China.[8] This song remains popular to this very day, and has been frequently performed in China and internationally.[7]

This song was chosen to be the theme song of the homonymic film My People, My Country (2019), which was released on 30 September 2019.[9] It also became an unofficial anthem in China, especially during and after the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.[citation needed] Flash mobs sung this song in major places across China in 2019, including Beijing Capital International Airport, Shenzhen North station, Sansha, and many other places, totalling a viewership of over 600 million people.[10] Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping mentioned this song in his 2020 new year address, stating how this "ode to a new China" was sung throughout China, the paradigm of the patriotic spirit of China, inspiring the Chinese to work harder.[citation needed]

In the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the song accompanied the entrance of Chinese athletes. [11]

Music

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This song uses a "downward" tune. It's in 6
8
9
8
.[12]

Below is the music for the first stanza.

 

Lyrics

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Simplified Chinese Pinyin English translation

我和我的祖国
一刻也不能分割
无论我走到哪里
都流出一首赞歌
……

wǒ hé wǒ de zǔguó
yīkè yě bù'néng fēn'gē
wúlùn wǒ zǒudào nǎlǐ
dōu liúchū yī shǒu zàn'gē
……

Never can we be apart
my motherland and me
No matter where I travel
the hymn flows from me
...

References

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  1. ^ "我和我的祖国--娱乐--人民网". ent.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  2. ^ "先有曲后填词的《我和我的祖国》是怎么创作出来的?-新华网". m.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  3. ^ ""看了无数遍,每一次都让人热泪盈眶" 01-要闻-解放日报". www.shobserver.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  4. ^ "首都三百万师生唱响爱国歌践行报国志". bjrb.bjd.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  5. ^ "庆祝中华人民共和国成立70周年优秀歌曲100首". paper.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  6. ^ "《我和我的祖国》这首歌曲,词作者灵感竟来自张家界美景_". news.timedg.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  7. ^ a b c "李谷一悼念词作者张藜 谈《我和我的祖国》创作往事". news.ifeng.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  8. ^ a b c "为祖国放歌". People.cn. 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  9. ^ "Chinese film "My People, My Country" hits American theaters_70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  10. ^ 沈阳晚报 (2019-02-14). "《我和我的祖国》唱响全国背后的故事". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  11. ^ 宋文豪 (2022-02-04). "五环破冰而出的瞬间,全网热血沸腾!网友:北京冬奥开幕审美真的绝了!" (来源:每日经济新闻). news.sina.com.cn. 新浪新闻中心. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  12. ^ "《我和我的祖国》词曲作者都是大连同乡_网易新闻". 2019-07-01. Archived from the original on 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
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