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藝人：Chris de Burgh
專輯：Crusader
年份：1979
曲目：01. Carry On
　　　02. I Had The Love In My Eyes
　　　03. Something Else Again
　　　04. The Girl With April In Her Eyes
　　　05. Just In Time
　　　06. Carry On (reprise)
　　　07. The Devil's Eye
　　　08. It's Such A Long Way Home
　　　09. Old-Fashioned People
　　　10. Quiet Moments
　　　11. Crusader
　　　12. You And Me

Chris de Burgh，英國的詩人歌手，他的歌詞美的像詩一般，歌曲多半是旋律柔美的抒情曲，演唱嗓音也深情動人，而他又非常擅長一種特殊的演唱方式，就是在唸歌和唱歌之間遊走，既是在朗誦詩，也是在唱歌，更符合他詩人歌手的外號。

前頭說過，他是非常優質的情歌生產線。以這張 Crusader 專輯為例，大概只有 The Devil's Eye 不是抒情曲，其他要嘛就是深情到底，不然也是抒情和激昂合一的融合作，處處可領略到他的情歌功力。而且每一首都好聽的不得了，這只是他的一張專輯喔，對別的歌手來說，這種質素只有精選輯才辦的到。

Crusader 是 Chris de Burgh 的第四張專輯，從1975年出道以來他每張專輯都是這樣抒情到迷死人，本來我是想做「Chris de Burgh 抒情歌曲選」之類的專題，後來發現太難了，每張專輯都有五六首以上難以割捨的抒情曲，到底是要怎麼選。而且直到我所聽過的他的最新一張1999年發的專輯，這特色始終沒變，還是一堆迷死人的情歌，數十年如一日，功力也不會退，好厲害。

如果只是會唱情歌，那 Chris de Burgh 會被歸類為是位氣質高雅的流行情歌手。但在這張 Crusader 中 Chris de Burgh 卻拓展出很恢弘的氣魄，他將鏗鏘有力的重節奏搖滾巧妙融合自有的優雅抒情旋律，可以時而柔情時而慷慨激昂，轉折的天衣無縫。Crusader 專輯這獨特的大氣度，使西方樂評在論及 Chris de Burgh 時，總稱他為抒情搖滾歌手，以這張專輯的力道、別出心裁、野心等觀之，他的確是很搖滾的。

在專輯同名曲 Crusader 中，他更將獅王李察率領十字軍東征耶路撒冷的故事都寫入歌，曲長將近9分鐘，Chris de Burgh 又要講故事又要唱歌，歌曲編曲以漸進的方式配合他說故事，由沈靜到高昂，最後大戰結束後再回歸沈靜，Chris de Burgh 再以個智者的身份講故事，然後在悠揚的尾樂結束整個故事。那麼大一篇故事卻毫無冷場，架構控制的很完美，這首歌已是搖滾樂經典作品之一。

因為 Crusader 這曲實在精彩，而且我覺得他將整個歷史故事都入歌的處理很有意思，最後我會附上這首歌的歌詞。我很喜歡他以中東沙拉丁王那邊以及十字軍這邊兩種對立的立場，來鋪陳互為對仗的歌詞，尤其最激昂的兩句：沙拉丁王高唱「I am invincible, I am the King,」，十字軍則高唱「We are invincible, God is the King,」，聽來真是令人熱血沸騰！

最後... 對了，如果是本站的老朋友們，應該會對第五曲 Just In Time 有份熟悉的親切感！^^

Chris de Burgh - Crusader (1979)

"What do I do next?" said the Bishop to the Priest,
"I have spent my whole life waiting, preparing for the Feast,
And now you say Jerusalem has fallen and is lost,
The King of Heathen Saracen has seized the holy cross."

Then the Priest said "Oh my Bishop, we must put them to the sword,
For God in all his mercy will find a just reward,
For the Noblemen and sinners, and Knights of ready hand
Who will be the Lord's Crusader, send word throughout all the land,

Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost;"

"Tell me what to do", said the King upon his throne,
"but speak to me in whispers for we are not alone,
They tell me that Jerusalem has fallen to the hand
Of some bedevilled Eastern heathen who has seized the Holy land;"

Then the Chamberlain said "Lord, we must call upon our foes
In Spain and France and Germany to end our bitter wars,
All Christian men must be as one and gather for the fight,
You will be their leader, begin the battle cry,

Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost"...

Ooh, high on a hill, in the town of Jerusalem,
There stood Saladin, the King of the Saracens,
Whoring and drinking and snoring and sinking, around him his army lay,
Secure in the knowledge that they had won the day;

A messenger came, blood on his feet and a wound in his chest,
"The Christians are coming!" he said, "I have seen their Cross in the West,"
In a rage Saladin struck him down with his knife
And he said "I know that this man lies,
They quarrel too much, the Christians could never unite!

I am invincible, I am the King,
I am invincible, and I will win..."

Close they came, the army of Richard the Lionheart,
Marching by day and night, with soldiers from every part,
And when the Crusaders came over the mountain and they saw Jerusalem,
They fell to their knees and prayed for her release;

They started the battle at dawn, taking the city by storm,
With horsemen and bowmen and engines of war,
They broke through the city walls,
The Heathens were flying and screaming and dying,
And the Christian swords were strong,
And Saladin ran when he heard their victory song;

"We are invincible, God is the King,
We are invincible, and we will win!"

"What do I do now?" said the Wiseman to the Fool,
"I have spent my whole life waiting, to find the Golden Rule,
Though centuries have disappeared, the memory still remains
Of those enemies together, could it be that way again?"

Then the Fool said "Oh you Wise men, you really make me laugh,
With your talk of vast persuasion and searching through the past,
There is only greed and evil in the men that fight today,
The Song of the Crusader has long since gone away,

Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost,
Jerusalem is lost...
Jerusalem."

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