Saturday, April 07, 2007

1:14 AM | Favorite Songs No. 5 : Boy

Timmy Cruz's "Boy" is one of those songs from the recent past (I'm not sure whether it is an 80s or an early 90s song) that you quickly dismiss for being maudlin the first time around, but whose haunting plea for love and attention sticks to and at you that you cannot help but still remember it years later, for better or for worse. Like Sheryl Cruz's "Mr. Dreamboy" or Donna Cruz's "Habang May Buhay" or Sharon Cuneta's "Mr. D.J." They are songs most especially memorable for coming from the variety of music one can easily call The Last Song Syndrome Album.

I remember the song as a radio favorite, and liked it enough to just let it go as one of those common hits that wear their hearts on their sleeves. The song came to my notice again last year when, out of the blue, Mark urged me to Limewire it to my hard disc. We were looking for "I Love You Boy" for months, and didn't find anything -- and gave up eventually. "Nobody cares about Timmy Cruz anymore," I reasoned. "Not enough to file share, anyway." A month or so ago, it again pricked my memories when the prestigious Philippine Madrigal Singers, courtesy of soloist Enrico Lagasca, picked it up as one of its novelty renditions for their Dumaguete concert, giving it a sly, and surprising, gay twist. Mark took to researching it again, and found that the title was merely one word: "Boy." One Limewire search later, and we quickly downloaded it.

Now, we listen to the song 24 hours a day, positively bothering the neighbors with Timmy Cruz's lament about a "manhid" boy who does not seem to notice somebody loving him from afar. It's the ultimate martyr song, which is the secret to its success. How does the song go? This way:

Oh what a night
'Di ako makatulog
Parang tukso tanging laman ng isip
Wala kundi ikaw

Bakit ganito?
I can't get over you
Kahit sarili ko'y ayaw maniwala
Sa nangyaring ito... Oooh!

Chorus

I love you, boy
If you only knew
Naiinis na ako sa iyo
Sobrang manhid ka
At 'di mo napapansin

I love you, boy
Kung alam mo lang
Ang puso ko ay nagdaramdam
Hanggang kailan ba ako ay maghihintay

My foolish heart
Ikaw ang may kasalanan
Kung ikaw ba'y tumahimik na lamang
Ako'y 'di naguguluhan

Oh sayang lang
If I were not a woman
Sana'y noon pa ma'y aking nasabing
Ika'y aking mahal

Bridge

I'm head over heels, babe
I love you so much
I'm going crazy

Chorus

My foolish heart
Ikaw ang may kasalanan
Kung ikaw ba'y tumahimik na lamang
Ako'y 'di naguguluhan
If you only knew..

Sometimes, though, when Timmy warbles the first two lines about not being able to sleep, I'd just shout into the air: "Take a sleeping pill!" But that does not stop me from loving the song, for real. It's a veritable classic. And testament to its pop longevity seems to be Toni Gonzaga's recent cover of the song, which is embedded below:



Is Toni Gonzaga the new Queen of Old Brilliantly Baduy Favorites? She has a cover version of "Mr. Dreamboy," too.

Labels: love, music

[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich

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