header image

HOME

This is the blog of Ian Rosales Casocot. Filipino writer. Sometime academic. Former backpacker. Twink bait. Hamster lover.

Interested in What I Create?



Bibliography

Monday, April 09, 2007

entry arrow12:54 PM | Favorite Songs No. 6 : Kailangan Kita



In "Kailangan Kita," Ogie Alcasid has reached a startling maturity as composer of love songs. In this theme from the glorious movie of the same name, Mr. Alcasid reaches into the deepest reaches of drama, and gives us a song that more than touches us: we become the song. Consider its story:

Sa piling mo lang,
Nadarama ang tunay na pagsinta.
'Pag yakap kita ng mahigpit,
Parang ako'y nasa langit.

Ngunit ito ay panaginip lamang
Pagkat ang puso mo'y labis kong nasaktan
Pakiusap ko ako ay pakinggan

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman
Kailangang mong malaman na ikaw lamang
Ang tunay kong minamahal
At tangi kong hiling ay makapiling ka muli

Ngunit ito ay panaginip lamang
Pagkat ang puso mo'y labis kong nasaktan
Pakiusap ko ako ay pakinggan

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman
Kailangan mong malaman na ikaw lamang
Ang tunay kong minamahal
Ang lagi kong dinarasal

Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman
Kailangan mong malaman na ikaw lamang
Ang tunay kong minamahal
Ang tangi kong hiling ay makapiling ka muli

It's a love song of exquisite regret. Here, the singer imagines a lover in his embrace, taunted by the knowledge that this is a dream, a hopeful one if one must qualify it. We hear a snippet of history: he has hurt the lover, and implores her (or him!) to listen to this one last plea, to this one last song. How do you not melt under the heartfelt pronouncements of "Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman"? That line is way up there among immortal lines from mushy love scenes, like Tom Cruise's "You complete me" speech from Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire.

And yet, miraculously, the sentimentality doesn't seem gratuitous. Or diabetic. Perhaps it is because the plea is rendered in an almost plaintive manner. The whole song approaches restraint, but barely: I love that kind of emotive struggle, as all martyrs probably do.

There are many versions of this song, which was first rendered by Piolo Pascual in a passable, if uninspired, version that is easily trumped by the wounded but hopeful vocals of Gary Valenciano (whose version is embedded above), or Regine Velasquez who gives it a light, if diva-ish, quality. (The YouTube video of her singing the song in a concert can be found here.)

Labels: ,


[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich




GO TO OLDER POSTS GO TO NEWER POSTS