A Valentine postscript

When everyone else has consumed their annual dose of Valentine indulgence and is now on their way to full recovery (if not, has already fully recovered) from the consequent hangover, I am posting a piece as my own remembrance of this 'love month' which is about to end in a few hours (at least for 2009).

The period leading to February 14th about a month ago, I thought of writing about Valentine's Day or about the things that the day wanted to celebrate (or commemorate!), or about things that relate to it one way or another. The motivations were there to do so -- it was my first V-Day since becoming a blogger (if I may say); and there was Bariles' blog contest which promised a dinner feast and free Valentine concert tickets to the winners. The push was not enough, though. For some reasons, I chose to hold back.

Now here I am, trying to make up. Perhaps, the love month of February does not deserve my snub. After all, it was in this month way back in 1986 when Filipinos demonstrated their love for their fellow so much as to prevent tanks from rolling over their countrymen and to make a dictator flee.

I asked myself ''what is my ultimate love song?". It was not difficult for me to know. Here is a video of it with along with its lyrics:

ang buhay ko ay isang ilog
umaagos tungo sa laot
sa pagdaloy ay lumiliku-liko
nguni’t dagat pa rin ang inaabot

ang buhay mo ay isang ilog
umagos tungo sa laot
sa pagdaloy tayo’y nagkatagpo
at ngayon tayo’y magkaisang tungo

lilikha tayo ng bagong daan
uukitin sa bato ang kasaysayan
at walang hadlang na ‘di malalagusan
habang tayo ay magkaisang-tunay

This song is a Joey Ayala original. The one embedded here, as indicated, is a version by Rico Blanco (Rivermaya) and Kitchie Nadal. Of course, the original is always better. The rendition by Joey A. has a more personal touch in it. Maybe because it was done with single vocal and a very simple instrumentation. There is a slight variation in the arrangement in this version of Blanco and Nadal which I assume was done by the said artists themselves. There was even an alteration of at least a word in the lyrics. The new version though has more kilig that's more attuned to the present.

Much as I wanted to post the original, I could not find one online for free. I do not think pareng Joey will also like it if I post and share an illegally cracked Ilog which I have stored in my hard drive.

When the song first came out in the late 1980's (or at least when I first heard it), it was contained in a very GND (grim and determined) casette tape album of Ayala titled Magkabilaan. The album also included the melancholic but sweet Walang Hanggang Paalam which was very popular then among political activists because... well, it's their song. Back then, lovebirds particularly among this group would argue off which was a better love song and henceforth deserved to become their "theme song": Ilog or WHP? (So now you still think activists are not that mushy?)

For my girlfriend then, the choice was hands down. Ilog even spawned a very romantic (and naturally mushy!) verse which she wrote for the two of us during one of those, you know... rough times. For me now, as I look back, this love song is really the ultimate. My girlfriend became my ex-GF and we've been blazing trails and carving history in stone together since.