Feel the rage against the machine!
Listen to the album here
aiweiwei.com/music/the-divine-comedyCredits
The Divine Comedy
Executive Producer: Ai Weiwei
Producer: Zuoxiao Zuzhou
Recording Engineer: Li Yue from Nice Tune Studio, Beijing
Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Li Shixian
Post-Production: Spin Fun
Lyrics & Lead Vocal: Ai Weiwei
Music: Zuoxiao Zuzhou
Arrangement: Xu Tong
Arrangement: Zhang Zhe (for Hotel USA and Give Tomorrow Back to Me)
Guitar & Acoustic Guitar: Liu Juran
Bass: Li Jiujun
Guitar: Zhang Zhe
Lead Vocals: Ai Weiwei, Zuoxiao Zuzhou (Give Tomorrow Back to Me)
Background Vocals: Zuoxiao Zuzhou, Bobby Chen
Harmonica: Bobby Chen
Production Planning: Li Xin, Xia Xing
English Translations: Jennifer Ng, Angie Baecker, Liu E
Song Titles:
1. Just Climb the Wall
2. Chaoyang Park
3. Laoma Tihua
4. Hotel USA
5. Give Tomorrow Back to Me
6. Dumbass
Produced by Zuoxiao Zuzhou
Published by Ai Weiwei Studio
Release Date: June 22 2013
The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Ai Weiwei.
Lyrics
Just Climb the Wall
This road leads to the West, keep going forth.
Quick, climb the wall; the flowers are blooming along the way.
Child, when you wake up tomorrow, I’ll be there waiting for you.
On the other side of the wall, there’s a pool of water.
The hotel on Eastern Road’s too expensive;
Chaoyang Hospital’s darker than a blind man’s vision.
At the end of the river, it’s the same old wall.
Lodgings on the way aren’t safe, don’t enter in haste.
Let the girl stay with her grandma, grandpa isn’t coming back.
Let the boy wait in jail, daddy will send money one day.
Let the boy wait in jail, daddy will send money one day.
If it’s dark over there, it’s daylight on my side.
If sunlight arrives here, then the night must have fallen there.
When this hotel collapses, even the stars will fall.
Can you believe this? Can you believe all this?
Chaoyang Park
Are you still following me? I won’t do it anymore.
Tell me, what’s your name? Beat me and I won’t tell.
Give my cell phone back. Delete those pictures now.
I have a wife and a child too. I can’t remember their phone numbers.
Tell me your name now. I’m sending you to the police.
The people there are your family, taking showers in handcuffs.
Why are you robbing me? Because you ran into a bandit.
Who else would rob you? The money’s in the hands of a fool.
There’s no free lunch, why did you choose to steal?
Flee at once if you’re stealing. Stop making a scene hanging ‘round here.
There’s no free lunch, why did you choose to steal?
Flee at once if you’re stealing. Stop making a scene hanging ‘round here.
Are you still following me? I won’t do it anymore.
Tell me, what’s your name? Beat me and I won’t tell.
Give my cell phone back. Delete those pictures now.
I have a wife and a child too. I can’t remember their phone numbers.
Tell me your name now. I’m sending you to the police.
The people there are your family, taking showers in handcuffs.
Why are you robbing me? Because you ran into a bandit.
Who else would rob you? The money’s in the hands of a fool.
There’s no free lunch, why did you choose to steal?
Flee at once if you’re stealing. Stop making a scene hanging ‘round here.
There’s no free lunch, why did you choose to steal?
Flee at once if you’re stealing. Stop making a scene hanging ‘round here.
Laoma Tihua
Who’s knocking on the door?
We’re all police.
Why are the cops breaching the door?
To see if you’re human.
Why are you breaking in?
To teach you a lesson, kid.
Why are you breaking in?
To teach you a lesson, kid.
Why are you beating me?
So what if I beat you!
Why are you beating me?
Who saw the beating?
Why are you beating me?
Speak with evidence!
Why are you beating me?
Do not f**k around.
Why are you beating me?
Never ever f**k around!
I don’t want to talk to you.
I don’t want to talk to you.
I don’t want to talk to you.
I don’t want to talk to you.
Hotel USA
Southward bound from Old Mama’s, there’s a hotel from America.
A cowboy stayed for a night, and the madam traded him for money.
Go west along East Eastern Road, there’s a motel from America.
A blind man bummed his way in, and the inn-keeper freaked out.
Lalalala, lalalala stores are open for shoppers; shoppers are there to empty their wallets.
Stores are open for business, business is for making money.
Before nightfall, you must make your way to the hotel.
Days go by slowly under a bridge; you must make your way to the hotel.
Give Tomorrow Back to Me
Vocals: Ai Weiwei & Zuoxiao Zuzhou
You own the skies, you are the banker, you own the water cannon, and the bullets, but the bullet wounds are mine.
You own the land, you set the game rules, you own the handcuffs, and the lies, but the disappearance is mine.
Yesterday is yours, today is yours, but you won’t have tomorrow.
Give tomorrow back to me. You don’t have tomorrow, tomorrow is mine.
Dumbass
When you’re ready to strike, he mumbles about non-violence.
When you pinch his ear, he says it’s no cure for diarrhea.
You say you’re a mother-f**ker, he claims he’s invincible.
You say you’re a mother-f**ker, he claims he’s invincible.
f**k forgiveness, tolerance be damned, to hell with manners, the low-life’s invincible.
f**k forgiveness, tolerance be damned, to hell with manners, the low-life’s invincible.
Oh dumbass, oh such dumbass! Oh dumbass, oh such dumbass!
Oh dumbass, oh such dumbass! Oh dumbass, oh such dumbass!
Lalalalala, lalalalala Lalalalala, lalalalala
Lalalalala, lalalalala Lalalalala, lalalalala
Stand on the frontline like a dumbass, in a country that puts out like a hooker.
The field’s full of f**kers, dumbasses are everywhere.
The field’s full of f**kers, dumbasses are everywhere.
f**k forgiveness, tolerance be damned, to hell with manners, the low-life’s invincible.
You say you’re a mother-f**ker, he claims he’s invincible.
You say you’re a mother-f**ker, he claims he’s invincible.
The field is full of f**kers, dumbasses are everywhere.
The field’s full of f**kers, dumbasses are everywhere.
