"Things So Singaporean" vs. "What Do You See" | The Tales of 2 NDP 2009 songs

The recent excitement about the so-called the other NDP song of the year, titled "Things So Singaporean" might perhaps justify the, uhm, excitement. But personally I still prefer the official theme song of the NDP by Electrico titled, "What Do You See".

When you check out the two songs at YouTube, you'll notice that "Things So Singaporean" has gathered 10,819 views whereas "What Do You See" has merely 4,178 views.

But are they the right indicator of the popularity? Perhaps, perhaps not. What you do see is that the article (the online Straits Times) has the URL of the song "Things So Singaporean"--which is good--but there is no link to the song "What Do You See"--which is not good, you've got to search for it yourself in YouTube; try "what do you see electrico".

Here are the links, btw: YouTube clips for Ann Hussein's "Things So Singaporean" & Electrico's "What Do You See".

So, which song do you like best?

While local indie rock band Electrico's song, What Do You See, is this year's National Day Parade (NDP) theme song, it has drawn flak from some detractors who feel the four-minute-long soft rock tune is not 'catchy' enough.

Enter Things So Singaporean, an upbeat ditty posted on YouTube that waxes lyrical about everything from the uncles and aunties buying lottery, to the durians keeping the Merlion company.

According to some local blogs, the song was composed and sung by Ann Hussein, with lyrics written by Judith d'Silva.

Since it was uploaded on YouTube in December last year, the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIW7i0UT5j0) has garnered more than 9,000 page views, with rave reviews praising its quirky lyrics, and its catchy tune, compared to Electrico's tune.

Gushed one netizen: "This song should have been our National Day song this year.... Very Original and soooo.... Singapore..... GREAT!!!!!!!"

Elsewhere in the blogosphere, some netizens have even suggested that this little-known song be made the NDP theme instead, or at least, be featured as part of the NDP festivities.

On social networking site Facebook, a group with 277 members sought to garner support to make the song one of the official songs of NDP 2009.

The song was also featured on the N.E.mation! III website, which is for youths to express their ideas on Total Defence through animation'.

Electrico has graced previous NDPs as a fringe act. According to the band's frontman David Tan, What Do You See took about two weeks to write.

The band was originally formed in 1996 under the name Electric Company, which was shortened to Electric Co, and finally, Electrico.

From Straits Times, "The other NDP song?".

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Update on 26/07: Well, the song "Things So Singaporean" again makes it to the news! I won't be surprised if it is eventually accepted as another NDP song (if not this year, perhaps next year).

Even as some Singaporeans are learning to sing this year's National Day Parade theme song, there are calls for an uncommissioned song to be included in the National Day Parade celebrations.

Things So Singaporean is an affectionate and slightly irreverent ode to Singapore written and composed by civil servant Judith d'Silva and singing teacher Ann Hussein. The song mentions things and habits that are uniquely Singaporean, such as using tissue packets to reserve seats at hawker centres, leaving slippers outside the front door and queueing to buy lottery tickets.

In contrast to the moody-sounding What Do You See?, which was commissioned for National Day Parade 2009, Things So Singaporean has caught on like wildfire among Singaporeans after a video clip of it was posted on YouTube.

Tampines North Primary School has adopted the song for its National Day celebrations this year and Raffles Girls' Primary School has used it in its social studies classes. The pupils from Raffles like it so much that they have memorised it.

Ms Poon Wei Ling, 29, a social studies teacher at Raffles, says: 'Many of my pupils were able to identify and relate to certain parts of the song and they laughed at the part about using packets of tissue to reserve seats.'

One of her pupils, Belinda Zhang, 11, says: 'I think it could be used as an NDP song. It's not dull and the melody is quite cheery, it really makes you want to sing along.'

Ms d'Silva, 57, wrote the song in May last year because 'I have always wanted to write a song about Singapore that people can recognise and relate to in concrete ways'.

It had to be 'easy to sing, easy to learn, with a catchy tune and beat', she adds.

Indeed, an online campaign has started to make Things So Singaporean official.

Public officer Victor Tan, 28, who heard about the song through a former colleague, was sufficiently moved by it to set up a Facebook page called 'Let's make Things So Singaporean one of the songs of NDP 2009!'.

From Straits Times, "Song with local appeal".

And here is the excerpt of the lyrics of the song, "Things So Singaporean":

The crowds in VivoCity
On weekends are just crazy
We love to shop
We love to eat

Bring your tissue to chope your seat!
Where can you find two temples
With a church right in between
These are but a few examples

Just to show you what I mean


Chorus

You ask me what it is I love
About this country of my birth
Just take a look from up above
There's none like it on earth

It's so small you can see it all
From the east coast to the west
And the things that make us Singaporean
Are the things that I love best