A Piece of Cloth
“I performed at Tiananmen Square in 1989, 15 days before the crackdown. I sang A Piece of Red Cloth (‰∏ÄÂùóÁ∫¢Â∏É), a tune about alienation. I covered my eyes with a red cloth to symbolize my feelings. The students were heroes. They needed me, and I needed them. After Tiananmen, however, authorities banned concerts. We performed instead at “parties,” unofficial shows in hotels and restaurants
A Piece of Red Cloth is one of the most classical songs of Cui Jian‘s. It sounds like a love story but actually it tells the special time of chaos and the belief of the youth
A Piece of Cloth
By Cui Jian
The author Cui Jian wrote this song and performed it at Tiananmen Square in 1989 just a few weeks before the shootings. He was wanting to connect with his student audience and used a piece of red cloth to cover his eyes to symbolize his feelings about how he felt they were all alienated and how it was a time of chaos but yet there was hope in the students and their youth.
He used many different language features to communicate his ideas in the song.
Imagery was the key one used to set himself apart from other singers. With the use of a piece of red cloth he lies it across his eyes and makes you imagine what he sees now that his eyes are covered “I see the happiness”. Happiness could be many different things to many people, and so your imagination is engaged to explore what happiness is to you.
He uses dialogue by asking a question then following it up with an answer. This is done in several versus with each answer provoking further imagination such as “You asked me where I’m headed I said , ‘I’m going your way’”. You imagine where you might be heading if it were you.
He talks about having no where to live and not being able to see the road. In all this chaos and uncertainty there is still a sense of hope as his hand is clasped by the friend giving a sense of security and direction to go. “My hand was clasped by yours”
He is happy for his
A Piece of Red Cloth is one of the most classical songs of Cui Jian‘s. It sounds like a love story but actually it tells the special time of chaos and the belief of the youth
A Piece of Cloth
By Cui Jian
The author Cui Jian wrote this song and performed it at Tiananmen Square in 1989 just a few weeks before the shootings. He was wanting to connect with his student audience and used a piece of red cloth to cover his eyes to symbolize his feelings about how he felt they were all alienated and how it was a time of chaos but yet there was hope in the students and their youth.
He used many different language features to communicate his ideas in the song.
Imagery was the key one used to set himself apart from other singers. With the use of a piece of red cloth he lies it across his eyes and makes you imagine what he sees now that his eyes are covered “I see the happiness”. Happiness could be many different things to many people, and so your imagination is engaged to explore what happiness is to you.
He uses dialogue by asking a question then following it up with an answer. This is done in several versus with each answer provoking further imagination such as “You asked me where I’m headed I said , ‘I’m going your way’”. You imagine where you might be heading if it were you.
He talks about having no where to live and not being able to see the road. In all this chaos and uncertainty there is still a sense of hope as his hand is clasped by the friend giving a sense of security and direction to go. “My hand was clasped by yours”
He is happy for his