III Gutsy - Nanwu Band: We've put a little more of our heart into it.

Nanwu Band. Members: Lead vocalist & lead guitarist Liu Xiangsong, guitarist Zhang Lan, keyboardist and folk music player Xia Guoxing, bass guitarist Li Si, percussionist and band assistant Zhang Shuo, drummer Guo Beibei and backing vocalist Wang Pei and Piaopiao. All of them met in Beijing Forestry University.

(Following are from Liu Xiangsong.)

After I came to Forestry University I found the folks here have a great musical vibe. They're not really skilled, but the vibe is great— it's just a kind of heart, you know? I vowed I wouldn't touch a guitar again.

In the past, I'd have to hold a guitar to go to sleep. When I came to Forestry University, I brought my instrument. But I vowed I wouldn't play it again. But I had to bring it. If I didn't, my heart wouldn't be at ease. I'd feel like I couldn't carry on living.

My band never does anything very formalist. The long sutras we sing - like our band's "Playboy" and "How Did I Get So Handsome", I dare say these pieces have some traces of Zen - not a single word related to Buddhism, just the sentiment.

For example, it's like this song "Playboy:" I'm obviously poking fun at this kind of man. I take on his role, and if I'm a playboy then I'm obviously poking fun at myself. But my attitude isn't actually like this.

I use a very happy demeanor to criticize myself:

I see you crying,

I see you crying,

And I don't feel lucky enough.

So many ladies,

All with their beautiful parts,

For just one little tree,

How can you give up the whole forest?

If I could, I'd hug you all up,

I wanna, wanna hug you all up.

Everyone says playboys aren't bad,

Everyone says ladies just love boys' dirtiness,

And me? My ladies are more and more,

That feeling's really hard for folks to understand.

That's the main bit, continuously criticizing myself. The refrain goes:

The road ahead, the further it goes, the rougher it gets,

Playboy-me, the more helpless, the more lonely I get,

Who can come and help me, huh?

Who can come and understand me, huh?

I know this is what they call being damned for my sins,

I know this what they call being damned for my sins.

It's like that. It's just a kind of attitude, that's all. I take this stuff and sing it very jokingly, criticizing it in the end, and everyone goes and thinks. The audience will all think. When I perform this song, I often say: Hey guys, think about it— "when the colored flags outside flutter, the red flag at home won't fall down." It's like that — the "Post-1980" attitude is like that.