Happy Birthday to Money!

我想寫一首生日歌，但祝福的對象，不是任何人，而是我們這個時代真正的主宰——金錢。我想像了一場為“金錢先生”舉辦的、盛大而又荒謬的生日派-對。在Ska音樂歡快、甚至有些滑稽的節奏中，我們所有人，都像是戴著笑臉面具的賓客，為這位“美麗的騙子 (beautiful liar)”獻上最熱烈的祝賀。

這首歌的靈魂，藏在它的反差裡。我將交易所比作“交易的聖殿 (temples of trade)”，將金融的法則稱為“祭司的箴言 (priests all profess)”，將金錢描繪成“一頂被塗成綠色的皇冠 (a crown that's painted green)”。我希望用這種“神化”的語言，去諷刺我們是如何在不知不-覺中，將金錢供上了神壇，成為了我們真正敬拜的上帝。Bridge部分那段冰冷的、如同機器人洗腦般的念白——“金錢製造金錢，看著人類失敗”，則是我對這個系統最絕望的註解。

最終，這場狂歡派對，在一段如同“葬禮進行曲”般的旋律中落幕。我們舉起酒杯，帶著“犬儒而悲傷的歡呼 (cynical, sad cheer)”，慶祝又一個瘋狂的“財政年度 (fiscal year)”。這是我對這首歌的最終總結：當我們為金錢慶生時，我們其實是在為人性的某個部分，舉辦一場盛大的葬禮。謹以此歌，獻給所有身處這場巨大賭局中的我們。在下一次投出硬幣時，或許我們可以稍微想一想，在這場遊戲中，誰才是最終的輸家。

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for the one
the only... the birthday boy himself... MONEY

In the temples of trade, where the numbers ignite
Money spins the planet, a dizzying, blinding light
"Money makes money," the priests all profess
In the digital casino of endless excess

Happy Birthday to Money, you beautiful liar
Setting our paper dreams and our principles on fire
Every bill, every coin, a pulse in the machine
A world hypnotized by a crown that's painted green

From the morning bell's scream to the closing bell's sigh
The digital heartbeats just flutter and fly
But who deals the cards in this game of pure chance
And who pays the piper at the end of the dance

Money makes money, the system's complete
Money makes money, just press repeat
Money makes money, the future's on sale
Money makes money, watch the humans fail

Money makes money, the system's complete
Money makes money, just press repeat
Money makes money, the future's on sale
Money makes money, watch the humans fail

Happy Birthday to Money, you turn the giant wheels
You're the god we truly worship, in our speculative deals
But underneath the glitter, a question burns so bright
Are we trading all our colors, for a world of black and white

So let's raise a glass to Money, with a cynical, sad cheer
And celebrate the madness of another fiscal year
'Cause for every paper promise, and every coin that's tossed
We know the final balance... and we know who really lost