How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life - The Fray

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you’ve told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you’ve followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life

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雖然說，這首歌已經是2006年的作品，卻也一直是The Fray最優秀、最受喜愛的作品。

根據創作者，同時也是樂團主唱與鋼琴手Isaac Slade的說法，這是一首討論問題青少年的歌曲。他將自己在輔導中心所遇到的毒癮少年面對周圍親友時的困境，與自身經驗揉合，創作出這首歌。其中，歌詞中的"life"與其說是生命，不如說是圍繞在生命周圍的各種關係。"How to Save a Life"更直指Slade自己不知如何幫助少年與其親友解開彼此傷害與困頓的情緒。歌詞中的每一次詢問，都在挖掘，是否在不一樣的情境下，這些矛盾便足以化解。為了將這樣的概念宣傳開來，樂團發起了讓樂迷們創作與詮釋自己版本MV的活動，進而激發了更多故事的交流與感動。這樣概念的傳遞，也正是流行音樂才能創造出的獨特魅力與感染力。

每隔一段時間聽這首歌，都會讓我有種重新洗滌的感受。即便，我已經聽這首歌不下百次了。其第二版的MV更是相當牽引目光。當每一張年輕卻複雜情緒的面孔經過，間或出現的文字訊息，都伴隨著哭喊與掙脫的渴望，並充斥著強烈情緒，一直到最後的釋放。利用鋼琴做為引子，然後加入電子樂器的手法，雖然在另類搖滾裡很常見，但只要不要過度煽情，我倒是很容易就被這樣的音樂吸引。

很久沒有在最後加上音樂與影集的連結，不過，我想這首歌倒是很值得提一下。這首歌本來在告示牌的成績只是普通，一直到當時如日中天的"Grey's Anatomy"將之做為第二季末的插曲和第三季的宣傳配樂，一口氣將這首歌帶到第三名。其實我自己也是經由"Grey's Anatomy"聽到這首歌的。而就算已經沒有一直追看這部影集了，對這首歌的喜愛倒是一直存在。當然，這首歌本身就擁有某些能熱門的特質，但遇到這樣強力的宣傳而獲得成功，也算是一種機遇吧。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk