Rasa Sayang

Sr. Ashley, the social studies teacher at the Islamic school emailed me this week to ask if I am interested to talk to her students about Singapore history.

I was really happy to receive this invitation and my mind is just so boggled with ideas on activities about Singapore history for students.

I immediately thought of Dick Lee's song 'Rasa Sayang'. I feel connected to the lyrics in this song because it really speaks about life in Singapore and I can use this song to talk about 'Singlish' (Singapore English) to the students.

Watch it on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHyEKDB910w

Rasa Sayang (Composer, Lyrist, Performer: Dick Lee)

Rasa sayang Eh
Rasa sayang sayang eh
Hey lihat nona jauh
Rasa sayang sayang eh
Rasa sayang eh
Sayang

Once upon a time there were only trees
And a lion or two enjoying the breeze
Then a boat arrived one sunny day
And human beings were here to stay

Well the king of the jungle couldn't really complain
He got the whole damn island named after him
And as for the lions here's news for you
You can see their descendents at the Mandai Zoo

The island since has come very far
All thanks to the man named Utama
No we couldn't forget him if we tried
Eh what about Raffles (We love that guy)

So here we are having so much fun
Can hardly believe this was a jungle once
Sometimes I can still hear the lion's roar going
Singa Singa Pore

One, Two sing
Rasa sayang Eh
Rasa sayang sayang eh
Hey lihat nona jauh
Rasa sayang sayang eh

Now we can explain in a little while
This is not an ordinary tropical isle
Everything we have has to be the best
Of the fabulous East and the wonderful West
Of all the things we've got that's good
At the top of everybody's list is FOOD

We've got prata (from Indian)
Mee Pok (from Chinese) so sedap
What about the ketupat (from Malays) at the Satay Club

If no Chye Tow Kway (fried carrot cake) then Kai Fan (chicken rice) lor
Eat till you faint so cheap some more
Ya the best thing has to be the price
Singapore's my Fried Rice Paradise!

We can eat eat eat till we nearly drop
Then we all get up and we shop shop shop
And if you asked us how we rate this place
We'll just say this IT'S GREAT

Una, Renda, Muna
Rasa sayang Eh
Rasa sayang sayang eh
Hey lihat nona jauh
Rasa sayang sayang eh

Let's talk about work it's quite OK
Life here's like a holi holiday
We take things easy there's no big rush
Though we got slowed down because of SARS

We work then makan watch a film
Now got no more crowd no more tourism
Last time so plenty tourists but They scared got germs got bombing what

But on my own I can still can grow
My mobile phone can take photo
I never have to live in fear
Coz life is just like heaven here

Life in heaven is sometimes fast
The Holy Trinity is watching us
And who are they don't you know
The father,the son, and the Holy Goh

One, Two, Three
Rasa sayang Eh
Rasa sayang sayang eh
Hey lihat nona jauh
Rasa sayang sayang eh