1989
一生何求 What More in Life
A man looks back on years of chasing and losing, and realises too late that what he gave away was everything he had. Danny Chan's reflective 1989 hit, sung at KTV when the mood turns thoughtful.
Cantonese. The tune first appeared in Mandarin as Dave Wang's 惦記這一些 (1987).
Find it on YouTubeSing the letters, read the English. Tap any word for more.
laanglaang冷nyunnyun暖naana那hoho可jauyau休wuiwui回tautau頭dodo多siusiu少gogo個cauchau秋Life's warmth and chill never cease; looking back, so many autumns.
camcham尋pinpin遍liuliu了koekkeuk卻pinpin偏satsat失heoiheui去meimei未paanpaan盼koekkeuk卻zoijoi在sausau手What I searched everywhere for, I lost; what I never hoped for, I hold.
ngongo我dakdak得doudou到mutmut沒jauyau有mutmut沒faatfaat法gaaigaai解siksik釋dakdak得satsat失cocho錯laulau漏Have I gained anything? I can't explain the gains, losses and mistakes.
gonggong剛gonggong剛tengteng聽doudou到mongmong望doudou到binbin便ganggang更goigoi改batbat不ziji知naana那leoileui裡zeoijeui追gaugau究What I just heard and saw has already changed; I don't know where to look for answers.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求soengseung常punpun判kyutkyut決fongfong放heihei棄jyuyu與jungyung擁jauyau有What more do I want from life? Always weighing what to drop or keep.
houhou耗zeonjeun盡ngongo我zeje這jatyat一sangsang生zukjuk觸batbat不doudou到jiyi已paaupaau跑hoihoi開I've spent my whole life; before I can touch it, it's gone.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求maimai迷mongmong惘leoileui裡wingwing永jyunyun遠honhon看batbat不tautau透What more do I want from life? Lost, I never see it clearly.
mutmut沒liuliu料doudou到ngongo我soso所satsat失dikdik的gingging竟jiyi已sisi是ngongo我dikdik的soso所jauyau有I never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
laanglaang冷nyunnyun暖naana那hoho可jauyau休wuiwui回tautau頭dodo多siusiu少gogo個cauchau秋Life's warmth and chill never cease; looking back, so many autumns.
camcham尋pinpin遍liuliu了koekkeuk卻pinpin偏satsat失heoiheui去meimei未paanpaan盼koekkeuk卻zoijoi在sausau手What I searched everywhere for, I lost; what I never hoped for, I hold.
ngongo我dakdak得doudou到mutmut沒jauyau有mutmut沒faatfaat法gaaigaai解siksik釋dakdak得satsat失cocho錯laulau漏Have I gained anything? I can't explain the gains, losses and mistakes.
gonggong剛gonggong剛tengteng聽doudou到mongmong望doudou到binbin便ganggang更goigoi改batbat不ziji知naana那leoileui裡zeoijeui追gaugau究What I just heard and saw has already changed; I don't know where to look for answers.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求soengseung常punpun判kyutkyut決fongfong放heihei棄jyuyu與jungyung擁jauyau有What more do I want from life? Always weighing what to drop or keep.
houhou耗zeonjeun盡ngongo我zeje這jatyat一sangsang生zukjuk觸batbat不doudou到jiyi已paaupaau跑hoihoi開I've spent my whole life; before I can touch it, it's gone.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求maimai迷mongmong惘leoileui裡wingwing永jyunyun遠honhon看batbat不tautau透What more do I want from life? Lost, I never see it clearly.
mutmut沒liuliu料doudou到ngongo我soso所satsat失dikdik的gingging竟jiyi已sisi是ngongo我dikdik的soso所jauyau有I never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求cangchang曾toto妥hiphip協jaaya也sisi試gwogwo過fufu苦daudau鬥What more do I want from life? I've compromised, and I've fought hard.
mungmung夢noinoi內muimui每dimdim點banban繽fanfan紛jatyat一siusiu消saansaan散naana那hoho可sausau收Every bright colour in my dreams, once faded, can't be gathered back.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求seoiseui誰gaigai計gaaugaau較zaanjaan讚meimei美jyuyu與zojo詛zaujau咒What more do I want from life? Who cares about praise or curses?
mutmut沒liuliu料doudou到ngongo我soso所satsat失dikdik的gingging竟jiyi已sisi是ngongo我dikdik的soso所jauyau有I never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求soengseung常punpun判kyutkyut決fongfong放heihei棄jyuyu與jungyung擁jauyau有What more do I want from life? Always weighing what to drop or keep.
houhou耗zeonjeun盡ngongo我zeje這jatyat一sangsang生zukjuk觸batbat不doudou到jiyi已paaupaau跑hoihoi開I've spent my whole life; before I can touch it, it's gone.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求maimai迷mongmong惘leoileui裡wingwing永jyunyun遠honhon看batbat不tautau透What more do I want from life? Lost, I never see it clearly.
mutmut沒liuliu料doudou到ngongo我soso所satsat失dikdik的gingging竟jiyi已sisi是ngongo我dikdik的soso所jauyau有I never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
jatyat一sangsang生hoho何kaukau求cangchang曾toto妥hiphip協jaaya也sisi試gwogwo過fufu苦daudau鬥What more do I want from life? I've compromised, and I've fought hard.
Just the lyricsPlain text to copy, print or send to the group chat
冷暖那可休 回頭多少個秋laang nyun naa ho jau wui tau do siu go caulaang nyun na ho yau wui tau do siu go chauLife's warmth and chill never cease; looking back, so many autumns.
尋遍了卻偏失去 未盼卻在手cam pin liu koek pin sat heoi mei paan koek zoi saucham pin liu keuk pin sat heui mei paan keuk joi sauWhat I searched everywhere for, I lost; what I never hoped for, I hold.
我得到沒有 沒法解釋得失錯漏ngo dak dou mut jau mut faat gaai sik dak sat co laungo dak dou mut yau mut faat gaai sik dak sat cho lauHave I gained anything? I can't explain the gains, losses and mistakes.
剛剛聽到望到 便更改 不知那裡追究gong gong teng dou mong dou bin gang goi bat zi naa leoi zeoi gaugong gong teng dou mong dou bin gang goi bat ji na leui jeui gauWhat I just heard and saw has already changed; I don't know where to look for answers.
一生何求 常判決放棄與擁有jat sang ho kau soeng pun kyut fong hei jyu jung jauyat sang ho kau seung pun kyut fong hei yu yung yauWhat more do I want from life? Always weighing what to drop or keep.
耗盡我這一生 觸不到已跑開hou zeon ngo ze jat sang zuk bat dou ji paau hoihou jeun ngo je yat sang juk bat dou yi paau hoiI've spent my whole life; before I can touch it, it's gone.
一生何求 迷惘裡永遠看不透jat sang ho kau mai mong leoi wing jyun hon bat tauyat sang ho kau mai mong leui wing yun hon bat tauWhat more do I want from life? Lost, I never see it clearly.
沒料到我所失的 竟已是我的所有mut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging ji si ngo dik so jaumut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging yi si ngo dik so yauI never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
冷暖那可休 回頭多少個秋laang nyun naa ho jau wui tau do siu go caulaang nyun na ho yau wui tau do siu go chauLife's warmth and chill never cease; looking back, so many autumns.
尋遍了卻偏失去 未盼卻在手cam pin liu koek pin sat heoi mei paan koek zoi saucham pin liu keuk pin sat heui mei paan keuk joi sauWhat I searched everywhere for, I lost; what I never hoped for, I hold.
我得到沒有 沒法解釋得失錯漏ngo dak dou mut jau mut faat gaai sik dak sat co laungo dak dou mut yau mut faat gaai sik dak sat cho lauHave I gained anything? I can't explain the gains, losses and mistakes.
剛剛聽到望到 便更改 不知那裡追究gong gong teng dou mong dou bin gang goi bat zi naa leoi zeoi gaugong gong teng dou mong dou bin gang goi bat ji na leui jeui gauWhat I just heard and saw has already changed; I don't know where to look for answers.
一生何求 常判決放棄與擁有jat sang ho kau soeng pun kyut fong hei jyu jung jauyat sang ho kau seung pun kyut fong hei yu yung yauWhat more do I want from life? Always weighing what to drop or keep.
耗盡我這一生 觸不到已跑開hou zeon ngo ze jat sang zuk bat dou ji paau hoihou jeun ngo je yat sang juk bat dou yi paau hoiI've spent my whole life; before I can touch it, it's gone.
一生何求 迷惘裡永遠看不透jat sang ho kau mai mong leoi wing jyun hon bat tauyat sang ho kau mai mong leui wing yun hon bat tauWhat more do I want from life? Lost, I never see it clearly.
沒料到我所失的 竟已是我的所有mut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging ji si ngo dik so jaumut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging yi si ngo dik so yauI never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
一生何求 曾妥協也試過苦鬥jat sang ho kau cang to hip jaa si gwo fu dauyat sang ho kau chang to hip ya si gwo fu dauWhat more do I want from life? I've compromised, and I've fought hard.
夢內每點繽紛 一消散那可收mung noi mui dim ban fan jat siu saan naa ho saumung noi mui dim ban fan yat siu saan na ho sauEvery bright colour in my dreams, once faded, can't be gathered back.
一生何求 誰計較讚美與詛咒jat sang ho kau seoi gai gaau zaan mei jyu zo zauyat sang ho kau seui gai gaau jaan mei yu jo jauWhat more do I want from life? Who cares about praise or curses?
沒料到我所失的 竟已是我的所有mut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging ji si ngo dik so jaumut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging yi si ngo dik so yauI never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
一生何求 常判決放棄與擁有jat sang ho kau soeng pun kyut fong hei jyu jung jauyat sang ho kau seung pun kyut fong hei yu yung yauWhat more do I want from life? Always weighing what to drop or keep.
耗盡我這一生 觸不到已跑開hou zeon ngo ze jat sang zuk bat dou ji paau hoihou jeun ngo je yat sang juk bat dou yi paau hoiI've spent my whole life; before I can touch it, it's gone.
一生何求 迷惘裡永遠看不透jat sang ho kau mai mong leoi wing jyun hon bat tauyat sang ho kau mai mong leui wing yun hon bat tauWhat more do I want from life? Lost, I never see it clearly.
沒料到我所失的 竟已是我的所有mut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging ji si ngo dik so jaumut liu dou ngo so sat dik ging yi si ngo dik so yauI never knew that what I lost was all I ever had.
一生何求 曾妥協也試過苦鬥jat sang ho kau cang to hip jaa si gwo fu dauyat sang ho kau chang to hip ya si gwo fu dauWhat more do I want from life? I've compromised, and I've fought hard.