We Live In Singapura

We Live In Singapura is a song that was sung by Hossan Leong during a special event held at the Parliament House of Singapore by the Mr. Brown show. The song used the tune of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire.

Song lyrics:Sang Nila Utamasaw a lion, alamakname the village Singapurathen run very far

Sang Nila Utama, better known as Parameswara, was a Majapahit (empire in Java) prince who fled as the empire crumbled. Based on the Sejarah Melayu, he saw a lion (though the Malay Annals felt that it could have been a bear), and named Singapore the Lion City. "Alamak" is slang for "oh no!". However, as Parameswara killed the leader of Temasek, which recognized Siam as the overlord, the Siamese sent a fleet to attack the settlement and Parameswara fled to Melaka where he founded another settlement.

Years later, Ang moh cameStamford Raffles was his namepose for statues very nicewe kena colonize

“Ang Moh” is slang, referring to the Caucasians, and here more precisely the British. The posing for statues refers to the statue of Raffles at the Singapore River where it is the spot which he’s believed to have landed, but after a series of treaties with Tengku Hussein and the Temenggong, Singapore is part of the British EIC and later the British Empire. “kena” is slang for “was done”, but “were” would be a better translation here.

Singapura very strongBig guns all, pointing wrongJapanese, came on bikesinvade us from our backside

This paragraph refers to the fact that the British thought Singapore was well defended, with strong sea defences in anticipation of a sea attack. However, during the Battles of Malaya and Singapore in 1941-42, the Japanese attacked via the Malayan mainland and one of the features of the invasion was travelling on bicycles through the dense forests of Malaya by the Japanese during their advance and invaded Singapore through the north, the “back door”.

War is over, Ang moh backSingaporeans no respectCommies come, make a fussSingapore Independence!

When the Second World War ended, the British returned, but the respect for the British had been shattered. The pro-communists in Singapore increased their strikes and caused a lot of trouble for the British administration. Independence here referred to the self-government of Singapore in 1959, meaning that the colony was now responsible for its own internal administration, though the British retained control over defence until 1971.

Chorus: I live in SingapuraIt’s not perfect livingbut at least it’s interestingI live in SingapuraThough it’s kind of crazyWe win other country

Singapura was the old name for Singapore.

David Marshall, Lim Yew HockNational Anthem starts to rockYusof Ishak the big manGuess who’s PM?

The first two names are Singapore's two Chief Ministers from 1955 to 1959 (assuming the role of PM). Zubir Said wrote Singapore’s National Anthem Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore). Yusof Ishak becomes the Yang di Pertuan Negara (head of state) while Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister after winning the elections in 1959.

Malaysia say, come join meTwo of us be same countryThen not happyThen make PM cry

After the communism threat worsened in Singapore, Malaya’s Prime Minister Tengku Abdul Rahman proposed a merger between Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei. But Brunei withdrew and the four entities merged in 1963. However, unhappiness between the Singapore state government and the Malaysian Federal Government led to Singapore’s Separation from Malaysia in 1965. PM Lee Kuan Yew cried during the press conference on television when he announced the Separation to the nation.

PM Lee lead countryBuild Jurong and HDBMake the country clean and greenOpposition cannot win

After the Separation, Jurong Industrial Estate was set up and MNCs were invited into the newly independent nation. More HDB (Housing Development Board) flats, government based, were built across the island. The country’s Clean and Green campaign in the 1970s was an effort to raise awareness of cleanliness among the Singaporeans. The government grew into a one-party state, as no opposition MPs were elected into parliament from 1966 to 1981.

JB Jeya no more fundsChee Soon Juan won’t eat his bunsLim How Doong, what a goon!“Don’t talk cock” in parliament!

Jeyaratnam, also called JB Jeya, then the Workers’ Party chief, was the first opposition MP, he was elected at Anson in 1981 in a by-election, was sued for a number of charges and became a bankrupt after failing to pay damages. An earlier lawsuit in 1986 caused him to lose his Anson seat. Chee Soon Juan, leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) frequents makes comments detrimental to the government. Lim How Doong, the chairman of the SDP, also MP from 1991 to 1997, was labelled a goon (slang for stupid) for forcing Chiam See Tong out of the party, the latter later left SDP to form the Singapore People’s Party (SPP). The last phrase came from Lim’s warning to Chiam not to talk cock in parliament when both were MPs.

Chorus

Kick out from Malaysia cupMichael Fay: Pain in the buttS-League, Tea DancingAh bengs love Modern Talking

Singapore opted to leave the Malaysia Cup in 1994 after alleged match fixing in the cup final when Singapore beat Pahang 4-0. Michael Fay was an American teenager who was caught vandalizing vehicles and was sentenced to four months jail and six strokes of the cane in 1994. However, then US President Bill Clinton appealed against the caning and then Singapore president Ong Teng Cheong reduced the six strokes to four. After leaving the Malaysia Cup, Singapore established its own league in 1996 with S League. A craze called tea dancing from Japan took Singapore by storm; people stepped on the buttons on the machine after following the instructions on the screen. Even the Ah Bengs (the ordinary men in slang) loved the German band Modern Talking.

McDonald’s Hello KittyEveryone drink Bubble TeaCrushing cockroach Margaret ChanJames Lye is the VR Man

Singapore was blown by the Hello Kitty and the bubble tea craze in 2000. The former even caused people to fight and quarrel over queue places. The third line refers to Margaret Chan’s catchphrase in the Channel 5 first local drama Masters of the Sea in 1994, “I’ll crush you like a cockroach!” VR Man was an attempt in 1998 by MediaCorp, then Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) to make a drama about science fiction and super heroes with James Lye as the VR Man.

Reclamation, Tuas CausewayMalaysian water buay ho seiMahathir’s Friend: Datuk AnwarMahathir says he’s Chow Ah Quah

Singapore has undergone much reclamation since the colonial days due to its small size. The Tuas Causeway, built to improve traffic with Malaysia, was opened in 1998. The two water agreements with Malaysia, which sold untreated water to Singapore at three Malaysian cents per thousand gallons are due to end in 2011 and 2061, but not much headway has been made to extend them. "Buay ho sei" is Hokkien for "not okay". Mahathir Mohamad, then PM of Malaysia, sacked Anwar Ibrahim, then Finance Minister and DPM, charging him of sodomy and corruption charges. Anwar served six years in jail. Chow Ah Quah is a colloquial term meaning a homosexual.

NDP: Aunties rushEveryone it’s fun to flushBubble gums are all bannedAsk your friends buy from Thailand!

Many aunties rushed for the National Day Parade (NDP) tickets, which were given out on a first come, first served basis until 2003, when they were given electronically. The government imposes a $150 fine on people who do not flush toilets after use. Bubble gum was banned by the government in 1992 after MRT trains were stuck after some inconsiderate people stuck them on train doors, causing the doors to malfunction. As a result, many Singaporeans buy from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Thailand.

Chorus

Driving car, not funnyBid for cars with COEERP, Road taxPARF until I want to barf

Driving in Singapore comes with lots of restrictions. There’s the COE (Certificate of Entitlement) which all drivers must bid for to get a vehicle in different categories. ERP refers to Electronic Road Pricing, which drivers have to pay by CashCard every time they enter a pricing zone. Road tax is yet another tax for drivers. The PARF system, the Preferential Additional Registration Fee is an additional tax on imported cars.

IRs locals have to payForeign Talents are okayHousing estates upgrade by contractors that go pok kai

The two IRs or the Integrated Resorts (which includes casinos), are located at Marina Bay and Sentosa. Singaporeans will have to pay $100 per entry into the casino or $2000 for a yearly membership. Foreigners don’t have to. Foreign talents are welcomed by the government. There have been reports of IUP (Interim Upgrading Programme) and LUP (Lift Upgrading Programme), which are government projects to upgrade older estates, having contractors who have either gone bankrupt or met financial problems, causing the projects to be delayed. "Pok kai" is Hokkien for "going bust".

IMF come must smile moreWant to protest go indoorLRT not so fastNEWater they laugh at us

During the IMF / World Bank meetings in Singapore in 2005, the government encouraged Singaporeans to smile more. However, civil rights protestors were only allowed to protest within a small designated square in Suntec City, where the talks were being held. There were numerous breakdowns on the Bukit Panjang LRT system, which was a smaller version of the MRT, a rapid transit system, numbering at least 50 times since its opening in 1999. Also, residents in Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang complained that buses that were re-routed due to overlaps with the LRT meant more inconveniences for them. NEWater, or waste water treated by reverse osmosis, was ridiculed by other countries when it was launched in 2001.

Chorus

Baby bonus, maid levySingTel Shares give out for freeJack Neo, Kit ChanSexy Pastor Ho Yeow Sun

To encourage Singaporeans to have more children after 1987, the government pays out baby bonuses to couples to have children and reduced maid levy for families. The government gave Singaporeans two free batches of SingTel shares, in 1993 and 1996. Jack Neo, is a well known movie director while Kit Chan is a well known singer. Ho Yeow Sun is also a famous singer.

Beckham parties with modelsHas affair but no one knowsS-League, go World CupCan come true if they don’t suck

David Beckham came to 2000 with the Manchester United for an exhibition match with the Singapore national team. He was rumoured to have rather naughty while here in Singapore. Singapore set Goal 2010 and later Roar 2018, to set a target to enter the FIFA World Cup Finals. But given the performance of the national team, it’s all but impossible.

Mahathir then AbdullahBar top dancing at the barsBudget airlines start to pak!Stop speaking Singlish lah!

Abdullah Badawi takes over from Mahathir as Malaysia’s PM in 2003. The government relaxes restrictions on bar top dancing at the nightclubs and bars in the same year. Budget airlines started sprouting up with very low prices. "Pak" is Hokkien for "fight", but here it refers to the price wars. The government started the Speak Good English Movement in 2000 to correct Singaporeans’ Singlish, or Singaporean English.

Gay is okay say PMSM Lee go be MMPM Lee the same nameHere we go all over again

Then PM Goh Chok Tong relaxes restrictions on the gay community in Singapore. SM (Senior Minister) Lee, became MM (Minister Mentor) after PM Goh stepped down in 2004 and assumed the position of SM. PM Goh was succeeded by PM Lee Hsien Loong, which is PM Lee Kuan Yew’s eldest son. Well, basically, it just went all over again.

Chorus

We live in SingapuraIt’s not perfect livingbut at least it’s interestingWe live in SingapuraThough it’s kind of crazyWe win other country

We live in Singapura!

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDuxb_8Z1SY]