Luha by Rivermaya

One reason I like listening to Rivermaya is that there's always an old song that I can suddenly relate to when I listen to their albums. Listening to it intently, you'll notice that the vocals are overdubbed, Bamboo and Rico, Rivermaya's greatest vocalist in duet with Nathan and Mark Escueta's tight rhythm section in the background. Some songs just don't get better than this.

Wag mo nang ipilit,
'wag mo nang piliting lumapit
Ako'y iyong limutin,
Baka pa ang langit magalit

Balikan mo ang dati,
Isipin kung saan ka nagkamali
Nar'yan ka pa ba
Nagluluksa sa dilim?

Ubos na ang luha

Bago na ang tinig,
Bago na ang ihip ng hangin
Ubos na ang luha
Sa langit at lupang atin

Alaala inaamag
Na sa isipan
Nar'yan ka pala,
Nagdurusa sa dilim

Ubos na ang luha,
Sa langit at lupa

Nerbyoso by Rivermaya

Today, I don't feel very well. But not enough from stopping me to write this note down. I tend to listen to more familiar music when I'm physically, mentally or emotionally down, just to try to bring myself back up. Rivermaya's always a good candidate. I decided to write down Nerbyoso, being one of the main reasons why I really made a point of buying the It's Not Easy Being Green album. Every guy can probably relate to this song. I should probably get over being a Nerbyoso.

Isang gabing kasama ka
Walang ginagawang iba
Kundi mag-usap sa mata
Bigla akong tinawag
Uwian na pala
Pag-lingon ko'y wala ka na

Ilang gabi na 'kong lubhang nagdaramdam
Kahit pangalan mo'y hidi ko pa alam

Sasabihin ko na sana't
Aaminin sa iyo
Lahat lahat ng itinatago ng
Puso kong
Alipin ng kaba
Alam mo naman tayo
Walang magawa
Nerbyoso

Nais ko sanang makapiling kang muli
Kahit saglit lang kahit lamang sandali
Pagka't ilang gabi na 'kong nagdaramdam
Pa'no kung di ka na muling matagpuan

Sasabihin ko na sana't
Aaminin sa iyo
Lahat lahat ng itinatago ng
Puso kong
Alipin ng kaba
Alam mo naman tayo
Walang magawa
Nerbyoso

Ilang gabi na 'konglubhang nagdaramdam
Kase mahal kita hindi mo pa alam

Sasabihin ko na sana't
Aaminin sa iyo
Lahat lahat ng itinatago ng
Puso kong
Alipin ng kaba
Alam mo naman tayo
Walang magawa
Nerbyoso

She's So Uncool by Rivermaya

I don't have the album details in front of me, but since it's Nathan Azarcon who sang this song, it's most likely he's the one who wrote it. I just like the ambience of the song, it's not the usual OPM song that you hear and not your usual Rivermaya song... I see it as one of the hidden gems in their discography.

Now it serves my evil purpose just to see her
Though I know now what she says is untrue
And the things she makes me count, for the record, count me out
"Honey harder baby!" that’s what she screamed

Now she makes me wait beneath the cloud of darkness
Like a lover in despair, I thank you
For the things you made me see all through the madness
You taught me well, forget your wedding bells

Ah, she’s so uncool

She’s the loneliness that hangs beneath your cradle
Though you know that what I say it ain’t true
Well the gift I gave today don’t really matter
It’s the clothes she wears, and the way she swears

Ah, she’s so uncool
Ah, she’s so uncool
Ah, she’s so uncool

A Love to Share by Rivermaya

I distinctly remember hearing this song live for the 1st time. My and Dris was outside the Folk Arts Theater waiting in line to see Hoobastank back in 2004. That day, I rediscovered Rivermaya and their music. Just an awesome song. That night, I had the thought that some OPM bands are just good enough to embarrass headlining foreign acts.

If I could take over this world that we're in
I wanna reach out to every human being
I'll take all the sorrows from every goodbye
I'll shed all the tears so no one ever needs to cry
But...

Nobody cares for me
Nobody here needs me
A love to share but
Nobody dares
Nobody cares for me

I'll summon the oceans to drown every pain
I wanna be shelter to the countless in shame
Erase every conflict from every divide
I wanna give every little thing 'til I die
Singing...

Nobody cares for me
Nobody here needs me
A love to share but
Nobody dares
Nobody cares for me

Never the Bright Lights by Violent Playground

I'll be honest... I only found about this song by listening to Rivermaya's cover album, Isang Ugat, Isang Dugo. Thinking it was a song that was made in the 80's* (as most of the songs in the album were), I was surprised that it came from a band whose album I've seen for quite some time already but never bothered in buying.

Right now I've been listening to a lot of local bands and have found these treasure of songs! I was happy I was able to buy the Primordial Soup album for the new year.

My favorite part of the song is when the singer sings the title.

I see the people walking down the streets at night
And they all look like they long for a fight
It's like a dream where everybody is for sale
In a country where there angry and the sky is pale
We always want something more, then we want it all
So you can go back to your life, if that's what is called
It's such a terrible fate to be young and ugly
To be faced by so much uncertainty
You'd better keep your sanity

Bright lights go up
Big city come down

All this confusion gives you notions of self destruction
So you think of something that may keep us together
He may be black, he may be white
But they don't need to fight
In a city where there's too much violence already
Look at the sky it's dirty, and it's gray and filthy
And today looks just like yesterday
You ask yourself how long can a bad thing last
When we are sodden to our knees with so much strife
They say it's meant to change your life

I see the people walking down the street at night
And they all look like they long for a fight
Just like the old man said: "What are you gonna do with your life?"
Never the bright lights

*Note: just found out that the song was indeed from the 80's but was rerecorded in the 90's for this album.

Remenis by Rivermaya

From old Rivermaya to the latest incarnation of Rivermaya. To be honest the last album, Closest Thing to Heaven, is a great Album. People should start looking past Rivermaya being Rico Blanco's band. These guys have written good music for the past two albums with Blanco and they deserve a lot better.

Mark Escueta's drumwork on Closest Thing to Heaven and Buhay is something I really enjoy listening to. As it turns out, he gets sole credit in writing this song as well!

Ano ang kulay ng paglimot?
Isasalin ko sana sa bughaw na nadarama
Naghahabi ng paghilom
Buhay natin ang tema
Alaala ang tinta

Simple lang ang buhay noon
Lahat ng bagay abot ng 'sang kamay
Himbing natin gintong nakaraan
Paminsan-minsan lamang balikan

Isipin mo nalang may taong wala ng meron ka
Pero sumasabay sa ikot ng mundo
Sekreto ng buhay ay wala sa mga tala
Muli nating balikan ang simula

Sayang, Hanggang remenis na lang
Sayang, Hanggang remenis na lang

Tama nang sisihan
Lahat nama'y nagkulang sa
Kanya-kanyang paningin
Kanya-kanyang paningin
Hawak mo ang mahiwagang alas
Sasama ka ba o kusang aatras

Simple lang ang buhay ngayon
Manalig ka, Diyos lang ang siyang gabay
Gintong pangako

Sayang, Hanggang remenis na lang
Sayang, Hanggang remenis na lang

Isipan mo nalang may taong wala ng meron ka
Pero sumasabay sa ikot ng mundo
Sekreto ng buhay, nasa tibay ng samahang
Sinimulan
Inaalagaan
Pinaninindigan
Muli nating balikan ang simula

Hinahanap-hanap Kita by Rivermaya

This song probably has the best filipino lyrics for a love song. The word-play that Rico Blanco incorporates in this song is just legendary. My favorite line is the first one in the song. It also has arguably the one of the bass lines recorded in pinoy rock history.

To top that, it has a narrated lyrics part and spills over to a instrumental of the classic OPM song, Maalala Mo Kaya.

“Adik sa’yo”, awit sa akin
nilang sawa na sa aking
mga kwentong marathon
Tungkol sa’yo, at sa ligayang
iyong hatid sa aking buhay
tuloy ang bida sa isipan ko’y ikaw

Sa umaga’t sa gabi sa
bawa’t minutong lumilipas
Hinahanap-hanap kita,
hinahanap-hanap kita
Sa isip at panaginip,
bawa’t pagpihit ng tadhana
Hinahanap-hanap kita

Sabik sa’yo kahit maghapon
na tayong magkasama’t parang telesine
Ang ating ending Hatid sa bahay n’yo
Sabay goodnight, sabay me-kiss,
sabay bye-bye

Sa school sa flag ceremony
hanggang uwian araw-araw
Hinahanap-hanap kita,
hinahanap-hanap kita
At kahit na magka-anak kayo’t
magkatuluyan balang araw
Hahanap-hanapin ka,
hahanap-hanapin ka

Shattered Like by Rivermaya

Being a big fan of Rivermaya I have a lot of favorite songs from the band. This probably cracks the top 10 Rivermaya songs for me. The song's structure seems simple and I just like the overall message... again a disappointment in love life.

I distinctly remember this songs video, which was a collage of videos from Rivermaya's tour abroad. They also performed a danceable version of this song for their Araneta concert with Kitchie Nadal, which ranks among the best concerts I've attended.

You're the night in my days,
that I fight to keep from coming
you're the life when I pray, that I feel.

I tried to tame you,
I tried to open your mind.
I tried to save you,
you said it's just a waste of time
'cause you are meant to explode one day
'cause you are built that way,
yeah you are built that way.

I delight in my pain,
and I'm shattered like your promises
though I tried to be sane,
I'm just shattered like,
shattered like your promises.

Had you been drinking?
had you been messing up your life
like you did mine, not long ago.

That's good for ego,
that's good for motherfucking ego
like I need it.
Still, while the record company waits
until our song I say tough luck

But i'm too crazy and
i'm too weak and I'm too busy
remembering how to smile
and how to be happy.

I delight in my pain
and I'm shattered like your promises
though I tried to be sane,
I'm just shattered like,
shattered like.

I'm just shattered, shattered, shattered...

Bochog by Rivermaya

I'm honestly hardpressed in choosing which Rivermaya songs to write about. I enjoy them alot, even with the transitions of members of the band.

I choose Bochog, because somehow without listening to it for months, it popped in my head yesterday. It has a melancholic feel to it... and another unrequited love song for the books. I got a feeling that Kakoy Legaspi had a lot of influence with the direction of the Rivermaya sound for this album with a lot of great guitar parts. I'm not sure who copped the guitar solo for this song, but DAMN!, that's how I would like my guitar playing to sound.

Tumawag ka agad sa akin
ng matanggap mo ang mga rosas kagabi
Binasa mo ang sulat na
kasama't para kang lasing na pusa sa kilig

Busog na ang 'yong isipan
Busog na ang puso mo
Pero ako

Mula pa sa may kanto ay
tuloy-tuloy kitang pinagmasdan kinaumagahan
Hanggang tenga ang 'yong ngiti
at tila na sa ulap lumilipad sige lipad

Busog na ang 'yong isipan
Busog na ang puso mo
Pero ako

Sa panaginip ko ako ang nagbigay
ng mga rosas at inibig mo ako ng tunay

Busog na ang 'yong isipan
Busog na ang puso mo
at wala ka ng kailangan
Busog na ang 'yong mundo

Busog na ang 'yong isipan
Busog na ang puso mo
Pero ako

'Wag Na Init Ulo Baby by Rivermaya

Today is "bad trip" day. My work day just started and the first thing i got was an email i didn't want to see. Unfortunately a dose of this song didn't help. Not a even a Rivermaya song can't help me from this.

malapit na akong matunaw
sa init ng iyong ulo
muntikan pa ‘kong masugatan
sa talas ng pagtitig mo

pumapangit ka nanaman
easy nakakahawa yan
ako ay nakikiusap lang

‘wag na init ulo baby
dinggin mo please payong ito
Inom tubig, nood ng TV
gaan bigla probema mo

hindi naman kinakailangan
na ngumiting agad-agad
tsaka na tayo magpalitan
ng "I love you, I swear to God"

alam na natin yon diba?
maubos nang mga tala
ako’y nandito lang sinta
‘wag na init ulo baby

dinggin mo please payong ito
Inom tubig, nood ng TV
gaan bigla probema mo
'wag na init ulo
'wag na init ulo
'wag na init ulo baby

Grounded Ang Girlfriend Ko by Rivermaya

At last!!!! After around 4-5 years of waiting, I got my copy of Rivermaya's It's Not Easy Being Green. My favorite cut from the album is Shattered Like, but once I got to listen to this song... grabe! this is the Rivermaya music I've loved thru and thru! I love the simplicity of the lyrics and it's quite catchy!

Grounded ang girlfriend ko
(Hindi pinapagamit ng telepono)
Grounded ang girlfriend ko
(Me-balak pa namang sa Miyerkules mag-disco)

Ngunit hindi ko siya I-
Pagpapalit kahit na
Kanino pang mas malaya

Grounded ang girlfriend ko
(Hindi rin maaaring dumalaw sa kanila)
Grounded ang girlfriend ko
(Ayokong manood ng sineng mag-isa)

Ngunit hindi ko siya I-
Pagpapalit kahit na
Kanino mang mas malaya

Hetong sabihin mo
Sa tatay mong

Wag kang masyadong nag-aalala
Lalo ka lamang tatanda
Mabuti pa'y payagan mo na
Ang prinsesang iniibig nating dalawa

Serious Offender by Rivermaya

I'm not really sure what this song is all about. Girls selling their soul to the devil? or girls having fun? Sex, drugs and rock n' roll? One thing's for sure, this song's rockin and was recorded by 3 individuals, the power of the trio. and talk about the solo? taena!

she is a catwalk siren
trapped in the latest fashion
in a seven eleven
she make you dream of heaven

she pull the strings of passion
with clinical precision
she is realization
of your imagination

she plants a gaze upon you
she feels her skin and sighs

she make you think
she wanna bang bodies
anywhere baby
but its got to be now

don't you believe her
she'll play you for a joke
the flesh is willing
and your spirit chokes

she's a serious offender
she's a serious offender

HATE by Rivermaya

I was revisiting some of the old Rivermaya albums particularly the self-titled debut and Tuloy Ang Ligaya, which featured a revamped lineup. Funny i just now realized that both are the only albums by Rivermaya wherein there were five members, with Rico Blanco and Mark Escueta the only hold overs.

With strong singles such as 214, Ulan, Awit ng Kabataan and Bring Me Down, I was curious to take a plunge to old Rivermaya music to take a listen to some of the lesser known songs. I was surprised to hear Halik sa Araw, the heaviest song in the lot (with an interesting intro to boot) and HATE.

HATE is a love song which i can fully relate to. Hopeful, full of ironies, hints of hesitation and mixed emotions.

Well, if you're happy then then I'm blue
Cause I'm not so far but not with you
And I can't see why we can't see each other
I telephone but you're sleeping forever

I hate you for the things you do but i love you
And curse you for your beauty
that makes me some poetry about love

And I don't think you even think about me
If only you were smiling,
And if I was your reason, tomorrow i could die

I can only pray my absence will change you
Pretend that you're the one who needs my love
But you celebrate cause, yes, why should you miss me
When you know darn well I'd die just to bring us together

And this is not a love song... Don't even think it's your song!

Out of Reach by Rivermaya

I remember owning a copy of this album... a cassette tape during high school. I really didn't like the album at first... but it really grew on me.

The song's about a guy... admiring a girl from afar. This is my story.

You are the best
That I’ve ever seen
Out from your apartment
And into my dreams
Up on the rooftop
The comets and me
One of ‘em tells me
You’re out of reach

Don’t turn your head this way.
I need a magic potion
To make you feel the same
Way that I feel

O, static photograph
(The one that you wouldn’t give to me)
Stolen from your best friend’s diary
(The one that I stole from her)
Talk to me
Talk to me!!!!

Beautificent scenery from seventeen rows behind you
I whisper a thought pretending you would hear

I was never gonna ever call you!
Was never gonna waste my time
Was never gonna see you
But I just changed my mind