“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
I hate cliches.
And yet I’m also a sucker for when they laser in on the exact point your spirit wants to make. Combine that with a distracted, sleep-deprived brain unwilling to find another way to describe an idea, ay ket anya ngay garud. (added local cliche extra, you’re welcome)
Going back to the cliche’s point: regardless of how organized a plan and schedule is written and set, life—with all its color, wonder, and force—still holds all the cards and deals as it sees fit. Unnerving and, at times, confusing as it is, it’s a reminder of how fleeting things are and of everything’s impermanence. It’s easy to fall into the traps and routines of believing tomorrow’s guaranteed. Taken for granted, we start forgetting the truth that all we truly ever have is the moment at hand.
This Week’s Song:
Kailanpaman by Kevin Roy (2002)
(Cousin note: Holy cow, how can this be from 20 years ago? 2002 was only 10 years ago? Right? Right? Someone please remind me I’m not too old yet.)
What do I like about it?
Kailan Pa Man was penned by Rizal Underground’s resident guitar maestro Mike Villegas (BilanggoooOO?)—and given vocal life by former Razorback frontman Kevin Roy. Reaching the finals of 2002’s Himig Handog Love Songs competition, it lost to “Kung Ako Nalang Sana.” (Yes, that Kung Ako Nalang Sana.)
Which, in retrospect, is the musical equivalent of losing in the NBA Finals to a prime Michael Jordan. There’s no shame in losing to an absolute GOAT.
So, what do I like about the song? Well, Kevin Roy’s solid, controlled vocals and Mike Villegas’ suave guitar work aside, this song’s heart resides in the tale crafted, crooned, and cried into the microphone. The lyrics are straight and honest in their delivery, questioning the words we utter out of habit, which, most times, detach us from all we truly have: the present.
It doesn’t pander to the tropes of a typical everlasting love song but stands defiant against it, arguing for the now. It’s not the most romantic of tunes, and I struggle calling it a love song, but it’s a refreshing approach that steps away from its idealized musical siblings and basks in a more nuanced, realistic light.
It’s a reminder of the truth and power of the present. And how hard it is to be sustained by the promises of tomorrow, and the revelries of the past.
Not impossible, but not easy either.
What mountain memories does it conjure?
I first heard this song back in college and probably never fully understood its appeal and intention until my first, real long-term relationship fizzled out into ashes. Heartbreak does wonders in teaching one about the importance of keeping one’s mind in the present and not losing oneself to the what-ifs and could-bes of tomorrow, as well as the had-beens of the past.
Staying present was the one way of staying sane.
One weekend afternoon, long before the metal fence and gates surrounded the green space in front of City Hall, I sat upon those steps and watched cars pass by. My thoughts moved from car to car until the park lights came on and the evening crickets began chirping. Still grief-stricken and amid all the life changes I was navigating then, that afternoon of car-watching provided me some measure of solace in helping keep me and my mind there, at that moment.
This song feels like that memory. Of wanting to stay. In the now.
Who should you recommend it to?
This may be a nice track to recommend:
- A couple who need refocusing on their now, adjusting their lens from being too far forward, and too far back.
- Your realist friend who loves movies like 500 Days of Summer, and likes love songs light on the sappy side and heavier on the real side.
Which lyrics deserve a second read-through?
“Hindi ko maintindihan,
pangakong magpakailanman.
Nagsinungaling ka lang diyan.
Ang bukas mo’t ng sino man,
ay di nakikita, at di maisasalba
kung tangayin sa agos ng panahon.
Kaya pangsamantala, habang nandito pa,
tanggapin mo ang pag-ibig ko ngayon.”
Three lines into the song’s opening and you know this song means business.
And so…
And so, the sixth Cousin’s Kanta Corner entry is complete. I must confess I wrote this in a daze, buried beneath a tsunami of thoughts and emotions, so thank you in advance for slogging through it all.
Announcements and Matters of Cousin Interest:
– I’m still getting settled in this new address, and honestly, it’s a struggle re-establishing my routines and energies. Tumultuous is a word not far from how I’d describe some days mentally and emotionally.
– I probably had five other songs I wanted to write about today because I felt each one held a piece of truth worth sharing. But I decided to go with this song, which I’d already decided on late last week as I was heading out from work. I figured with my moods over this past weekend, I’d never be able to choose a song because every tune feels like something I want to write about. Make sense? No? Ok.
Here’s to hoping for more mental clarity over the next few weeks!
Thank you again for reading, kakabsat. Take care of yourselves. Stay present, and apir!