Chapter 110: Class 3-2, Sunny Days, and a Certain Classmate
After the rare online broadcast of “Sunny Day” ended, the comment section fell silent, devoid of the earlier bustle. No one sent virtual flowers or likes; only a user named Hyacinth posted, “Why did this make me cry?”
Then others followed, “I cried too.”
“You’re not alone. I’m a grown man, and when I listened to this song just now, I remembered that night a year ago and couldn’t hold back my tears,” wrote a user named Ancient City Wanderer.
“I just broke up with my girlfriend of five years. Coming home from work, I heard Brother Yi Feng playing ‘Sunny Day’ on the radio and couldn’t help but cry. I think I’ll talk to her properly; I want her to listen to ‘Sunny Day,’” commented a user called Sugar Dumpling.
“I didn’t even catch the melody clearly before Poison’s voice moved me. It reminded me of my childhood sweetheart. I wonder, Rong Zhiyi, are you well in that distant land?” said a user named Lost City.
The entire comment section was filled with heartfelt confessions, without a single emoji.
Yi Feng Hao felt deeply moved. He tried to speak into the microphone but found no sound. Looking closer, he realized he hadn’t even turned it on. Smiling wryly, he switched it on and said, “Well, how should I put it? I feel this song captures all of our first loves. It’s the first time I’ve felt that touching someone’s heart can be so simple. The straightforward lyrics, three chords weaving a divine melody. I think most listeners will think of their school days, their secret crush, the innocent purity of youth, and its eternal nature when they hear this song.”
“I don’t think this song is something I can truly judge. It will live in everyone’s heart. When you recall the elm tree by the school, the windowsill of the classroom, the teacher’s blackboard, and that person you quietly liked, you will sing this song. Regarding memories, will you wait or leave? I hope my wife hasn’t heard this episode because she would see me with red eyes, remembering those rainy afternoons after school when I once held a hand.”
“Yeah! My first love—although we both must now walk separate paths and endure the relentless changes of time—I once loved with all my might. I feel I was very brave.”
Finally,
I want to
Thank every long night of conversation. Having her by my side, I was not alone in my loneliness.
Thank her for choosing every outfit and hairstyle for me. I will take good care of myself in the days to come.
Thank our shared journeys, which give me memories to savor for a lifetime.
Thank Jay’s Poison.
Thank ‘Sunny Day.’”
Yi Feng Hao gathered his scattered thoughts and smiled at the mic. “But I have to complain a bit! This ‘Jay’s Poison’—what kind of name is that? It’s in English, yet he’s clearly Chinese. The whole English name just baffles me. We almost missed such great music because of it. And what’s this five-yuan trial listen nonsense? No downloads! I would have tolerated fifty yuan for a download, but five yuan just for a single listen? For someone like me who’s used to looping a single song, this is a tragedy!!! Wait, I’m calling on everyone to flood Jay’s Poison’s page with comments demanding downloads be enabled. If he ever shows up in front of me now, I swear I won’t kill him!”
After his tough words, he sighed and said, “Maybe I should just humbly beg him to enable downloads, be a bit more sincere. Perhaps then someone might agree!”
The comment section erupted in mocking “hahaha” reactions.
Many users were already pressing for the next song. Some impatient listeners had sneakily heard it and left comments saying it was even more incredible.
This caused many who found the five-yuan trial too expensive and hadn’t listened yet to spam the names of the other two songs besides the guitar version of “Sunny Day”: “In the Name of the Father” and “Class Three, Grade Two.”
Yi Feng Hao wasted no time either; he was eager to hear more of Jay’s Poison’s work.
By now, these songs had disappeared from the chart’s bottom, so he had to visit a’sposon’s homepage, click “Class Three, Grade Two,” and, without hesitation, pay for it.
“Discipline office report, discipline office report—
Class Three, Grade Two, Jay Chou—
Report to the discipline office at once.
Keep your eyes sharp,
Remember my face.
No need to look too tense—
I am Class Three, Grade Two.
The profile of me concentrating on playing ball isn’t bad at all.
The blackboard is the place to absorb knowledge,
But I don’t like the classroom sunlight.
It’s not as natural as the playground.
Why are the prettier girls always in the next class?
And the exam answers—
I just don’t know how to solve them.
It’s okay, keep trying.
It’s okay.
Why is it so hard to raise your hand in class?
Why is it so easy to get online treasures?
Why don’t girls like those who are too fat?
Why is it always someone else’s phone ringing?
Forehand long shots are just beginner ping pong.
Backhand short hits and fierce smashes are advanced ping pong.
Spin techniques, ping pong.
Front-court fast attacks, ping pong.
Practicing ping pong against the wall.
How strong must the first-place champion be?
No need to ask; there will always be someone challenging you.
How many levels must you pass?”
“Don’t be afraid—show them what a real man is.
Can I refuse this award?
I don’t want to ask, just want to sweat a little.
I’m my own judge.
I don’t want to say who I choose to fight or what battles I must face.
Attention all teachers and students,
Today I want to praise a student.
He brings glory to the school,
We should all look up to him.
I don’t want to just keep walking like this,
Every day meeting those hostile eyes.
Waiting for the chance to defeat the other side—
I don’t want this outcome.
This vain pride,
This ridiculous goal—
I actually know,
You just want to show off.
I will never be able to do it.
You will never win.
I will never do it.
You will never win.
Never win.
Go out to the countryside to find the scent of flowers.
Why can’t you do this simple thing?
Sitting in the carriage heading south,
Why can’t you catch up at this speed?
Birds fly through this alley.
Why can’t you do this simple thing?
Think carefully about this peaceful life.
Why can’t you catch up at this speed?
Not funny, not funny, not funny...”
When “Class Three, Grade Two” finished, Yi Feng Hao was silent. This song struck him even harder than “Sunny Day.” In this era, there was no “rap” as a musical form; to him, this seemed inspired by the rhythmic spoken-word style of clapper talk, a rhythmic recitation. The verses were mostly straightforward speech without melody, yet paired with the background music, it was extraordinarily pleasing. The chorus brought beautiful melodies intertwined with rhythmic spoken parts, an auditory explosion.
One could say Jay’s Poison had created an entirely new musical form.
“This is a genius, a genius, a genius!” Yi Feng Hao couldn’t help but roar into the mic, though many listeners might not understand the excitement of a seasoned music critic.
Holding the mic with trembling hands, he shouted, “I won’t even talk about this being a new musical form or the immense significance this song holds for Chinese music history. Let’s analyze this unbeatable arrangement first. ‘Class Three, Grade Two’ is the most complex and exquisite arrangement I’ve ever seen—no, heard—in my life. It’s also the first time I’ve heard someone incorporate a sport into lyrics so seamlessly and with such profound meaning.”
“Discipline office report, Class Three, Grade Two, Jay Chou, report to the discipline office immediately.”
The ping pong sound effects might seem comical and frivolous,
But if you use your eyes and ears carefully, you’ll find
This song is not funny at all.
It’s extraordinarily complex.
Musically, there’s a segment like rhythmic spoken-word lightheartedly depicting school life,
With many harmonies mixed in.
Lyrically, it’s a long, direct narrative.
The two verses portray completely different scenes and moods.
In terms of arrangement,
There’s the school bell,
The ping pong sounds,
More details below.
From the thematic perspective, never before had a sports topic been used so metaphorically,
Asking a question everyone has pondered since childhood: how strong is the first-place champion?
Can I refuse this award?
At this point,
Some might still doubt this song’s status as the most complex in Chinese pop history.
Let me explain in detail.
Starting with the arrangement, we all know the more complex the arrangement, the more impressive.
“Class Three, Grade Two” might have slapped me hard; I was shocked by one thing.
Why shocked? Behind the seemingly overwhelmingly complex sound effects,
There’s a strange truth.
The initial alarm clock, class bell, ping pong, then strings start,
If you listen closely, just the strings, through the entire song,
You’ll find the whole song repeats the same string melody over and over.
Except for some parts of collaboration, it’s almost just one melody throughout.
What’s even stranger is why this goes unnoticed.
Because this melody fits perfectly with every part of the song from start to finish.
So why choose this melody alone? I thought seriously about this.
Is it a coincidence?
Obviously not.
Let me ask a question:
How many people cried or felt sorrow listening to this song?
I believe it’s not just me being sensitive.
A good work resonates.
I think this sorrowful atmosphere is created by this string melody.
The arranger repeats it without other purpose—to tell you, this song is not funny at all.
Simplicity with deep meaning—that’s the mark of a master.
Now, let me emphasize the ping pong sound effects.
These are not just for fun. The arrangement after 3:10, after the “not funny, not funny” part,
Is the essence of the entire song.
The battle between strings and ping pong reaches its peak.
Each ping pong hit is perfectly timed until the end.
I believe this is Jay’s Poison’s proudest work.
Now, about the lyrics.
This song is still lyrically complex.
Starting with school life,
It expands to classrooms, playgrounds, exams, ping pong matches,
From competitions to rivalries,
Finally arriving at the theme.
With just a few strokes, the author states the theme directly but leaves listeners deep in thought.
“Class Three, Grade Two” is a rare song with philosophical depth.
It tells us that the first place isn’t important at all.
The award doesn’t matter; your own ability is what counts.
Be your own judge.
I thought it would end there,
But the song isn’t over yet.
“Go to the countryside to find where the flowers bloom,
Sitting in the carriage heading south,
Birds fly through this alley,
Think carefully about this peaceful life.”
If you’re tired of urban competition,
Why not escape, pack your bag, and seek that scent of flowers?
Both arrangement and lyrics are outstanding; the song closes grandly.
Some spoken lines at the start are incredibly moving:
“Eyes, you must be sharp,
Remember my face,
No need to look too tense.
I’m Class Three, Grade Two,
The profile of me concentrating on playing ball isn’t bad at all.
The blackboard is the place to absorb knowledge,
But I don’t like the classroom sunlight.
It’s not as natural as the playground.
Why are the prettier girls always in the next class?
And the exam answers—I just don’t know how to solve them.”
“Forehand long shots are just beginner ping pong.
Backhand short hits and fierce smashes are advanced ping pong.”
Some melodic lines in the chorus are also exceptionally catchy.
Especially after 3:54, when spoken-word and singing intertwine, it’s a sonic marvel.
(Thanks to Night Wood Wind for the tip, and even more for being so active. Seeing your name keeps me warm while I type at my computer. Thank you.
Because I am a Jay Chou fan, these chapters have a bit more music critique. I don’t know if everyone will like it, but although not everyone loves Jay’s music, it’s undeniable that this era’s music belongs to him. I still remember when we had to buy tapes to listen to his songs. I once gave a box of “Fantasy” tapes to a girl I liked in my hometown. I remember playing Jay’s songs with college friends—his favorite was “Black Humor,” mine was “Silence.” I also remember traveling thousands of miles with my girlfriend to Beijing for his concert. A man in his thirties next to me cried during the chorus of “Sunny Day.” Regardless, his music was the soundtrack of my youth, and his songs are the footnotes to all our stories. He is the last king of the Chinese music scene.)