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Shake It by the Betel Nut Tree (Betel Nut Calypso, feat. Fish Lin)

from Hold That Tiger by The Muddy Basin Ramblers

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    NOMINATED FOR BEST RECORDING PACKAGE AT THE 2020 GRAMMYS! CD comes in a 7"x 7" sized sleeve designed by Onion Design Associates' Fongming Yang and Andrew Wong, who also earned a Grammy-nomination for our previous release "Formosa Medicine Show (2013)." To coincide with the album's themes, the CD design adopts color schemes and visual elements from traditional Taiwanese folk religion, mixed with 1950s Sci-fi kitch (Jug Band Futurism, if you will). Lyric sheets in English on one side and Chinese translations on the other. For more info on the design: www.behance.net/gallery/72382763/Hold-That-Tiger
    (Thanks to Onion Design for the photos)

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lyrics

I'm so thirsty I need a drink, but nobody gives me any time to think
I'm so thirsty I need a drink, but nobody gives me any time to think

They say, "Just chew the nut, you'll feel mighty fine"
But off in the distance I see a landslide
"Don't think too much, *ni xiang tai duo (*Mandarin Chinese, lit,. you think too much!")
When the typhoon come, they say “cha bu duo” (*Mandarin Chinese, lit,. "That’s good enough")

Shake it by the river
Shake it by the sea
Tomorrow doesn't mean a thing to me
Just shake it by the Betel Nut Tree

Shake it by the river
Shake it by the sea
Tomorrow doesn't mean a thing to me
Just shake it by the Betel Nut Tree

Government say cut down the tree, people say we must have economy
We need to live, we need to eat
So government pretends not to see

Look ahead, don't look behind
Land subsidence on the rise!
"Don't think too much, ni xiang tai duo,
Look at the ladies doe-see-do"

[Rap in Taiwanese:]

青青的果子滋味是按怎
比櫥窗裡的小姐擱較薟
原住民提來送訂佮做法
新幾內亞嘛有足濟人佇食
Let me tell you about the flavor of that green nut
Spicier than the lady selling it from the metal hut
The indigenous use it for wedding gifts and crafts
Their brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea also enjoy it

逐工哺哺哺 喙齒烏趖趖
趁錢有數 性命嘛愛顧
新聞講 走山攏是伊毋對
唉無法度 按怎改攏改毋好
Everyday I chew chew chew till my teeth turn black
Making a living is important, but sometimes I need to take this load off my back
The media blames us for the landslides
Oh, but it's just too hard to give up that high

From the mountains to the streets
Betel nut beauties cannot be beat,
I speak not of the ladies, I speak of the trees
In these urgent matters of hydrology

Zai yi bei, bu yao jin (Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, lit. “Have another cup, don't worry about it”)
The indigenous think "You must be kidding me?!?"

"Sell the nut, that's the bottom line"
No need to worry, we'll just pay the fine

credits

from Hold That Tiger, released November 1, 2018

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The Muddy Basin Ramblers Taipei, Taiwan

Hello! We're Formosa's Favorite Hepcats, playing jug band, blues, string band and swing jazz...and original music inspired by all of the above. Founded in 2003 by US/UK expats living in Taipei,Taiwan. 大家好！我們是泥灘地浪人！

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