Top 10 Most Iconic Songs in the Career of Singer Tuấn Ngọc

In the musical journey of every artist, the guitar is likely one of the most iconic instruments that ties them to their musical legacy and serves as a source of emotional strength for composing unforgettable melodies. Among the vast collection of over 1,000 songs by composer Phạm Duy, 'The Forgotten Guitar' holds a special place in the hearts of the audience.

This song doesn't feature the familiar folk melodies typically found in Phạm Duy's works, but rather presents a soft, deep romantic ballad. It was one of the early compositions written by Phạm Duy when he was still a young man experiencing his first emotional stirrings. Although the song has been performed by many male artists, it is most beloved in the renditions by Duy Trác before 1975 and Tuấn Ngọc after 1975.

When love has faded and the lover has left, we are left with only the quiet pain of memories, which transform into tender scars when we look back. Like other musicians, when love falls apart, they have the notes of melancholy ready, as if they were always waiting, ready to fill the air with the sounds of heartache. Composer Nguyễn Tâm created one of his most famous songs, Seaweed, which captures this emotion.

'Better to be seaweed, better to be a bird flying, better to be drifting clouds...' Seaweed has the ocean to float in, birds have a destination to return to, clouds have the sky to share stories of storms and the sea. 'Wandering alone through life and finding joy...' The music begins with slow, sorrowful notes, the lyrics lingering like endless clouds in the sky.

As the chorus plays, we realize that the repeated phrase 'Better to be' leads us to a heartbreakingly lonely song about 'missing the solitude of being alone'. A day with you felt like giving you my entire life, but no one foresaw the day when 'the heart would break'. Alone in the dark, yearning for past days, the memories became wistful dreams under the moon and stars outside a cold window.

'Seaweed' was composed by Nguyễn Tâm in the 1980s, quickly embraced by the public. In the 1980s and 1990s, many renowned overseas singers performed 'Seaweed', including the late Duy Khánh, Vỹ Khanh, Duy Quang, Elvis Phương, Thái Châu, Anh Khoa, Tuấn Anh, Nguyễn Hưng, Kenny Thái, and Đức Huy... Later artists like Đan Nguyên and Nguyên Khang joined in, but it was Tuấn Ngọc's rendition that truly captured the feeling of loneliness and despair of a young man who had 'lost everything' in love.

After 1975, composer Vũ Thành An wrote many more songs, among which the most famous are No. 12 (Bên Nhau Chiều Gió Lộng), No. 37 (Rưng Rưng Lệ), and particularly No. 40, titled Golden Stone Life.

This song was completed by Vũ Thành An in 1993 in the United States, though in his memoir, he shared that the first lyrics of 'Golden Stone Life' were formed in 1974. At that time, he was only 31 years old but had already achieved great success and recognition that many could only dream of.

Not long before, Vũ Thành An had been appointed Head of the Gia Định Information Department. At 31, he became the Director of the Cultural Department, and held several other prominent positions, such as Editor-in-Chief of a newspaper, Program Director, and Planning Director at the Saigon Radio Station. In addition, he had already been a well-known musician for nearly a decade. Despite such a brilliant career, he sometimes felt his life was lost, as if lacking direction.

Regarding the meaning of the song's title 'Golden Stone Life,' Vũ Thành An explained that 'Stone' symbolizes sorrow and pain, while 'Gold' represents joy and happiness. 'Golden Stone Life' means that every life exists with both sorrow and happiness side by side. Therefore, we should open our hearts to embrace the love and happiness that are always around us, even if we may not notice it, which helps ease the suffering of life. 'Golden Stone Life' was successfully performed by singer Tuấn Ngọc.

Night Remembering Saigon is the saddest yet most beautiful song written about Saigon after 1975. It reflects composer Trầm Tử Thiêng's nostalgia for a glorious past, along with the sorrow of separation and the fates hidden in the dark night. This song is most famously known through the voice of Khánh Ly, followed by Tuấn Ngọc.

Lyrics:

"Night remembering Saigon
The streets of the past are still filled with sadness
The roads long for happy footsteps, waiting so long
The quiet road hears the past in silence
The road of separation still waits for news
The loneliness lingers through the night

Night remembering Saigon
The yellow music calls with familiar tones
The soft yellow lights in the rainy night
Who is sorrowing in the faded bar?
The figure of a mother faintly by the window
The eyes of a lover, a boundless sky.
How many memories does it bring..."

When mentioning Tuấn Ngọc, one cannot forget the song A Corner of the Sky by composer Ngô Thụy Miên. This is a special case because the song was composed after 1975, specifically in 1997, when both Tuấn Ngọc and Ngô Thụy Miên (born in 1948) were in their 50s. The song became a huge success and is considered one of the best songs of both Tuấn Ngọc and Ngô Thụy Miên, demonstrating the relentless work and creativity of overseas Vietnamese artists, regardless of age.

Lyrics:

"Love is like sunshine...
The sun brings you back
By the dreamlike stream
Lightly swaying with the wind
The wind carries the vow
Leaving the old place
Love is like the leaves, withering
Falling in sadness...
In the memory
The rain still falls
The clouds still drift
My love fades away.
The one on the other side is happy
While I am lonely here
I miss someone
Regretful arms...
Silent footsteps
Hearing the fading sunlight
Life is like mist...
Vague...."

Among the famous works of composer Nguyễn Đình Toàn, one of the most simple and emotional pieces is The Old House, which he composed for his one and only wife, Thu Hồng. He met her while writing his first novel, Chị Em Hải (1961). To Nguyễn Đình Toàn and those close to the family, Thu Hồng was the epitome of a devoted wife, tirelessly managing the household and caring for her family.

She was six years younger than him, with a smile in her eyes and a radiant face. Throughout her life, she stood by him during the most difficult times: when he suffered from a severe lung disease that required expensive treatment, and when he endured imprisonment multiple times while attempting to flee the country. In later years, she struggled with memory loss, sometimes forgetting, sometimes remembering, and he never left her side, taking her with him wherever he went, never allowing her to be alone at home.

The song The Old House was first introduced to the public in 1991 in the album Ai Trở Về Xứ Việt by Khánh Ly. Ten years later, the song was once again embraced by the public through the deep, heartfelt voice of renowned male singer Tuấn Ngọc.

Personal Sorrows is a famous song by one of the rare female composers in Vietnamese romantic music. The opening line of this song, 'There are some personal sorrows I cannot express,' has become a common phrase for many who want to lament the hidden sadness within their hearts. This song is mostly known through the voice of Tuấn Ngọc.

Lyrics:

"There are some personal sorrows I cannot express
Like clouds, like rain, like the endless sea
There are some personal sorrows no one knows
Like the distant moon high above
There are some personal sorrows, tears in the eyes
Like a tree after the rain, shining with sorrow
There are some personal sorrows that make the heart ache
Leaving the beautiful lips with a faded smile.
These personal sorrows are like water, ever changing
Somewhere echoing the sound of sorrow calling out
Oh, the sorrow overflowing..."

Composer Từ Công Phụng once shared: 'For me, love songs are the most beautiful path that brings people closer together, allowing them to share more with each other as they breathe the same air.' Perhaps this is why throughout his career, he chose to focus on composing love songs. Từ Công Phụng believed that music should focus on both melody and lyrics: the music must be captivating, and the lyrics must be beautiful and meaningful. The music and lyrics must blend harmoniously, touching the hearts of listeners. Tears for Someone is one such piece, with its smooth, soulful melody and profound lyrics.

'Tears' symbolize the tears shed in a love story marked by separation, echoing the rain in real life. 'Tears' are the endless flow of emotions in a faithful heart, carrying melodies of love that remain for life.

The rain quietly falls in the evening, trembling
Fading away from time, like your innocent tears
Sadness lingers, as the evening air fades
Do you not see, the world is hopeless?

Although the lyrics differ slightly from the original, many agree that Tuấn Ngọc is the one who performed Tears for Someone the most successfully, bringing the song closer to the hearts of fans of love ballads.

If you listen to Tuấn Ngọc sing this song, you might notice that his voice sounds a bit different from his other songs. This is understandable, as this recording was made in 1989 for the CD Lời Gọi Chân Mây, marking his first Vietnamese music recording after a long period of performing only international songs.

The song A Sad Love Story was composed by Phạm Duy, based on a poem by Phạm Văn Bình. The sad love story in the song is based on real events. In 1966, after his lover married someone else, Phạm Văn Bình disappeared, holding onto his grief in silence, without bitterness:

On your wedding day,

I curled up in my blanket,

Like a worm hiding

In a lonely fruit...

The song was first performed by the legendary Thái Thanh in the 1960s, but it is the versions by Sĩ Phú and Tuấn Ngọc that are most remembered today.

"Who Will Return to the Tương River" is the most famous song by Thông Đạt, a pen name of composer Văn Giảng. It was written in 1949 in Huế and first performed by Mạnh Phát on Radio France-Asia. At the time, Mạnh Phát was one of the leading singers of the 1940s and 1950s.

More than 70 years have passed, yet Who Will Return to the Tương River remains beloved by generations. Perhaps this is because its lyrics, filled with longing, are as tender and heartfelt as a love letter exchanged between lovers:

Far away, endlessly longing to remember you

Dreaming of your image, never forgetting

The fragrance of love, soft and gentle...

The song was sent by Thông Đạt to radio stations in Hanoi, Huế, and Saigon, and was quickly embraced nationwide for its poetic, soothing, and tender lyrics.

Before Tuấn Ngọc, many famous artists performed this song, but his rendition left a lasting impression, adding a profound sense of sadness, as though a boat aimlessly drifts across the endless river.