︎About “Shy”
Fall 2021
Album Cover design, Video making, Package design
(Click to watch the video)
Only reading the lyrics feels a kind of sadness. However, when you listen to the song, this will bring different feelings for you. Because the song makes me feel relax, I choose warmer color as my main color. The cold tone of light purple would bring coldness for people. For this album, I use the paper cut-out effect because this is a Chinese traditional culture. All of colors are all ancient Chinese color. The first layer of color is dark green blue, we always use this color to present night. The second layer is light orange and a little red, the ancient people regard this color as relaxation. And according to the lyrics, the poet was drinking, so this is a relaxing behavior. The different saturation of green also has their own meaning. For the darker green, this color is Song Dynasty’s people favorite color for clothes. And lighter green, they always use for painting china. The pink was also used for their clothes. I choose these color also want to present that ancient era. The paper-cut silhouette of the person who is drinking wine is the poet. Because he missed his families so much, there is no body drinking with him. He only drank with the moon. And he got drunk, he felt like that he flied to the sky. That is why I add the cloud around him. I put wine bottle close to the moon owing to pretending the moon pure the wine for the poet. And I left one drop of wine on the bottle neck because I want to show that there is only one drop of wine left and the poet finished wine.
When I was in middle school, students were required to remember this poem. At that time, I just recited it because of exam. I never felt how beautiful this poem it is. And later I listened this song, and understood what it talks about. I thought that I missed something more important than exam. I love this song so much.
The song that I choose is a traditional Chinese song. The lyrics of this song are actually a poem. This poem was written by ancient poet: Dongpo Su. He lived in Song Dynasty of ancient China. And nowadays, people add melody for this poem and sing it. This poem describes the poet drank a lot under the moon and missed his families. This is a translation of Yutang Lin’s version:
How rare the moon, so round and clear!
With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky,
"I do not know in the celestial sphere
What name this festive night goes by?"
I want to fly home, riding the air,
But fear the ethereal cold up there,
The jade and crystal mansions are so high!
Dancing to my shadow,
I feel no longer the mortal tie.
She rounds the vermilion tower,
Stoops to silk-pad doors,
Shines on those who sleepless lie.
Why does she, bearing us no grudge,
Shine upon our parting, reunion deny?
But rare is perfect happiness--
The moon does wax, the moon does wane,
And so men meet and say goodbye.
I only pray our life be long,
And our souls together heavenward fly!