by Matthew Lien

 

Here I stand in Bressanon 
With the stars up in the sky  
Are they shining over Brenner  
And upon the other side  

You would be a sweet surrender
But I must go the other way  
And my train will carry me onward  
Though my heart would surely stay  
Oh my heart would surely stay……  

Now the clouds are flying by me
And the moon is on the rise
I have left the stars behind me
They were diamonds in your skies

You would be a sweet surrender
But I must go the other way 
And my train will carry me onward  
Though my heart would surely stay ? 
Oh my heart would surely stay…… 

我站在布列瑟农,  
头顶的夜空有星星在闪烁  
那是在我故园的方向, 
故园总是让我回头遥望.

   

你是个甜蜜的怀抱,  
但我必须远走他乡, 
我心将停留这里,
列车确要把我带向远方. 
哦!我的心只属于这里.   
             
看那云雾缤纷飞过, 
看那月亮正在冉冉升起,  
那些星星已离我遥远, 
那是你夜空中闪烁的宝石. 
 
你是个甜蜜的怀抱,
但我必须远走他乡,
我心将停留这里
列车确要把我带向远方. 
哦!我的心只属于这里.

 

The Story behind the Song

Hello Forrest, 
 
Thank you for your comments. Now make yourself a cup of hot tea, sit back, and I'll tell you a story about Bressanone...   

Several years ago, I fell deeply in love with a young woman, and also with a part of northern Italy known as South Tyrol. It borders Austria, just south of the Brenner mountain pass which separates Italy from Austria.    

South Tyrol used to be joined with North Tyrol (now a part of Austria) and West Tyrol (now a part of Switzerland). The people of this area speak a dialect of German. But since Tyrol was divided and South Tyrol became a part of Italy, all the place names are in both German and Italian.   

Anyway... I once worked for Greenpeace many years ago, where I met a young woman who melted my heart. We met while on a retreat in California's Yosemite Nat
ional Park. After the retreat, she returned to the Colorado Greenpeace office, and eventually went back to school in New York state. I returned to the San Diego Greenpeace Office, and eventually went back to my home in the Yukon, Canada.   

Over the months we stayed in touch. Soon we discovered that we would both be close again. She was going to study art in Florence, Italy, and I was going to live in Munich, Germany performing with a rock band called "Marching Powder"... ahhhh yes, Marching Powder... but that's another story.  
 
When we were both in Europe, we made arrangements to meet in a place that was close to being between Florence and Munich. This was the South Tyrolian town called "Brixen" in German, or "Bressanone" in Italian. Bressanone is a beautiful town surrounded by small villages high in the mountain valleys with churches ringing and sheep in the meadows, and the awesome peaks of the Dolomite mountains towering beyond.  

We spent several days exploring the mountain villages and each other's hearts. And when the day came for her to return, I took her to a train station in a nearby village, and we said goodbye. It was very sad to be going our own ways again. With tears in my eyes, I got on a bus and headed for the train station in Bressanone. During the short 40 minute bus ride, I fell asleep. And while I slept, I had a dream in which I could hear this song, complete with the words and music. When I awoke, I got off the train and went to the nearest coffee shop to write the words and music on a napkin, so I would not forget.

It was years later when I finally recorded the song. I will always have a place in my heart for her... and for that village... and for this song.

Thank you for listening. Now... off to bed with you!!! 

Matthew