The difference readily manifests as that between hardcore punk and melodic indie. In this entry we'll explore this difference as well as the commonality of these pieces. First of all, it's apparent that the lyrics of the two are very similar. Thus here I'll only give the lyrics of the second version:
The newspaper never speak the truth
That the people died in an accident.
Will they be reborn like the Bible says?
You need to find the truth and the way
Because there's fear inside this place
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
The newspaper never speak the truth
That the people died in an accident.
Will they be reborn like the Bible says?
You need to find the truth and the way
Because there's fear inside this place
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Voice of the people can't find the reason Voice of the people can't find the reason
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
Voice of the people can't find the reason
Wake up from your dream
The first stanza makes the point clear outright: the Chinese populace is blinded by censorship. One example is the famous 1989 Tiananmen Protest, where many college students perished under fire. Sarcastically, Demerit remarks that people like them died in “an accident” --- a standard cover-up technique adopted by the government controlled media. On another level, the “people” also refer to the general Chinese citizens, whose sovereignty of choice, a (western) defining aspect of “life,” “died” in the confiscation of knowledge. The double entendre continues with the Biblical reference. It asks two things: will the martyrs of freedom be designated as saints and “reborn” into the Kingdom of God? And will the people regain the vitality of free choice? Finally the message becomes explicit with the last 2 lines, calling for the “truth” and the “way” to live under this “fear” imposed by censorship and oppression. (The “way” may also be interpreted as the Tao way, which is the quintessential force behind the world in Taoism; in this sense the “way” implies that the attempts to cover up events will eventually be undone as Tao will maintain the natural balance in the world. However, as Western traditions actually appear to dominate the Eastern in this song, this interpretation may not be an intended effect of the band).
Next, the repetition of the chorus forms a powerful chant. The Chinese populace are trapped in a “dream” --- an irrational, surreal trance --- where they lose their “[reasoning ability]” and can't discern the cause of tragedies such as that of 1989 or any cause at all to unite under. Paradoxically, Demerit refers to a single “voice” of the people, expressing a strong belief in its unity after all. Thus, there is a bright hope of the day when everything becomes open, and Demerit with its own voice is desperately trying to ignite that hope in everyone's heart.
Note that both songs are in A Minor, which helps produce the darker sound.
Now, how does Demerit use the (almost) same set of lyrics to produce two drastically different styles? While the original version (this will be referred to as v1 from now on) bluntly asks for change, the later version (referred to as v2 from now on) reverberates the same slogan in a more mature and patient but still solidly determined tone.
In v1, the main vocal is hoarse and masculine while the backup is slightly sharper. The former is further characterized by “roaring” and the latter screaming. These are sounds of desperation, anger, and abandon. They direct Demerit's young energy into countering what they see as unjust and fettering. In addition, the guitar sounds are very dirty and grunge-like, and also the conservative attacks on cymbals of the drums (or maybe the placement of the recorder) blur their sounds into one another, befitting similar qualities of the vocals. The lo-fi quality compounds the effect more. The fast-paced rhythm carried on by the energetic drums combined with the vocals easily makes hard-rock audiences bang their heads and identify with Demerit's purposes. Lyrically, Demerit slurs the pronunciations and stresses the “voice of the people” a lot more with the main vocal's rapid repetition. Again, these attributes reinforce the lo-fi punk sound and the summoning of the people's spirits of revolution. The song ends with the decrescendo of the continuation of the chorus --- it's not over yet. And this is where v2 picks up.
On a direct contrast with v1, v2 has a markedly softer, more sombre musical and lyrical tone. The guitars unplugged themselves and slowed down. The drums completely disappeared, and the only percussions --- the clap and the tambourine --- enter only at the end. Segments of static is added as a backdrop for the guitar. The static relates to the industrial urban setting of China (or, more specifically, probably Beijing) and resembles the blurriness of truth resultant from censorship. The vocal becomes more tender but not resigning. Instead, the effect is of a more experienced and mature voice with a formidable determination compared to the seemingly reckless sound from v1. The main vocal in addition gains more finesse by singing through a speakerphone; its hushing quality actually sounds like that of one talking into a sleeper's ears. The vocals now resemble the “voice of the people” much more as 2 heterogeneous but synchronized voices. Finally, the hope and triumph crescendo in the song as the guitars pick up their rhythms (from more eighth note based to more sixteenth based) and dynamics and culminate in the last repetition of the chorus as the percussions come in. This less violent rendition appeal more to the average individual who may be appalled by the likes of v1's punk sound. Thus v2 calls not for a revolution but for a more graduated but momentous reform.
With v2, Demerit qualifies its own opinions from the previous album with this polar opposite edition of a past favorite. More importantly, the v2 “Voice of the People” ends its most recent album “Bastards of the Nation,” still characteristic mostly of hardcore punk, as a more peaceful resolution of its fight for change. It reminds listeners of fierceness and fearlessness in thought but of prudence and maturity in action.
OK. So how bad exactly are the problems of censorship and oppression in China? We'll explore this issue in the next entry.
