A song... in both Filipino and English? Taglish? Yeah.

Made this song after some thoughts about Filipino identity and whatnot. Square synths = vocal melody as usual.

Cover for the track is from here by the way!

TAGLISH LYRICS

VERSE 1

Hindi magkasundo mga identity

Salitang sabi ay parang nahati-hati

“Ito ba ako, o iyan ba ako?”

I can’t tell who I am, nakakalito

Drain the brain, refill it with some English “ispikening”

The kaluluwa is truly weakening

Spaghetti over pansit, not that it was ever atin

Huwag na magsalin-salin

PRECHORUS 1

Baka you understand me

Kung anong sina-say ko?

Parang tayo’y na-mix-mix

Na parang halu-halo

We are living in a cultural border

Isang pagitan sa gitna ng disorder

Pantayo, pansila, anong wika iyong dila

Tunay ba ang iyong kaluluwa?

CHORUS 1

Liminal ang iyong katauhan

Nasa pagitan ng silangan at kanluran

We’re in the threshold, the world between worlds

Pagkakakilanlan ay di na-pepreserve

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

VERSE 2

Toxic pride in the Filipino blood

Boosting nationality in violence and guns

Ba’t kaya lumalabas ang mga Pilipino?

‘Lang magandang buhay, puro lang peligro

PRECHORUS 2

Di ko matutukoy kung sa’n tayo sisimula

Where do we find a cause for all these phenomena?

May gamot ba sa ganitong kundisyon,

O incurable ba ‘to sa mahabang panahon?

Mayroon bang panlunas sa pain ng Pilipinas?

Dudugo ba lang lahat tayo?

CHORUS 2

Liminal ang iyong katauhan

Nasa pagitan ng buhay at kamatayan

Where do we stand on the global stage

Kung di natin matutukoy ang ating heritage

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

Liminal ang iyong katauhan

Nasa pagitan ng katwira’t kamalian

There is no right or wrong in the borderlands

Kahit anong mangyari papayagan iyan

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

BRIDGE

Inengkanto sa Biringan*

Ang katutubong kababayan

Di na babalik sa pinagmulan

Ang dating buhay ay iniwan

Ihukay niyo mula sa kalooban niyo

Ang inyong kaluluwa mula

Sa batis ng pantayong kabihasnan

Hiling ko lang sa iyo

Na iligtas mong kultura mo

Mula sa kadiliman ng limot

Isabuhay mo, isabuhay mo

Liminal ang iyong katauhan

Nasa pagitan ng mundo at iyong bayan

Ibang anyo ang kunin mo

Magiging takwil ka sa mga kapwa mo

Is this metamorphosis

To the worst apotheosis

PRECHORUS 3

Kung mababalik ko ang mga panahon

'Nong ibabago ko ‘pang imaneho ang landas

Ng kasaysayan ng ating bayan

Walang simpleng sagot, walang tamang sagot

P’ro di mababalikan mga nakaraan

Ngayon nating pwedeng baguhin ang daan

Mula sa kasaysayan na pinaghahaluan

Kapilipinuha'y matatamo

CHORUS 3

Liminal ang iyong katauhan

Nasa pagitan ng silangan at kanluran

We’re in the threshold, the world between worlds

Pagkakakilanlan ay di na-pepreserve

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

Liminal ang iyong katauhan

Pero 'to'y sa 'tin bilang Pilipinong bayan!

Di mamatay ang kapilipinuhan

Kahit s'anmang parte ng mundong mapadpad

Is this metamorphosis

Kung ito ba ang genesis

Ng bagong anyong buhay!

ENGLISH LYRICS

VERSE 1

Irreconciliable identities

Words spoken as if they were halved

“Is this me, or is that me?”

I can’t tell who I am, it’s so confusing

Drain the brain, refill it with some English “speakening”

The soul is truly weakening

Spaghetti over pancit, not that it was ever ours

No need to translate

PRECHORUS 1

Maybe you understand me

What am I saying?

It’s like we have been mixed

Like halo-halo

We are living in a cultural border

A border in the middle of disorder

Ours and theirs, what language is your tongue

Is your soul true?

CHORUS 1

Your identity is liminal

On the border between east and west

We’re in the threshold, the world between worlds

Identity is no longer being preserved

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

VERSE 2

Toxic pride in the Filipino blood

Boosting nationality in violence and guns

Why do you think Filipinos are leaving?

No good life, always full of danger

PRECHORUS 2

I can’t tell where should we start

Where do we find a cause for all these phenomena?

Is there medicine for this condition,

Or is this incurable for a long time?

Is there a cure for the pain of the Philippines?

Are we all just going to bleed?

CHORUS 2

Your identity is liminal

On the border between life and death

Where do we stand on the global stage

If we can’t point out what’s our heritage

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

Your identity is liminal

In the middle of right and wrong

There is no right or wrong in the borderlands

Whatever happens is allowed

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

BRIDGE

Enchanted to Biringan*

The native countryman

No longer returning to his origins

Leaving behind his past life

Dig deep within your spirit

Your soul from

The stream of our shared civilization

This is my wish to you

That you save your own culture

From the darkness of oblivion

Embrace and live it, embrace and live it

Your identity is liminal

On the border between the world and your community

You take on a different form

You’ll be repulsed by your peers

Is this metamorphosis

To the worst apotheosis

PRECHORUS 3

If I could turn back time

What should I change to steer the course

Of our country’s history

There’s no simple answer, no right answer

But we can’t go back to the past

Only now can we change the path

From the history that keeps getting mixed

We can find what’s truly Filipino

CHORUS 3

Your identity is liminal

On the border between east and west

We’re in the threshold, the world between worlds

Identity is no longer being preserved

Is this metamorphosis, or what we call “banyuhay”?

Your identity is liminal

But this is ours as a Filipino nation!

Our Filipino soul won’t die

No matter where we end up in the world

Is this metamorphosis

If this is the genesis

Of a brand new form of life!

* Biringan is a mythical city in Filipino mythology where engkanto (supernatural beings) live.

Song and lyrics by iWTBAT

Made in MuseScore 4