2008 Beijing Olympics theme song “You and Me” (MV version) by Sarah Brightman and Liu Huan

 Olympics theme song “You and Me” (MV version)

2008 Beijing Olympics Theme Song (You and Me)

Performed by: Liu Huan and Sarah Brightman

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Lyrics:

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???  Wo hé ni  (You and me)

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Wo hé ni, xin lián xin, tong zhù dìqiúcun
??????????????
You and me, From one wold, We are family.

Wéi mèngxiang, qianli xíng, xianghuì zài Beijing
??????????????
Travel dream, A thousand miles, Meeting in Beijing.

Láiba, Péngyou, shenchu ni de shou
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Come together, Put your hands in mine,

Wo hé ni,  xin lián xin, yongyuan yìjiarén.
??????????????
You and me, from one world, We are family.

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This is the second time Sarah Brightman sings for the Olympics. Here’s the first.

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Here’s the story behind this beautiful song.

Sarah Brightman moved to tears upon hearing Olympic theme

 

(BEIJING, August 8) – If you watched the Closing Ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games, then you’d surely remember the enchanting voice of British singer Sarah Brightman, who sang the 1992 Olympic anthem “Amigos Para Siempre” with José Carreras.

Sixteen years later, her voice was heard once again at an abandoned factory- turned-movie studio in the outskirts of Beijing with less than four days to go until the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Inside this worn studio, the music video for the Beijing Olympic theme song “You And Me” was being secretly filmed with Liu Huan and Sarah Brightman as the lead singers.

Although this will be Brightman’s second time singing the theme song for an Olympic Games, her dedication and excitement still remain strong. She was shocked at having been invited to sing in Beijing, not quite believing that she received the honor of performing an Olympic theme song again. Under the instruction of the music video’s director, Brightman tirelessly repeated scene after scene without any complaints.

Regarding the style of the theme song, Brightman described it as sweet, natural, pure, beautiful and very different from the theme songs of past Olympic Opening Ceremonies. When she heard “You and Me” for the first time, she was moved to tears by its graceful yet simple melody and honest lyrics.

Although “You and Me” is very different from the boundless and majestic style of “Amigos Para Siempre,” there is still some common ground between the two. Brightman noted that both songs have a common theme – unity, people from around the world closely joining together.

She also felt that “You And Me” had a very ‘international’ feel to it, which wrapped its Chinese core. Brightman said that she has always liked Chinese music and hoped to bring an eastern feel to the theme at the Opening Ceremony.

Because singers for the Beijing Olympic theme song weren’t finalized until the last days in July, Brightman and Liu had very little time to prepare for their roles. The Brit looked at the bright side of things, saying that the short time frame meant that instead of contemplating too much on her delivery, she was able to perform the song in a natural manner, probably the best approach she could have taken.

On August 8, Sarah Brightman and Liu Huan symbolically performed to the entire world on top of a model of the entire world, an “Earth” that rose up from the ground of the National Stadium. Brightman said that with the immense height of the stage to distract her, she couldn’t solely focus on singing, which minimalized her nervousness.

Having Liu Huan at her side also helped Brightman. The British artist was full of praise for her partner. She claims that she liked him right from the start because he had a very friendly face. Regarding the chosen piece, both Brightman and Liu said that the easiest songs are sometimes the hardest to sing. Therefore, they both worked very hard to understand the theme song in the days leading up to the Opening Ceremony.

Brightman also commented that sports activity, like music, was very pure and can bring together people of various backgrounds. She hopes that all athletes will be successful in this year’s Olympics and enjoy their 2008 Beijing journey.

 

source: beijing2008.cn

 

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