文／夏禮章
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已故鄉村歌星Conway Twitty最近獲得美國密西西比州一項殊榮，該州為表彰出生於密西西比於鄉村歌唱界有成就的鄉親們，特別規劃了Mississippi Country Music Trail「密西西比鄉村音樂路徑」，他們在特定的公路定點豎立歌星立牌，在牌上描述該歌星對鄉村歌唱界的貢獻，密西西比州以鄉村歌曲的發源地為榮，它也是Jimmie Rodgers，Tammy Wynette，Conway Twitty 與貓王 Elvis Presley這些名歌星的故鄉。
Conway Twitty的立牌 5月31日於他的出生地Friars Point揭幕。
Conway Twitty出生於1933年，本名Harold Lloyd Jenkins，1993年因血管疾病過世（59歲），Conway 10歲時就組了自己的合唱團the Phillips Country Ramblers，高中畢業時他曾經被費城人隊相中，差點當了職棒球員，但因被徵召去當兵而沒去成。
Conway Twitty一生從搖滾樂偶像歌星轉型成為鄉村歌曲巨星，自1968-1986年在鄉村歌曲排行榜一共唱出了40首排行榜冠軍曲，這個記錄直到2006年才被George Strait打破，1971-1976年Conway Twitty與「礦工的女兒」Loretta Lynn的搭擋二重唱曾經替他們贏得許多獎。
Conway Twitty佳作極多，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜中獲得第325名，他1975年與女兒Joni Lee合唱的Don’t Cry Joni是一首很可愛的情歌。
DON'T CRY JONI
Woman- Jimmy please say you'll wait for me
I'll grow up someday you'll see
Saving all my kisses just for you
Signed with love forever true.
Man - Joni was the girl who lived next door
I've known her I guess ten years or more.
Joni wrote me a note one day.
And this is what she had to say.
Woman-Jimmy please say you'll wait for me
I'll grow up someday you'll see
Saving all my kisses just for you
Signed with love forever true.
Man- Slowly I read her note once more
Then I went over to the house next door
Her tear-drops fell like rain that day
When I told Joni what I had to say.
Man- Joni, Joni please don't cry
You'll forget me by and by
You're just fifteen and I'm twenty two,
and Joni I just can’t wait for you.
Man - Soon I left our little home town,
Got me a job and tried to settle down
But these words kept haunting my memory,
the words that Joni said to me.
Woman- Jimmy please say you'll wait for me
I'll grow up some day you'll see
Saving all my kisses just for you
Signed with love forever true.
Man - I packed my clothes and I caught a plane
and I had to see Joni. I had to explain,
how my heart was filled with her memory
and ask my Joni if she'd marry me
I ran all the way to the house next door
but things weren't like they were before
My tear-drops fell like rain that day
When I heard what Joni had to say.
Woman- Jimmy, Jimmy please don't cry
You'll forget me by and by.
It's been five years since you've been gone
Jimmy, I - (married) - your best friend John.
※原文出自夏禮章西洋歌曲選粹節目主題
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