Time Flies

When Tears for Fear opened the concert with the familiar melodic strains of “Welcome to your life,” of the song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” I was immediately transported to the 80’s when that song was in my last music syndrome memory box for an extended period of time.

Listening further to the angsts of Roland who created the band with Curt with a strong psychological affiliation of transforming the fears to tears as a bridge to coping, I assessed that their songs popularized in the 80’s heard again in the 21st century can pass the test of time. Still relevant, current, modern.

Concert's playlist interpreted to about 17 thousand concert goers supported with technically superior audio and video facilities in a landmark venue, several insights were spontaneously floating in my mind. One of them was how can life go on immediately after the “Hagupit ng Habagat” as if nothing happened? Another was, "Will the sights and sounds bring back the memory of my youth?"

Beside me was a young Chinese in the company of older folks appreciating the songs of another era who would stand up and sway to the beat of the drums when familiar songs are played. This validated that TFF music’s appeal to multiple generations. He would sit down when Roland churns in his relatively new tunes and stand up again and swing his body when the crowd gets excited. Though not skillful, he was naturally following the graceful rhythm of his pace.


New and old generation alike were equally approving and moving in varying degrees. But who would enjoy it the most?

After about an hour and a half, Roland and Curt ended the set playlist with “Head over Heels” resonating Araneta Coliseum with the prolonged melody of the final line, “tiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmeeee fliiiiiiieeeees.”

With the crowd’s loud and appreciative applause, at that moment, the line confirmed the debate I initially entertained, "It is inevitable, you cannot hold time.  Just go along with it.”

Moving out of the crowded coliseum, another song "Mad World" kept on ringing in my ear, "the dreams in which I'm dyin' are the best I've ever had."  TFF last 10 August might just be a dream.