Queen’s Road East is a Canto-pop written in 1991, when Hong Kong’s future was determined by the British government and PRC government where Hong Kong people had absolutely no say. This song reflects the confusion of Hong Kongers and our fear for the Communist and PRC. If you watch the MTV carefully, you’d notice there are scenes of people and cars moving backward, a metaphor to symbolism that Hong Kong will go backward after the handover of sovereignty.
The lyrics is full of metaphor. Strongly illustrating Hong Kongers desperation and helplessness about our future.
Hope you’d enjoy the MTV and the lyrics translated below:
Queen’s Road West and Queen’s Road East
Queen’s Road East turns into Queen’s Road Central
Queen’s Road Central is crowded with people
Our royal friend is on the back of coins
Forever young and named the Queen
Follows me everywhere to do all sorts of trade
With an expressionless face that represents success
A dear friend leaves this big city and says goodbye
Have to rely on the comrades to create new ideas
Where properties are available everywhere, people carry on buying and selling
But Mong Kok* may have to change its name
This rightful friend is familiar and friendly
Hence, allowing horses to race only twice a week
People, therefore, naturally compete to cross the finishing line
If you wish to be a citizens of the great nation, all it requires is money
Our dear friend leaves this big city and says goodbye
Have to rely on the comrades to create new ideas
The hot and cold weather still affects this city
But we may have to seek help from people with supernatural power for a change of weather
Emptiness is form, form is emptiness**
Emptiness is form, form is emptiness…
This beautiful friend says goodbye in class
The same picture shown on TV every night
When the day of celebration comes, everyone has to applause
The respectable face on the back of coins turns into statues of martyrs
Our dear friend leaves this big city and says goodbye
Have to rely on the comrades to create new ideas
The railways, buses and taxis will run all the same
But one may not know the routes anymore
* Mong Kok is a famous district with lots of hawker stalls, but have changed massively because of the influx of PRC Chinese tourists
** A famous Buddhist quote
Free Hong Kong 