記憶棉 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: MC 張天賦

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Cantonese can be a deeply emotional journey, and there's no better way to dive in than with '記憶棉' (Pillow Talk) by MC Cheung Tin-fu. This song beautifully captures the universal feeling of heartbreak, using the clever metaphor of a memory foam pillow to describe how memories of a loved one linger. Through its moving lyrics and MC's expressive vocals, you can learn to articulate complex emotions in Cantonese. What makes this song special is its raw honesty and relatability, making it a powerful and memorable way to connect with the language and the culture of Cantopop.

[English]

Hugging a sheet

Thinking of you inside my memory foam

Pillow used to feel so perfect and cozy

Spent most of the day lying down, nearly forgetting

Revisit the curves of your afternoon nap

Felt feelings revive only a few times

Fibers endured but still can't change instantly

Caring so intensely for you, I can't sleep

Decided that even recovering my single life doesn’t feel lonely

Even in deep sleep, I remain mentally present

From now on, you and I are more weary

Lying in bed, no longer facing each other

If being alone is a kind of relief

Decided I’d rather toss and turn over a hundred times

In loneliness, there's no point disturbing your recent life

Remember to turn off the ringer

寂寞那刻 無謂騷擾你近來動向

鈴聲 切記關掉

Don’t even bother with tomorrow’s awkwardness

If I seem lively, pretending to sleep perfectly, just to laugh with you

...

Anyone replacing me doesn’t bother me at all

Self-hypnosis so generous I can

Return everything that's yours — the spacious room, half of it empty

And with messy hair, how many times I’ve fallen asleep

Decided that even recovering my single life doesn’t feel lonely

Even in deep sleep, I remain mentally present

From now on, you and I are more weary

Lying in bed, no longer facing each other

Even in the emptiest state, I can at least enjoy living alone

...

Fell too deep, what's the point of turning over to change this ending

Not brutal enough, who did you hand the wedding invitation to outside?

If forcing things to go backwards

We never were a couple

Maybe being close friends is even more compatible

The ceiling collapses, yet I still blessing him and counting sheep with you

Enough of an open heart, why bother being so free and singing to myself

Remember to turn off the ringer

It’s better not to see you tomorrow, either

Let’s just say tears glands are malfunctioning, seep into memory early on

You can’t blame me

...

[Chinese]

人抱著一張被

在記憶棉內想起你

枕頭 從前舒適感太完美

躺了大半天差點記不起

重遊你午睡過的曲線

未見感情復甦過幾次

纖維 承受過的 仍沒法立時改變

竟然 淋漓盡致為你失眠

下定決心 回復單身都不覺荒涼

熟睡那刻 還未失憶我亦能靜養

從此 你我多累

床頭都不相對

假如 無伴侶是某種乾脆

下定決心 寧願輾轉反側百幾場

寂寞那刻 無謂騷擾你近來動向

鈴聲 切記關掉

明天見尷尬都不要

若我貌似精神 裝作睡滿分與你歡笑

誰人已替代我都不介意

自我催眠大方到可以

交還 全屬你的 房間闊落半邊是空置

和凌亂髮絲 入眠幾次

下定決心 回復單身都不覺荒涼

熟睡那刻 還未失憶我亦能靜養

從此 你我多累

床頭都不相對

狀態就算極空虛至少 驘得了獨居

陷入太深 何用翻身更改這收場

尚未夠狠 門外喜帖你共誰遞上

如果 勉強倒敘

從來都非一對

可能 如密友便更加登對

天花塌下 還在祝福他跟你數羊

胸襟夠吧 憑甚麼灑脫自彈自唱

鈴聲 切記關掉

明天見也最好不要

就當淚腺失調 早滲入記憶

你怪不了

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
記憶 /jì yì/ B2	noun - memory
棉 /mián/ A2	noun - cotton
失眠 /shī mián/ B2	noun - insomnia
荒涼 /huāng liáng/ C1	adjective - desolate
靜養 /jìng yǎng/ B2	verb - to rest and recuperate
寂寞 /jì mò/ B1	adjective - lonely
替代 /tì dài/ B2	verb - to replace
房間 /fáng jiān/ A2	noun - room
狀態 /zhuàng tài/ B1	noun - state
精神 /jīng shén/ B1	noun - spirit
淚腺 /lèi xiàn/ C1	noun - tear gland
心情 /xīn qíng/ B1	noun - mood
曲線 /qū xiàn/ B2	noun - curve
決心 /jué xīn/ B2	noun - determination
凌亂 /líng luàn/ C1	adjective - messy
喜帖 /xǐ tiě/ C2	noun - wedding invitation

Key Grammar Structures

• 人在記憶棉內想起你

  ➔ Use of the active subject + 在 + location + verb to indicate where an action takes place

  ➔ The phrase "人在記憶棉內想起你" shows a person (人) performing an action (想起你) inside a location (記憶棉內).

• 未見感情復甦過幾次

  ➔ Use of 未 + verb to indicate not having done something yet

  ➔ The phrase "未見感情復甦過幾次" shows that feelings (感情) have not yet revived (復甦) multiple times (過幾次).

• 纖維 承受過的 仍沒法立時改變

  ➔ Use of 纖維 + 承受過的 to describe the fiber's experience, + 仍 + 沒法 + verb to express inability

  ➔ The structure "纖維 承受過的 仍沒法立時改變" indicates that the fibers (纖維) experienced (承受過的) cannot immediately (立時) change (改變), despite their history.

• 假如 無伴侶是某種乾脆

  ➔ 假如 + clause (if) to express a hypothetical situation

  ➔ The phrase "假如 無伴侶是某種乾脆" uses "假如" to introduce a hypothetical scenario about being single (無伴侶), suggesting a condition or thought experiment.

• 就當淚腺失調 早滲入記憶

  ➔ 就當 + Noun + 表示“视为”或“当作”某事；早 + 动词 + 表示“早早地”

  ➔ The phrase "就當淚腺失調 早滲入記憶" means to consider or accept the tears gland (淚腺) as out of regulation, with tears early seeping into memory.