Uso pa ba ang harana?
That's how the song goes. It means that "Is serenade still a thing?" If you ask me, it should be and it's very much alive.
What's serenade? Serenade or harana is a traditional practice in the Philippines that was popularized in the early part of the Spanish era. It's part of courtship where a suitor will visit a lady and will sing by her window until she either accept or deny him. Wow, even dating back then was simple. You visit a lady in the house and there lies the entirety of your fate.
Unlike today that the dating games are so complicated, complex and are all that confusing. So back then it was like that so simple.
I believe that this tradition is very romantic and precious. With that, I think that this should always stay alive even just in essence. It will be kinda weird showing up with your friends and start singing in front of a girl's house, you'll be viral in no time.
Instead, you can do it privately or in some other places. Pick up a guitar, fire up that karaoke machine, look for a video accompaniment on YouTube, or just do it plain acapella. No matter how you like to do it, the important thing is the intent and the sparkle on your eyes when you sing her a song from deep within.
Song Choice
Of course, if you want to deliver a message to a girl via singing, the song choice will spell all the difference. Let's forget about the quality of the voice for a second and just focus on the thought, the feelings and desire first.
So you have the message, you have the intent, and you have the courage, what song shall you pick to melt her heart? Well it depends upon the situation, the occasion and how much you are willing to look like a fool. Let me share some songs and some backstories to go with them.
Beautiful in My Eyes
This song was popularized by Joshua Kadison. A mellow ballad with lyrics oozing with amorous affection. Here's the first few lines for your reference.
You're my piece of mind,
in this crazy world.
You're everything I've tried to find,
your love is a pearl.
You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies,
and my only prayer, is that you realize,
you'll always be beautiful, in my eyes.
See? From the very beginning of the song, he was trying to depict her as the most beautiful thing in the planet. He's not asking for much but for the girl to know how beautiful he thinks she is. It's innocent, it's sweet and it's pretty effective with the ladies. As the song progresses, so does his promise to her.
You will always be, beautiful in my eyes.
And the passing years will show,
that you will always grow,
evermore beautiful, in my eyes.
A promise to look at her as beautiful as she has always been through the years. I guess, love trumps over any cosmetics and all those stuff. It's also a pretty laid back song, easy to sing but sing it with the right emotions, you'd be scoring some points with her.
Your Love
This one has been a go to song of mine, whenever and wherever we are. Even before that show hits the country, this has been a love song that could make a girl look in your direction. It's a poetic song that shows a girl how her love could affect a guy in ways she could not even fathom.
The song was from the band Alamid and has been remade over and over.
When You Say Nothing At All
Who does not know this song right? If you are not familiar with this, you may just be too young for dating anyway.
This is the first song I learned on the guitar, with just a simple chord pattern and a pretty basic strumming, you can sing along with this song and look like a pro doing it. I remember that I even performed this for our teacher back then along side with that song "Only Reminds Me of You" the look on her face. Priceless.
Halaga
Halaga (value) is a Filipino song from the band Parokya ni Edgar. This one's different, first is it's in our native language and second, it's not the straight up love song you sing for the girl. In this song, the singer yearns for the attention of the girl who was in a relationship with a negligent guy who does not seem to realize how precious the girl is.
It's one of the songs that you should only perform under certain circumstances. Like this one guy I know. I think he's a friend of a friend of an acquaintance of mine. On one occasion, there was a party and there was singing involved. He took a fancy on a girl who was then in a complicated relationship with a guy who was doing chicks on her back.
This guy then took on the stage, focused on the girl and sang this song with all his heart. He did not even break their eye contact, not even once. Guess who went home that night with the girl. Yeah, that guy!
The first stanza of the song goes like this :
Umiiyak ka na naman
'Lang-hiya talaga, wala ka bang ibang alam?
Namumugtong mga mata
Kailan pa ba kaya ikaw magsasawa?
Sa problema na iyong pinapasan
Hatid sa 'yo ng boyfriend mong hindi mo maintindihan
Let me try to do a rough translation of this so everyone could appreciate its magic.
You're crying once again,
Don't you know anything else, it's such a shame.
You're eyes are all puffy.
When will you ever get tired.
From the problems that you are enduring,
Brought by your boyfriend who you can't really understand.Let us jump ahead on the chorus for total impact :
Sa libo-libong pagkakataon na tayo'y nagkasama
Iilang ulit pa lang kitang nakitang masaya
Naiinis akong isipin na ginaganiyan ka niya
Siguro ay hindi niya lang alam ang 'yong tunay na halaga
And again, let's do with a little translation, note that I am just using my own words as I understand the song personally. It's not professionally translated and it's not formally done.
Out of the thousands of times we're together
There's only a few times I have seen you happy
I am frustrated to think that he's treating you like that
Maybe he does not really know how valuable you really are...Those lines along with a pretty rock alternative melody. It rocks the soul to the core.
Marry Me
Well now maybe you want to up the ante both from the message and the vocal aspect of your serenade. Try this song from Jason Derulo that has the potential for a life changing moment. Aside from singing your heart out, you can even bust out a few moves you're hiding there while you feel the rhythm of love flow through your body.
The song starts with a dramatic playful piano intro and burst out with this lyric:
105 is the number that comes to my head
When I think of all the years I wanna be with you
Wake up every morning with you in my bed
That's precisely what I plan to do
With just the opening lines of the song, I'm pretty sure that you already have her attention. And maybe if you really are planning to go all the way, get down on a knee reach for her hand and watch her tears fall while smiling at you as you sing the chorus:
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
I swear that I will mean it
I'll say, "Will you marry me?"
Singing
Although literally, this song means that you are not yet asking her to marry you, but you're telling her one day, one day you'll really ask her. Alright, now that's complicated.
Hey there!!!
Ah... I feel the love all around the air. Anyway, what about you? Have you sang for anybody before, or did you have someone serenade you? How was it? Did it go well? Spill!!!
Anyhow, I would like to thank you for visiting here in my lowly profile. I hope you had a good time and as always...
Cheers!!!
You are so inlove its totally impressive!