DESCRIPTION:
This is the opening song of the 1979 film ""Your Smiling Face" (歡顏) sung by Chy Yu in Mandarin. The film launched Hu Hui Chong's movie career just as the song itself launched Chyi Yu's recording career. Her first album featured two other songs from the film -- Smile and Walking in the Rain. Smile, replaced Olive Tree as the film's representative at the Golden Horse Awards, and took first prize. A senior government official had objected to The Olive Tree because it's wandering theme did not set a good example to the youth of Taiwan!

Sally Yeh's English version is from her very first album, when she was just 18, which was released on August 1st 1980 on the "First LP" label 第一唱片. It was re-issued by Fung Hang Records in 2006. The album was arranged and produced by the legendary Lee Tai-hsiang ( 李泰祥) who worked with several other emerging singers during this period, such as Chyi Yu, Christine Hsu and Tang Xiao Shi. Sally sings some beautiful tracks on the album, including "Stars" which you can hear at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5-mZS-4fcg.

The words of Olive Tree were written by San Mao (三毛) who was born Chen Mao Ping on March 26, 1943 in Chongqing. She was a well-travelled and greatly-admired writer who had lived much of her life in Spain. She died tragically in 1991, having just written the screenplay for "Red Dust" which won 8 Golden Melody Awards. Poor Echo, as she was also known, never recovered from the loss of her beloved Jose in a diving accident in 1979. 12 years later, the pain of living without him finally became too much for her.

11 of her works, set to music, are performed by Chyi Yu and Michelle Pan on their 1986 album Echo (San Mao's works No. 15) 回声(三毛作品第15号) A beautiful testimony to Sanmao ... a musical autobiography of a remarkable lady.

I have used several images of San Mao, as the focal point of the video, as well as those of Lee Tai-hsiang, Chyi Yu, Hu Hui Chong, and of course, Sally Yeh. I felt each had their part to play in this most beautiful of songs.

Sally was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1961, but, from the age of 4, she grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She returned to Taiwan in 1980, and this album launched a career that would see her become one of the most popular performers in Hong Kong and the East. Her first 5 albums were sung in Mandarin. She worked initially for First Av Production Company, who had released her first few albums. From 1984 onwards, her focus was more on Cantonese ones, with her move to Hong Kong, Her film career also started to take off. She recorded a total of 30 albums, and many compilations and live recordings, winning many awards for her work. She is one of the most charasmatic and energetic singers on stage, with concerts her forte. She was no stranger to "Most Popular Female Singer" awards. In 1996 she married Hong Kong pop star and composer-producer George Lam.

http://sallyeh.net is a nice site run by Jenny.

Lyrics: San Mao Music: Lee Tai-hsiang

There is a farmer,who walks on the road,
Stranger,why do you wander?

Don't ask from where I have come,
My home is far,far away
Why do you wander so far,
Wander so far,wander so far?
For the little bird free I wander,
For the medow green and wide,
For the mountain high and blue
I wander,wander so far
Then,is there more?
Yes,for the olive tree of my dream.
Don't ask from where I have come,
My home is far,far away.
Why do you wander,
Why do you wander so far,far away?
For the Olive tree of my dream.
Don't ask from where I have come,
My home is far,far away,
Why do you wander so far,
Wander so far,wander so far

不要问我从哪里来
我的故乡在远方
为什么流浪 流浪远方 流浪
为了天空飞翔的小鸟
为了山间轻流的小溪
为了宽阔的草原
流浪远方 流浪
还有还有为了梦中的橄榄树 橄榄树
不要问我从哪里来
我的故乡在远方
为什么流浪
为什么流浪远方
为了我梦中的橄榄树