Light the Fire
Nothing could kill
good intention in the worst way other than prejudice. Moreover, when having a
prejudice, some people just shut the door upon any kind of conversation. They blindly
turn their back away and stay within their own bubbles without willingness to
open any room for discussion. They shut not only their eyes and ears, but also
their heart and mind. And whether they realize or not, they have lost their
sense of empathy towards others. They only think about their own pain, without
realizing that there is no hierarchy in the matter of pain; which means that
others may be hurting as deep as they are. Their ego is taking over the
control. They turn their blind eye without even take a look for a second to
hear others’ opinion. We can’t reason with them, for they won’t listen anyway. And
at times like that, we cannot help but getting hurt by their action; even
though their action is served as the punishment upon our own mistakes. The thing
is: people make mistakes, we’re hurt by their mistakes, and we punish them all
the way we want to without even realizing that our punishment is creating a
circle of heartache and pain.
“My burning fire of
love is almost gone slammed by the storm of prejudice. Should I surrender and
always relented from the different desire? My white love is only for you, will
never change until the end of the world. But you never understand me, always be
the selfish one.”
–Nike Ardilla, Light the Fire (Nyalakan
Api)
I always love the
late Nike Ardilla (and thanks for my Mother for this). Somehow, the lyrics of
her songs are getting me so. Though they may sound cheesy, they speak the
brutal honesty of most women who are suffered. They are full of pain and
struggle yet giving the message for hopes and faith at the same time. And this
one song is one of them. It is titled “Light the Fire (Nyalakan Api)”. It was
released on October 1st 1990 as the title track taken from the late diva’s third studio
album of the same name. The power rock ballad track was written by Deddy Dores.
Lyrically, it speaks about someone who’s hurt in the relationship, yet as much
as they’re in love with their lover, they can’t just give up on it just because
they’re hurt, for eventually, the love is much bigger than the pain itself; hence
they plea towards the universe for the strength to go on.
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"Nyalakan Api" album cover | source: discogs.com |
In a romance
relationship, at some point to some extent, people hurt each other. It is
inevitable since two people with two hearts and two heads must be having a
different kind of thoughts, opinions, and definition regarding to what they
think is right or wrong or in between. They must be having a different way to
define what is hurt them the most and the way how to deal with their pain and
heartache. It is natural in a relationship. And what is not natural is when one
is shutting off the other without even giving any chance to make up for their
mistake. “My burning fire of love is
almost gone slammed by the storm of prejudice. Should I surrender and always
relented from the different desire? My white love is only for you, will never
change until the end of the world. But you never understand me, always be the
selfish one.” Understanding is deeper than knowledge. There are many people
who know you, but there are very few who understand you. And yes, the higher
level of loving is the ability to understand.
And the highest level
of loving is to accept as a whole. When we don’t feel understood, it is natural
that we feel hurt. However, do we ever wonder whether we understand enough too?
The thing is that sometimes people want to be understood without realizing that
they cannot understand. If we want to be understood, then we have to understand
first. Being understood will not come without understanding. And love is all
about take and give. We cannot only take without giving; and we cannot only
give without taking. It’s all about the ability to have empathy towards one another.
“Should my life be obeying, yielding,
listening to your words? Until when should I be like this? I’m always like
this. The sun, give your light, let it reflect and brighten up this life.” When
we feel like we have given everything and surrendered anything, it is natural
that we feel hurt when we feel like those efforts are taken for granted. When we
feel like we are just being ourselves, it is natural that we feel hurt when we
feel like we’re being rejected.
It is not easy to
fight alone in a battle for two. However, when the love is so strong, we are
able to do it anyway in the name of it. When one is ready to give up on love,
the other is still fighting hard, for they still have the faith upon the
relationship; they have the faith upon love. And more than anything, they have
faith upon life. When one is ready to let go of love, the other is still
holding on tight, for they still believe in the relationship; they believe in
love. And more than anything, they believe in life. “Light the fire of life, warm up the burning love. The eye of my heart,
swing a resolute step in love.” And no matter how it breaks them apart,
they won’t give up on it that easily. No matter how it’s tearing them apart,
they cannot just walk away that easily. No matter how difficult it is, they
will go through it anyway. They won’t let any prejudice gets in their way. They
won’t let any assumption kills their intention. They won’t let any
misunderstanding breaks down what they’ve built. They persevere, for they know
it’s all worth it.
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Nike Ardilla in the music video of "Nyalakan Api" | source: Music Plus YouTube |
In a romance relationship, at some point to some extent, love doesn’t feel reciprocal. Sometimes, one feels that they have given up everything while the other feels their presence is being taken for granted. Sometimes, one feels that they are not respected while the other feels they have made all efforts for the relationship. Sometimes, one feels that they have been working hard while the other feels they are not the priority. Most of the times, it is all about misunderstanding. Most of the times, it is all about blind prejudice. Most of the times, it is all about cruel assumption. Sometimes, all we need is just a little patience. Sometimes, all we need is just a contemplation to get back to our roots and gain back our faith. Sometimes, all we need is just redemption. Most of the times, what we have to do is giving more tolerance. Most of the times, what we have to do is to let loose our ego and open a room for discussion. Most of the times, what we have to do is to calm down our anger and give a chance for love. The fire won’t be lighted without a chance. The love won’t be living without a chance. The chance won’t be existed without acceptance; and it comes from understanding.
“Should my life be
obeying, yielding, listening to your words? Until when should I be like this? The
sun, give your light, let it reflect and brighten up this life.” –Nike Ardilla, Light the Fire (Nyalakan Api)
Api cintaku yang membara nyaris hilang dihempas
badai prasangka
(My burning fire of
love is almost gone slammed by the storm of prejudice)
Haruskah pasrah dan s’lalu mengalah dari
keinginan yang berbeda?
(Should I surrender
and always relented from the different desire?)
Cintaku putih hanyalah untukmu, takkan berubah
sampai akhir dunia
(My white love is only
for you, will never change until the end of the world)
Namun kau tak pernah mengerti aku, menang
sendiri
(But you never
understand me, always be the selfish one)
Haruskah hidupku menurut mengalah mendengar apa
katamu?
(Should my life be
obeying, yielding, listening to your words?)
Sampai kapankah kuharus begini?
(Until when should I
be like this?)
Mentari berikan sinarmu, biaskan terang hidup
ini
(The sun, give your
light, let it reflect and brighten up this life)
Nyalakan api kehidupan, hangatkan cinta yang
membara
(Light the fire of
life, warm up the burning love)
Mata hatiku, ayunkan langkah pasti dalam cinta
(The eye of my heart,
swing a resolute step in love)
Haruskah hidupku menurut mengalah mendengar apa
katamu?
(Should my life be
obeying, yielding, listening to your words?)
Sampai kapankah kuharus begini? Ku s’lalu
begini
(Until when should I
be like this? I’m always like this)
Nyalakan api kehidupan, hangatkan cinta yang
membara
(Light the fire of
life, warm up the burning love)
Mata hatiku, ayunkan langkah pasti dalam cinta
(The eye of my heart,
swing a resolute step in love)
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