Musical Cabal

You know you're in Hong Kong when you hear music being played outside train stations.

But unlike many cities, where buskers play guitars or violins for change, Hong Kong has a cabal of elderly men (some of whom are blind) who play a combination of the harmonica and the erhu (a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, also known as a Chinese violin), often amplified at ear-splitting volume through a microphone and a portable speaker.

And instead of playing traditional songs or their own creations, the old boys seem to know only two songs: Oh! Susanna and She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain. How two American folks songs became the default tunes remains a mystery, but on any given day you're likely to find an elderly chap cranking out a shrill rendition of one or the other in an endless loop (although more often than not it will be Oh! Susanna, as it's easier to play ad nauseum).

It makes me wonder if these guys hold secret training meetings before dispersing to inflict pain on the passing public. The worst part is that after hearing a performance, it's difficult to get the chorus out of your head:

Oh, Susanna,
Oh don't you cry for me
For I come from Alabama
With my banjo on my knee

See what I mean? It's insidious.

Heck, I'd give them five bucks if they'd just stop doing that.

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