Your Soundtrack to a Beijing Red Alert (and a Playlist for a Beautiful Day Like Today)

Trust the Chinese internet to come up with a smog song. Adapted from 'Juanzhulian,' which was originally sang and composed by Huo Zun for the popular TV show Song of China, the song, originally recorded and adapted in 2014, discusses the daily struggles of life in polluted Beijing; the traffic, the masks, and the delays. 

Anyway, given the current state of Beijing, the song made us think, which others would make for a smoggy soundtrack for days like today? First, check out the translated lyrics of Huo Zun's adapted track (see the video here for a full-on office karaoke session, that's if your office hasn't shut down as a result of the red alert). Sing it with me ...

受不了 每条高速路上 (shòubúliǎo měitiáo gāosùlù shàng)
Can’t bear it any more that on each highway

雾霾锁住车辆 (wùmái suǒzhù chēliàng)
The smog blocks traffic

收油门 摘空档 (shōu yóumén zhāi kōngdǎ​ng)
Release the accelerator, and shift to neutral

戴口罩 辨方向 (dài kǒuzhào biàn fāngxiàng)
Wearing the mask, find your direction　

四下里 谁在躲迷藏 (sìxiàlǐ shuízài duǒmícáng)
Look around, who’s playing hide-and-seek

拂袖难驱散雾霾尘灰 (fúxiù nánqū sàn wùmái chénhuī)
Wave and the haze won’t go away

航班无法起飞 (hángbān wúfǎ qǐfēi)
The flights can’t depart

车晚点 人落泪 (chēwǎndiǎn rén luòlèi)
Trains are delayed, people weep

故乡爹娘等谁归 (gùxiāng diēniáng děng shuí guī)
Parents back home are waiting for whom

路上行人找不着北 (lùshàng hingrén zhǎo bú zhe běi)
Pedestrians can’t find north

啊 砖家捂嘴 (ā zhuānjiā wǔzuǐ) 
Ah, experts cover their mouths

怕雾霾 吸进肺 (pà wùmái xījìn fèi)
Afraid of smog getting in their lungs

啊 山河破碎 (ā shānhé pòsuì)
Ah, we are falling apart

问环境污染谁之罪 (wèn huánjìng wūrǎn shuí zhīzuì)
Who is responsible for the environmental pollution

治理需要全民的参加 (zhìlǐ xūyào quánmín de cānjiā)
Improving it requires participation from everyone

渐渐就会变化 (jiànjiàn jiù huì biànhuà)
Gradually it will be better

待雾散 天晴朗 (dài wùsàn tiān qínglǎng)
When smog is gone, blue skies are back

看流水兮百花放 (kàn liúshuǐ xī bǎihuāfàng)
See the running water and blooming flowers

我再为幸福高声唱 (wǒ zàiwéi xìngfú gāo shēngchàng)
I will sing loudly for happiness

Well, this song may take you into a depression as foggy as today, but we've found some other songs that suit today pretty well, if you're looking not to cheer up at all.

Smoke in the Water - Deep Purple
Dust in the Wind - Kansas
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
It's the End of the World as We Know It - R.E.M.
Breathe (In The Air) - Pink Floyd
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Hit The Ground Running - Smog

We're all in this together Beijing, keep it together, things are looking up for Friday, although that little dude still doesn't look too happy.

Photos: www.advopedia.de