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鄉村西部歌星George Jones上周(四月26日)去世了，享壽82歲有多，這也算是一個奇蹟了。因為他生前酗酒的厲害，有一度還有毒癮。一生無窮無盡的與自己的癖癮作戰。因此82歲絕對是長壽。
喬治鍾斯可以說是西部歌星裡面最多上榜歌曲，最持續有作品問世的一個，以他的經歷也算難得與離奇。他在55年的演唱生涯中，一共灌錄了168首上榜歌曲，這紀錄到現在也沒有一個歌星可以打破。包括他於1955年推出的第一首上榜歌曲Why Baby Why，一直到他一生中最紅的SheThinks I Still Care全都是大家耳熟能詳。說起美國西部歌星，沒有一個人比他紅得更久。考慮到他的「多災多難」的一生，實在是難能可貴上。
說到他的酒癮，他可以比美「鄉村歌曲之父」Hank Williams漢克‧威廉斯。但他幸運的多活了半個世紀之久，也是不幸中之大幸。有關他的酒癮的故事，可以拍成一部電影。最著名的是，他的每一任太太，(一共四個太太)，都費盡心機將家中的酒銷毀，又將所有汽車的鑰匙藏起來，阻止他去買酒。但是他居然多次開了家裡的剪草機去買酒。剪草機的速度是每小時五英里，他說有一次他開了一個多小時才到酒舖。有一次他甚至駕著剪草機走上高速公路。
因為他的酒癮，每一次演唱會他都幾乎無法出現，買了他演唱會票的歌迷，都不知道他是否會出現，因此他有一個綽號叫No Show Jones。這些都與他的偶像Hank Williams非常相似。更不幸的是，有一次他因為出席演唱會時太過疲倦，他的經理人拿古柯鹼給他吃，他又染了毒癮。幸好他的第四任妻子Nancy全力幫他戒酒，在他們婚姻的30年當中，他生命最後的十年是清醒的。
鍾斯四個妻子中，最出名的是第三任Tammy Wynette，她自己也是當紅的鄉村歌手，兩人合唱不少歌曲，其中以He Stopped Loving Her Today最為人知。他們結婚六年時間(1969-1975)，兩人也一直為他的酒癮持續爭吵作戰。他們間生了一個女兒喬齊葉Georgette Jones (他四個孩子中，最小的一個)，她後來也成為歌星，但因為父親的事業及酒癮，父女關係一直很淡，幾乎沒有來往。但中間有一度，他們雙方努力和好，還合作了幾首歌曲，包括一首描述兩人的關係的歌曲You and Me and Time，可惜最後到他臨終，兩人關係又惡劣了，中止來往。(圖為鍾斯與第三任妻子Tammy Wynette舞台上一起表演)
George Jones 的歌喉被行家譽為金嗓子，連瘦皮猴Frank Sinatra，James Taylor，英國滾石樂隊的Keith Richard都是他的歌迷。樂評人說他的歌讓每一個人聽了都感覺那歌詞是為自己寫的。
鍾斯一生得獎無數，由1956年鄉村歌曲新人獎，後來兩度獲得葛萊美獎Grammy Awards，包括1981年的He Stopped Loving Her Today，及1999年的Choices。2008年他獲選在甘迺迪中心接受名人獎榮譽，2012年接受葛萊美獎Grammy Award的終身成就獎，到1992年被選入美國鄉村歌曲名人榜。
沒有辦法將他近兩百首暢銷曲都介紹，不過我會在星期一(四月29日)晚上十點鐘，FM88.9的節目「漫步人生」中介紹他的幾首好歌：White Lightning，Choices，及與他女兒合唱的You and Me and Time。其中Choices記述他個人與酒精博鬥的經歷，而You and Me and Time就是與女兒一起歷數兩人間的情感風暴，非常故事性，因此將歌詞附在下面，大家可以隨著一起欣賞。(April, 2013)
Choices
I've had choices
Since the day that I was born
There were voices
That told me right from wrong
If I had listened
No I wouldn't be here today
Living and dying
With the choices I made
I was tempted
By an early age I found
I liked drinkin'
Oh, and I never turned it down
There were loved ones
But I turned them all away
Now I'm living and dying
With the choices I made
(Repeat Chorus)
I guess I'm payin'
For the things that I have done
If I could go back
Oh, Lord knows I'd run
But I'm still losin'
This game of life I play
Living and dying
With the choices I made
(Repeat Chorus)
Living and dying
With the choices I made
You and Me and Time Lyrics
(with. Georgette Jones)
(Georgette): You were just a picture on my baby grand
(George): Yours was in my wallet, I showed to all my friends
(Georgette): But the world rolled in between us, keeping us apart
(Georgette): Thank God we discovered we're still joined at the heart
Chorus:
(Both): You and me and time
(Both): Finally got together
(Both): I'm sorry that it took so long
(Both): But better late than never
(Both): The love we thought we'd lost
(Both): Was not that hard to find
(Both): It only took the three of us
(Both): You and me and time
(Georgette): I lost you to the spotlight, but kept you in my prayers
(George): No matter where they took me, hon you were always there
(Georgette): It's so hard when your hero is a stranger in your home
(Both): Our love's like a mountain, one can't move it alone
(Both): But you and me and time
(Both): Finally got together
(Both): I'm sorry that it took so long
(Both): But better late than never
(Both): The love we thought we'd lost
(Both): Was not that hard to find
(Both): It only took the three of us
(Both): You and me and time
(Georgette): We can't light the candles on the birthday's that we missed
(Georgette): But we can hold each other and thank the Lord for this
(Georgette): Daddy you and me and time
(Both): Finally got together
(Both): I'm sorry that it took so long
(Both): But better late than never
(Both): The love we thought we lost
(Both): Was not that hard to find
(Both): It only took the three of us
(Both): You and me and time
(Both): It only took the three of us
(Both): You and me and time
(George): I love you darlin'
