Last week, there was a 2-page spread in The Sunday Times devoted to Generation Ys in Singapore, a generation which I am part of. Now, there are many negative stereotypes associated with us – many of them created by our parents. We are incapable of settling down, unfocused, always job hopping, impatient, can’t take hardship, and so on. There are dozens of articles online about this.

I’m glad, however, that the recent piece I read featured a few Gen Y-ers in Singapore who wanted to live life to the fullest, who worked for passion and not for money, who went off the beaten track. It was quite inspiring to read about their experiences and struggles.

It got me thinking, and I realise that I do know of a few friends who are doing their own thing too. Some of them have started their own businesses, some have left their jobs to pursue further studies, others are taking sabbaticals abroad just for the experience of another culture.

What inspired this week’s song was the sense of restlessness I’m sure many of us feel, especially those who have to choose between their dreams and facing up to the realities of growing up.

My aim was to capture that rebelliousness and desire to be true to oneself, and put them against the nagging pressures society places on you.

The song is titled “My Wayward State of Mind” to show that sense of inconsistency and to add a self-reflecting, sardonic tone to the song. I’m not sure if the message comes through clearly enough, but here goes:

My Wayward State Of Mind
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 1 Oct, 2010

I want to belong and I want to be free
I want to be famous and I want privacy
I want to move forward and I want to stay put
I want to be bad and I want to be good

I want children and I want a life
I want a lover and I want a wife
I want to be brown and I want to be white
I want to surrender and I want to fight

Chorus
I want to be me but I can’t decide
Between the ground and the sky
Part of a generation asking why
Guess it’s my wayward state of mind

I want to whisper and I want to shout
I want to be soft and I want to be loud
I want to build and I want to destroy
I want to laugh and I want to cry

I want to stand up and I want to recline
I want to lose and I want to find
I want to be nice and I want to be rude
I could go on, but I’m not in the mood

Chorus
I want to be me but I can’t decide
Between the ground and the sky
Part of a generation asking why
Guess it’s my wayward state of mind

We are the people who make our own rules
We are the ones who can’t be fooled
We don’t care if it’s wrong or right
It’s our choice, our choice