Hand in Hand (charity song)
| "Hand in Hand" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single by various artists | |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Released | May 21, 2003 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 7:20 |
| Label | Azio TV |
| Composers | |
| Lyricists |
|
| Producers |
|
| Music video | |
| "Hand in Hand" on YouTube | |
"Hand in Hand" (Chinese: 手牽手; pinyin: Shǒu qiān shǒu) is a charity song performed by 86 artists from Taiwan. The song was written by Wang Leehom, David Tao, and Issac Chen, and produced by Wang and Tao. It was released on May 21, 2003, by Azio TV as a promotional single to raise morale and unity during the SARS outbreak.
Background and release
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) first emerged in Foshan, Guangdong, China, on November 16, 2002. On March 14, 2003, Taiwan confirmed its first imported SARS case at National Taiwan University Hospital. A major hospital outbreak followed at Heping Hospital in Taipei, which was subsequently sealed off on April 24, 2003. As a result, Taiwan's Government Information Office announced the indefinite postponement of the 14th Golden Melody Awards.
During this crisis, Wang Leehom and David Tao proposed the idea of writing a charity song to unite the nation in fighting SARS. On May 9, 2003, Azio TV, the organizer of the Golden Melody Awards, officially backed the project.
By May 12, 2003, songwriting had begun, and by May 15, 2003 the song was completed. The following day (May 16, 2003), 81 artists gathered at Nankang 101 in Taipei to record the group chorus, later recording solo parts individually. The final master track was completed on May 20, 2003.
The song premiered across major Taiwanese radio stations on May 21, 2003, and the accompanying music video debuted on Azio TV's show Asia Entertainment Center the same day. Promotional CDs were distributed for free beginning May 30, 2003, with approximately 600,000 copies issued.
Live performances
At the 14th Golden Melody Awards, held on August 2, 2003, at the National Taiwan University Sports Center, singers Chyi Chin and Shin Band performed "Hand in Hand", joined by other attending artists for a large-scale live rendition.[1]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Wang Leehom, David Tao, Issac Chen; all music is composed by Wang Leehom, David Tao.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hand in Hand" | 3:40 |
| 2. | "Hand in Hand" (instrumental) | 3:40 |
| Total length: | 7:20 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Data format" | |
| 2. | "Hand in Hand" (music video) | 3:40 |
| Total length: | 3:40 | |
Performers
Listed in order of appearance in the song:[2]
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Adaptations
2021 version
In December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and rapidly spread across the globe within months. Taiwan initially maintained relative stability through early border screening and closure measures. However, in May 2021, cluster infections emerged in Taipei and New Taipei, causing the outbreak to spread nationwide. On May 19, 2020, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced a nationwide Level 3 alert, which had a severe impact on the nation's healthcare system, economy, education, and society.
Issac Chen, chief consultant of the 32nd Golden Melody Awards and one of the organizers of the 2003 SARS-era charity single "Hand in Hand", felt deeply moved by the situation. He contacted the original creators, Wang Leehom and David Tao, proposing a remake of the song, to which both readily agreed. Chen then invited JJ Lin to serve as producer for the new version and brought together 11 nominees for Best Male Mandarin Singer and Best Female Mandarin Singer at that year's Golden Melody Awards to participate in the recording. The lineup included Hebe Tien, Greeny Wu, James Li, JJ Lin, William Wei, Shi Shi, Soft Lipapa, Wan Fang, Eddie Chen, Tan Weiwei, and Tarcy Su.
The 2021 remake of "Hand in Hand" was released online as a music video on June 5, 2021.[3]
Formosan languages version
On June 24, 2021, Aetós Studio released an Formosan languages version of "Hand in Hand" on its official YouTube channel. This version featured lead vocals by Tank and Sien Vanessa, joined by the ShenAi Indigenous Kids' Choir, composed of 50 singers representing Taiwan's 16 recognized indigenous groups.
The video received widespread acclaim in Taiwan, garnering nearly one million views. Aetós Studio noted that the project marked its first collaboration with amateur singers from various fan pages, aiming to use music to encourage mutual support during the pandemic and other hardships. About 80 percent of the vocal recordings were completed at home using regular earphones, and the entire video was produced within just 14 days.
On October 10, 2021, the ShenAi Indigenous Kids' Choir was invited to perform the song live at the 110th National Day Celebration of the Republic of China (Taiwan).[4][5]
See also
References
- ^ "【專輯播客】用音樂加油!! 手牽手大合唱──愛，永遠不會消失…－昨日... 唯一... 更多..." [[Album Podcast] Cheer Up with Music!! Hand in Hand Sing-Along – Love Will Never Disappear… – Yesterday… The Only… More…]. shengju1029.pixnet.net (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 16 May 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ 自由時報電子新聞網-影視焦點 [Liberty Times Electronic News Network - Film and Television Focus]. old.ltn.com.tw (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ 影／超暖！林俊傑揪田馥甄、瘦子 「11天王天后」再現《手牽手》 [Video/So heartwarming! JJ Lin, Hebe Tien, and E.co.uk, the "11 Heavenly Kings and Queens," reunite for "Hand in Hand."]. star.ettoday.net (in Traditional Chinese). ETtoday新聞雲. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ 16族原住民暖唱「手牽手」打氣！天籟嗓音太治癒 18萬人感動飆淚 [Sixteen indigenous tribes sang "Holding Hands" to cheer people on! Their heavenly voices were so healing that 180,000 people were moved to tears.] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). ETtoday. 27 June 2021. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2025 – via FAcebook.
- ^ 國慶禮讚「彩蛋」曝光 原民版《手牽手》躍上舞台 [A surprise gift for National Day celebrations revealed: an indigenous version of "Hand in Hand" graces the stage.]. Yahoo News (in Chinese). 1 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2025.