แอ๊ด คาราบาว ตอบคำวิจารณ์ ‘ทำงานเพื่อเงิน’ Add Carabao answers the criticism “[You] work for money!” Posted on YouTube by Workpoint News ข่าวเวิร์คพอยท์ on February 9, 2018.

If you are new to Carabao in English, please go check out the music. If you are a long-time fan, you may be interested in this interview. I’m trying something new. It looks like it is associated with the music contest TV show ‘Bao Young Blood, in which bands compete covering Carabao songs. Add Carabao is wearing a “Bao Young Blood, Season 4” t-shirt. The following translation should be about 95% correct:

Teaser:

Add: [pointing and imitating what people say about him] “You are Add Carabao! You must always be Add Carabao for your whole life! I looked and it seems you are a darling of the poor people. You must be poor!” I never thought I needed to be poor my whole life. I was born into [this world] and I also want to be rich same as everyone.

The main interview:

Interviewer: Before, people have said P’Add writes songs . . . I’ll speak frankly, ok, . . . according to the criticism, whoever hires you, you write for them. And that breaks with the spirit of the Songs for Life.

Add: One second. I have to distinguish something first: I’m a composer, OK. I’m like people in society every day. I have to make a living. They hire me to write political songs for this party and for that party. I compose for both sides, whether it’s the party of Khun Taksin, or the party of Khun Kuan, I write for them all. Khun Bunhan . . . I write for them all. If you hire me to write a song about soccer, I write about soccer. If you hire me to advertise a product, I compose [the song]. I’ve been doing this forever. Songs for Coke, I’ve always done them. Songs for Pepsi, I also do. It’s an ordinary story. I don’t know where I’m wrong [here]. Because, as for me, I didn’t do it for any sort of ideology. I did it for a living.

Interviewer: Yes.

Add: If someone says I did it for ideology, they’re lying. Everyone with a profession of whatever kind does it to make a living. But they come at me like this. It’s only, do you have value/merit or not? I say: the profession that I do, I do it for a living, but I maintain morality [in the process].

Interviewer: Yes.

Add: I wasn’t deceitful. I didn’t rip anyone off. But society goes and criticizes, accusing me of that very thing. Every day now I’m abused with these sorts of words by everyone. Sometimes they come on my [facebook] page to say all kinds of abusive things. They do it carelessly. And they say, “You’ve forgotten your ideology.” And I just laugh. [Laughs]

Interviewer: But you, P’Add, never announced that you’re some sort of innocent/pure person all the time, right?

Add: As for myself, I have both good and bad. I am a person who has both good and bad. But I try to do good so that it’s more [of the good]. I try to do good and never do evil. I never did evil. Things that I did in the past, are like hunting animals, I used to fist fight, have a bad mouth, and use abusive language about [other people’s] parents. I had a hot heart [was all riled up inside], but I’ve quit all that. Because I’ve turned my face towards Dharmic Truth, for 3 or 4 years now.

Interviewer: Yes. So you have many images: a musician, a businessman, and songwriter. How would you most like to be remembered these days? Which of these images?

Add: [You] don’t need to remember [me]. In the end, I must die, and I will be done. [You] won’t need to remember anything [about me].

Interviewer: And do you want to toss away some things? [Some] songs?

Add: Every day now I abase myself, I lower myself until there is nothing left. Those who speak abusively about me, I thank them. And why then come remember me? No, [people] don’t need to remember me. I won’t have anything at all.

[There is a pause then he laughs] If I speak like this, maybe it’s confusing, and [people] don’t understand. But if [you] study Dharmic Truth somewhat [you] will understand. Because us people are born into [the world], and must die, and be completely gone. Fame is a totally phony thing. [People] don’t need to remember anything [about me] at all. [Laughs]

Interviewer: It’s difficult, isn’t it? The . . .

Add: It’s that if I think, I still have this body, this ego right here, [I’ll] try to lift it up high so that people will remember me as a hero, like a hero in the past [raises fist like in triumph]. I will be heavy; it will be a burden/responsibility. But if I don’t need for them to remember anything [about me] at all, I can live/be in whatever way. If something is heavy [gestures grabbing something], then set it down! Then we can be happy. Life can be lived day to day. Wake up today and go find happiness, and each day after that.

Interviewer: As you’ve said, “Times change.” When [people] talk about you, I ask along the road, people remember you, P’Add, for many different things. Some people remember you since you were a songwriter [and say] these days Carabao has changed to be a business.

Add: To be Carabao Dang [the energy drink] going international. And here we get into the rule of the “Three Principals” . . .

Interviewer: Yes.

Add: Everything that arises and is established, goes away. It is a suffering [you can’t argue with?]. It is soulless/nonself.

Interviewer: Yes.

Add: But people will naturally want to grab and hold onto “You are Add Carabao!” [Pointing his finger and imitating what others say:] “You are Add Carabao and you must always be Add Carabao for your whole life! I looked and it seems you are a darling of the poor people. You must be poor!” I never thought I needed to be poor my whole life. I was born into [this world] and I also want to be rich same as everyone. That I do music is because I want to be rich. Working as an architect, the monthly salary was 3,030 baht [$90.00]. I had to get out and find money, not stopping till I have it. I wanted to have land of my own, my own car, build a house. It was this that brought me to play music.

Interviewer: The things that you said, how important they are! [These] beliefs right here. I am happy today that you’ve said these things, that you also want to be rich like people ordinarily do. Which, truthfully, isn’t wrong in any way.

Add: It’s not wrong. And the reason I had to come do Carabao Dang was because of P’ Tian [เสถียร เศรษฐสิทธิ์ owner of Dtawan Dtang German Beer Hall and microbrewery], a beloved friend. And one day P’Tian asked me, “If people are all going to be counterfeiting/illegally copying your CDs like this, what will you do?” I answered, “I’ll just do concerts continuously.” He answered, “Oh, playing concerts. That’s old. You get old, and you’ll have to quit. And you don’t know what business to do. So I’ll help you do it.” When he tried to persuade me, I said, I’m not able to do business. I don’t have any money. So P’Tian guaranteed [vouched for?] me and so I could get a loan from the bank. He went and guaranteed [vouched for?] me. [He] did every kind of thing in order that I can have [what I have] today. P’Tian is a good friend. But before I [get to] have good friends, friends to the death, I have to be a good person first, right? I have to do [things] such that they see I’m a good person, am a person that, at least, I can partner with. [I’ve] charitably assisted many groups in society that come asking [for help], and that’s how it happened that he knew I was a good person, a good person to partner with. In this way is how I had to conduct myself as a good person first.

Interviewer: Yes.

Add: But you are good on THAT side! We people aren’t good on every side. You must play music so it’s good. You must have a character that is good. You must have a character that is kind, sacrificing, generous and also be a person who is loyal and honest in speaking.