Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree

Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree (Tony Orlando & The Dawn)
繫條黃絲帶在老橡樹上 湯尼奧蘭多 & 黎明合唱團

I’m coming home, I’ve done my time
Now I’ve got to know what is and isn’t mine
If you received my letter
Telling you I’d soon be free
Then you’ll know just what to do
If you still want me, if you still want me

我的刑期已滿，正要趕回家
我必須知道還有哪些東西屬於我
若妳收到了我的信
告訴妳我將重獲自由
那麼，妳知道該怎麼做
如果妳還要我的話

Tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree
It’s been three long years
Do you still want me
If I don’t see a ribbon around the old oak tree
I’ll stay on the bus, forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don’t see a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree

在老橡樹上繫條黃絲帶
漫長的三年過去了
妳還要我嗎？
如果我沒有在老橡樹上看見絲帶的話
我會留在巴士上，忘了我倆的過去
只能責怪我自己
如果我沒有在老橡樹上看見黃絲帶的話

Bus driver, please look for me
Cause I couldn’t bear to see what I might see
I’m really still in prison
And my love she holds the key
Simple yellow ribbon what I need to set me free
I’ve wrote and told her please

司機先生，請幫我看一下
因為我無法承受即將看到的
我其實仍在監牢
只有吾愛握有鑰匙
我需要的僅是黃絲帶，即可將我釋放
我已寫信告訴過她

Now the whole damn bus is cheering
And I can’t believe I see
A hundred yellow ribbons around the old oak tree

現在，整車的乘客都在歡呼
我無法相信我所看到的——–
老橡樹上掛滿了上百條的黃絲帶！

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Synopsis:
The song is told from the point of view of someone who has “done his time” but is uncertain if he will be welcomed home.
He writes to his love, asking her to tie a yellow ribbon around the “ole oak tree” in front of the house (which the bus will pass by) if she wants him to return to her life; if he does not see such a ribbon, he will remain on the bus (taking that to mean he is unwelcome) and understand her reasons (“put the blame on me”). He asks the bus driver to check, fearful of not seeing anything.
To his amazement, the entire bus cheers the response – there are 100 yellow ribbons around the tree, a sign he is very much welcome.

The origin of the idea of a yellow ribbon as remembrance may have been the 19th-century practice that some women allegedly had of wearing a yellow ribbon in their hair to signify their devotion to a husband or sweetheart serving in the U.S. Cavalry.

提要:
歌曲描述一個在監獄服刑的丈夫在即將期滿釋放的前夕，因擔心遠在家鄉的妻子不接受他，寫信告訴妻子，如果願意再次接納他，請在他出獄返家的當天，在家門口的老橡樹上系一條黃絲帶；如果他沒有看到黃絲帶的話，會默默離開。當這位丈夫出獄返家時，家門口的老橡樹上綁滿了幾百條黃絲帶在空中飛揚，令他十分感動。後來，綁黃絲帶成為全美國的一種風俗，表示迎接久別的親人回家。

黃絲帶作為紀念的想法的起源可能是19世紀的慣例，據稱有些婦女在頭髮上戴著黃絲帶以表示對美國騎兵的丈夫或愛人的奉獻。

註1: ole = old
註2: round [especially BrE] also around adv, prep