Kahit Ayaw Mo Na: The old/new Filipino love song

At a time when Ariana Grande has pretty much trivialized relationships with the opposite sex with her flippant hit tune thank you, next, Pinoy music lovers have chosen to veer into the opposite direction. If you will take a look or I should say, listen to the biggest-selling songs of the moment, you will notice that the ever-romantic Pinoy is now back in the ‘70s or ever further into the past with songs about love that lives forever, no matter what.

Here is the biggest example, the No. 1 seller on all platforms, Kahit Ayaw Mo Na by today’s hot new band, which is simply named, unimaginatively so, This Band. Euwie Loria, founder and rhythm guitarist composed the pop/soul song. It has now been streamed, watched and downloaded millions of times hereabouts and by lovelorn Pinoys from as far as Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. of A. and I must add, also performed millions of times, with so much expression in assorted music joints.

Kahit Ayaw Mo Na is simple really, a promise of steadfast love, but Loria’s gift of words with his clever penchant for alliteration and use of everyday Filipino, hit the right spot among listeners. I heard Loria say during an interview that the song was inspired by real life. Now, that is probably why a lot of people claim they can relate to the message of Kahit Ayaw Mo Na and that they themselves have been in the same situation and have gone through the same emotions. Why, they probably even said the same things, “’Wag mo kong iwan, teka, ayusin natin ‘to.” Ouch!!

Now, there have been so many other people who said the same words to describe other songs before and almost all of the time those songs are the ones that would endure the test of time. They feel real. Think of As Time Goes By, Dahil Sa ‘yo, Kapantay Ay Langit, The Promise, I’ll Never Say Goodbye, etc. etc. So, just as nothing much has changed as far as emotions and those heartbeats go, even in the time of thank you, next, nothing much has also changed as far as love songs are concerned.

“It is still the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die.” It always is, but the right song at the right time can make everything sound new again. Kahit Ayaw Mo Na is such a song.

And because the web often gets the lyrics wrong, here is how it goes: “Kahit ikaw ay magalit/ sa’yo lang lalapit/ sa’yo lang aawit/ Kahit na ikaw ay nagbago na/ iibigin pa rin kita/ Kahit ayaw mo na/ Tatakbo, tatalon/ isisigaw ang pangalan mo/ iisipin na lang panaginip ang lahat ng ito.

“O bakit ba kailangan pang umalis/ Pakiusap lang na wag ka nang lumihis/ Tayo’y mag-usap, teka lang, ika’y huminto/ Wag mo kong iwan, aayusin natin ‘to/ Ang daling sabihin na ayaw mo na/ Pero pinag-isipan mo ba?

“Lapit nang lapit, ako’y lalapit/ Layo nang layo, ba’t ka lumalayo/ Labo nang labo, ika’y malabo/ Malabo tayo’y malabo.

“Bumalik at muli ka ring aalis/ Tatakbo ka nang mabilis/ Yayakapin nang mahigpit/ Ang hirap ‘pag ‘di mo alam ang iyong pupuntahan/ kung ako ba ay pagbibigyan/ O nalilito lang kung saan/ Tatakbo, tatalon/ Isisigaw ang pangalan mo/ iisipin na lang panaginip lahat ng ito.

O bakit ba kailangan pang umalis/ Pakiusap lang na wag ka nang lumihis/ Tayo’y mag-usap, teka lang, ika’y huminto/ ‘Wag mo kong iwan, aayusin natin ‘to/ Ang daling sabihin na ayaw mo na/ Pero pinag-isipan mo ba/ Kahit ikaw ay magalit/ sa ‘yo lang lalapit/ kahit ‘di ka na sa ‘kin.”

This Band comes from Las Piñas. It is made up of Melvin Carson on keyboards; Raymart Gubat on lead guitar; Miccael Galvan on bass; John Macaranas on drums and Loria as rhythm guitarist. The girl singer of the group is Andrea Manzano of the expressive dusky tones. It is Andy’s light soul pop styling that helped make Kahit Ayaw Mo Na such a tremendous success. 

If you want more sounds by This Band, now also available from Viva Music are Hindi Na Nga, Bitaw Na and Tampisaw.