Total Defence 2011

Feb 15th

The day after Valentine's Day
Nobody remembers it
Do you?

Every single one of us is all so caught up with Valentine's Day
The oh-so-commercialised Valentine's Day
That we all forgot......Singapore fell to the Japanese on Feb 15th, 1942
3 years of hell for the lives of those who went through those dark times

After so many years of saying we "celebrate" Total Defence Day
I finally realise the correct word is "commemorate"
Yes, it took me more than 10 freaking years
But hey, who gives a damn?

As long as I know the difference between "celebrate" and "commemorate"
I think that's the most important part right?

We dont "celebrate" Total Defence Day because it was the day
when Singapore fell to the Japanese on that fateful day
We "commemorate" Total Defence Day because Feb 15th
It's the day which reminds us of what all our forefathers did for us

Why you can walk alone back home after your partying
Why you can go to the supermarket and not be scared of being robbed
Why you can open your house door even after 10pm
Why you can speak to friends of other races without having racial riots
Why you have schools to go
Why now, Singapore, is the place that is developing at such an incredible pace
And why, you are a freaking Singaporean

Dont even ask me such a dumb question as to if I would defend Singapore
Because when the time calls for it
I would defend Singapore......"with my life!"

Why?
Because......Singapore is my home
It's as simple as that
And at the end of the day
If you don't defend your home, then who would do it for you?






Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
I will always recall the city
Know every street and shore
Sail down the river which brings us life
Winding through my Singapore

Chorus:
This is Home, truly
Where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me
Where that river always flows
This is home, surely
As my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone
For this is where I know it's home

When there are troubles to go through
We'll find a way to start anew
There is comfort in the knowledge
That homes about its people too
So we'll build our dreams together
Just like we've done before
Just like the river which brings us life
There'll always be Singapore