Loving You, as the Mouse Loves the Rice

April 15, 2012 8:30 AM

Mouse Loves Rice isn't really a well-known song in the English-speaking west, but it's been huge throughout east Asia since it first hit the net in 2004. The music video (here in English) covers all the big timeless truths about life: beauty, the nature of love, sacrifice, and human-mouse transformation.

The original version was in Mandarin, but you can also hear it in Cantonese (compare with the same artists' version in Mandarin), Korean, Japanese, Khmer, Vietnamese, Thai, as a short instrumental, as a Tom and Jerry Dance Remix (maybe you'd prefer a different remix?), or – and why the hell not?! –  in Swedish pop-punk English.

And speaking from first-hand experience in karaoke bars in three countries on three continents, you can almost certainly find the English version of this song at a karaoke house near you. Next time you're out karaoke-ing, sing it. And tell them MetaFilter sent you.

posted by barnacles (25 comments total)

Thank the Lord China isn't part of Europe because this'd be a runaway Eurovision winner.
posted by essexjan at 8:37 AM on April 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

So...he turned into a mouse so that she could see and marry another dude? Is there some symbolism I'm missing here?
posted by maryr at 8:49 AM on April 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

I'm so confused.
posted by The Devil Tesla at 8:55 AM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Friendzoned for life and turned into a rodent? This guy must be the Asian Gregor Samsa.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:13 AM on April 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

Oh my... this is one of the worst ear-worms of all time; do we really need to inflict it on the non-Asian audience?
posted by destrius at 9:15 AM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Well.



Obviously, by wishing to be turned into a mouse, the guy was wishing for a Disney-like happy ending for his love. Darn you globalization of culture!
posted by Atreides at 9:19 AM on April 15, 2012

Halfway through the video, when I realized she was blind, I started imagining that he was Ben Grimm and she was Alicia Masters, and it was great, even (especially) when he turned into a mouse.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:25 AM on April 15, 2012 [4 favorites]

Aaaaaargh. Why did you have to put this back in my head? I think it took about four years to clear it out the first time.

On the plus side, I think for the first time I am grateful youtube is blocked so even if I accidentally click one of the above links I won't have to hear it.
posted by wobumingbai at 9:27 AM on April 15, 2012

Yeah, yeah, heavy awkward guy is good enough when you are blind and can't see him, but when an accident leaves you sighted, you'll meet a much more attractive guy (after some random person has collected the enmoused first guy and mailed him to you in a cage). Oldest story in the book. Well, for some particular value of "book."

I am more confused about the "I love you as the mouse loves the rice." I mean, do mice especially love rice, more than other grains? Or does it mean "I love you as a form of food?" Because, honestly, that last declaration is just a little bit alarming....
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:41 AM on April 15, 2012

I don't care how fool it is, that was very bittersweet and nice.

I would love to make an analysis of girl = China, doctor = capitalism, bicycle guy = tradition, but that might be too much. ;)
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:44 AM on April 15, 2012

made me think of "as the meat loves salt" and this thread.
posted by jann at 9:45 AM on April 15, 2012

Or does it mean "I love you as a form of food?" Because, honestly, that last declaration is just a little bit alarming....

Aw, I love you! You're so sweet, I could just eat you up! Like the mouse eats the rice! I love you too. I lub you too. Iwubutoooo!
posted by maryr at 9:55 AM on April 15, 2012

I simply could not stop laughing when she got hit by the car. That twist was so unnecessarily over-the-top, it thoroughly undercut the "chubby florists are only desirable to the blind" message.

I'm a terrible person.
posted by Suddenly, elf ass at 9:58 AM on April 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

Yes, this song covers timeless themes like love and longing. That's kind of why I don't like it. This ground has been covered hundreds of times in more inventive ways than this. That phrase "as the mouse loves the rice" really seems to be the only unique point about it, and 4:47 is a long time to go for four seconds of phrasing.

This is also why I don't like a lot of Western music. And my friends never get sick of hearing me go on about it, the reasons they all avoid me are perfectly understandable!
posted by JHarris at 10:24 AM on April 15, 2012

Maybe the Mandarin equivalent of "jumping the shark" should be something like "making the mouse".
posted by WalkingAround at 10:39 AM on April 15, 2012

do mice especially love rice

I would imagine that in China, where rice is so far and away the most important staple, that mice would primarily be seen as threats to that crop--and imagined as having an insatiable appetite for the crop.
posted by yoink at 10:52 AM on April 15, 2012

Aw, I love you! You're so sweet, I could just eat you up! Like the mouse eats the rice! I love you too. I lub you too. Iwubutoooo!

Well, that is an interpretation, but, I dunno, it seems too much like that "I miss you like the desert misses the rain" song, where, every time I heard it, I just thought "well, the desert doesn't really know the rain all that well, so does it miss the rain? Then I would decide that the message of the song was "well, I don't really miss you at all, because you aren't a big part of my life." I am sure that, if I actually listened to all of the lyrics, I would realize that the song was trying to suggest an intense longing, but I think I prefer my interpretation. Besides, that one line was all I could stand to listen to.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:54 AM on April 15, 2012

So is "Dear God, if you give her her sight back, you can turn me into a mouse" a common prayer bargain in China? Our Western equivalent might be "if you do X, I'll [stop doing sinful thing] / [give money to the orphanage] / [never ask for anything else]", should we be asking for mousification instead? It seemed effective in the video.
posted by hattifattener at 11:04 AM on April 15, 2012

do mice especially love rice

I can't speak to mice and rice but rats truly love spaghetti and if you ever see them eat it you will ruin the effectiveness of a commonly used cinematic gross-out trope because you will think rats are cuter than children.
posted by srboisvert at 11:27 AM on April 15, 2012 [4 favorites]

Even every day has storm I will always by your side.
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 12:12 PM on April 15, 2012

Halfway through the video, when I realized she was blind, I started imagining that he was Ben Grimm and she was Alicia Masters, and it was great, even (especially) when he turned into a mouse

If he turned into an orange-rock-skinned mouse, it would push this video over 9000!
posted by stifford at 12:47 PM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I don't get it at all. Should we understand that the deity (Buddha?) turned him into a mouse as the price for saving her? That's dickish, but above all bizarre. Also, this was so cornily sweet that it should be banned as a psychological weapon.
posted by Iosephus at 2:28 PM on April 15, 2012

rats truly love spaghetti

Oh my god, it's that Lady & The Tramp scene in real-life miniature!
posted by nicebookrack at 2:43 PM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Uncooked hard spag is even better btw. They feed it in sideways hand over hand like they are playing disappearing flute.
posted by srboisvert at 3:47 PM on April 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

AND I - EEEE - I - EEEE - I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - OU OU OU!
LIKE MOUSE LOVES A RI-EEEE-EEEE-EEEE-IIIIIII-CEEEEE!

(I know. Too soon.)
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:21 PM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]