《好萊塢最美的傳奇30歲生日報導》
1970年八月23日是瑞佛菲尼克斯〈River Phoenix〉誕生的日子，今年，假設瑞佛還活在世界上，他剛好是30歲，我想他的人生一定會有更上層樓的成就，對很多人來說，包括裘弟在內，這個難以接受的事實也這樣走過近7年的時間，畢竟太多人認為瑞佛是80年代中期後最優秀傑出的天才型藝人。
打開瑞佛的演戲歷史，可說驚呼連連，佳作不斷，23歲就猝死告別人間，的確令人惋惜，從〈Stand By Me〉、〈蚊子海岸〉、〈Running On Empty〉、〈印第安那瓊斯〉、〈我真的愛死你〉、〈男人的一半是男人〉、〈Dogfight〉、〈Sneakers〉甚至描述鄉村音樂的〈The Thing Called Love〉等都再再顯現他成熟演技和螢幕魅力，這也是為什麼連基努李維站在一旁，都只有被比下去的份，瑞佛在影壇的愛惜羽毛形象也和一般好萊塢男演員有極大落差，電影〈夜訪吸血鬼〉和〈Even Cowgirls Get The Blues〉都有向瑞佛致敬的意味，瑞佛對音樂方面也頗有心得，是當代好萊塢難得的全方位天才藝人。
談到音樂部分，這幾年下來有太多歌手向瑞佛致敬，原先裘弟只知兩首，不過好運看到國外歌迷整理，才知道有一卡車之多，樂壇對瑞佛地位和社會價值觀點多有看法，雖然逝者以矣，卻能透過這串串音樂片段，讓這位好萊塢模範生的典範得以長存延續。
包括REM在1994的專輯《Monster》、裘弟音樂網曾經介紹的女歌手Sam Phillips專輯《Martinis and Bikinis》都傳達關懷訊息。Red Hot Chilli Peppers獻給瑞佛的單曲〈Transcending〉以批判手法寫著：
When the gods will come and take you to a loving stream
Ooh, heart of gold
The most special things you gave me were from a loving stream
Fuck the magazines /Fuck the green machine
See the human being /In a loving stream
Fuck the legal greed /Fuck the nothing scene
See the family /In a loving stream
另外，Cult〈Sacred Life〉、Suddenly, Tammy!〈River，Run〉、Rufus Wainwright〈Matinee Idol〉、Chris Connelly〈The Early Nighters〉、Creeping Charlies〈Cry Me a River Phoenix〉等都作品接踵而來，REM的〈E-Bow The Letter〉據說在單曲封面上還隱約出現River字眼，歌詞是這樣寫的：
The bus ride, I went to write this, 4:00 a.m.
This letter
Fields of poppies, little pearls
all the boys and all the girls sweet-toothed
Each and every one a little scary
I said your name
I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars
Hash bars, cherry mash and tinfoil tiaras
Dreaming of Maria Callas
Whoever she is
This fame thing, I don't get it
I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
Maybelline eyes and girl-as-boy moves
I can take you far
This star thing, I don't get it
不過最重要的兩首推薦作品，第一首是1995年一萬個瘋子〈10,000 Maniacs〉女主唱Natalie Merchant首張個人專輯《Tigerlily》中的〈River〉，Natalie用她敘述口吻和質問心情訴盡這則故事，當然也免不了要批判一下瑞佛在鎂光燈和媒體包圍下的心境，整首歌曲滿佈淡憂傷：
I saw cameras expose your life
I heard rumors explode with lies
I saw children in tears
Cry and crowd around the sight
Of where you had collapsed that day
Where your last breath and word
had been sighed
Where your heart had burst
Where you had died
Where you had died
第二首是來自Go Go's女主唱Belinda Carlisle96年深獲樂評讚賞的專輯《A Woman & A Man》中的〈California〉，這首歌不但有貝琳達出道來最好的意識和聲音表現，加上海灘男孩Brian Wilson大老的合聲，充分表現整首歌的矛盾情節，歌詞也頗扣人心弦：
I remember I was in the tanning salon
When I heard that River Phoenix was gone
They say that only the good die young
But that ain't true where i come from
California...California
It took a lot for me to say
I won't walk away, L.A.
From the sharks and the Chardonnay
In California...California
每當聽到這些歌曲，其實是感傷的，因為這並不是對瑞佛的禮讚，相反的，都是一股對美好景物消逝的無奈。
瑞佛，生日快樂！
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