你是否有过这样的经验？当你听到一首歌的时候，一股感动的激流突然从内心深处涌动——这首歌，是为我而写的吗？
英国摇滚乐队马利里昂（Marillion）在1995年5月29日推出单曲 Beautiful（美丽），销售成绩并不十分美丽，最高只爬上英国单曲榜第29位。然而它对我却有特殊的意义。
这首歌由乐队主唱斯蒂夫·贺加斯（Steve Hogarth）作词。一开始，他便用略带哽咽的感性陈述一个令人非常伤感却又无可奈何的现状：
我们活在这样一个世界：人人都极力污蔑美丽的事物；人人都极度鄙夷美丽的事物……
他不厌其烦地重复这种伤感和无奈。然后，歌曲进入高潮部分（合唱部），画面一转，呈现一个凄美的意象：
叶子由火红变成枯黄，然后掉到地上，遭人践踏。
如泣如诉的嗓音，虽然唱出多种色彩，氛围却越发阴暗。人们非但不欣赏美丽的事物，反而去糟蹋它。更加可怕的是，我们每一个人或多或少都曾经把落叶踩在脚下。听到这里，我的心仿佛被一万支箭射穿，痛得无法呼吸，体温也不再存在，一下子掉进绝望的冰川。
难道这首歌是贺加斯悲痛的自白和悲愤的控诉吗？我本以为是这样，直到……他突然走到跟前，向我发问：
你是否有足够的坚强，你是否有足够的信念，你是否有足够的理智，你是否有足够的真诚……去变成美丽的人？
完全措手不及地，我已经热泪潸潸。他继续追问：
为什么要跟别人一样？为什么要走别人的路？
最后，他伸出手，拍了拍我的肩膀，对我说：Be yourself and be beautiful。
谢谢马利里昂带来这首美丽的歌。从此以后，我不会畏惧，也不会彷徨。
歌词：
Beautiful
Lyrics: Hogarth
Music: Hogarth/Kelly/Mosley/Rothery/Trewavas
Everybody knows we live in a world
Where they give bad names to beautiful things
Everybody knows we live in a world
Where we don't give beautiful things a second glance
Heaven only knows we live in a world
Where what we call beautiful is just something on sale
People laughing behind their hands
As the fragile and the sensitive are given no chance
And the leaves turn from red to brown
To be trodden down
To be trodden down
And the leaves turn from red to brown
Fall to the ground
Fall to the ground
We don't have to live in a world
Where we give bad names to beautiful things
We should live in a beautiful world
We should give beautiful a second chance
And the leaves fall from red to brown
To be trodden down
Trodden down
And the leaves turn green to red to brown
Fall to the ground
And get kicked around
’You strong enough to be…
Have you the faith to be…
Sane enough to be…
Honest enough to say…
Don't have to be the same
Don't have to be this way
C'mon and sign your name
’You wild enough to remain beautiful?
Beautiful
And the leaves turn from red to brown
To be trodden down
Trodden down
And we fall green to red to brown
Fall to the ground
But we can turn it around
You strong enough to be
Why don't you stand up and say
Give yourself a break
They'll laugh at you anyway
So why don't you stand up and be
Beautiful
Black, white, red, gold, and brown
We're stuck in this world
Nowhere to go
Turnin' around
What are you so afraid of?
Show us what you're made of
Be yourself and be beautiful
Beautiful