The original song Poop on Stage has been chosen as National Taiwan University’s (NTU) graduation song this year, sparking much debate regarding the song’s title and content, which describes students’ anxiety about post-graduation unemployment.
The title, Shang Tai Da Bian (上台大便), is a play on words that literally means “go on stage to poop.”
The first three characters, shang tai da (上台大), also mean “to attend NTU,” as “Taida” is a common abbreviation for the university.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The last character, bian (便), can mean “convenient” or “then,” but is more commonly associated with defecation.
The lyrics of the song describe students’ reluctance to graduate and anxiety about a lack of job opportunities.
The song was written and performed by artist Ni Ming (匿名), her catchy R&B-like vocals accompanied by rhythmic guitar chords.
The lyrics say: “I don’t want to graduate, don’t want to be asked my monthly salary,” and “I can’t use NTU as a shield anymore,” capturing the artist’s anxiety about graduating and having to enter the workforce.
The song also talks about how liberal arts majors only get a monthly salary of NT$26,000 and that bosses exploit employees in capitalist society.
The song’s chorus ends with the lyrics: “I can’t find a job, so I’ll go poop on stage.”
Ni said the inspiration for the song came from her own struggle to find work, the immense pressure she feels and the fear that she would become useless after graduating.
The song resonated with many students after it was posted online, with comments saying that it represents the inner voice of all liberal arts majors.
The song came in second, with 152 votes, in an online poll for this year’s graduation song, only one vote behind the first-place song Coconut Grove Story, the NTU Graduate Student Association said on March 2.
However, Poop on Stage topped the overall ranking due to its online popularity, garnering 329,275 views across all platforms, the association said, adding that after a weighted calculation that included votes and views, it was chosen as this year’s graduation song.
The song “realistically expresses students’ reluctance to graduate, anxiety about post-graduation unemployment and liberal arts students’ voices,” former president and NTU alumnus Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
Students voted for the song and their choice should be respected, Chen said.
“As of 2024, I graduated from NTU 50 years ago, and I have never regretted studying liberal arts,” he said. “Freedom of speech exists at NTU, and I am proud to be and NTU alumnus.”
However, some professors and members of society have questioned how an NTU student could write such a song and how it could be chosen as a graduation song.
Responding to media queries, NTU vice president for student affairs Chu Shi-wei (朱士維) on Saturday said that the song was chosen via student voting and that NTU respects the students’ decision.
“Different generations have different ideas,” Chu said, adding that “screening student speech is not NTU’s style.”
Today’s job market no longer seeks talents with a single specialization or profession, Chu said, responding to students’ anxiety about unemployment.
NTU is a comprehensive university and has been promoting interdisciplinary talent development over the past few years, offering 270 interdisciplinary study programs, he said.
This year, 186 companies opened positions that do not require a specific major, giving students from all academic backgrounds more career opportunities, Chu added.
NTU president Chen Wen-chang (陳文章) said companies value students’ professional skills, teamwork abilities and resilience in overcoming challenges.
What students study at university might not be directly related to their future careers, Chen said, adding that NTU promotes the concept of a “future university” that focuses on interdisciplinary and international talent development.
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