In the time when Wong Jum-sum grew up, Cantonese pop music was but one of many kinds of music broadcast on radio. In a society where over 80% of the population spoke Cantonese, that came as a major surprise. Wong has a simple explanation for this. Cantonese pop grew out of traditional Cantonese music, but it could not build on the popularity of the latter in the face of severe competition. Compared to Western or Mandarin pop, it lagged behind in the areas of composition, lyrics, singing, accompaniment, recording, distribution, and marketing. Its competitors had a head start in talents, organization, and technology that took Cantonese pop more than a decade to come close.
Not everyone agrees with Wong’s diagnosis. Other scholars argue Canto pop, even in such early days, had a unique vibrancy that came from a healthy disregard of the boundaries among different traditions and genres, be they local or foreign. Early Canto pop laid a solid foundation for modern Canto pop, which went on to dominate not only Hong Kong but most Chinese communities around the world.
The story of Cantonese pop awaits careful re-writing.
撰曲：羅保生
主唱：鍾麗蓉
「第一段」
（甜甜曲序）
羅裳來換
為扮侍婢盡量去金釵
今朝依約 花間相會
用妙術安排
行行搖曳 漫漫弄帶
步步上青階
小芳心 我心驚驚
初放我情懷
（食住懷字轉二王）
懷春女兒
自覺心情變態
點解 點解
點解我初嘗情味
我便懶對書齋
點解 點解
點解我上好沉香
要當作爛柴來賣
點解 點解
點解郎情如火熱
令我惹起疑猜（拉腔）
哎唷又怕淑女相思難賣
令我越想越無了賴（拉腔）
「第二段」
（反線中板）
我最怕佢是狂且
態度輕狂
便將奴奴氣壞
又怕佢假義假情
令我為難應付反是無計安排
我若是傲氣 凌人
最怕佢一怒言離
個陣我說相思 難解
怪不得話難得有情郎
我枉有家財千萬
（轉二王下半句）
可憐我為情癲倒
踏破了花鞋
惟望月姥多情
為牽一縷紅色絲帶
（上雲梯）
引得仙女下界
我心思遊纜在長街
天公意念惡猜
絲牽一縷復向檀郎賣
我情如快 心安泰
兩心相印樂無崖
佢既人似潘安妙美姿態
哎吔惹得相思孽債
（二王）
只望良緣天注定
共攝合 和諧
