Did you know? Some of APO Hiking Society's hit songs were written on a tissue paper

It's true what they say; the best ideas come at the most unexpected time. For the legendary band APO Hiking Society, some of their hit songs were written while they were on a bus and even on a tissue paper!

In the most recent episode of "Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel," APO members Jim Paredes and Boboy Garrovillo shared some interesting stories on how they came up with some of their hit songs.

For "Pumapatak ang Ulan," initial lyrics were written on a napkin because the inspiration came to the band unexpectedly. They had to write it down right before the idea went away.

"Kasi minsan, nag-ti-trip lang kami sa Baguio nun tas he wanted to sing a song for a friend. Tapos boredom lang naman ang kwento nun e, parang ganun," Boboy said.

"Inumpisahan niya tapos mamaya, we jam with it lang. Two chords lang ang ginagamit namin e, and then eventually it becomes a song, ganun lang," he added.

In the same manner, when cassette tapes started to gain popularity back in the day, Jim would bring one around so that he could record a song right away.

Meanwhile, for the song "New Day," inspiration struck Jim while he was on a bus.

According to Jim, he had a man on his mind aboard the bus, so when he went home, he took out his guitar and started playing with strums and lyrics.

"So when I got home, the moment I played on guitar, that's really [on] my mind. And that song became a hit," he said. "This was our first hit, actually."

"New Day" instantly became a hit on the radio, with fans frequently requesting for it to play.

"But there was no vinyl. No record, people need to buy it. They only bought it, like, a year later," Jim said.

"Nagkaroon ng hit doon without any recording company," Boboy added.

In October 2022, Danny of the APO Hiking Society passed away. He was 75 years old.

Apo Hiking Society is set to have a two-night concert in July for their 50th anniversary.

Among their hits include "Batang-Bata Ka Pa," "Panalangin," and "Bawat Bata."

—Hermes Joy Tunac/MGP, GMA Integrated News