Undergirls - "Nusumareta kuchibiru"

"Nusumareta kuchibiru" (Stolen lips)
(from "Ponytail to shushu" single)
AKB48 Undergirls senbatsu members (A: Iwasa Misaki, Katayama Haruka, Kuramochi Asuka, Maeda Ami, Ota Aika, Sashihara Rino / K: Akimoto Sayaka, Fujie Reina, Kikuchi Ayaka, Nito Moeno / B: Komori Mika, Oku Manami, Sato Amina, Sato Sumire / SKE48: Matsui Rena, Yagami Kumi)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Inoue Yoshimasa
point of view: female
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Nusumareta kuchibiru on youtube

Spangles embroidered
In the midsummer's night sky
I pointed at the constellations
And asked you their names

The two of us were lying on a beach
The world up above us was so beautiful...
I thought I was the happiest person in the world
Just by being able to be at your side

Stolen lips
In the blink of an eye
Just as if wind had passed
You were in front of me
And for a second you were above me
My heart beat so fast
I was shaking

Words are always fumbling around
It's so hard to catch the real feelings...

Whenever the lighthouse on the cape shone
Your face appears in the darkness
Your embarassed eyes are so dear to me
I thought I loved you the most in the whole universe

Kiss me again
Let me prepare for it
So that I can feel your love
I want to gaze at you
Until we close our eyes
If it was just a kiss out of the excitement of the moment
Stop it...

Stolen lips
In the blink of an eye
Just as if wind had passed
You were in front of me
And for a second you were above me
My heart beat so fast
I was shaking

Kiss me again
Let me prepare for it
So that I can feel your love
I want to gaze at you
Until we close our eyes
If it was just a kiss out of the excitement of the moment
Stop it...

Stolen lips

Comment
This translation is a request from a S48 user, and I'm happy to help him out :D
It's a pretty simple song. "Stolen kiss" songs are a staple of idol repertory since the 70's, by the way :)

Team A, "Kurumi to dialogue"

I've only posted one Team A song so far, and that's definitely wrong, cause Team A is my second favourite team by a very small margin (Team K just wins, but A is just awesome), and generally has a lot of songs I can safely call my favourites.
So, to celebrate Team A and also as an attempt of being up to date, let me bring you Team A's latest song, "Chance no junban"'s B-side, the amazing "Kurumi to dialogue".

"Kurumi to dialogue" (A dialogue with a walnut)
(from "Chance no junban" single)
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: PJ
point of view: female
theme: sexy song
original lyrics


listen to Kurumi to dialogue on youtube

What do you wanna do?

Once you've cracked the walnut open
Its hard shell
What's there inside?
If I open my heart
I should understand
What's coming next, shouldn't I?

Do! Do!…Do!Do!

When our eyes met I felt something
I can't put my finger on
Even if you were erasing those signals
I felt your heartbeat
You were in a place
A little distant from me
And you didn't show it at all
cool

What should I do?

Once you've cracked the walnut open
I could hear
That voice I'd locked away...
Once you've learnt the truth
You can't go back anymore, can you?

Non!Non!…Non!Non!

Held by your hands,
Played with slowly,
I raise a cry
As if love was swaying
If you use a little force
Nonchalantly,
I can't really resist

Yes!Yes!…Yes!Yes!

What do you wanna do?

It's a secret to dad and mum
I was told this is wrong
It'd be ok if it was only a dream,
But can I crush it?

Do!Do!…Do!Do!

What should I do?

Once you've cracked the walnut open
It all starts
A crushed moral
More foolish than Adam and Eve
But somehow I want to do it

Once you've cracked the walnut open
Its hard shell
What's there inside?
If I open my heart
That forbidden thing is delicious

Do!Do!…Do!Do!
Do!Do!…Do!Do!

Comment
I already liked this song since its early leek but I never paid attention to the lyrics. So when I read them I was honestly astonished.
The metaphore is rather easy to see: "cracking the walnut" clearly refers to losing one's virginity. It's not the first time that AKB sing a song about this theme, in more or less explicit ways (songs that come to mind: "Virgin love", "Dear my teacher", "Dokugumo"...), but this is probably one of the most nicely worded and designed ones. We follow the girl meeting a boy, flirting with him and finally losing in to temptation, knowing that what she's doing might be wrong and that there's no way back but eventually conceding. Interestingly, the PV is all about losing to temptation, too, albeit sexual temptation is barely hinted at.

Team K - "Kiseki wa ma ni awanai"

Finally, here it comes. "Kiseki~" is a song that is most precious for me, the song I voted for for this year's Request Hour, it HAD to come around asap. :D

"Kiseki wa ma ni awanai" (Miracles don't make it on time)
(from Team K 6th stage "RESET")
Team K (Miyazawa Sae [centre], Yonezawa Rumi, Nonaka Misato)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Miyajima Ritsuko
point of view: male
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Kiseki wa ma ni awanai

A windy bus stop
Even if I wait for you
You definitely won't come
I knew that much

Over a not so high hill
There's a bench that looks like someone has forgotten it there
My hat flew away...
I kept looking for you since then

But miracles never make it on time, do they?
Love is always such a hasty thing
How many buses will have to stop and leave
Until destiny catches up?
My future lover

The reason why my heart's beating fast
Suddenly sped up
And got closer
To my heart's curve

It feels like
the green trees are staring at me
And I can't calm down
The probability that the two of us will fall in love

But miracles never make it on time, do they?
Pure love is never something that goes smoothly
Even if you weren't on the last bus either
I will forever wait here
I am the only lover

But miracles never make it on time, do they?
Love is always such a hasty thing
How many buses will have to stop and leave
Until destiny catches up?
My future lover

Comment
I LOVE THIS SONG. (wow, a scholarly comment. XD) It's the first unit song that Sae got to lead and it was written exactly for her: it's fun, happy, boyish and cool and cute at the same time, just like she is.
This song has no hidden meaning or cultural references in particular. It talks of a boy/young man who was sitting on a bench next to a bus stop, when suddenly the wind made his hat fly away. When he goes to pick it up, he sees a girl on the bus passing by and falls in love at first sight; so he ends up waiting everyday all day at the bus stop to see her again, hoping for a miracle.
It's as simple as this. Yet, I find it so charming. I find that this songs suits who performs them so perfectly I just can't help but love it as if it were a part of Sae-chan. Rumi and Micha are great in this song too, and the voices of the three of them blend really nicely.
In short: there's nothing about this song that's not to like. XD I might not have a deep lyrics analysis this time, but this song gives me energy and positivity every morning when I have to face a hard day, so it deserves its place here. ♥

AKB48, "Ponytail to shushu"

As I promised, a single!
This time I wanted to go for something lighter, but still meaningful, so let me introduce to you...

"Ponytail to shushu" (Ponytail and scrunchie)
(from "Ponytail to shushu" single)
AKB48 senbatsu members (A: Kojima Haruna, Maeda Atsuko, Shinoda Mariko, Takahashi Minami, Takajo Aki / K: Itano Tomomi, Minegishi Minami, Miyazawa Sae, Ono Erena, Oshima Yuko / B: Kasai Tomomi, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kitahara Rie, Miyazaki Miho, Watanabe Mayu / SKE48: Matsui Jurina)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Ota Shinya
point of view: male
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Ponytail to shushu on youtube

Before the set date on the calendar
I roll up my shirt's sleeves
It's the sign that the sun is getting closer
I'm changing to summer uniform starting from my arms¹

Blue sea
On the shore
I want to see you
Splashing water with naked feet

(Shaking) your ponytail
Into the wind
You run (I run)
on the sand
(Shaking) your ponytail
You turned my way
Your smile
My summer begins

Sunrays lighten the classroom
The temperature of my dreams got higher
When I look at you, sitting some rows ahead of me
My heart aches

I'll never be able to say I like you
I whisper my feelings to your back

Your ponytail (makes me feel sad)
Inside my dreams
I have all of you (all of me)
For myself
Your ponytail (makes me feel sad)
One-sided love
When our eyes meet
Now, we're just friends

Your long hair in a ponytail
In a polka dot scrunchie
I can't catch the tail of love
It's an illusion that will disappear if I touch it

(Don't take out) your ponytail
Without ever changing
Just keep running
As you are (as I am)
(Don't take out) your ponytail
Please be forever
The happy young girl you are

La la la...

Note
¹ The whole first verse refers to the Japanese school tradition of changing from long-sleeved winter uniform to short-sleeved summer uniform on a set date (usually at the start of June).

Comment
This song is cheerful only in appearance. It is actually a melancholy song, sung from a schoolboy's point of view, about his unrequited love for his classmate. The literal story is as follows: he sees her frolicking on the beach, her hair in a ponytail, and in their sunlit classroom at the beginning of Summer, and thinks that he will never be able to confess to her, he'll just keep loving her from a distance.
But the ponytailed girl is also a symbol of idealized youth. Her ponytail (tied with a colourful scrunchie), her school uniform, taking off her shoes and socks to play with the sea in the first Summer days... The schoolgirl symbolizes youth as it is often idealized in the Japanese adult world: innocence, simple beauty, cheerfulness. Youth is beautiful and fleeting, the only carefree time in a lifetime before being lining up in the "shakaijin" (productive worker) ranks; therefore it is an object of longing - this is the real reason why idol industry is so florid in Japan. They don't sell an image of sex as many Westerners think: idols are the image of perfect youth.
Back to the song, of course the literal unrequited love story is the prevailing part of the song, but the "symbolized youth" metaphor is a pivotal element of Japanese, and especially idol, culture, so I thought I'd point it out since it would be easy to overlook it for someone who is not very knowledgeable with Japan's idealization of youth.

Himawari-gumi - "Mori e ikou"

And lastly, the song that ranked 3rd in the poll: Himawari-gumi's beautiful "Mori e ikou".
Sorry for the wait! I have been out of town for a few days, and this is not a song to review in a hurry. I have so many things to say about it...

I'll do a single next, and then some more random songs from those shortlisted in the poll.


"Mori e ikou" (Let's go to the forest)
(from Himawari-gumi 2nd stage "Yume wo shinaseru wake ni ikanai")
Himawari-gumi

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Shusui, Stefan Aberg
point of view: third person
theme: allegory/story
original lyrics


listen to Mori e ikou on youtube

The adults always used to say
"You must not play in the forest"
Without even being told the reason,
The children were scared of the forest

It was a distant world
Enclosed among the thick trees
Where you can't even see the path

Someone shouted
"Even in that place there surely is some light..."
Just like there is hope in every sadness
The sun in the sky won't forsake it

But the adults frowned
They whispered to each other
"If we go to the forest we won't be able to come back"
And turned their back on the forest

What kind of magical creatures live there?

Someone pointed their finger
"If there's shadow there absolutely must be light..."
Just like tomorrow comes even for the deepest despair
The wind lets the sun filter through the trees to show us

"The light is overflowing in this world"
Even if the long Winter nights are pitch black
If you look up at the sky
You will see the stars

Let's softly close our eyes and remember
There is a divine light that reaches our hearts
Let's go to the forest

Someone shouted
"Even in that place there surely is some light..."
Just like there is hope in every sadness
The sun in the sky won't forsake it
"The light is overflowing in this world"
Even if the long Winter nights are pitch black
If you look up at the sky
You will see the stars

Comment
"Mori e ikou" is one of the best conceived AKB48 songs. The atmosphere is created by the perfect joining of lyrics, music, stage setting, even outfits.
Just like a fairytale, this tale is an allegory. Adults keep the children away from the wood, a mysterious and unknown place, because they are scared of the darkness that is inside of it. However, someone suddenly shouts the obvious truth: if there is darkness, there must be light. The sun must filter through the thick trees. There is no need to be afraid of the wood. But the adults frown and walk away, leaving the children with their doubts ("What kind of magical creatures live there?"). Yet, the children decide to start their journey through the wood
What this allegoric tales refers to is clear, but it does not mean it is weak. The wood represents one's fears and pain, the dark side. The "adults" do not want to face them for fear of suffering, and they especially want to shelter their children from pain, fear and despair they might encounter when facing the wood.
Nonetheless, the "children", those who mantain an innocent, naive and sometimes even reckless attitude to life, are curious and are somehow attracted to the wood. They see it for what it is, as shown in "someone"'s words: a dark place, yes, but a place that must be crossed in order to see the real light. Without making one's way through the wood, that is to say through pain and the facing of one's fears, one cannot grow up.

Many people have speculated how "Beginner" touched upon this theme (children who are too sheltered from pain), especially in the second verse. It might be true but while "Beginner" revolved around a different central theme ("finding the meaning of living through pain"), "Mori e ikou" focuses primarily on it, and is a deep, painful metaphor of growing up.

Team B - "Itoshiki Natasha"

Here's the song that got the silver medal in the poll: Team B unit song "Itoshiki Natasha".


"Itoshiki Natasha" (My dear Natasha)
(from Team B 4th stage "Idol no yoake")
Team B (Sashihara Rino [centre], Katayama Haruka, Tanabe Miku)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Yoshino Takao
point of view: non specified in the verse, male first person and language in the chorus
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Itoshiki Natasha on youtube

Aiming for the distant Siberia
There was a man who smuggled himself on a freight ship

On the soil of the tundra even dreams freeze
He can't even see any future in this sky

The meaning of keeping walking over iced snow
looking for his most beloved woman

Natasha, how many times
Do I have to call out your name for it to reach you?
You should be there, beyond the wall of despair
Ah- love is my only reason to live

How much time has passed?
The never changing scenery is closing in the colour of his loneliness

He wanted to know the tears
That lie inside a speechless kindness

Has he forgotten how to put an end to something
Because of his footsteps and of the words brought by the wind?
His love lies at the furthest end

Natasha, my memories
See an illusion of you
This eternal Winter deludes my heart
Ah- love will be tomorrow's miracle

Even if I, dead tired, should collapse on the road
And lose my life I wouldn't have any regrets

Natasha, how many times
Do I have to call out your name for it to reach you?
You should be there, beyond the wall of despair
Ah- love is my only reason to live

Comment
"Itoshiki Natasha", music-wise, is a classic rock, powerful song. The lyrics tell the story of a man, presumably Japanese, who crosses over to Siberia to look for his lost Russian love, Natasha. It has the feel of a novel set in the XVIII or XIX century: the main character smuggles on a freight and gets to Siberia as a clandestine, and he keeps walking from town to town, in freezing weather, under snow storms, looking for the slightest hints (the "words brought by the wind"), without ever giving up his quest for his dear Natasha. The verses in the second part of the song seem to hint that he will never find her - but it's only the memory of Natasha, his illusion of her, that gives him the strenght to go on living.

The characteristic of these lyrics is that while the verses tell the story of the man in third person, the chorus switches to first person and have the man call out Natasha's name.
I also really like the Winter imagery with their strong relation to the unescapable loneliness of the man.

Not lyrics-wise, I think this is my favourite song from any Team B stage, ever (although none of the three members of this unit is in Team B anymore). One funny tidbit is that when Sashihara Rino, Katayama Haruka and Tanabe Miku took on "stage names" for this song: Dorian Sashihara, Divas Senorita Katayama and Glorious Tanabe, forming "Team Karyuudo" (Team Hunters). XD I think it started as a joke but then it stuck; if you watch the performance, you can hear the audience calling "Dorian", "Divas" and "Guro-chan" instead of the idols' real names.

Team K - "Mushi no ballad"

I apologize for being so late but I am finally able my translation + commentary of "Mushi no ballad", the song that ranked first in the poll!
If you have never watched Sayaka perform this song, do yourself a favour: read the lyrics and then click on that youtube link and get ready to be blown away. This song is just beyond the idol world.


"Mushi no ballad" (A bug's ballad)
(from Team K 5th stage "Saka agari")
Team K (Akimoto Sayaka)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Tago Kunio
point of view: male first person and language
theme: fighting song
original lyrics


listen to Mushi no ballad on youtube

Alone under the pouring rain
I wanted it to hit me and get me soaking wet
I was trying to wash away
My dirty body and my ugly heart

What am I supposed to believe in
To live through this age?
I ask myself,
But there's no answer

I am not afraid of being hurt
No matter how hard my road is
I am insignificant
Falling down on my knees
I'll just turn into a bug

The wind makes me fall down
But I have to get out of the mud
I recklessly groveled
Beautiful things
Are things that have been washed
By sweat and tears

What is true?
What is fake?
Even if I think about it
If I take a shortcut I won't find the answer

I don't lament the fact I'm going to die
No matter how long eternity is
I am clumsy but I won't look back
I'll just turn into an earnest bug

As long as I live
I don't care if I'm unsightly
On this ground I'm screaming out my soul
I will cling onto the fact I'm alive

I am not afraid of being hurt
No matter how hard my road is
I am insignificant
Falling down on my knees
I'll just turn into a bug

Comment
I think I haven't done much justice to this song with my translation. I am not very confident in the correctness of my English grammar here so any correction will be welcome.
"Mushi no ballad" is a solo song, sung by Akimoto Sayaka. At that time, the only other solo song ever existed was Oshima Yuko's "Naki nagara hohoende" and even now solo songs are not that common, so the fact that she got to do it despite not being a hugely popular member like Yuko really says something about Sayaka's potential and talent.
The lyrics use the male pronoun "ore", which is rather unusual for songs sung by girls (they rather use "boku" when it comes to songs sung in a male point of view). It's grammatically very strong and assertive, matching the theme of the song.
For once, the theme is not "let's do our best to reach our dreams". The main character of this song is portrayed as he struggles to be alive at all.　He appears to be having a very hard time, "groveling in the mud", but he still he doesn't give up on life, whatever it takes. He will "cling onto life" even if it means to suffer, even if it means to become an unsightly bug. It's a powerful song, full of emotion. It might not have a difficult dance routine, but it takes a lot of skill to sing it, to convey the lyrics into a convincing performance. Simply, Sayaka has that.
The song has been performed by other members as well, with various results, during shuffle concerts and when Sayaka was absent from theatre performances, but this is Sayaka's song all the way. Even a great singer like Masuda Yuka (who technically outshines Sayaka) couldn't put as much emotion into her performance as Sayaka does.

Poll results!

Thanks to everyone who voted for the poll!
I left it open for three days (and spammed it quite a lot everywhere... sorry XD) and I must say the results are quite interesting. Not all four polls received the same number of votes, for example.

But anyway, voilà the outcome!

1. (K) Mushi no ballad...11
2. (B) Itoshiki Natasha...9
3. (H) Mori e ikou...7

4. (A) Mokugekisha...6
5. (A) Bird...5
5. (B) Kagami no naka no Jeanne d'Arc...5
7. (A) Namida uri no shoujo...4
7. (K) Yume no kane...4
7. (B) Inseki no kakuritsu...4
7. (B) Zannen shoujo...4
7. (H) Himawari...4
12.(A) I'm crying....3
12.(K) Dakishimeraretara...3
12.(K) Kiseki wa ma ni awanai...3
12.(H) Confession...3
16.(A) Ren'ai kinshi jourei...2
16.(A) Utsukushiki mono...2
16.(K) Melos no michi...2
16.(H) Itoshisa no defense...2
16.(H) Lay down...2
21.(A) Koike...1
21.(A) Tsukimisou...1
21.(K) Blue rose...1
21.(K) Kimi wa Pegasus...1
21.(K) Sentakumonotachi...1
21.(B) Junjou shugi...1
21.(B) Yokaze no shiwaza...1
28.(A) Nagai hikari...0
28.(A) Tsuki no katachi...0
28.(K) Kinjirareta futari...0
28.(K) Sasae...0
28.(B) Tanpopo no kesshin...0
28.(B) Yokosuka curve...0
28.(B) Shiokaze no shoutaijou...0

Captain Sayaka (Sayaka is captain forever okay?) grabs the first position, after a tight fight with Dorian Sashihara and her dear Natasha, the tundra tsundere (if you say it in katakana it's much funnier~ ツンドラのツンデレ!). And then I am personally so glad to see "Mori e ikou" in the third position, as I believe it's one of the best songs of the whole 48 franchise, in lyrics, concept, music and performance.
On the other hand, I'm a little shocked at the total lack of votes for Kinjifuta and Sasae...

Well, then, I'm going to start by translating the top 3 in order. I think Mushi might be up already tomorrow.

Thank you again! ^_^b

A little poll

Since I have too many interesting songs I'd like to translate and talk about, and too many choices puzzle me, I thought I'd set up some polls to see what you would like to read.
I basically listed the stage songs I have something to say about and divided them by team. (I didn't include singles because I already know which of them I'll be doing next.) So please do vote for your favourite songs? You can partecipate in all of them or even just one ^_^





Thank you *bows

Team B - "Kuchi utsushi no chocolate"

I don't know why of all songs I chose "Kuchi utsushi~" as my first unit song post, seeing that there are girls I like much more in teams I like much more. But after all, this blog is about songs and lyrics, not girls... And I love this song to bits.


"Kuchi utsushi no chocolate" (Mouth-to-mouth chocolate)
(from Team B 4th stage "Idol no yoake")
Team B (Kashiwagi Yuki [centre], Ota Aika, Hirajima Natsumi)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Funta
point of view: female first person, female language
theme: sexy song
original lyrics


listen to Kuchi utsushi no chocolate on youtube

Pass chocolate from your mouth to mine
The usual kiss is boring
Twist it in forcefully...
Melt the chocolate with your tongue
I want to lick your love
Sticking our lips out...
We make a disgusting noise

We're free not to care about people looking, right?
If someone watches us I just become more daring
I climb on your lap in the middle of the open café
I'm a cute girl just like "Betty Blue"

Loving each other under the blue sky
Feels better than being naked

Pass chocolate from your mouth to mine
Embrace me from the side
As to kiss me deeply...
Chocolate, your bittersweet poison
Tastes so good
It'd be a shame to close my eyes
I want to trouble you as much as I can

I just want to be honest with my feelings
All human beings in the end can become animals
Even if I spill my cocoa cup
And it makes a stain on my uniform
I don't care about it
What's important is only the present

I can't even hear the sound of the helicopters
Flying above us
That's what love is

Pass chocolate from your mouth to mine
The usual kiss is boring
Twist it in forcefully...
Melt the chocolate with your tongue
I want to lick your love
Sticking our lips out...
We make a disgusting noise

From your mouth to mine
Embrace me from the side
As to kiss me deeply...
Chocolate, your bittersweet poison
Tastes so good
It'd be a shame to close my eyes
Your troubled face looks lovely, too

Comment
AKB48 has a few "naughty" songs, but I feel this is the naughtiest of them all because of both the literal meaning and the double meanings scattered through it. Add that the first person in this song is a high schooler (as the mention of the school uniform makes clear) and here's how "Kuchi utsushi~" is even more suggestive than songs with more risqué words and content.
Nonetheless, these lyrics are flawless in challenging a theme as delicate as the boldness of teenage and the first sexual fantasies. Teenage girls have as many of them as anyone else, and the chances of it being a daring high school girl's fantasy is very high. Looking at the literal meaning of these lyrics, the image of the girl boldly sitting on her embarassed boyfriend's lap and kissing him deeply just appears clearly in front of our eyes. Even details such as "Sticking our lips out / We make a disgusting noise" aren't avoided, giving the complete picture of the scene.

I am not going into detail about the blatantly clear double meanings associated with the words used especially in the chorus ("I want to lick your love", "Your bittersweet poison / Tastes so good"), which are not as important as the literal meaning but can't possibly be unintended, but there are two lines I would like to point out.

From the first verse: "I'm a cute girl just like "Betty Blue"". If you don't know who Betty Blue is, just by looking at these lyrics you're bound to think it's a cute cartoon character or something of that kind. It's actually a character from a French movie produced in the '80s. Betty is a beautiful, fragile, mentally disturbed young girl, whose insatiable love for the movie's male main character brings her to obsession and nervous breakdown. Not really "a cute girl" as one could expect from such a pretty, cartoonish name. And I trust Akimoto's culture enough to think this was fully intented.

Then, from the second verse: "Even if I spill my cocoa cup / And it makes a stain on my uniform / I don't care about it". The imagery is rather simple, but subtle: the stain on her school uniform means a stain on her "pureness" (let's not forget that high school girls are often idolized as a symbol of pureness).

These are the reasons why I say that having young girls such as Yuki (18 at the time), Nacchan (17) and Aika (only 14!) sing this song makes "Kuchi utsushi~" even naughtier than SDN48's more explicit songs.
I love it nonetheless. If possible, I love it even more for the lack of hypocrisy and the tongue-in-cheek tone of the whole song.

Team B - "Shonichi"

As the last installment of the Team Songs series, let me introduce to you the legendary "Shonichi" by Team B.

"Shonichi" (Opening day)
(from Team B 3rd stage "Pajama drive" - AKB48 12nd single "Namida surprise" - AKB48 2nd album "Kamikyokutachi")
Team B (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Okada Mion
point of view: female first person, female language
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Shonichi

I'm standing on the stage I have always aspired to
Amidst the cheers and applauses
During those strict lessons I surpassed my limits
And here's today
When the curtain of chance opens

There were days when I was the only one who couldn't dance well
And I cried on my way home
There were days when I couldn't sing like I wanted
And I lost my confidence
My rivals always looked
So perfect to me

Your dream is a flower
That blooms slowly among your sweat
Your efforts will never betray you
Your dream is always waiting for you
Budding among your sweat
Until the day when, surely, your wish will come true

I didn't know that spotlights were so dazzling
Just like the morning sun breaking after a long night
I absolutely don't want to lose to my senpais
We wanted to build our own show

There have been days when I injured myself
And I cried, feeling frustrated for having to skip lessons
There have been days when I just gave up
Juggling between lessons and school
But I could always hear somewhere
Someone calling out for encores

Your dream is beyond the tears,
The flower of your smile after you've stopped crying
The buds of your efforts will eventually bloom
My dream is beyond the tears,
I believe in it without losing to rain and wind
Until the day when my prayers reach the clear sky

I'll dance
As if my life depended on it!
I'll sing
As if my life depended on it!
Without ever forgetting
My initial resolution
I'll pitch with all my might!

Your dream is a flower
That blooms slowly among your sweat
Your efforts will never betray you
Your dream is always waiting for you
Budding among your sweat
Until the day when, surely, your wish will come true

Comment
And here's Team B's arguably most important team song, "Shonichi".
The word "shonichi" is used for the first day of a show in theatre/music environments, and it all makes sense when we think this was the first song in Team B's first original stage, after performing "Seishun girls" (originally team K's second stage) and "Aitakatta" (team A's second stage). This was the first time the girls in team B could shine with songs tailored upon them.
The lyrics talk about the road to "Pajama drive", and are so perfect for Team B. Unlike Team A (who by then had only got a AKB48 theme song, and no team songs of their own) and Team K's "Korogaru ishi ni nare", Team B's first team song's lyrics adopt a softer, "real life" approach. Listening to them we can picture clearly in our mind the girls at rehearsals, doing their best, "climbing beyond their own walls" (the literal translation of 自分の壁乗り越えて I translated as "surpassing my limits", which is the meaning of this idiom), crying out of frustration for not being able to dance and sing as they wished, but still giving their utmost best thinking of the opening day.
The simple message "efforts will make your dream come true" is backed up by the fact that it parallels the girls' experiences. It has the strenght of an example, and the power to move. "I'll dance as if my life depended on it"... They didn't write it, but looking at them, you can feel how true it is.

This is just a beautiful song. It's no wonder that many A and K members have often said they can relate to it, too, as it describes feelings that they all have experienced during their career as AKB48 members. It's no wonder that it's a fan favourite, as well. In 2009's "Request Hour" (a yearly event in which fans get to vote for their favourite songs and the girls showcase the top 100 in a series of 4 concerts), "Shonichi" took the top spot - such is the power of this song.

Team K - "Korogaru ishi ni nare"

Continuing with the Team Songs series, next in line is my favourite, Team K!
I chose to go with their first and probably still most symbolic team song, "Korogaru ishi ni nare".

"Korogaru ishi ni nare" (Be like a rolling stone)
(from Team K 2nd stage "Seishun girls" - AKB48 1st album "Set list")
Team K (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Yamazaki Yo
point of view: female (as the speaking first person is the girls themselves), but the language used in this song is rather gender-neutral
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Korogaru ishi ni nare on youtube

Who is the flower on the roadside blooming for?
It is never noticed by the passer-bys...
Burnt by the sun, exposed to the rain
That far away dream is blown by the wind

Loneliness is always a compensation for freedom
Lost for words,
Walls are indifferent
You have no choice but endure it

Be like a rolling stone
Move according to your own mind
Change the times before burning out completely
Be like a rolling stone
Don't stand stock still where you are
Time flows on
Your passion is hidden
We're the team K

Who are the nameless stars shining for?
Forgotten in a corner of the night sky
It's unbelievable how hey keep believing
Their light is a ticket to ther future

Giving up is like turning your back
You have to stretch out your hand recklessly
As you struggle

Be like a sharp stone
Don't go with what everyone around you says
You have to live stubbornly
Don't round yourself out
Be like a sharp stone
Keep having something you can't concede
Humans are weak beings
Don't lose to yourself

Be like a rolling stone
Move according to your own mind
Change the times before burning out completely
Be like a rolling stone
Don't stand stock still where you are
Time flows on
Your passion is hidden
We're the team K

We're the team K
We're the team K
We're the team K

Comment
Team K's second stage "Seishun girls" was the team's first original stage, and also the first to have a team theme song (A1 had "AKB48" but it was a team song only because A was the only team back then).
"Korogaru~"'s lyrics are very straightforward and powerful. When the song was first performed, AKB48 was still a very young idol group, slowly climbing the stairs to success. If I think about what could have been the state of mind of Team K girls in July 2007, when they started performing K2, I can't help but think that this is a battle cry for them.
They'd only had a few months to warm up, they must have felt in the shadow of the more experienced and popular Team A, and they had to prove their worth with songs made especially for them. Even just one glance at the lyrics is enough to realize how strong its language and message are: it's not the usual "Do your best because I love you and believe in you", but it's "Even if you are alone, even if it's hard to be yourself, you can't give up".
That's why I believe that even after the shuffle this is THE Team K song. Not only because of how many times it has been performed as the K theme song, but also because the kind of strenght drawn from these words suits Team K, the strongest team, the team of deep bonds. (Unlike "Sasae", for example, which was the portrait of a particular moment of Team K. I will definitely pick this song up in the future).

-
Next up, team B's "Shonichi" to conclude the Team Songs series.
If you have any request or suggestion about what you'd like to see after that, don't hesitate to post a comment!

Team A - "Pioneer"

If one was to say what's the main characteristic of AKB48, the one that sets them apart from other idol groups, that would be without a doubt the theatre shows. Therefore, my next series of posts will be dedicated to Team Songs (one for each team, not necessarily the latest, though). Each of the songs I chose clearly showcases, both music- and lyrics-wise, that team's characteristics and are basically distilled and bottled AKB48.

Let's start with the pioneers, Team A.

"Pioneer"
(from Team A 6th stage "Mokugekisha")
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Nonaka "Masa" Yuichi
point of view: female (as the speaking first person is the girls themselves), but the language used in this song is rather gender-neutral
theme: team song
original lyrics


listen to Pioneer on youtube

In a corner of this world
Like a mirage
That day the field of our dreams
Was suddenly born

We changed into our tracksuits
And started our lessons
We opened up our own way
And cultivated our future

We were just twentytwo seeds
No one had any expectation over
Until the day
We would all bloom

We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
We have to believe
Come on, let's bet on ourselves
We have nothing to lose
We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
Let our sweat flow
Now everything will begin
Let's remember
Once again
How earnest we were

Everyone around us was laughing
Saying it was impossible
But only seven people
Watched over us

We couldn't retreat
We had no choice but do it
We didn't have time to cry
Until the day when our efforts gave fruits

Just like one becomes strong
When he's hit by wind and rain,
As time passed,
All of us turned into one

We are the Team A!
The first try
Go, Team A
Never give up
Come on, we have to shape it
We have our pride
We are the Team A!
The first try
Go, Team A
Face forwards
We have to make it with our obstinacy
And set a precedent of success
For those who come after us

We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
We have to believe
Come on, let's bet on ourselves
We have nothing to lose
We are the Team A!
We are the pioneers
March on, Team A
Let our sweat flow
Now everything will begin
Let's remember once again
How earnest we were

Comment
It's surprising how, despite being AKB48's first team, Team A never had a team song before their latest stage to date. Granted, they did sing AKB48 theme songs like the eponymous "AKB48" or "AKB sanjou!", but this is their first (and so far only) Team A song.
The lyrics are rather straightforward and talk about the very beginning of AKB48, when Team A was the only team and had barely started performing their first stage "Party ga hajimaru yo". Impossible to believe as it seems today, there was a time when AKB48 were nobodies and their very first theatre show audience consisted of seven people. The girls had only had a few weeks to go from virtually absolute beginners to decent performers of their stage, and they had given it all, so it's easy to imagine how let down they must have felt to perform day after day in front of a bunch of empty seats.
Yet, they never gave up - and look where AKB48 is now.
It is true that these words are literally applicable to just a handful of Team A girls, and most of the "Pioneers" have graduated now. But one look at Oya Shizuka's tears while performing the song on the opening day of A6th is enough to understand how this song rings inside even newer members' hearts.
This is also a reminder to the girls to never forget their first days (Let's remember once again / How earnest we were). Team A, willing or not, is and will always be AKB48's first line team, the team that started everything, with all the prestige and, at the same time, the responsibilities that being a Team A member means, who set a precedent of success / For those who come after us.
One last thing I'd like to point out is the seed metaphor. Albeit not the most original metaphor ever used, it is so effective. The use of words like "field" or "耕す" (cultivate) as the last words of respectively the first and the second A-melody verses introduces the full use of the metaphor in the immediately following B-melody verse: twenty-two seeds sown in an unfamiliar ground, which only had to rely on their own strenght to finally blossom. I think it is a very effective and beautiful simile that gives a little embellishment to these straightforward lyrics.


Next, Team K (incidentally, my favourite team)! Can you guess which team song will be chosen?

AKB48 - "Beginner"

It seems only fair to start this post with AKB48's biggest hit to date.

"Beginner"
(from "Beginner" single)
AKB48 senbatsu members (A: Kojima Haruna, Maeda Atsuko, Sashihara Rino, Shinoda Mariko, Takahashi Minami, Takajo Aki / K: Itano Tomomi, Minegishi Minami, Miyazawa Sae, Oshima Yuko / B: Kasai Tomomi, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kitahara Rie, Watanabe Mayu / SKE48: Matsui Jurina, Matsui Rena)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Inoue Yoshimasa
point of view: male language is used but it is not relevant to the meaning of this song
theme: fighting/support song
original lyrics


listen to Beginner on youtube

In your position set!

All the experiences you made until yesterday
And your knowledge are only a burden
The wind will always pass by
And leave nothing behind

Look for a new road!
Don't spread someone else's map!
When you raise your eyes that were looking at the ground you'll become zero

Are we dreaming?
Are we believing in future?
Afraid of nothing, careless of what's our place
As reckless as ever
Are we dreaming now?
We should be as brand new as a child...
Let's tear off the chains that controlled us
Change your mind
Change your mind
We don't need to know anything Beginner!

Adults have failed and felt ashamed
And suffering has become their trauma
Thinking they don't want to feel such pain again
They have become smart

Challenges are laughed upon
What are you protecting with your silly calculations
In order to avoid risks?

Are we alive?
Do we want to be alive tomorrow?
We pretend we understand, we feign a knowing look
While we haven't dreamed in a long while
Yeah, are we alive?
Aren't we wasting our life?
Feel now the rhythm pulsing through your veins!

Stand up! Together!
Remember the day you were born!
Everyone's a beginner!
Stand up! Right away!
It won't go well
Easily from the beginning
Stand up! Together!
You just need to go back to the beginning
A beginner again
Stand up! Right away!
Be defiant, be defiant
You will make it somehow
Tear away the old page
Come on, let's begin!
We can be reborn all the time

Are we dreaming?
Are we believing in future?
Afraid of nothing, careless of what's our place
As reckless as ever
Are we dreaming now?
We should be as brand new as a child...
Let's tear off the chains that controlled us

I can't do anything
I can't do it well
So what?
We're still young
I can't do anything
I can't do it right away
That's why we have possibilities

The rain has stopped
The wind has stopped
A light we've never seen before
Is shining
Now's the time

You are a reborn beginner!

Text in italics is in English in the original lyrics


Comment

This is probably the song with the strongest lyrics among AKB48's single releases of the last years. It apparently fits in the category, so peculiar of Japanese lyrics, of "ouenka" (support/fighting songs), yet it is much more than that.
The meaning of the lyrics could be largely broken up in three big layers.
The first layer is strong and immediate: do it, recklessly. If you feel it's worth doing it, then don't think that you could fail, don't think of the risks and just do it - it's the only thing that can make you break away from a dull life and make it worth living.
It would be already a rather strong message for a group of idols, considering how idol music is generally very conservative and idol "ouenka" are usually limited to cute "Do your best!" songs; but let us look at the other layers of meaning.
One was nicely pointed out by this Oricon article (translation by me):

Idols song are a means of communication. They are a tool for shaping a message. But if the idols who stand in front don't synchronize themselves with the message, it won't come across. (...) This is an AKB48 song, and at the same time it isn't an AKB48 song. It's not the AKB that has taken the whole Japan by storm and conquered it, but it expresses a reality that's in synch with the state of mind of each single member. (...) A strong will is the reverse side of cheerfulness and high quality entertainment. Idols, too, in order to be able to keep showing their smiles to the fans, have to be strong. AKB can sing this message exactly because they are doing their best to be strong. The reason why this message becomes pain and pierces through us listeners, it's because we have stopped trying to be strong.

I think this is straight to the point. Several members posted on their blogs how they felt the lyrics reflected their own state of mind. It cannot be excluded that it could be a push on their backs from Akimoto, to encourage the girls to keep pursuing their dreams and to stay strong.

Next, there is another point of view we can look at these lyrics from. The controversial PV for this song's theme was "getting to know the meaning of 'being alive' through pain". In short: until you feel pain, until you know what pain is, you cannot understand what it means to be alive. In other words, as especially pointed out in the second verse, avoiding pain is avoiding life. Only by pain can we be reborn (which is, in my opinion, the true meaning of the word "beginner" as it is used in this song).
Moreover, not knowing what pain means leads to smaller perception of what it means hurting others (the "adults who have become smart" might refer to overprotecting parents).

The three interpretation levels overlap and interweave forming the broader picture of this song. The repetitive melody, deep-voiced singing and hard beat make for a compelling song, leaving you slightly anxious, and this is the case where the music is a perfect match for the lyrics.

Language-wise, the song is sung using male language, because of its "strong" connotations. Whether the first person is a boy or a girl is completely irrelevant when it comes to the meaning of "Beginner".

This song led me to take an important, maybe reckless decision that could change my whole life. It's just a song, but it has this kind of power, and I felt it was right to dedicate my first entry to it. I hope I could convey the strenght of this song through my words.