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.
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