Team A - "Rider"

The last unit song from A3 has a special, important meaning. I'll be glad if you read these lyrics carefully.

"Rider"
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Komatani Hitomi, Watanabe Shiho, Orii Ayumi, Hoshino Michiru, Sato Yukari, Kawasaki Nozomi, Ohe Tomomi, Urano Kazumi, Tojima Hana

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Sakai Mikio
point of view: female
theme: allegory/story
original lyrics


listen to Rider on youtube

I was worried
'Cause I haven't seen you around recently
I remember your smile,
Warmer than anyone else's...
I was informed
That you moved to a faraway town
I would've liked
To say at least goodbye

Where are you running to
On your bike
Through the wind?
Is the sky clear over there?

I miss you!

Yes!
I won't forget you...
In that half-empty square
You sat down on the bench
And always listened to me sing
Yes!
I won't forget our meeting...
It happened back in December
But it feels like yesterday to me
Time flies, doesn't it?

Even if I can't meet you anymore,
I won't be sad and I'll sing
I'm sure that that's what you,
Who are living somewhere, wish, too
Yes, even now,
I feel as if you could appear suddenly
Saying "I'm late"
On your usual bench...

You stopped your bike
On the corner of my heart
And you're still watching me from somewhere
Even if it starts raining...

Remember!

You!
Even when I feel crushed
I will dream for you, too,
So please cheer me louder than anyone else
You!
When I feel crushed
I'll close my eyes and remember
The sight of you clapping your hands on time
Is my eternal ally

I miss you!

Yes!
I won't forget you...
In that half-empty square
You sat down on the bench
And always listened to me sing
Yes!
I won't forget our meeting...
It happened back in December
But it feels like yesterday to me
Time flies, doesn't it?

Comment
This is a special song, showing once again the tight bond that AKB (used to?) have with their fans. (This is a true story.)

There was a fan who had followed AKB at the theatre since their very first days in 2005, when they were still nameless, struggling idols. He was a regular, attending shows as much as he could; a nice guy, loved by the other fans and recognized by the members. They used to call him Rider-san, because he used to drive a motorbike.
Unfortunately, at the end of 2006, he suddenly fell ill and passed away. The girls got worried cause they couldn't see him around anymore; when they heard he had passed away, they were shocked and sad. Therefore, Akimoto decided to dedicate a song of Team A's new stage to this loyal fan who wasn't in this world anymore.

The frontgirls for this unit, Komatani Hitomi and Watanabe Shiho (both now graduated), were Rider-san's oshimen. When they sing our meeting happened back in December they mean, of course, the AKB Theatre opening on December 8th 2005. The benches are the theatre seats (which used to be actually long benches), in the half-empty square, the theatre that for the first times was nowhere near sold out.

I think this is a wonderful tribute to one of the first people who supported AKB since their birth, and despite sounding like a cheerful song, after knowing the story behind it, "Rider" never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
(On a side note: exactly because of this song's special meaning, when NMB48 announced their first stage would be "Dareka no tame ni", many fans hoped they wouldn't sing this song. They do perform it, led by Jonishi Kei and Matsuda Shiori, but who saw N1 live assured they sing it pouring a lot of feeling into the song and making justice to its meaning.)

Team A - "Shinkirou"

Sorry for being late to post again x_x I'll finish A3 and start on the Sakura Special asap!

"Shinkirou" (Mirage)
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Kojima Haruna, Nakanishi Rina

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


listen to Shinkirou on youtube

As my heart sways, sways
I will disappear from your sight
Excuse me for my love
Excuse me for my love

The train platform at dawn
Is like a letter with nothing written on it
Without even managing to say goodbye
I'm heading to a town I don't know
On the first morning train

Ah, because I love you
I will throw everything away
And leave on a journey

A swaying, swaying mirage outside the window
The time that goes by is like an illusion
I'm glad I could dream
The summer sky is swaying, swaying outside the window
The big clouds look like they're about to cry
Love is so mean
Love is so mean

If I talked to you
You'd make sad eyes
And keep me here
This is my foolish decision
Please, don't look for me

Ah, because I still love you
I will just disappear
Forever...

Even if big, big drops of tears fall
My memories are my treasure
I'm glad the two of us met
Even if big, big drops of tears fall
I can't wipe my love off
Excuse me for my love
Excuse me for my love

A swaying, swaying mirage outside the window
The time that goes by is like an illusion
I'm glad I could dream
The summer sky is swaying, swaying outside the window
The big clouds look like they're about to cry
Love is so mean
Love is so mean

Going far away...

Team A - "Nagekiss de uchiotose!"

Here comes Queen Acchan! This fun, uptempo unit also has Tomochin and Miichan who went on to become frontgirls in their own right.
Also, in NMB's version my (probably) favourite NMB member, Milky aka Watanabe Miyuki, takes the centre position, and another favourite, Riichan aka Kondo Rina, has Tomochin's position. ♥

"Nagekiss de uchiotose!" (Shoot me down with a blown kiss!)
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Maeda Atsuko, Minegishi Minami, Itano Tomomi, Masuyama Kayano, Hirajima Natsumi, Narita Risa

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Okada Mio
point of view: female
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Nagekiss de uchiotose on youtube

La la la...

Every girl in school is aiming at him
His seniors, his juniors and even his classmates
Everyone's crazy for him
They're all my rivals, yeah!

I'm madly in love with him
I'm head over heels
Sorry, but I'll take this love for me

Shoot me down with a blown kiss!
I want to catch in my hands the hearts flying in the sky
Shoot me down with a blown kiss!
Your smile's missile
Hits the target more precisely than an angel!

After lessons, the American football club is training
His whole fanclub has gathered on the stands
Whenever he tackles they shout hysterically, yeah!

He's the best
He's just too cool
I'll have my happy end at all costs

You hit me repeatedly like a machinegun
Those darling bullets
Knock me out as I can't move
You hit me repeatedly like a machinegun
My whole body
This baptism is crueler than a gangster

When just one popular guy like you is here
This boring school looks like a pink paradise

Shoot me down with a blown kiss!
I want to catch in my hands the hearts flying in the sky
Shoot me down with a blown kiss!
Your smile's missile
Hits the target more precisely than an angel!

Comment
Not much to comment. It's a classic high school love song, where the girl likes the most popular boy and wants to have him for herself. The dance is really cute.

Team A - "Bird"

Despite having two popular girls in the unit alongside Takamina (Oshima Mai, now graduated, and Mariko), and although Takahashi now has a solo song (which I'll translate too, since I feel it's the follow-up to this song), Bird is Takamina's signature song even now. It's also one of AKB's best songs and performances.
(As a Sae-oshi, I feel compelled to inform you that whenever this song is performed in a non-shuffle occasion, Ms.Miyazawa is the substitute for Maimai. 8D)

"Bird"
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Takahashi Minami, Oshima Mai, Shinoda Mariko

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Morikawa Naoki
point of view: female
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Bird on youtube

Chased and surpassed by the dawn
Just when you turned off your car's headlights
The Aqua Line¹ that takes us back to our town
Is too long for us to talk
There's nothing to do but run

Love is a bird who's lost its wings and can't fly
I feel the wind from the passenger's seat's window
Love is a bird who's lost its wings and can't fly
Trapped inside the cage of my heart
Ah, the day when that sky is no longer mine has come

There aren't other cars either
So my loneliness just goes on and on
When we surpassed Umihotaru²
That profile of yours I used to remember
Got blurred by my tears

I am a sad bird who's forgotten how to fly
I just squat down in the place I am in now
I am a sad bird who has forgotten how to fly
I cannot make my way to your heart
Ah, on this ground,
Deprived of my freedom, farewell

Love is a bird who's lost its wings and can't fly
I feel the wind from the passenger's seat's window
Love is a bird who's lost its wings and can't fly
Trapped inside the cage of my heart
Ah, the day when that sky is no longer mine has come

Notes
¹ The Aqua Line is a freeway running from Tokyo to Kisarazu, a city in Chiba prefecture. Most of it consists of a tunnel + bridge combination crossing Tokyo Bay.
² Umihotaru (literally meaning "sea firefly" is an artificial island that lies in the middle of Tokyo Bay, at the crossover point between the tunnel and the bridge. It also has amusement and dining facilities.
If you want to know more about the Aqua Line and Umihotaru, you can check its English-language wikipedia page or just look at it on Google maps.

Comment
"Bird" tells us about a couple who's going back to their hometown in Chiba (after presumably a night out in Tokyo) at daybreak. The girl feels like she loves him much more than he loves her, therefore she feels like a wingless bird who has lost its freedom and can't fly anymore. The imagery perfectly conveys the sadness, and the words used are particularly suggestive - with most verbs and nouns chosen to represent certain feelings. I can only hope I have written a translation good enough for you to feel those feelings evoked by the original lyrics.

Team A - "Tanjoubi no yoru"

Sorry for not updating for days x_x! "Tanjoubi no yoru" is musically my least favourite song from Team A's 3rd Stage "Dareka no tame ni", so I guess my mind was unconsciously postponing it? (that, and the fact that I am currently without a job, and looking for employment is a full-time job, at least in this part of the world >_>)
Without further ado, here we go! Unit songs coming up next. Bird = ♥

"Tanjoubi no yoru" (Birthday night)
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Okada Mio
point of view: female
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Tanjoubi no yoru on youtube

Love me, darling!
Love, Love me, baby!
We can't say, yet.
Kiss me, darling!
Kiss, Kiss me, baby!
We can't do it, yet.
Love me, darling!
Love, Love me, baby!
We're fighting now.
Kiss me, darling!
Kiss, Kiss me, baby!
Cause we're stubborn.

Since you like doing childish things
Like shaking a can of coke on purpose
And then handing it to me looking all innocent,
Of course I immediately realized
That your unconcerned-looking face
Was scheming something

You said we'd celebrate my birthday together
And at the seats booked at a restaurant...

Happy!
Happy birthday to you!
You've started singing out loud
Putting on airs as if you were an opera singer
Even though there are other customers in the restaurant
Happy!
Happy birthday to you!
I'm embarassed,
Everyone is looking at us
You just keep on singing
Earnestly, your eyes closed

On top of the cake in front of me
As many candles as the number of my years are swaying
I wonder from which candle
Since what candle have the two of us been together?
I have to blow them out in one breath
I kind of feel under pressure
I'm a coward, aren't I?

The only person in the world
Who'd sing to me so proudly
Is you

Happy!
Happy birthday to you!
Everyone in the restaurant starts singing
There's no turning back now
Yes, I am the leading actress tonight
Happy!
Happy birthday to you!
I did the impossible to catch as much breath as I could
And on that second,
You had the nerve to kiss me suddenly on my lips

Amidst the cheers and applauses
You whispered to me
"I'll sing next year, too"

Happy!
Happy birthday to you!
You've started singing out loud
Putting on airs as if you were an opera singer
Even though there are other customers in the restaurant
Happy!
Happy birthday to you!
I'm embarassed,
Everyone is looking at us
You just keep on singing
Earnestly, your eyes closed

Notes
The lines in italics are in English in the original lyrics.

Comment
I might not like the tune of this song but the situation depicted in the lyrics is rather cute. I love how it's like a short story, telling us a little anectode from beginning to end.

Team A - "Warning"

Here is the second song off Team A's 3rd Stage "Dareka no tame ni".

"Warning"
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Ezaki Masaru
point of view: female
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Warning on youtube

Giving my all for a pure love isn't worth it even for 10 minutes
Even if I were too honest it'd be incorregibly hard
I rather look at things case-by-case
See, when tomorrow comes I won't be able to meet him
But I want to

If sticking my tongue out becomes the best part of it, that'd be nice
If it's for the sake of being loved why not try to depend on you
Side by side, in a girly way
I whisper to you as if you've already spoiled me, I'm the worst

Love is a girl's ambition
I want to get it more easily
Even if I try to look more adult than I am
If it doesn't match reality
I won't be able to put the pretense on for long

Of course I want you to change me
But if you restrain me, I want to cancel it immediately
Yeah, surprisingly I'd just go bye-bye-bye
If I make you feel good
I won't even be able to keep breathing

Love is everything for a girl
I don't need anything else, no
I believe that meeting you by chance is destiny
Although there are exceptions...

Love is a girl's ambition
I want to get it more easily
Even if I try to look more adult than I am
If it doesn't match reality
I won't be able to put the pretense on for long

Wow wow wow・・・
Warning!
Warning!
Warning!

I'll warn you!
Don't be let girls deceive you!
Because
Despite only saying selfish things
They are fickle double-tongued beings

Warning!
Warning!
Warning!

Comment
There isn't much to say. The theme is: don't trust girls cause they'd do anything when they want to win over someone. I like the music and the performance much more than the lyrics, in this case.

Team A - "Tsukimisou"

As I　mentioned, I'm going to tackle my first full stage translation ^__^
And the stage I chose is...
Team A's 3rd Stage "Dareka no tame ni"
The reasons are basically two. The first is that it's a really great stage, with a lot of good tracks. There are fun songs, melancholy songs, dark songs, cute songs. The second reason is that I have a soft spot for AKB's little sisters based in Osaka, NMB48; they've just debuted with a rehash of A3rd so this is to celebrate (original) Team A as well as the pretty, amazing, hardworking 25 girls of NMB48.

Let's start from the first song. Yoisho! (Yes, it's NMB in the image, simply because it's a pretty picture versus my HORRIBLE screencaps. XD)

"Tsukimisou" (Evening primrose)
(from Team A 3rd stage "Dareka no tame ni")
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Goto Tsugutoshi
point of view: female
theme: allegory
original lyrics


listen to Tsukimisou on youtube

Passing by it on the road
I saw a flower bud that was looking downward
As if it was waiting for someone from somewhere
It looked up at the sky...

Eventually it becomes dusk
The colours of the capital blend into the night
The feelings inside my heart turn into a shadow
As I reach out my hands

The beauty of the ever changing nature
Where does the eternal wind come from?

Secretly meeting night after night,
Avoiding people's eyes
Our love will bloom one day
Watched over by the crescent moon
Dreaming earnestly,
Women are like evening primroses

How long do I have to wait for the sound
Of my loved one's steps until they come closer?
So many stars are twinkling
Enticing love

A summer night longer than today
In this forsaken place
The white flowers of an unforgettable pure love bloom

They look beautiful and noble...
Are they destined to be so short-lived?

All my feelings have stopped silently
Rather than fall, held by you,
I would bloom until morning
And then wither
My life lasts only for one night
Women are like evening primroses

The cicadas who can't give up
Suddenly started singing from the tree branches

Secretly meeting night after night,
Avoiding people's eyes
Our love will bloom one day
Watched over by the crescent moon
Dreaming earnestly,
Women are like evening primroses

All my feelings have stopped silently
Rather than fall, held by you,
I would bloom until morning
And then wither
My life lasts only for one night
Women are like evening primroses

Dreaming only for one night,
Women are like evening primroses

Comment
The main characteristic of this song is the distinct Japanese flavour of it. The melody is built on the classic Asian pentatonic scale, and the instrumental makes use of Japanese drums and instruments; during the song, there are a lot of kakegoe (the classic Japanese rhythmic cries, used, for example, during traditional festivals too - in this case the kakegoe that is repeated throughout the song is "yoisho!". Kakegoe have no literal meaning.)
Moreover, the lyrics are also written in a style reminiscing of classical Japanese.
They make a comparison between a woman who can only meet her lover at night and an evening primrose, a flower that blooms at night and wilts the following morning.

Team A / Theatre Girls, "Hikoukigumo"

Clearing one request ^_^
I am pleased to translate this song, one of my favourites ♥

"Hikoukigumo" (Airplane trail)
(Team A version from Team A 5th stage "Ren'ai kinshi jourei" / Theatre girls version from "RIVER" single and "Kamikyokutachi album")
Team A (full team) / Theatre Girls (selected members from AKB: Nakata Chisato, Matsubara Natsumi, Umeda Ayaka, Chikano Rina, Masuda Yuka, Sato Natsuki, Kobayashi Kana, Nakaya Sayaka, Nakatsuka Tomomi, Tanabe Miku, Hirajima Natsumi, Yonezawa Rumi, Iwasa Misaki, Oya Shizuka, Suzuki Mariya, Matsui Sakiko, Nonaka Misato, Uchida Mayumi)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Ouchi Tetsuya
point of view: male
theme: Naruse Hideki
original lyrics


listen to Hikoukigumo on youtube

On the way from Autumn to Winter
We believed we had taken a shortcut
But we had forgotten
About the corner that leads to the future,
About kindness,
And about the wind

Your face
As you whisper "goodbye"
Isn't reached by sunrays
Love has already withered

An airplane trail in the sky
A white line lingering
Whose thoughts will remain?
As we haven't even got the time to look back...
The airplane trail of time
I gazed, absent-minded,
At that thin, fresh scar
Like a scratch made by sharp nails

A cat coming from somewhere crosses the street in front of us
How does it see us?
The asphalt, scribbled on by kids,
Straddles our memories

I wonder if the two of us will meet again somewhere
Because there are too many people
On the street corner of memories

Love is an airplane trail
One delicate brush stroke
That day that won't ever come back
Makes me painfully reluctant to leave this place...
Just like an airplane trail
You raised your right hand up
To hide your tears
And watched your sadness as it left

An airplane trail in the sky
A white line lingering
Whose thoughts will remain?
As we haven't even got the time to look back...
Love's airplane trail
Looks like it's chasing its back
A little late,
I heard the sound of it flying through the sky
And the sound of someone crying
Just like an airplane trail
You raised your right hand up
To hide your tears
And watched your sadness as it left

Comment
Just like "Only today", "Hikoukigumo"'s strength relies on the gap between the bittersweet, end of a love story themed lyrics and the cheerful melody and fun tempo that made it a live favourite.
One of the characteristics of this song is that it's AKB's "towel swinging" song. Most Japanese pop acts have a song of this kind, in which the audience cheers for the singer(s) by swinging their towels (bought, of course, in the official goods stalls outside the concert venue) in time with the music. (It's actually more fun than it seems.)

Team A - "Only today"

I have some requests pending, but after following the latest Request Hour -Set list best 100- concert this song made me want to translate it so much. It's a song I have always loved, and to see it ranked at 45 made me happy (it might seem low at first glance, but if you think 300+ songs were eligible for voting it's definitely not low ^_-)

"Only today"
(from Team A 4th stage "Tadaima ren'aichuu")
Team A (full team)

words: Akimoto Yasushi
music: Ouchi Tetsuya
point of view: male
theme: love song
original lyrics


listen to Only today on youtube

I wanted to come at all costs
To this beach in the middle of Winter
We get off the clattering bus
Inside the freezing wind

Putting in my pocket
A can of hot coffee bought at a vending machine
And holding your hand, I felt warmer
In this world where no one is

Sorry for inviting you
Even if I know
That now you are his girlfriend

If you just stay here for me, it'll be enough
Here right next to me...
Like if nothing changed from then...
Just stick with my foolish love
Only today, one last time
Until the evening sun hides

You're thinking I'm an egoist, aren't you?
With my sudden phone call
A love that is over
Is a pointless visit to our memories

Sitting on the breakwater
I realized only now
That precious treasures
Can only be seen after they're gone

The waves that go back and forth
On the back of a time that can't be turned back
Feel so sad

If you just stay here for me, it'll be enough
On this beach full of memories
Let's watch the sunset together
We'll be together only today
From tomorrow, we will just be
Three friends again

You came with me
Without saying anything
To me today is an eternity

If you just stay here for me, it'll be enough
Here right next to me...
Like if nothing changed from then...
Just stick with my foolish love
Only today, one last time
Until the evening sun hides

If you just stay here for me, it'll be enough
On this beach full of memories
Let's watch the sunset together
We'll be together only today
From tomorrow, we will just be
Three friends again

Comment
One of those songs that have a cheerful melody and bittersweet lyrics, and such a gap is the strength of the song. The lyrics are told from the point of view of a boy who is still in love with his ex-girlfriend, despite she is the girlfriend of a friend of his now; so, to put an end to his unrequited love, he invites her one last time to a place that was special to them.

Team A - "Utsukushiki mono"

As I promised, I will be posting more actively, starting with one Team A song, one Team K song and one Team B song.

Let's start with a relatively recent Team A song, one of my A favourites.

"Utsukushiki mono" (Beautiful thing)
(from Team A 6th stage "Mokugekisha")
Team A (full team)

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


listen to Utsukushiki mono on youtube

Sharpen your nails, don't hesitate
Leave traces on my soft skin
I want to feel the pain of being loved
Let me know I am yours

Now I am naked, and rather than being served with kindness
I'd prefer to indulge in the luxury of one night's illusion

A cruel morning will come
For the most beautiful thing in this kingdom
Ah, shall I give you a dream
More expensive than silk, in the black of your eyes?

Bite my ears, don't hold back
Go straight in the midst of a kiss
I want you to be strong enough to make my blood flow
Let me know this is real

It's already the second new moon
Even though my pride has dropped to the floor
My appetite is insatiable
Move your troops forward as you please

The most precious thing in this kingdom
Is to live indulging in depravation
Ah, were I to be ruined I'd be satisfied with accepting it
Love is my fate

A cruel morning will come
For the most beautiful thing in this kingdom
Ah, shall I give you a dream
More expensive than silk, in the black of your eyes?

Who is the most beautiful woman in this kingdom
But me?
Come on, those who know, step forward
I will reward you by having your head

Comment
These are some of the most strongly sexual lyrics AKB has ever put out. The music, the dance, the outfits concur with the lyrics to create a Middle East flavoured, decadent setting. The picture of the powerful queen who just wants to be strongly held and taken at night, allowing her partner to cross the line in sexual play but not forgiving him for getting overboard and forgetting she's actually in control, is extremely vivid.
During the performance, four girls recite the lines of the chorus over the other girls singing it: Haruna for the first chorus, Takamina for the second, Mariko for the third and Acchan for the final, cruel one, as the other girls bow and awe her. It is a very nice touch that makes the lyrics pop up and brings them to life, making the performance of "Utsukushiki mono" look more like a high class musical theatre number than just the performance of a song.

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 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?