The Kiddie-4F9

Finally a new post! A bit lighter and happier but nothing less meaningful song this time! 4F9 by The Kiddie.

I should start with the name of the song. Yusa's birthday is 9th April (a day before mine <3) so we have 4th month F 9th day. When written and read in japanese, it can be Shi-Fu-Ku (至福) which means supreme bliss or beatitude. The word is mentioned in the end so I think that's it.

So, let's begin:

THE KIDDIE

Noah (15.April 2009.)

4F9

"ねぇ、聞いて　悩んで痛んで決めた事なの

後悔なんて残さないように

僕らの未来へ終止符を　僕らの手で突き刺すんだ"

(Nee, kiite, nayande iyande kimeta koto na no,

koukai nante nokosanai you ni,

bokura no mirai he no shuushifu wo  bokura no te de tsukisasunda)

(Hey, listen, is worrying and being hurt a decision

made in order not to leave things like regret behind?

With our hands we thrust a full-stop on our future)

In most translations I've seen, it says: "is worrying and hurting just a given?". I'm not sure what to think of it. "Kimeta koto" really is a confusing phrase since there's no person who performs the action. It can be translated as an "already decided thing (as-fate)" or as "something we've decided". And just that little detail changes the meaning drastically. However, a third line in this stanza gives me the little hint that the translations I've read weren't right, and that it's actually US who decide to feel that way. That third line is a very strong one, he mentions "us" twice which isn't the usual behavior of japanese language. 

What shouldn't be understood wrongly is the third line and "putting a full-stop our future". It took a long time for me to understand this. The particle used here is vital. It's  へ (he/e), which indicates moving towards something. So we finish and block the regrets (and similar things) from our future in order to make it better, and not block our future as it can be understood after just a fast reading of a text. So basically, these first lines of a song, put in simple words: we decide to take the trouble of worrying and being hurt right now, because we don't want to leave the bad feelings for the future.

"でも、なんで？　反対に走り出したみたい

理性飛び越え背中オス衝動が止められない

変かな？　最後にはもう喚くしかないのかな？"

(demo, nande? Hantai ni hashiridashita mitai

risei tobikoe senaka osu shoudo ga tomerarenai

hen kana? saigo ni wa mou wameku shikanai no kana?)

(But, why? It seems like we start running backwards

jumping over the reason, unable to stop the impulses that push our backs,

is it weird? will we have no other choice but to cry in the end?)

It really might seem that we are making our future better by worrying now, but what about the present? Problems always occur and because of it we're always so distracted from enjoying this very moment. We "start running backwards" (make no good progress) because we're always feeling bad for this or that, which doesn't really solve anything. Ignoring the "reasonable" thing to do (solving whatever it is), we follow our impulse to worry and question&review the possible solutions. So, knowing this, really, WHY? "Is it weird" to know you yourself are doing this but never really realize it while doing it? So worrying and not actually solving anything all the time just pile up our worries and in the end we're so lost and really don't have an idea what to do, so we just sit in the corner, cry and pity ourselves? 

"嫌だよ　僕は此処にいたいんだ

君もそうでしょ？　顔にでかっく書いてある

大きな夢より今を抱きしめたい　ただ今を願うよ"

(Iya da yo, boku wa koko ni itainda

kimi mo sou desho? kao ni dekakku kaitearu

ooki na yume yori ima wo dakishimetai, tada ima wo negau yo)

(It's so unpleasant. I want to be here

You too, don't you? It's written hugely on your face

more than a big dream I want to embrace the present, I wish only the "now")
*this part repeats with no changes

Hard time translating "Iya da yo", I must confess. I don't think there's a good expression for that in english. It's something like saying "oh no" or "too bad", but not even quite like that. Learning Japanese, you'll get just a feeling for this expression, I really don't know how to explain it. Sorry for that lol

Anyway. I don't think these lines require a lot of explaining. It's pretty clear what Yusa wanted to say, having the previous in mind. There's a good explanation for the last phrase "tada ima" from Antares489.wordpress.com : "Yusa’s playing with words here ... giving the phrase a double meaning of “right now” and “I’m home”, an expression one would normally greet people with when returning home. Both are formed by the same syllables but said slightly differently." 

a deleted part is "writing the kanji in hiragana" which might be a mistake since it's the opposite, writing the part normally in hiragana with kanji. The rest is just perfect! 

"サヨナラは言えないくらいに抱いてよ

その瞳の奥の奥に焼き付けて　ずっと置いておいて

サヨナラを言わないでいいように

時間よ止まれ　いつまでも　君と笑い合ってたいんだ"

(Sayonara wa ienai kurai ni daite yo

sono me no oku no oku ni yakitsukete, zutto oite oite,

sayonara wo iwanai de ii you ni

jikan yo tomare, itsumademo, kimi to waraiattetainda)

(Hug so much that I can't say goodbye

Print it in the deepest depths of these eyes, so that it always stays there

do it so that it's okay not to say goodbye 

stop the time, forever, I want to laugh with you)

Judging from the previous, the "embrace" mentioned in a chorus is referring to "the present", and not any particular person. However in the last line of the chorus we again see there's another person beside him in that moment. Since, as I've mentioned numerous times before, japanese doesn't use grammatical person often, it's very hard to decide whether Yusa wants to "hug and stay in that moment forever" or "be hugged by the other person". The following lines suggest that it's possibly the first version, having the very moment printed inside his eyes (I believe he wanted to say "brain" actually, but it isn't really poetic, isn't it?) and never forget it. Just like people, moments and happenings are alive for as long as we remember it.

*

"潔しをウリとするくらい　ジメジメしたのは苦手だから

フラッと出掛けるよ　ちょっと煙草買いに行くノリで

ココロに太陽を抱いて　雨の日も長い夜も

大丈夫さ　怖くないからさ"

(Isagiyoshi wo uru to suru kurai, jimejimeshita no wa nigate dakara

furatto dekakeru yo　chotto tabako kai ni iku nori de

kokoro ni taiyou wo daite　ame no hi mo nagai yoru mo

daijoubu sa　kowakunai kara sa)

(To the extent that I'd sell my pride, I am awful when being gloomy, so

I aimlessly go out, like "just to buy cigarettes"

when you keep the Sun in your heart, a rainy day and a long night,

are alright, because you're not afraid)

Well the bridge now tells a different story, and if we go back, we can sum up the whole song in just this. It's written very directly, so I don't think there's need to analyze too much. Well, don't take it too seriously, and I'm sure you'll know what he means.

"サヨナラにサヨナラしたら戻るよ

何年何光年先の☆でも　ずっと持って追って

サヨナラは言わないでいいんだ

ココロの奥の奥で　いつまでも　みんな笑い合ってるんだもん"

(Sayonara ni sayonara shitara modoru yo

nannen, nan kounen saki no hoshi demo, zutto motte otte

sayonara wa iwanai de iinda

kokoro no oku no oku de, itsumademo, minna waraiatterun damon)

(If you say goodbye to a goodbye, it'll come back,

always holding and running after a star of how many years, how many light years away,

it's alright not to say goodbye

in the deepest depths of your heart, always, everyone is laughing)

oh look! a star! ☆☆☆!

The first line is a bit confusing, yet it's very simple. I think it's just about throwing away a personal habit of making farewells, because we really do carry all the precious people and moments in our hearts forever (the last line). A star probably symbolizes dreams, love and passion we hold and always chase after. 

"今日という日が　そう　いつまでも至福でありますように。"

(Kyou to iu hi ga, sou, itsumademo shifuku de arimasu you ni.)

(This very day, keep it as a beatitude forever)

So, here's the name of a song ^^ 

And this last line adds up to the importance of the today, of the right now that is only now and never again. It suggests that there aren't any super-special moments of your life you should keep in your memory and heart forever, but that everything is equally important. Be happy that you're where you are, be happy because you're alive, because, well, that's our greatest bliss.

I give this song 5/5 stars ^-^ ☆☆☆☆☆

This used to be my favorite song back in 2009, and I'm so glad I did this. I should probably do some more happy sounding songs, I felt kinda gloomy after my previous two analyses... Oh I love The Kiddie <3

(next to come, requested-Matenrou opera-Designer baby)