The Lyrics Discussion Thread
 

Per frecklegirl's permission, I've created one! I've been wanting to start one ever since I first joined, but here it is now.

I really love Shiina's lyrics. Although my Japanese is not good enough to understand what she says without translations, I love her idiosyncratically, her use of wordplay and sound, her crazy metaphors, her way of using really complex sentences to express very simple ideas.

But another thing is I like what she uses as common themes in her lyrics. For example:

Motherhood: Ichijuku no Hana, Yume no Ato, Kodomo no Joukei, Tasogare Naki. These are some of Ringo's most heartbreaking songs. You can tell by her lyrics she really loves her son, and she worries about him a lot.
Prostitution (Madonna/Whore Complex): Kabukichou no Joou, everything on HF, Genjitsu o Warau
Metaphorically comparing herself to animals/inanimate objects: Ringo no Uta, Sakana, Ishiki, the Hatsuiku Status single, Kingyo no Haku, Kronekodow.
Murder/Suicides: Yokushitsu, Shuukyou, Jusui Negai
Her Boyfriend is Awesome: Gips, Suberidai
Her Boyfriend is A Piece of Shit: Genjitsu o Warau, Sigma

Obviously, everything is up to interpretation (I know frecklegirl, you don't think the prostitution thing is valid :P)

So I thought we could discuss some of our favorite lyrics, or even say "what do you think THIS means"?

I'm really curious about what people think certain songs mean, especially KZK songs (like Kuki or Meisai or Poltergiest)

You don't need permission to start threads... haha!

Also, little nervous about the prospect of this thread, because a lot of my early translations badly need to be revised (which is on the horizon, of course) and should not undergo a close reading... but oh well...

unfortunately in my experience a lot of people say "I don't care about/pay attention to the lyrics" so I doubt how much interest there will be in this topic.

My boyfriend is an awesome piece of shit: koko de kiss shite

I need bigger boobies: Tsugō no Ii Karada (都合のいい身体 The leading hitter)

There are the "who/where/when am I?" songs:

Yattsuke Shigoto
Identity
Ringo no Uta
er, others.....

Suberidai is a my boyfriend is awesome song?! XD

I think Laughing at reality is a more like "I'm working on him, but he's mines yes."

That's what I thought it was about. If you disagree, that's great. This is, after all, a lyrics discussion thread, not a "TurtleFu says what he thinks the lyrics mean, and everyone must agree" Thread.

@Nimh
Oh, is that what Yattsuke Shigoto is about? I have no what it (or rather, all of the KZK songs) are about

Another running theme is noticed is self-doubt. There is WHOLE lot of self-doubt in Ringo's works, it's been very common from MM to now. Either it's all for "show", or Ringo must be very self-conscious.

I love the KZK version of Yattsuke (though partial to the ZCS version) cuz of the vacuum cleaner sound effect that starts the song. For me, doing certain things at home---cleaning or laundry---brings out these "who am I and what am I doing?" thoughts sometimes, in a pleasant way.

Why are you being so defensive?

I genuinely found it funny that Subiredai felt that way for you, just the fact itself- I could see why and hence it was funny to me.

Yattsuke always came off to me as having a really straight-forward meaning: the mindlessness and monotony of day-to-day life.

Gips never came off as a "TRUE LOVE/my boyfriend is awesome" song more like a "Stop thinking about the past & the future just be here with me NOW" song. Something like that..

Okay, are Tsumi to Batsu and Honnou really about doing it or is that just me?