associations. 'Human life' by Naomi Tamura and 'Treat or Goblins' by Megumi Hayashibara

I don't know why but sometimes I have this feeling that two songs have similar aura, even though they may be completely different objectively

translation. 'All you need is love' by Tamura Naomi

This song was easier to find - it's an OST to Magic Knight Rayearth's OVA. Haven't seen it yet... and probably won't. If you read the manga, you'd know how much they changed in the second season, so I doubt they could do anything better that the anime that already strayed away from the original story. Nevertheless this song is absolutely astonishing. And maybe Tamura's vocal is, too.

It's also obvious Tamura was greatly inspired by Beatles. You know why, when you see the title, right? And just if it's not obvious enough, she also has a song called 'Beatles mo sensou mo shiranai kedo' which translates as 'I didn't see Beatles or war but...'

lyrics


流れてゆくまるで 幻のように
喝采(かっさい)の milky way くぐり抜けるまで
どんなときも　君が側にいてくれた
今日の涙は永遠の誇り

別れがかなしくて　振りほどけない時を止めて

All you need is love 信じてる　 夢見る力
手を伸ばしつかもう　数え切れない未来

忘れない　きっと眩しいまなざしを
不器用に言葉選んだ声も

誰にも言えなくて　ただ涙があふれてくる

All you need is love 叶わない夢はない
想い出をこの腕に抱きしめたまま

もしも 世界が暗やみに包まれても
心に架かる Rainbow 七色の 輝きで

All you need is love 信じてる 夢見る力
手を伸ばしつかもう　数え切れない未来
All you need is love 叶わない夢はない
遠く離れてもあなたを見つめてる

translation

It flows almost like a mirage,
That grandiose milky way, and until I went through it
You were by my side no matter what,
And I will forever be proud of the tears I shed today

The parting is so hard I want to stop this time that I can’t shake away

All you need is love, I believe in the power of dreaming
Let’s reach out and catch the future with unlimited possibilities

I won’t forget your shining eyes
And your voice when you were shyly choosing your words

I cannot say it to anyone, just my eyes are filled with tears

All you need is love, and there isn’t a dream that cannot come true
I stand here embracing my memories with my arms

Even if the world is covered with darkness
There is a rainbow in my heart that shines with seven colours

All you need is love, I believe in the power of dreaming
Let’s reach out and catch the future with unlimited possibilities
All you need is love, there isn’t a dream that cannot come true
Even if we’re apart, I will be watching you

lyrics translation. 'dare ga ano sora namida no iro ni' by Pearl

I first heard this song when I downloaded it somewhere under a false name 'soranamida'. I remember it was a black website, with hardly any info and a single link to the mp3 file. Years later I learned it's not by Tamura Naomi only, it's by her band Pearl. After I found it, I forgot about it for a while. Strangely enough, it was June when I played it next time. And I immediately fell in love with it. I guess, that time I was making miracles when I needed something, finding rare songs and pieces of information I can hardly understand how to find today. Now this song is almost sacred for me, but I'm not sure if you will ever lay your hands on it - I cannot find that website and that mp3.

lyrics

誰があの空　涙の色に塗り替えてしまったの
泣き出しそうにあおざめた空　明日はたぶん　Rainy blue

イライラする6月　時計は午前2時を過ぎて
カーテンの向こう夜空は　何度見ても変わらないけれど

ドア越しに並ぶ　赤い靴あなたに見せたい
照れくさそうに囁いて欲しい　似合うなって

誰があの空　涙の色に塗り替えてしまったの
泣き出しそうにあおざめた空　明日はたぶん　Rainy blue

稲妻が激しくなる　耳を押さえて歩く
ユラユラ揺れる心模様　あなたがずっと黙ったままだから

横殴りの雨　人波にぶつかりあう肩
泣きだしたくなる　唇かみしめた　WOW WOW

誰があの空　涙の色に塗り替えてしまったの
灰色の空　動かない雲　今日は1日　Rainy blue

途切れた電話　真夜中の胸騒ぎ
あなたを好きだった　彼女の心の迷いね

誰があの空　涙の色に塗り替えてしまったの
神様どうか　雲の切れ間に奇跡の太陽を見せて

誰があの空　涙の色に塗り替えてしまったの
泣き出しそうに　あおざめた空　明日はたぶん　Rainy blue

誰があの空　涙の色に塗り替えてしまったの
灰色の空　動かない雲　今日は1日　Rainy blue

translation

Who painted this sky in tears colour?
This pale sky that looks like it will start crying will be probably rainy blue tomorrow

It’s nervous June, the clock hands pass 2 AM
The night sky on the other side of curtains does not change every times I look at it, but

I want to show you the red shoes that stand by my door
So that you would embarrassedly whisper to me ‘they suit you’

Who painted this sky in tears colour?
This pale sky that looks like it will start crying will be probably rainy blue tomorrow

The lightning strikes become intense and I walk home covering my ears
My heart shows a trembling pattern, because you still keep silent

Slanting rain, I make my way through a crowd, clashing shoulders with people
I feel like crying so much that I have to bite my lip

Who painted this sky in tears colour?
This grey sky with overhanging clouds, it’s rainy blue today

The phone call was interrupted, in the night I sit, feeling uneasy
It’s a hesitation of a girl who loved you, you know

Who painted this sky in tears colour?
Please, god, show me a miracle of sun between those clouds in the sky

Who painted this sky in tears colour?
This pale sky that looks like it will start crying will be probably rainy blue tomorrow

Who painted this sky in tears colour?
This grey sky with overhanging clouds, it’s rainy blue today

lyrics translation! 'naked love' by Tamura Naomi

after I made a video using this song it was only natural that I should provide lyrics and translation but I just didn't feel like doing it. what's different today is my mood. suddenly I understood how much I love this song, despite the fact that I've listened to it dozens of times while making the vid, and what wonderful lyrics Tamura wrote for the song (the fact that I consider the melody wonderful as well is already obvious, I believe). I am not sure songs like this are even popular nowadays but I cannot sit straight when I hear such stories. Tamura sings stories, that's why I love her so much. all of my favourites - 'ano hi no futari wa mou' and 'key of gold' for example, and many others - are songs-stories as well
well... lyrics are as I wrote them down listening to the song. used http://www.xianlai.com/thread-430036-1-1.html for reference

Japanese lyrics
写真の中　無邪気に笑う二人
噂になる前に引き裂かれた
禁じられた恋だったから the end
思い出も涙も閉じ込めた

眠れぬ夜に抱きしめていた
押さえ切れない気持ちを

Naked love　壊れたオルゴールのようなキス
繰り返し奏でた哀しいメロディー
あなたしか見えなくて

突然の再会はこの街で
見違えたよとあなたは微笑む
泣かない私でいることが
細やかな抵抗

Naked love　切れない愛を教えてください
切ないほど愛し合った日々が
心に甦る

言えない　このまま引き返せない
見ないで今の私を
その腕を捕まえたい
けれど

Naked love　壊れたオルゴールのようなキス
繰り返し奏でた哀しいメロディー
あなたしか見えなくて

Naked love　切れない愛を教えてください
切ないほど愛し合った日々が
心に甦る

心に甦る

English translation

The two on the photo are smiling innocently –
They were torn apart before even becoming a gossip
Our love was forbidden, so this was the end
I shut both my memories and my tears inside

In a sleepless night I was holding
Feelings that I could not suppress

Naked love, a kiss that is like a broken music box –
A sad melody playing repeatedly
Only you are before my eyes…

We suddenly meet again in this neighbourhood
You smile and say you didn't recognize me at once
The fact that I am not crying though
Is my feeble resistance

Naked love, show me endless love
The days when we loved each other to the extent it was painful
Are revived in my heart

If the words are not spoken, we cannot turn back
Don’t look at me now
I want to seize your arms
But…

Naked love, a kiss that is like a broken music box –
A sad melody playing repeatedly
Only you are before my eyes…

Naked love, show me endless love
The days when we loved each other to the extent that it was painful
Are revived in my heart

Are revived in my heart

KiriMari story. one more vid by me

I wanted to make a 'story' this time, actually this is not a story, but since I included scenes from musicals mostly (not revue dance scenes) I decided to call it as such

the song is gorgeous and one of my favourites among Tamura-sama's works and among all songs I've ever heard in my life. it's called 'Naked love'

musicals used are 'Algiers no Otoko', 'Gypsy Baron' and the intro dance from it, 'My love lies over the mountains', 'Scarlet Pimpernel' and 'STUDIO54'. 'Yukariko' is yet to be watched so I didn't include it

lyrics translation. Tamura Naomi's 'kirai ni naretara ii'

update 27.03.2018

translation mended

I have mixed feelings now, seeing this translation initially published 6 years ago. I am pleasantly surprised to see the lyrics written down by ear so well, even though I was so inexperienced in 2012. I am also happy to finally be able to understand even the difficult parts of the song, now that I am 6 years older. And I am just a bit disappointed with myself because after 6 years of working with Japanese I think I could understand them quicker than I did now, since I have to admit I still had difficulties with discerning some words.

 

嫌いになれたらいい

Japanese lyrics

好きならば、好きと言って
いつだってそばにいたいから
愛しさが湧けそうになる
二人を繋ぐ愛する気持ち
どうか消えないで

ごめんと投げつけて
あなた目を伏せた
初めて見るような
知らない横顔
嫌いになれたらいい
あなたを嫌いになれたら
声にならない思い
胸に過ぎる

言いかけてやめた言葉
その続き　ちゃんと聞かせて
何もかも嘘に見える
こんな気持ちじゃ許せなくなる
あなたを好きなのに

よくあることでしょうか
夢なら覚めて
昨日までの二人に
もう戻れない
どんな風に出会ってしまったの
どうして出会ってしまったの
心の中の渦が
抑えられない

好きならば、好きと言って
いつだってそばにいたいから
愛しさが湧けそうになる
二人を乗せて悲しい気持ち
どこへ辿り着くの

嫌いになれたらいい
嫌いになれたらいいのに
黙ったままじゃ余計
寂しくなる

好きならば、好きと言って
いつだってそばにいたいから
たった一言でいいのに
二人を繋ぐ愛する気持ち
どうか消えないで
ゆらりゆられて二人はどこへ
辿り着けばいいの

English Translation

If you love me, say it
Because I want to be near you, always
Our love is overwhelming
The feeling of love that connects the two of us
I pray, don’t fade away

You only drop a ‘sorry’ to me
And cast your eyes down
It feels like I see such a profile of yours
For the first time in my life
It would be better if I began to hate
If only I began to hate you
The feelings that cannot be expressed with a voice
Pierce my heart

What you began to utter but stopped
Let me hear it all, to the end
Everything looks like a lie
With such feelings I cannot forgive you
Even though I love you

Does it happen with everyone?
If it’s a dream, then wake up
The two of us like we were until yesterday
We cannot be like that anymore
How did we encounter?
Why on the earth have we encountered?
The whirlpool in my heart
Cannot be suppressed

If you love me, say it
Because I want to be near you, always
Our love is overwhelming
The sad feeling that we flow upon
Where will it lead us?

It would be better if I began to hate
It would be better if I began to hate, but
Not saying anything only
Makes me even lonelier

If you love me, say it
Because I want to be near you, always
Even one word is enough, so
Connecting the two of us feeling of love
I pray, don’t fade away
Swaying constantly the two of us
Where should we arrive at?

KiriMari, my beloved Top Combi

it took me 3 days to make this masterpiece. how did I manage to finish it so fast? I am a magicia~n!

well, actually it took me 3 days to complete the technical part. the first day was dedicated to exploring capacities of Sony Vegas Pro 11.06-something. the second day was dedicated to making the vid itself. and the third day was dedicated to adjusting, and adjusting, and adjusting again

first, there were problems with Vegas-san decoding my avis. therefore, I had already made the whole video but then I had to REmake it because most parts had 'white' frames, which I thought to be simply mistakes of displaying the preview. then I had to RErender the vid because the first version consisted of Takarasquares. erm, I mean, the quality of the vid itself was poor. then I had to RErender it again because I had forgotten to increase the volume of the music. and finally, I discovered that the timing of the vid in Vegas-san was NOT the same as in the resulting vid

finally!

however, creating the vid itself is not a hard thing to do if you have a proper image of it in your head. and I did

it happened on the 25th of April. in the morning I put on my favourite shirt, opened my new lipstick, (the colour of which I chose so that it would be close to that of Kiriya-sama on the cover of the 2012 calendar!) and attached to my neck my lucky (as it turned out) Kiriya-sama pendant. during the first half of my way to the university I already listened to 'all you need is love' and other gorgeous songs from the album 'Grace' by Tamura Naomi-sama. when I got on the bus, 'kirai ni naretara ii' started. while listening to the first half of the song, I simply enjoyed it (well, not simply - I enjoyed it a lot!) - but then I realized WHAT some parts of the song resemble so much... Top Combi duet dance! namely, 'Dance Romanesque' and 'Misty Station' ones, when the stage was covered with artificial mist

therefore, my work was simply to match the vids with the song. well, of course I did not imagine the whole song, and the part of this creation was impromptu...

another point is that, though I usually criticize vids where the visual component has nothing to do with the song and the lyrics, this time I did not make an entirely matching video. the reason is simple - this is not a song that creates a story (like 'ano hi no futari wa mou inai' by Tamura-sama, or See-Saw's 'seijaku...'). this song does not even describe what is going on in the vid. instead, it describes what is going on in the author's soul - and my soul, too - realizing that the person he or she loves so much has been a little estranged, and perhaps is going away, but still he/she loves him/her and while wishing to be able to hate him/her, cannot do this. this is a song that I could sing, not the characters of my vid

but still

my favourite moments - including both moments I did as I wanted and moments I made unintentionally good - are

0-20 - when Aono-sama turns around. I inserted this part because here she appears and approaches Kiriya-sama, but then I noticed how her movements suit 'suki naraba' melody

0-44 - on DE of 'kienaide' is just a lucky moment, but

0-46 - is the best of the best of the best. this moment was perhaps the one I had the first, when I thought like 'oh, this part reminds me of Top Combi dance so much' - so smooth, silent, in a slight darkness and with mist on the floor

1-18, 2-23 and 2-33 - well, when Tamura-sama sings such a 'stringy' note, I could not help inserting something like this

1-24 and 1-31 - are one of the few moments adjusted to the lyrics

3-00 - is simply a moment I adore! and it popped up exactly when I needed something like this. the same goes for

3-05 and 3-17 - somehow, a collection of near-romantic moments? I did not make it intentionally, but the lyrics of those moments are 'suki naraba' and 'itoshisha ni' respectively...

3-27 - the same turning round, which I think to be quite suitable again

3-38 - well, here the drums seemed to be good when Kiriya-sama steps on the floor

3-43 - is simply one of my favourite moments of all the KiriMari duet dances

from 4-14 starts the series of lifts. and lifts are my favourite phenomena in Top Combi duet dances. just. so. IDK... magnificent... beautiful... and just @$!#)*_)!*$#$!!!

well. meseems, I am speaking too much about this humble attempt to make a nice vid. hope fans will enjoy

lyrics translation. Tamura Naomi's 'Mother Ship'

I wrote down as much as I could but I still had to check myself because the manner of singing in this song is unusual both for Tamura-sama, and in general - it really prevents from hearing clearly what the words are

therefore, I pay tribute to http://j-lyric.net/artist/a00080f/l01366f.html for being able to check my 'listening comprehension'
*translation updated May 2020

Japanese

失われた航海図　壊れた磁石
沈みゆく船の軌跡
緑を湛え　蒼く輝く
かつての姿はなく
泣いてる mother ship
痛みに堪えて

It’s too late,　it's too late
未来へ舵をとれ
It’s out of time　錨をあげろ
帆を張り　風に乗れ

巨大な宇宙にある
小さな命の星

It’s too late　まだ終わりじゃないんだ
負けたわけじゃない
It’s out of time　終焉の海を渡れ
持てる力で

It’s too late,　it's too late
未来へ舵をとれ
It’s out of time　錨をあげろ
帆を張り　風に乗れ

English

A lost sailing chart, a broken compass

Traces of a sinking ship

Shining with a pale light, it’s full of green

Its original shape already lost

The crying mother ship

Enduring the pain

It’s too late, it's too late

Turn your helm to the future

It’s out of time, lift the anchor

Hoist the sail and ride the wind

In the large universe

There is a small star of life

It’s too late, it is not the end yet

It is not as if you have lost

It’s out of time, cross the sea of demise

With all the power you have

It’s too late, it's too late

Turn your helm to the future

It’s out of time, lift the anchor

Hoist the sail and ride the wind

my humble opinion on HIMEKA

while having nothing to do with Japan in terms of her origin, she struggled and she was successful - she was able to sing a lot of songs from anime she loved and she became an anime song performer herself. however, I would separate these two sides of her

her own songs present on the 'himekanvas' album were great. this was the album I started with and I was fascinated. her pronunciation and her voice and her manner reminded me of the 2000s generation a lot, which is gradually fading away yielding to the overly cute songs of the late 00s and the 10s which we are living through

however, being so delighted with the fact that I found an almost 'classical' anime songs performer, I hoped too much that her covers would be good, too. I was mistaken. half of the songs she covered should be banished into oblivion (in her version of course)

'sayonara solitaire' - tasteless, vulgar, banal, trivial, just like millions of other singers on the Earth could perform it. even if I admit that Chiba-san is not a perfect singer herself, and this song could be covered by someone perfectly, HIMEKA was not an example of 'another version which has a right to exist'. oh no, too pops a voice, too plain an arrangement, simply terrible

'yuzurenai negai' - ohhh... and this song should be prohibited for being covered for_ever. yes. nobody, nobody ever should dare to sing this song. oh please, do not touch Tamura-sama's works. while 'sayonara solitaire' could be performed by someone else provided she (or even he) does not have an obviously pops sound, 'yuzurenai negai' should not be covered by anyone at all. never. no one.

'tamashii no refrain' - I admit I was a fool not to know that this song is from NGE - shame on me, thousand times. well, now I know - and what? I hate it sung by HIMEKA even though I should admit she sung it so-so, not bad... but ooh... I heard it covered by Takarazuka. I listened to it just now sung by Takahashi Youko-san. HIMEKA's voice cannot add any charm to it. moreover, this is a song from 90s. and such works should not be adapted into modern ones or covered by modern performers. they do not, they cannot understand the soul of 90s. well, they could - but I have met none so far, who would

'voices' - I should I admit I have forgotten who performed this song in the original. I guess it could be Arai Akino-san, but I am not sure. however that may be, HIMEKA spoiled the song as well. no voice trembling or shouting with all your might, no pops cheap tricks can make this song more beautiful than 'twas in the original. I wonder if HIMEKA knows the story of this song and its origin. HIMEKA's voice is completely wrong here, she does not create the image that was so necessary in the movie. oh, 'tis 'Macross +' if you wonder

'sore ga ai deshou' - I thought this song to be completely suitable for HIMEKA's voice, and suddenly... 'tis also contra-indicated to HIMEKA. though the voice of Shimokawa-san was also cute and smacks of pops, it was a bit more gentle and 'airy', as she did not put too much of a strength into singing
'Adesso e Fortuna' - I thought this to be a beautiful song of HIMEKA's own creation, but then I thought it sounds strange for her, as if something is wrong there, as if 'tis not for her... and what a coincidence, 'tis a cover. I should admit I liked it a lot in HIMEKA's performance, 'tis very expressive and strong but... when I listened to the original from 'Records of Lodoss War' I felt so nostalgic, despite the fact I have never watched the anime itself or heard the song. again, 'twas the 90s. 'twas a different time. 'twas another style. it cannot be transformed into something new and contemporary. though there are a lot of examples of successful reviving of something old, this particular strata of music should be left there where 'twas, forever

the other songs were perhaps ok, but I could not listen to them while realizing that they were perhaps completely different in the original version

summing up...

somehow, while having only one voice, HIMEKA seems to be split up into 2 people. one of them is a successful singer with a lot of nice songs, and the other one is a cheap sounding pop singer spoiling everything she reaches up to. this makes me respect her as a foreigner who bravely comes to Japan to fulfill her dream but I shall listen only to her own songs and ignore her cover album

well, compare for yourselves - 'sayonara solitaire'