Released on 2016 Apr. 1st, included in "METAL RESISTANCE".
Lyric: NAKAMETAL, MK-METAL, KxBxMETAL / Music: NORiMETAL / Arr.: YUPPEMETAL
YAVA!
[Raarararara rarara.]
Any of them are alike.
Everybody says so,
but they are in some way a little different, aren't they?
A little different, I wonder so after all.
Different. Different. That's not acceptable.
Different. Different. You say so, but...
Different. Different. I don't know.
Eh? They are in some way a little different?
Oh, no.
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
Paarira paarira fuu!
Oh, no.
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
Paarira paarira paarirarira!
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Any of them are alike.
Everybody says so,
but they are in some way a little different, aren't they?
A little different, I think so after all.
Different. Different. That's not acceptable.
Different. Different. You say so, but...
Different. Different. They are different.
Different. Different. It is the case that they are different.
They are in some way a little different after all.
Oh, no.
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
Paarira paarira fuu!
Oh, no.
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
Paarira paarira paarirarira!
They are different.
Something is different. Something is different.
Which is different? Which is different?
That is different and this is different, too.
They are pretty different. They are pretty different.
Something is different. Something is different.
Which is different? Which is different?
That is different and this is different, too.
Oh. They are all all different.
Oh, no.
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
I can't stop caring about it. What should I do?
Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
Paarira paarira fuu!
Oh, no.
You say "don't care", but I am free to care, ain't I?
You say "don't care", but I am free to care, ain't I?
Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
Paarira paarira fuu!
Even so, They are different. They are different.
Even so, They are different. They are different.
Even so, They are different. They are too different, so I am at a loss.
Paarira paarira paarirarira!
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii.
ROMAJI LYRIC AND NOTES ARE BELOW.
[i] About the Performance & the Lyric of This Song
This tune was performed for the first time on 2015 Jun. 21st at Makuhari Messe, Chiba. Since then, it was tentatively called "Chigau". The Japanese title is "ヤバッ!" (= yaba!) and this word is sometimes jokingly written as "ヤヴァッ!" (= yava!).
The meaning of the lyrics is vague, obscure & ambiguous. This is the same old way of Japanese popular songs. If the singers are attractive enough, the fans can freely enjoy whatever fantasies they like with such vague lyrics. I don't think there is the true story and the lyric writer has hidden it, so I hope the listeners think freely what differs how from what.
[ii] About the Meaning of "Chigau"
Originally, "chigau" means "to cross/pass each other", etc. ("sure-chigau", etc. are still used for this meaning), but in the present time, "chigau" is mainly used to mean "different (from something)". "Chigau" alone can mean several meanings like "other" (= different from this), "false" or denial (= different from the fact), "wrong" or "bad" (= different from what it should be), "special" or "good" (= different from the usual).
The following is my personal interpretation: I imagine, for example, she stands in front of the rack of merchandise and wonders which item suits her best. People other than young girls think all trendy items are alike (in 2015, sheer skirt/one-piece with non-sheer white under), but young girls care about slight differences among them. No! Not slight! Other people just can't tell Paisley from floral patterns.
All young girls are different enough from each other, but other people can only classify them under a few stereotypes. Listen to Sakura Gakuin singing "Watashitachi nitamono dooshi da nante..." (= We are said to resemble each other closely. / People want to lump us together. / Actually each of us puts up one's own antenna / and keeps refining one's own tiny heart.) in the latter half of the first verse of "Friends" (written by cAnON, 2011).
My interpretation might be much influenced by Sakura Gakuin (BABYMETAL was its sub-group). The section of "Are mo chigau. Koremo chigau." (= That is different and this is different, too.) may express young people's feeling like "Anything here is different from what I want. I want something else." or "This place is different from where I should be. I should go somewhere else".
YAVA!
| Romaji Lyric | English Translation | Notes |
| [Raarararara rarara.] | [Raarararara rarara.] | (s) |
| Dore demo onaji da yo. | Any of them are alike. | |
| Minna soo yuu keredo | Everybody says so, | |
| nanka chotto chigau yo ne? | but they are in some way a little different, aren't they? | |
| Yappa chotto chigau ka na? | A little different, I wonder so after all. | 1 |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te nai yo. | Different. Different. That's not acceptable. | 2,3,MY,S |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te iwarete mo. | Different. Different. You say so, but... | 2,MY,S |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te shiran. | Different. Different. I don't know. | MY,S |
| E? Nanka chotto chigau? | Eh? They are in some way a little different? | |
| Yaba! | Oh, no. | 4,MY |
| Ki-ni-natchatte doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | 5 |
| Ki-ni-natchatte doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? | Which side is that on? Which side is this on? | 6 |
| Paarira paarira fuu! | Paarira paarira fuu! | 7 |
| Yaba! | Oh, no. | MY |
| Ki-ni-natchatte doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Ki-ni-natchatte doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? | Which side is that on? Which side is this on? | |
| Paarira paarira paarirarira! | Paarira paarira paarirarira! | |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | 8,MY |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
| Dore demo onaji da yo. | Any of them are alike. | |
| Minna soo yuu keredo | Everybody says so, | |
| nanka chotto chigau yo ne? | but they are in some way a little different, aren't they? | |
| Yappa chotto chigau desho! | A little different, I think so after all. | |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te nai yo. | Different. Different. That's not acceptable. | MY,S |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te iwarete mo. | Different. Different. You say so, but... | MY,S |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te chigau. | Different. Different. They are different. | MY,S |
| Chigau! Chigau! Te chigau no da. | Different. Different. It is the case that they are different. | 9,MY,S |
| Nanka chotto yappa chotto chigau. | They are in some way a little different after all. | |
| Yaba! | Oh, no. | MY |
| Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | 5 |
| Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? | Which side is that on? Which side is this on? | |
| Paarira paarira fuu! | Paarira paarira fuu! | |
| Yaba! | Oh, no. | MY |
| Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? | Which side is that on? Which side is this on? | |
| Paarira paarira paarirarira! | Paarira paarira paarirarira! | |
| Chigau wa. | They are different. | |
| Nani ka chigau. Nani ka chigau. | Something is different. Something is different. | 10 |
| Dore ga chigau. Dore ga chigau. | Which is different? Which is different? | |
| Are mo chigau. Kore mo chigau. | That is different and this is different, too. | |
| Kanari chigau. Kanari chigau. | They are pretty different. They are pretty different. | |
| Nani ka chigau. Nani ka chigau. | Something is different. Something is different. | 10 |
| Dore ga chigau. Dore ga chigau. | Which is different? Which is different? | |
| Are mo chigau. Kore mo chigau. | That is different and this is different, too. | |
| Aa zenbu zenbu chigau! | Oh. They are all all different. | |
| Yaba! | Oh, no. | MY |
| Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo? | I can't stop caring about it. What should I do? | |
| Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? | Which side is that on? Which side is this on? | |
| Paarira paarira fuu! | Paarira paarira fuu! | |
| Yaba! | Oh, no. | MY |
| Ki-ni-sunna-tte ii desho? | You say "don't care", but I am free to care, ain't I? | 11 |
| Ki-ni-sunna-tte ii desho? | You say "don't care", but I am free to care, ain't I? | |
| Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? | Which side is that on? Which side is this on? | |
| Paarira paarira fuu! | Paarira paarira fuu! | |
| Demone Chigau. Chigau. | Even so, They are different. They are different. | MY,S |
| Demone Chigau. Chigau. | Even so, They are different. They are different. | MY,S |
| Demone Chigau. Chigai sugite komaru. |
Even so, They are different. They are too different, so I am at a loss. | MY,S |
| Paarira paarira paarirarira! | Paarira paarira paarirarira! | |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
| Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | Pippo pappo pippo pappo pii. | MY |
Notes
- The lines marked with "MY" are sung by MOAMETAL & YUIMETAL. Marking with "MY,S" means the former half of the line is sung by MOAMETAL & YUIMETA and the latter half by SU-METAL. The enclosed phrase [---] marked with "(s)" is sung by SU-METAL. (Added on 2017 Mar. 31.)
- I changed the translation form "I guess..." to "I wonder..." because "ka na" shows low degree of confirmation and a question mark is added in the official lyrics (revised on 2016 Apr. 1).
- "Te" (= to (wa)) is the particle that attaches to a clause and makes a quotation. "Chigau-tte nai yo" = "It is not acceptable that you say 'chigau'" and "Chigau-tte iwarete mo" = "You say 'chigau' but..."
- "-- te nai yo", "sore-tte nai yo", "sore wa nai yo", etc. show the speaker's feeling that she/he can't accept the matter. This form may mean the low possibility of the matter, but both are distinguishable by the intonation. I changed the translation because once I thought I heard "te nani yo". (Added on 2016 Apr. 1.)
- The official lyric is "ヤバッ!" (Yaba!), and it is a clipped form of "yabai". Originally, "yabai" means "dangerous", but in this line, it is used as an exclamation. (Revised on 2016 Apr. 1.)
- "-chatta" (= -te-shimatta) shows that the action is done without intention. "-chatte" is the conjunctive form of "-chatta".
- "Dotchi" (= dochira) is an interrogative word that requests the choice from two (or more). I think, in this line, maybe she cares about the extension of some concept (good, cute, etc). Maybe she wonders whether that/this is so or not (= whether that/this falls within or outside such things).
- "Paaria..." sounds like the tone of trumpets or clarinets or something. I don't know any other Japanese implications about this onomatopoeia.
- In Japan, "pi po pa" is an onomatopoeia of the push-button telephone, etc.
- Grammatically, "--- no da" is like "it is the case that ---" (I added this phrase to the translation on 2016 Apr. 1). It shows some emphasis, but I don't know how to translate. Sometimes it may have a nuance like "it is in the nature of the things that ---".
- Contrary to the official lyrics, I think I hear "Nani ka chigau. Nani ga chigau? Dore ga chigau? Kore ga chigau." (= Something is different. What is different? Which is different? This is different). But it may be because of accord/discord of the melody and Japanese pitch accents. (Revised on 2016 Apr. 1. & on 2017 Mar. 31.)
- This "ii" (= yoi) means some approval or permission. In this line, she claims her right. Usually "--- deshoo" & "--- daroo" show some guess or expectation, but shortened "desho" & "daro" sometimes have a special nuance like begging for sympathy "don't you also think that ---?" or somewhat blaming "why can't you understand that ---?" (the nuance depends on the intonation).
A question mark is added in the official lyric, so I added a tag question "ain't I?" (appended on 2016 Apr. 1).
Amazing work, as usual. Thank you! This song is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I hope the readers think freely what differs how from what.
DeleteThank you for this and all translations , great work !
DeleteThis is so far my favourite song from BM with a (some) understanding of the lyrics. And that dance is the best too. Just such a happy song. Sort of.
DeleteBut with the translation as well, it means so much more. There is an obvious conflict here between social compliance and personal objective. It's almost chilling. But at the same time so cute and up-beat that you'd certainly miss it without the words behind in. So thanks again for your translation.
お仕事、いつも楽しく拝見させていただいています。
ReplyDeleteこの曲はBabymetalらしい楽しい麻薬性を持ってますね。
歌詞の解釈は個人の自由という前提で私なりに・・・
これは「安保法制に関する論争」を歌ったものでは無いかと直感。
「違う、違う、違いすぎて困る」と勝手に同感ヘドバンをしてます。(^_^;)
Paarira paarira paarirariraは、紛糾するparliamentの形容でしょう。
まあ、うがち過ぎかも知れませんが、こんな聴き方も楽しいものです。
Bubble Dreamer も「バブル再来の夢」へのソフトな皮肉かも知れませんね。
Thank you for this translation, now I need to find this song!!!
ReplyDeleteI can only find a 15 sec clip of this song, anyone else having more luck?
And why do you mention that this song might never be released?
Showing URLs here is dangerous because some bootleg busters seem to be watching this blog. Search for it on google with "BABYMETAL new song chigau" or "BABYMETAL new song Makuhari".
DeleteProbably they will release this tune someday.
DeleteIf the live BD/DVD of 2015 Jun. 21st is released, this tune shall be included, but the live BD "LEGEND '2015'" is coming soon and the only difference between the two is this tune to be added. We may have to wait for the live BD of another concert. And BABYMETAL's 2nd album can't be released until 2018 because only three or less new songs have been brought per year. It seems endlessly far to me.
Thank you for the quick reply.
DeleteThe prospect to wait until 2018 for the new album is dire indeed.
On the other hand, the prospect of another album with new BM songs is worth the wait. And they have released cd's with just two new songs before, so maybe?
Meanwhile I will continue my search for this song, my thanks for the advice.
The release of "Road of Resistance" was announced soon after its first performance, so I guess they won't release this tune as a download single or the title track of a CD single. There is a possibility that this tune is released as a coupling tune of a CD single, but the possibility seems low because they have not released a CD single since 2013 June.
DeleteThank you for this translation and all your translations, they have been a great help to me!
ReplyDeleteI want to offer my thoughts not on the translation but on the meaning/interpretation of the lyrics to this song:
I think this song is about the different feelings people have about BABYMETAL. I think the words and especially the centering around the word "chigau" is not chosen to be vague but rather to express the ambiguous feelings people have about BABYMETAL.
All of the things you bring up as meanings of "chigau" are things that are common to read about BABYMETAL on the internet; "bad", "wrong", "false"(or fake), "different", "special", "good". Everyone who knows about BABYMETAL has probably thought these things and maybe many of them at once. I think "chigau" was chosen intentionally because it has all these meanings.
When interpreted this way it also colors the readings of other parts of the lyrics;
"Are dotchi? Kore dotchi?" Could be seen as people wanting to label BABYMETAL(are they "idol"? Are they "pop"? Are they "metal"?) but finding it hard to do so because of their unique nature.
"Ki-ni-natchatta. Doo shiyoo?" could be seen as being about the way people seem to want to talk about BABYMETAL even when they don't like them. As Marty Friedman said: "You have to have an opinion on it, you can't ignore it".
Anyway, this is what i personally think! My Japanese is at a pretty low level so if i have misunderstood something that makes this interpretation of the lyrics impossible, i am sorry for wasting your time! And again, thank you!
Thank you for your interpretation.
DeleteI think your interpretation is basically right. Probably the lyric writer has such an idea somewhat in his mind. I, however, want to point out some details.
(1) About "Are dotchi? Kore dotchi?" in the chourses, BABYMETAL can't be "are" and "kore" at once, but this is possible: Is "GimiChoko" a metal song? Is "Megitsune" a pop song? (2) About "Are mo chigau, kore mo chigau" in the middle, it should mean something like "That labelling is wrong, this labelling is wrong, too". (3) About "Dore demo onaji da yo" in the beginning, it doesn't seem "Any labels are alike", and "Any of girl idols (or metal bands) are alike" might be suitable, but BABYMETAL is far beyond "a little different".
If there was one right interpretation, it should fit well all these points, but as said above, I can imagine no such interpretation. Therefore I don't think there is one right interpretation, but I am wrong if the lyric writer thought more loosely.
Right now, I'm attempting to make a lyric video for the song. How would you write these lines faithfully in Japanese?
ReplyDelete[ Chigau. Chigau. ] Te nani yo?
[ Chigau. Chigau. ] Te iwarete mo.
[ Chigau. Chigau. ] Shiran te.
Nanka chotto chigau.
Also, do you think the song title is more likely to be written in kanji or katakana like IDZ?
I don't know whether this tune is officially titled "Chigau" or not, but if so, it is more likely to be written in katakana than in kanji. Then "違う" in the lyric may be also written as "チガウ". But one "Chigau" is short for a title of a tune, so I think it may be "チガウチガウ" or something.
DeleteJapanese notation of the lyrics is below. All question marks may be omitted. "なんか" may be written as "何か" to avoid ambiguity in meaning, but then ambiguity in reading ("nanika"/"nanka") arises. Usually "って" is used within one sentence like "違うって何よ？". Listeners can hardly distinguish "って" at the head of a sentence from simple "て", but it doesn't matter.
Addition 1:
This small "っ" (called "促音"(sokuon)) expresses a moment of silence made by closing the glottis, etc. (called "unreleased stop"?). The lips and the tongue are kept in potions for the next consonant, so, in Romaji, the constant is doubled like "utte", "pippo", etc.
Addition 2:
I'm not sure whether "i" of "yabai" is pronounced or not. If pronounced, it is written as "やばい", "ヤバイ", "ヤバい" (in frequency order). If not, it is written as "やばっ" or "ヤバッ". It sounds a little different from simple "やば", but I don't know how to write it in Romaji. The youth often omit the ending "i" of adjectives like this (e.g. 寒い to 寒っ; cold!).
[パーラララララ ラララ]
どれでも同じだよ みんなそう言うけれど
なんかちょっと違うよね やっぱちょっと違うかな
[違う違う] って何よ？ [違う違う] って言われても
[違う違う] 知らんって なんかちょっと違う
[ヤバい] 気になっちゃってどうしよう 気になっちゃってどうしよう
あれどっち？ これどっち？ パーリラパーリラルー
[ヤバい] 気になっちゃってどうしよう 気になっちゃってどうしよう
あれどっち？ これどっち？ パーリラパーリラパーリラリラ
ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー
ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー
どれでも同じだよ みんなそう言うけれど
なんかちょっと違うよね やっぱちょっと違うでしょ
[違う違う] って何よ？ [違う違う] って言われても
[違う違う] 違う [違う違う] 違うのだ
なんかちょっとやっぱちょっと違う
[ヤバい] 気になっちゃったどうしよう 気になっちゃったどうしよう
あれどっち？ これどっち？ パーリラパーリラルー
[ヤバい] 気になっちゃったどうしよう 気になっちゃったどうしよう
あれどっち？ これどっち？ パーリラパーリラパーリラリラ
違うわ
あれは違うこれも違う どれも違うこれも違う
あれも違うこれも違う かなり違うかなり違う
あれは違うこれも違う どれが違うこれが違う
あれも違うこれも違う ああ全部全部違う
[ヤバい] 気になっちゃったどうしよう 気になっちゃったどうしよう
あれどっち？ これどっち？ パーリラパーリラルー
[ヤバい] 気にするなっていいでしょう 気にするなっていいでしょう
あれどっち？ これどっち？ パーリラパーリラルー
[でもね] 違う違う [でもね] 違う違う
[でもね] 違う違いすぎて困る パーリラパーリラパーリラリラ
ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー
ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー ピッポパッポピッポパッポピー
I'm not an expert in women's thoughts, but I just came up with the theory that the song might be about the positions of their twintails, which have to be at the same height...
ReplyDeleteDo you think this is in any way plausible, keeping the lyrics in mind? :)
Do you mean a girl is trying to make her twintails symmetrical?
DeleteI think girls may try few times to make it symmetrical but most of them wouldn't be worried about it anymore. In general, however, if their hair is in certain conditions, they can't get the hairstyle they want no matter how they try and they would be worried about it all the day.
Sometimes a girl tries many variations of twintails (high, low, etc.) and she wonders for a long time which suits her most. I think this situation fits these lyrics more.
When you mention that 'pipopapo' is usually japanese onomatopeia for phone push button, it occurs to me the paariraariruuu parts might be the ring tone you usually hears when you call someone? the receiving tone or whatever its called and the ruuu part is when the call is cut off before it is answered? anyway great work on the translation.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
DeleteThe "paarira paarira ruu" part may sound like the ring tone, but a typical Japanese onomatopoeia for the (old) ring tone is "pururururuu" or "prrrr". Anyway, I think "paarira" and "pippo pappo" are probably the tentative (meaningless) lyrics left over and they probably don't describe any telephone scene.
Seems the official title for the song is 「ヤバッ!」, or YAVA! in English.
ReplyDeleteThank you for information.
Delete"Paarira paarira paarirarira" was"baiya baiya baiyaiya"
ReplyDeleteThank you for information.
DeleteBut I can't confirm it now and the lyric card which is to be contained in the album is going to be available in three weeks, so I want to wait for it.
Definitely.I think highly of your way of thinking.
DeleteI recently received the cd Metal Resistance and have been listening to it while reading your romaji. Every instance of where you show
ReplyDelete"doo shiyoo" 3 syllables, I hear "doo no shiyoo" four syllables. I don't think I am mishearing. So am perplexed.
It is not "do no" but "do o". It sounds somewhat unnatural also to me, a native Japanese.
DeleteJapanese language is based not on syllable but on mora (it may be a bit difficult for non Japanese to understand). A long vowel (e.g. "ぱー"/"pâ"/"paa") & a diphthong (e.g. "ない"/"nai") are counted as two morae. "ん" (n) of "なんか" (nanka) and "っ" (t) of "ちょっと" (chotto) are counted as one mora, so these are regarded as three mora words (these morae are called "撥音" (hatsuon) & "促音" (sokuon) respectively).
In speech, such single syllables with two morae take twice time as those with single mora. In songs, they are usually matched to longer single notes like "nanka chotto" ( __ _ __ _ ), but sometimes matched to two notes like "doo" ( __ __ ) and "chigau" ( __ __ __ ). In my personal feeling, the "doo" case (the latter part of a long vowel is matched to a rather strong note) sounds somewhat unnatural, and for "chigau", both the two note phrase (as enclosed in [ --- ] ) & the three note phrase are welcome.
Mr. Du Enki
ReplyDeleteThat has to be the best response I have ever received on a blog! Thank you. I am going to have to study this somemore but the romaji "doo shiyoo" in the song is four beats. My ear sure wants to hear the "n" sound in the phrase.
Like most of the fans coming here, your efforts on this blog are truly appreciated.
Yes, there are four notes. Different notations should be used for "oo" (two notes) and "ô" (one long note), but there are some difficult cases.
DeleteFor musical reason, a silence is needed between "do" and "o", so she has to close her vocal tract in some way to stop her voice. This state may bring the color of "m" there.
Are dotchi? Kore dotchi? I'm still learning but i've been learning Docchi Recently and I think Are Docchi is, that over there and Kore, this over here. I think also Kore is more like This one over here but sometimes just This i think depending on how it's used with another word.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.yesjapan.com/YJ6/question/1061/how-do-you-use-dore-and-docchi
I'm sorry if my reply is off the point.
DeleteWe, Japanese, learn:
to use "kore" for what is near me/us or what has just appeared in the speech,
to use "sore" for what is near you or what has already appeared in the speech,
to use "are" for what is over there or what has not appeared in the speech but is (probably) identifiable.
In the web page you refer to, "dotchi" is the grammatical subject, but in this song, "are"/"kore" is the grammatical subject. They suppose such a context like "if that is her book, then this is not her book", but it is difficult for me to imagine such a context in this song, so I think that line means something like "Is that/this her book or not?". "Dotchi" (= dochira) has a usage as an interrogative adverb or something (which way, etc. = where).
Yeah that Kore area got me confused when learning on different websites. Sometimes This one, sometimes something else ^^
Deletenanka chotto chigau yo ne? = like just a little different isn't that right.
ReplyDeleteThat's what i got from doing some translating word for word :)
"nanka" you have in mind is probably that which is attached to a noun ("boku nanka" "sushi nanka", etc). "Nanka" of this case is a contraction of "nanika". I think the line can be translated like this:
Deletenanka = something
chotto = a little
chigau = different
yo ne? = , right?
I want to thank you for your lyrics. Most times a straight Japanese to English translation leaves me shaking my head (just watch a Youtube video with the translate on, lol). But yours gives a much better feel for the song and helps me understand it more. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this helps you.
DeleteSounds like the songs is about the American Political process :)
ReplyDeleteI'm joking.
I got to thinking how you said it could be left up to fantasy. I feel the lyrics are her struggling with all the love and admiration she's perhaps gotten from 20-30 year old males from other countries, such as myself. They all tell her the same thing seeming alike but are all special to her as "different" each one of them. Maybe she has even fallen for one and is going through the struggle of is this right or wrong.
ReplyDeleteThank you for interesting interpretation.
Deleteyou're welcome, there was an interview Su-Metal did a few years ago I watched on Youtube were the interviewer talked about her fan pages and he danced around the subject but did say something to the effect of "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.. fans an just be a little passionate sometime" and she laughed it off but having all kinds of people tell her and the other two how much they love her can be a little much. This could be the conversation she's having in the song where the fans are trying the tell her it's acceptable but she's having a hard time believing that.
DeleteI am always available
ReplyDeleteDoes 言う (iu) have an alternate reading "yuu" or something?
ReplyDeleteAs an exception, the verb "言う" (iu) is always pronounced as "yuu" (for about 500 years):
Deleteyuu (iu) / iwanai / itta = say / not say / said.
Now some people pronounce it as if a regular verb "ゆう" (yuu):
yuu / yuwanai / yutta.
So...after watching the tokyo dome bluray I noticed something, there might be another interpretation for the song...In 2015 babymetal did a interview for NYLON and a question came up asking yui what she loved about america:
ReplyDeleteWhat is one thing that you love about America?
Yuimetal: I like the freedom America has in Japan people tend to think too much about others’ opinions and how to be like everybody else but to Americans it seems more important to be who you are and find your own way.
After hearing that answer it clicked for me...it was not about clothing but social stigma...Everyone looks and act the same, and everyone thinks is the normal thing to do, So SU-METAL realized how fake ppl are and that is the wrong thing to do.
So its like a conversation between the three, su-metal is trying to see which ppl are faking their personalities, and she sees that everyone is faking something even by little, and that it should not be like that, moa and yui can't believe that and they're denying it, but then they start seeing hints that su's findings might be true (thats why when they say "yava" in the choreography they show a surprised face), They tell su to no care about it and just leave it like that but she cannot just ignore it, everywhere she looks at she sees fake ppl and can't ignore that (she mad, "paarira fuu" thats the giseigo sound she makes when she is mad), so they go on a rampage launching their magic spells "Pippo pappo pii" to destroy ppl's facades.
Ok...that derailed at the end but i think the meaning of the song its something like that.
Thank you for yet another interpretation of this song.
DeleteSince the lyric of this song is very vague, I don't know whether the meaning of this song is something like what you said.
Anyway, I think the translation "(think about) how to be like everybody else" is somewhat misleading. My literal translation of the NYLON interview is: [yui] I like (America) being free. In Japan, people tend to think too much about the ordinariness, while American people have the sense of oneself firmly, and... [interrupted here]
I think Miss Yui meant thinking by oneself is an important thing which Japanese people tend to forget, but I don't think she meant acting the same as others is the normal thing to do in Japan. If you mean a social norm by your phrase "the normal thing to do", it could be the normal thing to do (= a social norm), but it is not a social norm of recent Japan.
The problem is called "同調圧力" (dôchô-atsuryoku; peer pressure) in recent Japan. People could be roughly classified into several types:
[1] Those who (implicitly) force others to accept something beneficial to themselves (in some way) as the ordinary thing.
[2] Those who unconsciously or uncritically accept it.
[3] Those who are afraid to be a minority and consciously accept it.
[4] Those who don't want to accept it but unwillingly or superficially obey the pressure.
[5] Those who don't accept it and explicitly raise an objection to it.
Those who think it is a problem (= type 4 & 5 and possibly type 3, including Miss Yui) would not think acting the same as others is normal, and those who think acting the same as others is natural (= type 2 and possibly type 3) should not know their "true" personality, or rather, there might be no "true" personalities of them.
I also interpreted what she said as that in america (or the west) you have the freedom to be more yourself and individualistic whereas in japan you have the whole
Delete1. harmony of the group thing and what the goup does is right
2. we do it like this because we always did it like this
3. senpai-kohai (what senpai says and does is right)
in contrast to this in the west you as person are just as important as the group and the group doesn't stand above you.
your wellbeing doesn't come from he groups wellbeing (japan) but the groups wellbeing comes from each individuals wellbeing (west).
I can imagine that the girls have problems with the proper way to act and be in japanese collectivist society when as idols they are trained to be more individualistic. If I remember right in Sakura Gakuin the individualism and finding your own way of being an idol are mentioned more than once.
foreigners living in japan also struggle very much with the collectivist aspects of japanese life. for example
indirectness of answers so that after an hour long conversation you still don't have a definite yes or no but a maybe. and that maybe can be a maybe but also can be a very polite japanese no. I don't know how japanese can live with this. we need a bigger shouganai-culture in the west I guess.
or
in the west you support what your husband/wife does. you are a team and your partner is the number one for you. he/she comes first. in japan however the group (older brother, parents...) will be asked about things and their opinion more often than not has more weight than your husbands/wifes opinion.
or
coming from an other culture you know some things that are done a certain way. living in japan you learn new ways to do stuff and some of them are better than what you did before. you then do it the japanese way. but when you find something that is done inefficient in japan and go and tell for example your wife/husband "why don't we do it this way, it's easier" it will not be accepted. you might get to hear the "We all do it like this. Do you think you are smarter than we all?"-speech. it's especially irritating if you do something in your home where nobody can see you but you still have to do it the japanese way...
well both individualistic and collectivistic approaches have their good sides and their bad sides. it's quite fun to learn about these things and discover the strange sides of both eastern and western cultures when sitting relaxed at home and drinking tea.
To ryu san, thank you for comment and sorry for late reply.
DeleteI guess the reason why Japanese's answers are often indirect is that they think the relation is something like a family. Probably they are something like a naughty boy who can't confess his bad deed and you are expected to conjecture like his parents, or they are something like a woman who thinks simple yes/no is not enough to tell her lover what he should know but doesn't know yet.
Japanese people may be more collectivistic than others, but I think the points 1, 2, 3 that you mention are a bit exaggerated. Even in the feudal age, Japanese village leaders didn't unconditionally obey their feudal rulers. Some village leaders proposed radical measures such as changing the river flow which we tend to think only innovative dictators can propose. Actually many so-called Japanese traditions are not traditional. Most Japanese collectivistic principles were newly invented in behalf of Tokugawa shogunate or newly invented for rapid national development by Meiji government.
When Japan was a developing nation, it may have been effective to think whatever Tokyo (or New York) people do is right and should be imitated, but such effectiveness is no longer needed. Now many Japanese suspect type 1 that I wrote above are advertising agencies or their delegates and don't unconditionally accept so-called ordinary things. The colors of randoseru (satchel/backpack) on Japanese school children's backs were only black (for boys) and red (for girls) in 20th century, but now the colors are over 20 and children choose whatever color they like: pink, blue, green...
About the interpretation of this song "Yava!", the other day I was watching the Trilogy part II DVD (concert from June, 21st, 2015) where this song debuted and I noticed it has a small prologue with images of a human pyramid of confusion (?) and finally a metallic V-guitar appears bringing light or something like that. There's an explanation too, by the usual female voice of such prologues. I wonder if that prologue tells something important or even gives a bit of help in order to understand the meaning of the song. I don't understand Japanese so I wonder...
ReplyDeleteThanks & saludos again!
Fernando :)
This is the translation of the narration:
DeleteThe battle of "Martial Arts Tournament for the Strongest under Heaven" has become huge.
As if aiming at the top of the pyramid which rises high,
you try and try to reach your limit though you are blocked and blocked.
It has become such a fierce battle.
However, the clock hands which the giant magic circle has started to move
can no longer be stopped by anyone.
Around the beginning of the latter-half battle,
the Fox God gives you "a new tune"
in order to let you go beyond your limits and towards the further highness.
"You" & "your" might be "they/them" & "their".
This narration tells about the concert, and some lines are borrowed from the prologue to the concert. The words "battle", "limit", "highness", etc. are used just because the concert was titled "Martial Arts Tournament", and I don't think they have some special connections to the lyric of this song.
Thank you very much for the translation!! The text is a bit disappointing though. It seems it could serve the same for any other 'new' song. Well, I guess the song "Yava!" could be related with that 'story' in the sense that it talks about differences and having to take decisions (which one?). But this interpretation sounds a bit forced even for me haha :D
DeleteOn the other hand, incidentally, the painting that appears in the screen, the human pyramid or humans battling trying to reach the top of the hill reminded me of a scene in an old comic (graphic novel) called "El Incal" ("L'incal" in original French) by Moebius & Jodorovsky. Through wikipedia I found this comic seems to be well known in Japan (it even has its own article, アンカル) and, interestingly, some say that it influenced some of Hayao Miyazaki's movies and 1988's "Akira" movie. Anyway, this has of course nothing to do with 'Yava!' which keeps persistently open to free interpretation ;)
Greetings & thanks again,
Fernando :)
Hi. First thanks for your translations. Also big thanks for your additional info on stuff that foreigners wouldn't know even with a translation.
ReplyDeleteI have some questions
>Are dotchi? Kore dotchi?
translated as
>Which side is that on? Which side is this on?
could it also be translated as
which is that? which is this?
??
And watching a live performance compilation of JAVA I get the feeling that Su-Metal sings
>Any of them are alike.
>Everybody says so,
>but they are in some way a little different, aren't they?
>A little different, I think so after all.
and then Moa- and Yuimetal turn to her
>Chigau! Chigau!
(with this typical japanese hand movement)
And it makes me think that these last chigau don't mean "different" like Su-Metals "somehow they are different (chigau)"
but they might mean "you're wrong (chigau)"
making the whole thing
everybody says to Su-Metal "they" are alike
>Any of them are alike.
>Everybody says so,
but she discovers they are different after all
>but they are in some way a little different, aren't they?
>A little different, I think so after all.
and then everyone (=played by Yui- and Moametal) is like
>no you are wrong
Until now I also thought
Nanika chigau desu = Something is different
something is changed
and
Nanka chigau = something is somehow different
Used in cases when you know or think there is something off/different but you can't say what (because maybe the difference is so small).
Like the hair of someone you know is different than usually. However it's not a new hair style. The style is the same but the hair is somehow different than usually. And then you get told like it's only a new shampoo that made the hair more shiny.
Or something is still the same thing but different. Like you get a Gundam for christmas but it's a GunDom and it's from china and it's formed like a Gundam and made to look like a Gundam but you see at first glance that it is not the real thing. So yeah you got a Gundam but the one you got is somehow different from the real thing.
Thank you for comment and sorry for late reply.
DeleteThe original meaning of "dotchi" (= dochira) is "where", "which place", "which direction", and I think "dotchi" is used here some way like:
"Which class does that boy fall into, (good one or nice one) ?"
"Which class is this dress classified into, (orthodox one or traditional one) ?"
If simple "which is that/this?" can mean like these, the sentences can be translated so, but I was not sure of it.
Since "chigau!" at the beginning of the second section is sung by YUIMETAL & MOAMETAL, it sounds like they say "you are wrong" to SU-METAL as you mention. And SU-METAL may hesitate at first but after all says again "they are in some way a little different."
In the live videos, however, SU-METAL too makes the hand movement which you mention as well as YUIMETAL & MOAMETAL. It seems to me that YUIMETAL&MOAMETAL's part is SU-METAL's inner voice or something and the second section is something like the paraphrase of the first section. I guess so because there are "Eh?" & the question mark at the end of the second section and it seems that SU-METAL notices some difference for the first time here. (If "chigau!" is said to those who think they are alike, it doesn't matter whether it means "you are wrong" or "they are different".)
Anyway, the lyrics of BABYMETAL's songs are rather loose, so I think we can't decide which interpretation is better on the basis of logical consistency or strict usage of words.