Begging and having something bought for me
Doesn’t mean I’m immature
Because if I reach out my hand
The running, gliding path of the wind
Will tell me so (Note: Explanation #1)
Thinking the colour of a sunset’s afterglow is a tasteful colour
Doesn’t mean I’m immature (Note: Explanation #2)
Today as well I’ll listen closely, seek out the direction of the wind, and flock to it
I make fun of this city with an insincere smile,
Its colours faded
An eye for an eye, I make fun of things with a polite smile
A tasteful pastime
Like the wind, crying and laughing are all I want to do
I’m sorry for making the aforementioned expressions together
Right now
I make fun of this city with an insincere smile,
Its colours faded
An eye for an eye, I make fun of things with a polite smile
A tasteful pastime
I just want to cry, to laugh, like the wind does
I just want to listen to the jazz song and the lovesong that the sky sings
Someday, the bird will forget even flying, even crying, entirely
As for me, I’ll push on upon my path, spirits high
.
NOTES / INTERPRETATION:
Blue font indicates text originally written in English in the official booklet.
oo1. The kanji used in the title for akai (“red”) is an older one now rarely used, and refers more specifically to the reddish shades “vermilion” and “scarlet”. I chose “vermilion” because it’s a pigment that was made in antiquity and features prominently in older Japanese architecture as well. I thought it fit symbolically with the album art.
oo2. The two highlighted notes appear in the lyric booklet but are not actually sung aloud.
Thoughts. This song’s lyrics strike an interesting balance between rejecting the status quo and adhering to it. The notes in parenthesis make me wonder if these lyrics were written in rebuttal to comments made by a disapproving adult at the time (chuckle-worthy, because such a disapproving adult would very likely not have opened the lyrics booklet of an up-and-coming Visual Kei band, and thus, never be in on the joke). I did wonder if I translated the perspective of the polite/insincere smile verses correctly, because emotionally, they are at odds with the rest of the lyrics — but that is where the balance I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph comes into play. There are times when society forces us into playing games of politeness and small talk in order to mask emotions or opinions that might cause discomfort or upset the surface harmony of an interaction or space. And the upsetting of that surface harmony with real emotion or genuine opinion will often be seen as immature.
But, this song reminds us, being genuine is not an immature thing to do.
At times it seems unavoidable to put on your polite smile, and to mask your true feelings and opinions — sometimes that’s the only safe option. To express your truth through your eyes or in other subtle ways. But never forget that there are other people like you in the world, who listen to the wind, who listen to the jazz song and lovesong that the sky sings, and who know how to cry and laugh at the same time.
Flock to the wind with your fellows.
アリス九號. ★ ALICE NINE.
朱い風車
★ akai kazaguruma
祇園盛者の鐘が鳴る (2004)
gion shouja no kane ga naru (2004)
Lyrics by 将/Shou
Music by 虎/Tora
Original text translated from Japanese.
Listen on Spotify.
If you’d like to share the translation, please link to this page. Do not repost it. Thank you ♡