Day 43- Wherever you are - ONE OK ROCK

Song: Wherever You Are

Artist: ONE OK ROCK 

Feb 12

I'm in a totally sappy, romantic mood today.. I think that after yesterday's bag of emotions I am just in a deep need of just fluffy sweet love stories. Fun Fact: I was actually listening to today's song on the way home and I was so touched that I straight-up "Awwwwed" out loud, in my car.. alone. So yeah, that's the kind of day I'm having.

The familiar static of an old record player under a subdued guitar lead the song with a feeling of nostalgia. There is a delightful effect on the guitar that mimics how a guitar would sound in the 1920s. Taka's vocals join in, strong yet gentle. We transition out of the old-fashioned guitar and static to a much cleaner modern acoustic that is so soft and endearing that I feel like I am floating. I would also like to note that not only do we transition musically but also language. The first verse is entirely in English whereas this new section we hear the first of Japanese. This transition is perhaps my favorite part of the entirety of "Wherever You Are"; it just really moves me. Full of warmth and a sweetness that feels like love as we all idealize it to be. The drum joins in, as Taka switches back to English, pulsing deeply but not ever overshadowing the tenderness in the guitar. The build up is steady and even until suddenly we find ourselves organically arriving in this swirling, powerful chorus. The acoustic sound replaced by, for lack of a better term, heavier, electric guitars that manage to not sound aggressive; instead full of wistful, loving promises. I am reminded of My Chemical Romance style dramatics with the introduction of this section and I am absolutely obsessed.

These lyrics attacked me in the most incredible way today. Romantic, sweet, and honestly so loving that it just tugs your heartstrings. Lyrically I honestly think this might be the love song to end all love songs. I cannot even begin to express what that "Aishiteru yo" did to me but I'm going to try.

"I'm telling you, oh yeah
I softly whisper
Tonight, tonight
You are my angel

Aishiteru yo, oh yeah
Futari wa hitotsu ni
Tonight, Tonight
I just say..."

Nothing really needs to be said about the first verse, it's self explanatory in with its loving words. This second verse is where everything gets real. I intentionally kept the original Japanese words because I wanted to give an in depth translation here. Let's start with the word that caused me to melt in the car on my way home: "Aishiteru". Now, I am not fluent in Japanese by any means but I know enough that Aishiteru translates to "I love you". Why am I so enamored by this?   Culturally Japanese people seldom say Aishiteru (I love you) instead saying Suki (I like you) or Daisuki (I really like you).  Daisuki will sometimes be translated as I love you for western audiences. Western cultures use "I love you" much more freely and in all honesty cheaply, however, it is an incredibly big deal to say those words to someone in Japan and is only used between people who truly and deeply care about each other and is also usually said in private.  With all this in mind upon hearing that word everything was so raw, real, and meaningful that I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I'd also like to add really quickly that it is really important that he said this in his native language as opposed to English as it adds so much more of both a cultural and personal meaning. The second translation I called upon my lovely, basically fluent in Japanese, sister to assist in the best translation and we agreed on "We become one". 

 "Someone I can love from the bottom of my heart
My beloved person
This love of mine is the center
Because you are always there"

I'm just casually sitting here crying over the depth and love in these lyrics. These are translated lyrics but again I have to point out he uses the variants of Aishiteru (aiseru, ai) throughout the song making it very clear just how much he loves this other person.

Lyric that attacked me:
"Aishiteru yo"

Song Color: Vibrant Candlelight

Mood: Romantic mess