Here I am with a new song analysis in “Lyrical Love”! Today’s subject is a song by the alternative rock band The Novembers, precisely Rhapsody in Beauty, the lead-track of their fifth album with the same name come out on 15th October 2014. This song goes inside the band’s essence, with an engaging sound and a theme which goes through the shades of human life.
THE MUSIC
A piercing melody kicks off the track, with a pretty fast rhythm and a flowing rock melody; Yusuke’s voice is clear and ethereal, working well inside the light and intense theme, well built by the instruments and underlined by the compelling high-notes, in an astonishing vocal interpretation; the song is fast and articulated at the same time, showing the nostalgical side of this band.
Lyrics (Romaji)
Shita oboe no nai yakusoku o furikitta
「Dore mo boku no janai
」 「Dore mo boku wa eran jainai
」
to Ashiga dame ni naru hodo hashitte Koko e wa mou nidoto Kaera nai to kare wa kimeta Chihei no hate made hadashi de kakedashi Tada utsukushii mono ga mitai dake Kokoro goto shintai goto Afure sou na hodo no hikari no moto de Utaiodorou.
Sou yuu koto sa Jiyuu ni ikiru no wa.
Ashiga dame ni naru hodo hashitte Asoko e wa mou nidoto Kaera nai to kare wa kimeteita keredo Machi in semarikuru shi o Tsutae nakya ikenai Inochi o kakete Dakedo machi o sukutta mono wa Yakusoku datta yo Itsuka kare no suteta.
Sou yuu koto sa Jiyuu ni ikiru no wa.
Kare ni semaru hitotsu no shi Sore ga subete no riyuu ka?
Lyrics (Translation)
I got rid of a promise which I hadn’t memory of 「Nothing belongs to me」 「I didn’t choose nothing of this」 Run until your feet won’t be useless I won’t ever be here again I decided to not go back home Running barefoot until the end of the horizon I want to see only beautiful things Each mind with a body Under the overflowing light We sing and dance.
Here it is how to live freely. (I)
Run until your feet won’t be useless To the place which now is not there anymore I decided to not go back home Poems which are approaching the town They don’t communicate Hanging the life But what has been saved in the town It was a promise One day someone threw it away.
Here it is how to live freely.
A poem which is approaching to him Is it all here the reason? (II)
THE WORDS
Written by the whole band, the song has a quite simple structure, with short lines and few verses composing the whole text. At the same time, the meaning is really complex and enigmatic, fitting the band’s peculiar and unique approach in telling their message. For understanding it better, we should start from the title, which is also for the album where the song is contained. According to the band, “Rhapsody in Beauty” implies a contrast between the two terms. The first one, rhapsody, is a kind of componiment, existing since Ancient Greece, featuring a single movement and a quite free structure, hinting to an image of being without any limit, while the second one, beauty, is the concept of the band. Putting them together we see a contrast between the beautiful side of life and the noise, which causes instability, but can bring closer to being free to live according to personal criteria. And now… let’s analyze the song!
I) The first sequence starts with the protagonist who talks about a promise who he didn’t remember and wanted to throw off himself (Shita oboe no nai yakusoku o furikitta); meanwhile he thinks that nothing of his existence belongs to him and he didn’t choose anything of it (「Dore mo boku no janai
」/「Dore mo boku wa eran jainai
」
to), meaning that we don’t have a proper control of our life; so he invites the reader to run until the feet will become useless (Ashiga dame ni naru hodo hashitte), while he knows that he won’t stay where he is again and won’t come back home (Koko e wa mou nidoto/Kaera nai to kare wa kimeta), but he will run towards the end of horizon
(Chihei no hate made hadashi de kakedashi). He wants only to see beautiful things (Tada utsukushii mono ga mitai dake), like a mind having a body of its own (Kokoro goto shintai goto), dancing and singing under an overflowing light (Afure sou na hodo no hikari no moto de/Utaiodorou), a sign of how people should live freely (Sou yuu koto sa/Jiyuu ni ikiru no wa).
II) The second and final sequence repeats a line from the previous line, where the protagonist invites to run, but the destination is not there anymore, a metaphor of aiming to something not important (Asoko e wa mou nidoto) and when he decided to not come back home, some poem, the rhapsody, is approaching his town, not comunicating any image or feeling and suspending each one’s life (Machi in semarikuru shi o/Tsutae nakya ikenai/Inochi o kakete). So he wonders what has been saved in the town and he realizes that the only chance was the promise which someone, him, has thrown away (Dakedo machi o sukutta mono wa/Yakusoku datta yo/Itsuka kare no suteta), taking away the chance of living freely. The text ends with one poem approaching someone closer to him and he wonders if this is the reason
of its appearance, leaving the answer unknown (Kare ni semaru hitotsu no shi/Sore ga subete no riyuu ka?).
Beauty is a concept which can’t be taken if the life is made by uncertainity and instability and receiving it opens to a better and free life. The Novembers point out this message with their enigmatic and powerful metaphors, surrounded by a nostalgical and clear melody and a strong passion, showing that the beautiful things can be seen with open eyes and an unbound heart.
That’s all folks! See you tomorrow for a new review in “Let’s Listen to”!
Crazy how we’re already at 2017 and already we’re gonna find out who the winner would be. I wish all of them the best of luck because my god, it will be a fucking hard competition.
DIR EN GREY’s OHP marks February 1997 as their formation date but they played a live on 24th Jan 1997 in Nagano. La:Sadie’s had previously disbanded and Toshiya joined the other members later. So this was actually their first live together but as DEATHMASK (DIR EN GREY initial name,
supposedly taken from a Kuroyume song). 20 years ago.
I think there is nothing as important as common daily life things. Maybe it’s something common but I feel more often that spending time with my family is really important. Before this talk, my family came from Nagano when we performed in Tokyo ( 10th Feb). After that, we went to eat all together after a long time. As expected at my age, the chances of meeting my family are less than before so I started to think moments like this are priceless
