Title: kousai STRIPE
Single: 銀の月 黒い星 (track 002)
Album: 華想夢想紙 (track 006)
itunes/Apple Music: Available in some regions
Composer: 沙我 (Saga)
Lyrics: 将 (Show)
This song was the B-side on their second single, released March 30th 2005. It’s rather rare that it gets played live, but it was composed as a companion piece to 華一匁 (hana ichi monme) from their first single.
歌詞 》
光彩ストライプ
歌詞は「こちら」です。
You can view a copy of the lyrics in their original Japanese online [ here ].
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Romaji 》
kousai SUTORAIPU
English Translation 》
Brilliant Stripe
I had a strange dream. Outside, in the dark scenery
I was getting the feeling that even you, I would, never again, be able to meet
A new world that I slip into, looking into the looking-glass and putting on my shoes; ¹
Running, I made even the dawn into an ally, and the rain was letting up
My words are always clumsy so please, give me wings
For you, scared of tomorrow, hugging your knees to your chest
From when to when was until yesterday or maybe tomorrow?
Because they were the sorts of days,
the colour of sepia,
where you seem to forget to breathe
A new world that I slip into, looking into the looking-glass and putting on my shoes; ¹
If I look back, there is no yesterday—I run to the area where light shines
Memories get blurred, get worn down
I won’t let them be erased—those that reflect in my irises
of you, ephemeral, seeming to disappear
A new world that I slip into, looking into the looking-glass and putting on my shoes; ¹
Running, I made even the dawn into an ally, and the rain was letting up ²
My words are always clumsy so please, give me wings
For you, scared of tomorrow, hugging your knees to your chest.
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NOTES / INTERPRETATION:
oo1. Though 世界 (world) is written in the lyrics booklet for this line, what Show actually sings is 新世界 (new world). That word can be used to refer to the Americas and Australasia euphemistically, but given Show’s penchant for fantasy worlds and the dreamy imagery in this song, I chose a more general meaning.
oo2. In the song itself, the first version of the chorus is sung a second time just before the last verse, though this is not written in the booklet.
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The above was translated by me; for the original post and more notes, check [ PuncProsody ].
If you’d like to share the translation, please link to this page. Do not repost it. Thank you.
Other Fan Translations:
English: akatsuki .
If you would like me to link to your translation, or know of another translation that has been made (in any language), please let me know and I’ll put up a link to it. The more the merrier.
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Behind the Scenes
The following are two excerpts from a magazine interview in which Saga is asked about the composition:
Saga: If I were to say one or the other, the coupling song kousai STRIPE is the one I prefer.
Interviewer: […] This is really different from gin no tsuki kuroi hoshi isn’t it? Would you say it’s ALICE NINE.-style punk?
FOOL’S MATE 2005.04 vol 282
Saga: There’s a song called hana ichi monme on the 1st single, isn’t there? I think it’s sort of like an extension of that world.
Interviewer: Ah, I see. So then, a straight-up rock way of interpreting it would be closer?
Saga: Yeah, for me at least it would be. In that way, it has both a Japanese and a Western feel.
In another interview, all five members weighed in with their thoughts regarding making, recording, and adding lyrics to the song.
Show: […] I also very much got a sense of vigor from within this song, and in terms of the lyrics, I tried sketching out the straightforward feeling of going directly to the side of the person you like. The image of the light of the morning sun facing the sky, emitting light, and that light being in the shape of a stripe popped into my head, and I left the title at that.
Saga: […] you could say the way it was made was different than usual; even though I always picture a scene and compose songs, where this song is concerned, it was like, I tried to form it out of the “band sound” that I had thought was cool when I was a middle-schooler (laughs). So the original song was more punk-ish and had a gruff feel. So in terms of sound as well, rather than emphasizing an image, it turned into a song where we were sort of confronting the sound itself.Tora: This song’s guitar is simple, but I wanted to make it so that it had this sort of like, flavour, so anyway I played putting emphasis on its energy.
SHOXX 2005.05 vol 147
Show: Tora-kun, you recorded this in one take, right?
Tora: Yep. I figured this wasn’t the sorta guitar you’d think about while playing it so I did my best.
Hiroto: I also have loved punk-style sounds with vigor since the beginning, but was extremely happy that we were able to express that by way of ALICE NINE.’s sound. In terms of the guitar, I did my best so that I at least wouldn’t kill the energy of it. It is straight-up rock, but there are also some sensitive parts we put in so to those who play guitar, by all means, please also watch out for the sophistication of those sensitive parts!
Nao: When Saga-kun came in with the demo, I couldn’t imagine how we would complete it, but truly, in terms of ALICE NINE. doing straight-up rock, personally I’m awfully satisfied with the very splendid shape it settled into. When Saga-kun was making this song, it was also a period of time where we were having various life-related conversations together, so I think the song materialized out of the feeling of being liberated from worry.