Bukiyou Taiyou

Title:                不器用太陽 | Bukiyou Taiyou | A Useless Sun
Info:                 SKE48 15th Single - Bukiyou taiyou
Member(s):        Azuma Rion, Oya Masana, Kitagawa Ryoha, Futamura Haruka, Matsui Jurina, Miyazawa Sae, Watanabe Miyuki,                         Oba Mina, Takayanagi Akane, Furukawa Airi, Furuhata Nao, Yamada Nana, Iwanaga Tsugumi, Umemoto Madoka,                         Kimoto Kanon, Kumazaki Haruka, Sato Sumire, Shibata Aya, Suda Akari, Matsui Rena

アスファルトの熱で 街は逆上(のぼ)せて みんな スローモーション 君の自転車がゆっくり近づく ワンピースの花が 風に舞い上がって キュンとさせるよ 僕たちは何か始まるのかなあ 好きなのに 知り合って 長すぎる 「海へ行きたい」って 君が言い出すから 友達のままで 海へ行って何をすればいい? 僕は相変わらず 視線合わせず 口が勝手に 欲しいスニーカーの話をしている 横をバスが通り過ぎた瞬間 さりげなく君をかばう 僕は不器用太陽 ただ君のそばで照らしてるだけだ 言葉にできやしない 消極太陽 恋する季節が もどかしい感じで ジリジリ アツいだけだ 好きだけど好きすぎて (真っ直ぐには そう君を見れない) これ以上近づけない (どこまででも そう続く青空) 防波堤の端 2人 腰掛けながら かき氷食べて 「歯が染みる」とか「こめかみ が痛い」とか… 潮風に吹かれ 波を見ていられたら これもいいかな 君の一番近くにいるんだから そんな僕の弱気見透かして 尖らせた君の唇 僕は不器用太陽 出逢った時から ここで燃えるだけ じっと動けない 臆病太陽 近くに行ったら 大事な君まで 消えちゃいそうでだめだ 好きなのに好きだけど (この距離感 そうぎこちないほど) 好きなのに好きなんだ (この関係 そう青春サマーラブ) 僕は不器用太陽 ただ君のそばで照らしてるだけだ 言葉にできやしない 消極太陽 恋する季節が もどかしい感じで ジリジリ アツいだけだ 好きだけど好きすぎて (真っ直ぐには そう君を見れない) これ以上 近づけない (どこまででも そう続く青空)

ASUFARUTO no netsu de machi wa nobosete minna SUROOMOOSHON kimi no jitensha ga yukkuri chikadzuku WANPIISU no hana ga kaze ni maiagatte KYUN to saseru yo bokutachi wa nani ka hajimaru no ka naa suki na no ni shiriatte nagasugiru "umi e ikitai" tte kimi ga ii dasu kara tomodachi no mama de umi e itte nani wo sureba ii? boku wa aikawarazu shisen awasezu kuchi ga katte ni hoshii SUNIIKAA no hanashi wo shite iru yoko wo BASU ga toorisugita shunkan sarigenaku kimi wo kabau boku wa bukiyou taiyou tada kimi no soba de terashiteru dake da kotoba ni dekiyashinai shoukyoku taiyou koi suru kisetsu ga modokashii kanjide JIRIJIRI atsui dake da suki dakedo sukisugite (massugu ni wa sou kimi wo mirenai) kore ijou chikadzukenai (doko made demo sou tsudzuku aozora) bouhatei no haji futari koshikakenagara kakigoori tabete "ha ga shimiru" to ka "komekami ga itai" to ka... shiokaze ni fukare nami wo mite iraretara kore mo ii ka na kimi no ichiban chikaku ni irunda kara sonna boku no yowaki misukashite togaraseta kimi no kuchibiru boku wa bukiyou taiyou deatta toki kara koko de moeru dake jitto ugokenai okubyou taiyou chikaku ni ittara daiji na kimi made kiechai sou de dame da suki na no ni suki dakedo (kono kyorikan sou gikochi nai hodo...) suki na no ni suki nanda (kono kankei sou seishun SAMAARABU) boku wa bukiyou taiyou tada kimi no soba de terashiteru dake da kotoba ni dekiyashinai shoukyoku taiyou koi suru kisetsu ga modokashii kanjide JIRIJIRI atsui dake da suki dakedo sukisugite (massugu ni wa sou kimi wo mirenai) kore ijou chikadzukenai (doko made de mo sou tsudzuku aozora)

The town swelters In the warmth of the asphalt Everyone else is in slow motion As your bicycle slowly approaches The flowers on your dress Dance in the wind Making my heart skip a beat Is this the start of something between us? I love you, but I have known you For far too long “Let's go to the ocean” So you said Just friends as we are What on earth would we do there? As usual Without meeting your gaze I can only go on about That pair of sneakers I want As the bus passes by I casually shield you from it I am such a useless sun All I can do is shine by your side Unable to say a single word Such a reserved sun It's so frustrating This season of love Is taking forever to heat up I love you way too much (You’re so honest you can’t see it) And I can’t seem to get any closer (The blue sky stretches on forever) As the two of us sit there By the edge of the breakwater While eating some shaved ice Saying things like “the ice pierces my teeth” or “my head hurts” The sea breeze blows past us As we look out onto the waves Shouldn’t this be enough for me? 'Cuz I’m already right beside you Those lips of yours See right through my cowardice I am such a useless sun From the time we met For all the burning in my heart I could not take a single step Such a timid sun I dare not come any closer Or even your precious existence Might disappear from my life I love you, but... (This distance between us is so awkward) I love you, yes I do (Such is my youthful summer love) I am such a useless sun All I can do is shine by your side Unable to say a single word Such a reserved sun It's so frustrating This season of love Is taking forever to heat up I love you way too much (You’re so honest you can’t see it) And I can’t seem to get any closer (The blue sky stretches on forever)

Although tense isn't as evident in Japanese as it is in English, the use of present tense throughout the song makes it all the more vivid and poignant. It's almost like an ongoing one-sided dialogue that plays in the persona's head as he spends the day with the girl he likes. Apart from the usual pronoun indicators 'boku' (= boyish 'I') and 'kimi' (= feminine 'you'), other details in the lyrics point to the persona being a guy: "your" dress, the sneakers "I" want, shielding "you" from the bus. Talk about gender stereotypes, but yeah.

Speaking of which, the way the persona "casually" shields her from the bus kinda paints the picture of a cool and manly guy, which is not at all the impression we get when we hear him go on about how "useless", "reserved" and "timid" he is. Such a contrast only enhances the intensity of his inner struggle portrayed.

The word 'bukiyou' is rather difficult to translate. Under different contexts it can mean 'clumsy', 'awkward', 'tactless', 'inept' or 'useless'. But judging from the way the persona in this song laments how he isn't able to make any sort of concrete expression of his romantic feelings, I decided to go with 'useless', because all the other possible translations (although more common) imply that something has been done, albeit poorly, whereas in the persona's case he's not able to do anything at all.

This ineffectiveness of his is vividly illustrated through the metaphor of the sun. Firstly, the sun is an inanimate object, incapable of conscious action. And secondly, despite being so central to human existence, we often forget that it's there. And also, um, the sun towers over us, just like how guys usually tower over girls? (More stereotypes, yay.)

All in all, I really like Bukiyou Taiyou. It's a somewhat innovative take on the unrequited-love song. Plus, the music is really soothing yet suited to the mood of the lyrics and the persona's feelings of helplessness, fear, frustration and longing.

(All kanji/kana and romaji lyrics on this site are taken from Studio48 unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce anything from this site without giving due credit.)