Kimi wa Melody

Title:                君はメロディー | Kimi wa Melody | You Are a Melody
Info:                 AKB48 43rd Single - Kimi wa Melody
Member(s):        Iriyama Anna, Kojima Haruna, Shimazaki Haruka, Takahashi Minami, Yokoyama Yui, Minegishi Minami,                         Mukaichi Mion, Kashiwagi Yuki, Kato Rena, Kizaki Yuria, Watanabe Mayu, Matsui Jurina, Yamamoto Sayaka,                         Sashihara Rino, Miyawaki Sakura, Kitahara Rie, Miyazawa Sae, Itano Tomomi, Oshima Yuko, Shinoda Mariko,                         Maeda Atsuko

春の魔法に陽射しは変わって 人も街も明るめに着替えた 風に誘われ気づけば知らずに 僕は口ずさんでいた 遠い昔の記憶の彼方に 忘れかけてた2人のfavorite song なぜこの曲が浮かんだのだろう? 突然に 愛しさは いつも ずっと前から 準備してる ノイズだらけのRadioが 聴こえて来たんだ 歳月(とき)を超え… 君はメロディー メロディー 懐かしいハーモニー ハーモニー 好きだよと言えず抑えていた 胸の痛み 僕のメロディー メロディー サビだけを覚えてる 若さは切なく 輝いた日々が 蘇るよ 君と歩いたセンター街から 通りに抜ける青春に迷って 知らないうちに大人になってた 歌を聴くこともなく 何を忘れてしまったのだろう? 新しいものばかりを探して 今の自分に問いかけるような あのMusic 偶然は いつも 教えてくれる 意味があると… 思いがけない未来 眠ってた恋が 目を覚ます 甘いメモリー メモリー 夢を見たグローリーデイズ グローリーデイズ サヨナラに込めた永遠こそ 僕の誓い ふいにメモリー メモリー 面影も鮮やかに… 無意識にそっと 口ずさむ僕は 今でもまだ… 振り返るように 君も思い出すだろうか? あの頃 いつも流れた ヒットソング 君はメロディー メロディー 懐かしいハーモニー ハーモニー 好きだよと言えず抑えていた 胸の痛み 僕のメロディー メロディー サビだけを覚えてる ほろ苦い感情が 溢れ出す今も… こんなメロディー メロディー きっとどこかで 君だって… 口ずさむだろう 思い出は時にはやさしい 口ずさむだろう いつの日にかあの頃のメロディー

haru no mahou ni hizashi wa kawatte hito mo machi mo akarume ni kigaeta kaze ni sasoware kidzukeba shirazu ni boku wa kuchizusande ita tooi mukashi no kioku no kanata ni wasurekaketeta futari no favorite song naze kono kyoku ga ukanda no darou? totsuzen ni itoshisa wa itsumo zutto mae kara junbi shiteru NOIZU darake no Radio ga kikoete kitanda toki wo koe... kimi wa MERODII MERODII natsukashii HAAMONII HAAMONII suki da yo to iezu osaete ita mune no itami boku no MERODII MERODII SABI dake wo oboeteru wakasa wa setsunaku kagayaita hibi ga yomigaeru yo kimi to aruita SENTAA gai kara toori ni nukeru seishun ni mayotte shiranai uchi ni otona ni natteta uta wo kiku koto mo naku nani wo wasurete shimatta no darou? atarashii mono bakari wo sagashite ima no jibun ni toikakeru you na ano Music guuzen wa itsumo oshiete kureru imi ga aru to... omoigakenai mirai nemutteta koi ga me wo samasu amai MEMORII MEMORII yume wo mita GURORIIDEIZU GURORIIDEIZU SAYONARA ni kometa eien koso boku no chikai fui ni MEMORII MEMORII omokage mo azayaka ni... muishiki ni sotto kuchizusamu boku wa ima demo mada... furikaeru you ni kimi mo omoidasu darou ka? ano koro itsumo nagareta HITTO SONGU kimi wa MERODII MERODII natsukashii HAAMONII HAAMONII suki da yo to iezu osaete ita mune no itami boku no MERODII MERODII sabi dake wo oboeteru horonigai kanjou ga afuredasu ima mo... konna MERODII MERODII kitto doko ka de kimi datte... kuchizusamu darou omoide wa toki ni wa yasashii kuchizusamu darou itsu no hi ni ka ano koro no MERODII

The light changes in the magic of spring Brightening up the whole town and its people Seduced by the wind, before I know it I find myself humming a song From one corner of my distant memories… Our favorite song, which I’d forgotten Why has it come back to me All of a sudden? Love is always something That prepares itself From way back in time I can begin to hear The noise-filled radio As it transcends the years… You are a melody (melody) A nostalgic harmony (harmony) I suppressed the pain in my chest from not telling you “I love you” This is my melody (melody) Though I can only remember the chorus Youth is painful But those glorious days Have now been revived Together, we started down the center street But in our youthfulness, we began to stray Before we knew it, we’ve become adults And we don’t even listen to songs anymore Have you forgotten something? You keep searching for something new Such was the question which That music seemed to be asking me Coincidences Always teach us That there’s a reason for everything The future is unforeseen But my love, which was only sleeping Now begins to awaken Such sweet memories (memories) – Our glory days of dreaming big (glory days) An eternity laden with farewells, such was my promise Suddenly my memory (memory) Of even your face returns afresh… Without realizing it I’m softly humming that song And even now, I… If you were to look back Would you remember it too? The hit song which was always playing In those days You are a melody (melody) A nostalgic harmony (harmony) I suppressed the pain in my chest from not telling you “I love you” This is my melody (melody) Though I can only remember the chorus My bittersweet emotions Are overflowing even now… Such a melody (melody) Someplace somewhere, surely even you Must still be humming it Memories can be so forgiving at times Someday, I’d probably be humming That melody once again

When I first looked at the lyrics of the song, I was immediately reminded of Kojima Haruna's 7kaime no "Les Mis". Both are ballad songs about a past love which is connected to one thing that symbolizes their time together. In 7kaime no "Les Mis" that thing is of course the movie Les Miserables, whereas in this case it's a "hit song" from the past.

But particularly since this "hit song" isn't named, there's almost a sort of meta reference to the song Kimi wa Melody itself as that hit song which is always being played (by virtue of being an AKB single, obviously). The somewhat muted arrangement of the music further adds to the suggestion of the song as being from the past. Plus, I find that it reflects the persona's pain very well. There is just something in the restrained, almost calm flow of the music that really brings out the sadness in the lyrics.

Add to that the whole hype about this being the "10th anniversary single" and the inclusion of 4 of the most popular graduated members, this song cleverly plays with the whole concept of nostalgia about the past in numerous ways. So for me, these are some of the things which make the song especially effective, in spite of its rather generic theme.

(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.)