Jpop Recommend #362 Gunjyo by YOASOBI

 

群青 Gunjyo

YOASOBI 

Released in September 2020, this song is their 5th single.   "Gunjyo" is a name of a color which means deep blue mixed with faint purple tone.  In English, it is normally translated as "ultramarine". 

This song was created as a collaborative work with Japanese comic, "Blue Period" and chocolate snack "Alfort" CM.  "Blue Period" is a story about a high school student who is trying to enter Art university to pursue his dream to become a painter.  The lyrics match the comic's content and this CM is really worth watching.

In Japanese, the period of youth (especially while you are in school) is called "青春" which literally means Blue Spring.  "青い” also means immaturity, such as "このリンゴはまだ青い" (This apple is not ripe yet).  So in Japanese the word "blue" matches the image of being young, immature, fresh and so on.

This song is about finding your dream and challenging to achieve it even though it requires courage to pursue.

CM version

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Any comment about this blog is highly appreciated.  Requests to pick up any singer or song are always welcome!

Japanese

Japanese pronunciation

English translation

嗚呼、いつも  の  様  に

Ah     itsumo no you ni

Ah same old

過ぎる 日々 に あくび が 出る

sugiru hibi  ni akubi ga deru

ordinary days make me yawn

さんざめく    夜、 越え、今日  も

sanzameku yoru koe    kyou mo

Party night is over and once again

渋谷      の    街     に  朝  が  降る

shibuya no machi ni asa ga furu

morning comes today in the town of Shibuya

どこか     虚しい   ような

dokoka munashii youna

Somewhat empty and vain

そんな  気持ち

sonna kimochi 

I felt such feeling

つまらない  な

tsumaranai na

It is boring

でも    それ  で いい

demo sore  de  ii

But then again that's OK

そんな もん さ

sonna mon sa

That's how it is

これ で  いい

kore de  ii

I like it this way

知らず   知らず    隠してた

shirazu shirazu kakushiteta

Without realizing I hid it

本当     の   声  を   響かせて  よ、ほら

hontou no koe wo hibikasete yo hora

Let me hear your true voice, say

見ない フリ して  いて も

minai  furi   shite ite mo

Even though we try not to look at it

確か     に そこ に ある

tashika ni soko ni aru

It's there for sure

感じた まま     に  描く

kanjita mama ni egaku

Draw as I feel

自分  で   選んだ  その  色 で

jibun de eranda sono iro de

with the color I picked

眠い    空気     纏う    朝  に

nemui kuuiki matou asa ni 

On a morning still in sleepy mood 

訪れた     青い 世界

otozureta aoi sekai

came the blue world

好きな  もの   を   好き だ と 言う

sukina mono wo suki da to iu

Saying I like what I like

怖くて       仕方ない    けど

kowakute shikantanai kedo 

I'm dead scared to do so, but

本当    の   自分

hontou no jibun 

my true self

出会えた 気  が したん だ

deaeta    ki ga shitan da 

I felt like finally I was able to find it

嗚呼、手 を   伸ばせば   伸ばす   ほど  に

Ah      te wo nobaseba nobasu hodo ni 

Ah as I try to reach out

遠く   へ  ゆく

tooku e yuku

it gets away from me

思う   ように いかない、今日 も

omou youni ikanai       kyou mo 

Nothing goes as I wish    today again

また  慌ただしく      もがいてる

mata awatadashiku mogaiteru

Feeling restless again, I struggle

悔しい    気持ち    も

kuyashii kimochi mo 

I also felt frustrated

ただ   情けなくて

tada nasakenakute 

and disappointed in myself

涙         が  出る

namida ga deru 

Tears well up in my eyes

踏み  込む   ほど

fumi-komu hodo

As I try to move forward

苦しく      なる

kurushiku naru 

it gets more difficult

痛く  も   なる

itaku mo naru 

and painful

感じた   まま   に   進む

kanjita mama ni susumu

I move forward as I feel like it

自分  で   選んだ  この   道    を

Jibun de eranda kono michi wo 

this road I picked myself

重い   まぶた   擦る      夜  に

omoi mabuta kosuru yoru ni 

On the nights when I rubbed my sleepy eyes

しがみついた    青い 誓い

shigamitsuita  aoi   chikai

I held onto this blue promise

好きな  こと  を  続ける     こと

sukina koto wo tsuzukeru koto

Pursing what I like

それ  は「楽しい」だけ じゃない

sore wa tanoshii dake jyanai 

That will give me not only "fun" moments

本当     に できる？

hontou ni dekiru?

Can I really do it?

不安  に なる けど

fuan ni naru kedo

Sometime I doubt myself

何枚     でも

nanmai demo 

As many sheets as I can 

ほら   何枚     でも

hora nanmai demo

See, as many papers as I can 

自信   が ない から

Jishin ga nai kara

beacause I don't have a confidence in myself

描いて  きたんだ よ

egaite kitanda   yo

I try to paint

何回     でも

nankai demo 

As many sheets as I can 

ほら   何回   でも

hora nankai demo

See, as many times as I can 

積み  上げて  きた こと が  武器 に なる

tsumi-agete kita koto ga buki ni naru

what I piled up to do becomes my weapon

周り     を  見たって

mawari wo mitatte

Whenever I look around

誰   と   比べたって

dare to kurabetatte

Whenever I compared to others

僕    に しか できない  こと は  なんだ

boku ni shika dekinai koto wa nanda

What is it that only I can do?

今    でも  自信  なんか  ない

ima demo jishin nanka nai

I still don't have a confidene

それ でも

sore demo

But

感じた  こと ない 気持ち

kanjita koto nai kimochi 

The feeling I've never experienced

知らず  に いた 想い

shirazu ni ita   omoi

The desire I hadn't noticed

あの 日 踏み  出して

ano hi fumi-dashite

On that day I stepped forward

初めて    感じた  この   痛み  も    全部

hajimete kanjita kono itami mo zenbu 

The pain I felt for the first time  Everything is

好きな  もの  と  向き 合う   こと  で

sukina mono to muki-au    koto de

by facing directly with what I like

触れた  まだ    小さな   光

fureta mada chiisana hikari

I was able to touch this small ray of light

大丈夫、   行こう、あと は   楽しむ       だけ  だ

daijyoubu, ikou,    ato  wa tanoshimu dake da

I'm OK Let's go  All I need to do is to enjoy

全て    を   賭けて   描く

subete wo kakete egaku 

Drawing with everything I have

自分  に しか  出せない 色  で

Jibun ni shika dasenai iro de

with the color only I can create

朝   も   夜    も    走り    続け

asa mo yoru mo hashiri tsuzuke

Running morning and night

見つけ    出した  青い 光

mitsuke-dashita aoi hikari

Blue light I finally found

好きな もの   と  向き 合う こと

sukina mono to muki-au koto

Facing to what I like

今   だって 怖い   こと  だけど

ima datte kowai koto dakedo

is still a scary thing to do, but

もう  今  は  あの 日 の  透明      な 僕    じゃない

mou ima wa ano hi no toumei na boku jyanai

I'm not transparent like myself on that day

あり の まま    の

ari   no mama no

Being just myself

かけがえ   の  無い 僕   だ

kakegae   no nai boku da

I am indispensable

知らず   知らず    隠してた

shirazu shirazu kakushiteta

Without realizing I hid it

本当     の   声  を   響かせて  よ、ほら

hontou no koe wo hibikasete yo hora

Let me hear your true voice, say

見ない フリ して  いて も

minai  furi   shite ite mo

Even though we try not to look at it

確かに      そこ に  今 も   そこ に ある よ

tashikani soko ni ima mo soko ni aru yo

It's there for sure  It is still there 

知らず   知らず    隠してた

shirazu shirazu kakushiteta

Without realizing I hid it

本当     の   声  を   響かせて  よ、ほら

hontou no koe wo hibikasete yo hora

Let me hear your true voice, say

見ない フリ して  いて も

minai  furi   shite ite mo

Even though we try not to look at it

確か     に  そこ に  君   の   中   に

tashika ni soko ni kimi no naka ni

It's there for sure  Inside yourself

☆Jpop recommend backnumber list☆

Any comment about this blog is highly appreciated.  Requests to pick up any singer or song are always welcome!