First Love by Hikaru Utada

LYRICSRomajiSaigou no KISU wa

TABAKO no flavor ga shita

NIGAkute setsunai kaori

Ashita no imagoro ni wa

Anata wa doko ni iru n darou

Dare wo omotterun darou

You are always gonna be my love

Itsuka dareka to mata koi ni ochitemo

I’ll remember to love

You taught me how

You are always gonna be the one

Ima wa mada kanashii love song

Atarashi uta utaeru made

Tachidomaru jikan ga

Ugokidasou to shiteru

Wasuretakunai koto bakari

Ashita no imagoro ni wa

Watashi wa kitto naiteru

Anata wo omotterun darou

You will always be inside my heart

Itsumo anata dake no basho ga aru kara

I hope that I have a place in your heart too

Now and forever you are still the one

Ima wa mada kanashii love song

Atarashii uta utaeru made

You are always gonna be my love

Itsuka dareka to mata koi ni ochitemo

I’ll remember to love

You taught me how

You are always gonna be the one

mada kanashii love song

Now & forever...(from http://www.jpopasia.com/celebrity/hikaruutada/lyrics/utada-hikaru-single-collection-vol-1/first-love::9951.html)
Kana最後のキスはタバコの flavor がした
ニガくてせつない香り

明日の今頃には あなたはどこにいるんだろう
誰を思ってるんだろう

You are always gonna be my love
いつか誰かとまた恋に落ちても
I'll remember to love
You taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
今はまだ悲しい love song
新しい歌 歌えるまで

立ち止まる時間が動き出そうとしてる
忘れたくないことばかり wou

明日の今頃には 私はきっと泣いている
あなたを思ってるんだろう yeah yeah yeah

You will always be inside my heart
いつもあなただけの場所があるから
I hope that I have a place in your heart too
Now and forever you are still the one
今はまだ悲しい love song
新しい歌 歌えるまで

You are always gonna be my love
いつか誰かとまた恋に落ちても
I'll remember to love
You taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
まだ悲しい love song

Now and forever･･･(from: http://lyrics.wikia.com/%E5%AE%87%E5%A4%9A%E7%94%B0%E3%83%92%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AB_(Hikaru_Utada):First_Love)
EigoOur last kiss tasted like the cigarette
A sad and bitter fragrance

About this time tomorrow,
Where will you be?
Who will you be thinking of?

You are always gonna be my love
Even if one day I fall in love with someone else
I'll remember to love -- you taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
It's still a sad love song
Until I can sing a new one

The paused time
Is about to move
But I don't wish to forget

About this time tomorrow,
I'll may be crying,
Probably thinking about you

You will always be inside my heart
There's always a place just for you, so
I hope that I have a place in your heart, too
Now and forever you are still the one
It's still a sad love song
Until I can sing a new one

You are always gonna be my love
Even if one day I fall in love with someone else
I'll remember to love you taught me how
You are always gonna be the one
It's still a sad love song, yeah
Now and forever(from: http://www.jpopasia.com/celebrity/hikaruutada/lyrics/utada-hikaru-single-collection-vol-1/first-love::9951.html)
Info:First Love is Hikaru Utada's third japanese language single and is part of her debut album of the same title which happened to be Japan's best selling album of all time.It was released on April 28, 1999 In a 2009 survey by Oricon, asking applicants what song they want to hear with a broken heart, "First Love" was voted in the top 10.
The song itself:Truly it was, the melody of the piano perfectly accentuates the sad lyrics of the song about not being able to move on from your first love. Listening to it relaxes the spirit with the combination of Hikaru's soft voice and the serenading instruments. Although the it is a song of someone who's heartbroken, it actually gives hope that someday she could fall in love with someone else and have a "new song" which is no longer a sad one. It's like the words "First love never dies" made into a chart-topping tear-jerker.
To me...I first encountered this song one time I was listening to a radio program and I immediately fell in love with it and was able to memorize most parts of the song already. At first I though it was a Japanese version of the song "We Belong" by Filipino artist Toni Gonzaga. Try listening here for you to judge. However, the voices were different. Toni's vocals were a bit powerful. It was then I decided to dig deeper about this song and eventually I found out it was a Japanese hit.This song is included in my Bedtime playlist and my sentimental songs list mainly because I find it both relaxing and heart-wrenching. Although I haven't cried in this was just like I do when I hear Good-bye Days, I definitely label this song as a perfect tune for me as I was still not able to move on from my own first love. I repeat... Love. Not the usual flings I have every summer, spring, fall and winter (although these seasons do not exist in my country, oh well, to cut it short, I flirt a lot).I was in high school back then when this song has touched my life but it was only upon my college days that the meaning hit me hard in the face. But anyway, what can I do? I'm a HOPELESS romantic looking for someone who'll be my "new song" :(

Good-bye Days by YUI

LYRICS

Romaji

Dakara ima ai ni yuku

Sou kimetanda

POKETTO no kono kyoku wo

Kimi ni kikasetai

Sotto VORYUUMU wo agete

Tashikamete mita yo

oh Good-bye days ima

Kawaru ki ga suru

Kinou made ni so long

Kakkoyoku nai yasashi sa ga soba ni aru kara

~with you

Katahou no IYAFON wo

Kimi ni watasu

Yukkuri to nagarekomu

Kono shunkan

Umaku aisete imasu ka?

Tama ni mayou kedo

oh Good-bye days ima

Kawari hajimeta mune no oku alright

Kakkoyoku nai yasashi sa ga soba ni aru kara

~with you

Dekireba kanashii

Omoi nante shitaku nai

Demo yatte kuru desho?

Sono toki egao de

Yeah hello!! my friend nante sa

Ieta nara ii no ni...

Onaji uta wo kuchizusamu toki

Soba ni ite I wish

Kakkoyoku nai yasashi sa ni

Aete yokatta yo

...Good-bye days

Kana

だからいま　会いにゆく

そう決めたんだ

ポケットの　この曲を

君に聴かせたい

そっとヴォリュームを上げて

確かめてみたよ

oh Good-bye days　いま

変わる気がする

昨日までに　so long

かっこよくない優しさがそばにあるから

~with you

片方の　イヤフォンを

君に渡す

ゆっくりと　流れ込む

この瞬間

うまく愛せていますか?

たまに迷うけど

oh Good-bye days　いま

変わり始めた　胸の奥　alright

かっこよくない優しさがそばにあるから

~with you

できれば　悲しい

想いなんてしたくない

でもやってくるでしょ?

そのとき　笑顔で　

Yeah hello!! my friend　なんてさ

言えたならいいのに…

同じ唄を　口ずさむ時

そばにいて　I wish

かっこよくない優しさ

に会えてよかったよ

…Good-bye days

Eigo

  So I’ll go to you now, I’ve made up my mind
I want to play you the song in my pocket

I quietly turned up the volume to make sure

Oh good-bye days
I feel like things are changing now
So long yesterday and before
I have a clumsy tenderness by my side
La la la la la
~With you

I pass you one earphone
And in that moment, it plays slowly

I am, I'm loving you, right? Sometimes I get confused

Oh good-bye days
Now what’s in my heart has begun to change, alright
I have a clumsy tenderness by my side
La la la la la
~With you

I don’t want to have sad thoughts if I can help it
But they’re bound to come, right?
When they do, I’ll smile and say
"Yeah, hello!" I hope I can call you
My friend...

When we sing the same song
Be by my side, I wish
I’m glad I found that clumsy tenderness

La la la la la
...Good-bye days

---

This translation was done by Kiwi Musume

(All lyrics from http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/5065/yui/good-bye-days.html)

 Info:

This song was YUI's sixth single and fifth major label single. It was used as the main theme song of the movie "Taiyou no Uta" where she plays the character of Kaoru Amane, a girl stricken with the disorder called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) which prohibits her from being exposed to the sunlight and getting fatal skin cancer. With this, Kaoru still lives her life as a street musician and eventually finds a love interest. The movie revolves around her struggle to live and to love and her amazing music.


The song itself:

The song itself produces a melodramatic feel even if you are not aware of the movie behind it. The combination of simple guitar and YUI's distinct voice moves the heart as the story progresses and ultimately wrenches every chamber of your cardiovascular system and the dam that is holding back your tears as the ending of the movie hits you hard it's so difficult to recover. With the perfect addition of a string ensemble that accentuates the mood of the song.

The lyrics embody Kaoru's desperations to still live and love like a normal girl even though her own health hinders her to do so. 

To me...

Good-bye days has always been my favorite JPOP song of all time as it has all that I am looking for -- great sounds and an amazing story behind it. It never fails to break me down into tears as it occasionally plays on my music player as I look at the sunset when I am in my emotional state. I even used this song as a "sign" praying that if I meet a person whom I am really interested at and this song randomly plays, then that person is the one. So much with my desperations...

The part of the lyrics that says "Umaku aisete imasu ka? Tama ni mayou kedo." (Can you really love me properly even sometimes I get lost?) is where I could relate the most. Asking a person if he/she would still accept you even with all your flaws. But what moves me is the bridge to the final chorus ending with "Yasashisa ni aete yokatta yo." (I'm glad I met your kindness) just lifts me off my feet and throws me to a sea of tears as I remeber the movie Kaoru and Kouji's love story. Followed by an instrumental that mixes guitar and violin. I just can't get enough of killing myself slowly with this song.

Anyway, I will always love this song and I will always love YUI as long as I love JPOP and I can still understand a few Japanese words other that bonsai and sushi. My search continues with Japanese Music with a story about it or about my encounter with it.