August 13, 2024

Translation: Pinky Swear (Eiichi Ohtaki)

Pinky Swear (Ohtaki/Matsumoto) seems to be most people's favorite track on the album. It would be mine too, if not for But That Someone Isn't Me.

The lyrics remind me of Summer Wine, which Takashi wrote for Shigeru a few years later. But though they have a similar set-up (they're both about two people who spend a lot of time together even though they're not especially happy about it; and a probably unrequited affection/love; with a desultory air to the proceedings), the vibe is different. This one is darker, tenser. It's like Summer Wine dipped in the intensity of The Rose and the Wild Beast.



:::



You peel mandarin oranges
with such sharp claws.
But you never clearly finish
what you're saying.

How about a pinky swear instead, then?
It won't be a promise exactly, but...

You look awfully bored,
tearing flowers petals apart.
But the things you say
are always just as desolate
as winter.

How about a pinky swear instead, then?
It won't be a promise exactly, but...

Your hair is far too short
and my lies are far too white.
But anyway, both of us
have grown pretty tired of talking.

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