Translation: It's About to Rain (Agnes Chan)

It's About to Rain (Hoguchi/Matsumoto) — six glorious minutes long, and one of my favorite songs to listen to when it's raining — is an epic tale of middle school romance. How was Matsumoto so good at this? The dream team helped, no doubt: 

1. Agnes on vocals, of course.

2. Yuusuke Hoguchi (of An Apple Pie Love Letter and Pocket Full of Secrets fame; that's right, Apple Pie comes first, because no matter how much I love Pocket Full, the fact is that Apple Pie is even better) providing exquisitely sad melodies.

3. Makoto goddam Yano himself supplying the dark, dramatic arrangement — Yano was a member of the original Moonriders, but earned his street cred doing the string etc arrangements for Matsumoto & Minami's godly Heroine of the Skyscraper, Agata & Matsumoto's godly Alas, No Mercy, Kosaka & Hosono's godly Horo, Agata & Hosono's godly-beyond-godly Zipangu Boy, and Agata's just-on-the-verge-of-godly I Love You So Much. (And yes, that's right — who can resist city pop gossip — he was Akiko Yano's first husband.)

4. None other than Caramel Mama backing Agnes up — Hosono's basslines in the outro, good lord!!! 

Listening to it, you'd think this song was some vast, cosmic tragedy — and well yes, you could say that from the main character's perspective, it is. And that last verse usually does make me cry.

:::

I wondered how long you'd been waiting for me,
watching the raindrops run down the window.
I took my seat beside you,
and I started to speak to you,
but you didn't look at me,
and you pretended not to hear a word I said.

Where was that dependable smile of mine

when I really needed it?

I couldn't bring myself to say I was sorry.

The library was so quiet that afteroon

that my sigh came out loud and clear.

Outside, the rain

simply won't stop falling.

And I get the feeling that, inside me,

it's about to rain as well.

Now whenever I'm brushing my hair

or chatting with friends —

one way or another, 

thoughts about that afternoon

steal back into my mind.

Should I call you...?

I begin to turn the dial

but my fingers start to tremble

and I get a little scared.

Because — what if you're still angry?

If you don't pick up, I'll cry for sure.

And if you do, what will I say?

I don't have the slightest clue.

So, at last, all I do

is have a staring contest

with the phone.

Outside, the rain

simply won't stop falling.

And I get the feeling that, inside me,

it's about to rain as well.

I'll head to the library tomorrow after class.

I'll sit in my usual seat

and wait for you.

Maybe you'll come —

you'll pretend not to see me —

you'll keep your back turned

and you won't say a single word...

But I've made my mind up.

Tomorrow I'll definitely be smiling —

that's right, smiling — as I say

so softly, "Sorry" —

I wonder whether

you'll forgive me.

Outside, the rain

simply won't stop falling.

And I get the feeling that, inside me,

it's about to rain as well.

Outside, the rain

simply won't stop falling.

And I get the feeling that, inside me,

it's about to rain as well.

(Back to: List of Translations)

Translation: Barefoot Adventure (Agnes Chan)

The verses of Barefoot Adventure (Hirao/Matsumoto) are a flagrant rip-off of the Carpenters' Top of the World. It's so obvious that my first few listens were even disturbing: "You mean that, in 1975 Japan, you could rip something off this hard and then put it out as a single?!" It's certainly business-savvy: if it worked in the States, it'll work here?

Later I read an opinion piece that called these marvelously unabashed rip-offs an early version of sampling. It's interesting, anyway. If the resulting song is a good one, then who cares about its provenance? The world needs good songs. And, seven collaborations in, I have yet to hear something of Takashi's-via-Agnes that isn't good.



:::



You were grinning
as you splashed me,
so I pretended
I was drowning,
and now, see?
I've won this chance
to cling to you.

But I wasn't pretending —
it's true, you know!

Whenever we aren't holding hands,

I feel like a tide of sadness

is coming to sweep me away.

Love is the sunlight

glittering in the water.

Put two hands together,

scoop it up.

I was running barefoot

across the burning sand,

rushing to grab hold

of my own trembling emotions.

I didn't need to turn around

to sense that —

oh, don't you feel it,

here it comes! —

happiness itself

was on the verge of

catching up with me.

Love is the sunlight

glittering in the water.

Put two hands together,

scoop it up.

Love is the sunlight

glittering in the water.

Put two hands together,

scoop it up.

(Back to: List of Translations)