There’s been a long time with no lyric comments! Today, I want to analyze My Generation. But, first of all, I want to say some things:
1. I am Spanish. I do not speak perfect English, and sometimes my expression is not good enough. In addition, I don’t know Japanese, so my lyrics are based on some >
translations other people have made< (thank you VERY MUCH! specially aihart92011yui!!) and my “touch” cause I like them to follow the rhythm. They may have lost some of their meaning, but I believe that they keep the same essence.
2. This is my own interpretation of the song. Needless to say, it is not an absolute truth; you might see it in a different way ;)
3. I have taken in consideration >
the PV of the song<. I think it reflects the way YUI feels in this song.
4. This song talks about a YUI. In this song the uses the “atashi”, a pronoun that she has used in every song in which she talks about herself (TOKYO, How crazy…) and not in other songs.
5. Most of the song refers to YUI’s early teenage. There’s a lot of information about that in >
Atheon's blog< (look for ROCKIN' ON JAPAN translations! I will refer to some of those things during the translation. THANK YOU VEEEERY MUCH ATHEON.
6. If you want to read the translations of the other people who worked on it, follow this topic and watch this video
Summary:
This song is about a person who remembers her past and speaks about it. In the first part of the song, it tells us how she felt when she was a teenager (sixteen years)and how he/she found out that her dreams were not “written in a school textbook”. She fought for them, but sometimes hurting other people. The second part of the song is situated in the present. She shows out that difficulties can be overcame, and that dreams can come true. ¡Her Generation succeeded in fulfilling their dreams, and has become the Generation of Change!
Comment:
**********
The cold wind was blowing around
And from a small window
I took a deep breath and sighed
**********YUI remembers her past. She was inside a building and looking through a window. It’s so small that causes the impression that she’s inside a “prison” with no escape. The cold wind represents her sad mood and she may think that it’s not the place where she wants to be in. However, she has to face reality, and she takes a breath and sighs. Will she accept what she has, or will she try to change?
**********
I was tired of expecting good things
So I became lonely
But it doesn’t mean that I’ll give up
**********YUI has been waiting for some good things to arrive. Something that could change her life, making her dreams come true. But nothing did. That’s way she once felt that nothing will ever change. But, one day, she understood that if nothing had arrived, it was because she hadn’t tried. If you want something, go look for it, because it won’t appear in front of your door one day. Remember “I can change my life” [LIFE].
**********
The bell rings again
And everyone is waiting
‘Cause it will make reality move on faster
**********YUI’s dreams are not in that class. Learning mere words won’t help her in her desires. She wants to finish being at school and start working on what she wants.
**********
It’s so different out there
But the feeling is not like breaking windows
It’s letting us be free forever!
**********YUI understands that school is necessary. What she wants is not breaking her class window, but being able to do what she wants. It’s an argument against the society: “Do you think that school is the only thing that will solve my life?” Things outside the school are as important and necessary as school. YUI knew that what she wanted could only come true if she worked. That’s why she worked in a restaurant, paid her studies and joined a lot of school clubs to do many things.
**********
My dream couldn’t be expressed with any word they said
But sometimes I hurt the others, that’s why I couldn’t forgive myself
I don’t expect people to understand me
I was controlled by the weakness of couldn’t be able to trust my own dreams
Sixteen my dream
**********These lines have a lot of meaning. First, YUI tells us that she found out that her dream cannot be expressed with words, that is to say, she didn’t find it written in her textbooks, so she tried to find it outside the class. When she says “I hurt the others” I think she’s probably referring to her mother (or maybe her father, we don’t know, and sincerely I don’t want to, I don’t like gossips, I just like YUI music). My supposition is that at first they didn’t understand her love for the music and her decision to make music her life. I think that those things eventually made her fell weaker and think of giving up. And of course, “sixteen my dream” refers to when she was finally able to record a CD.
**********
I threw out my uniform
Because I don't want to be defeated by that 16 years old me
**********YUI wants to forget all the things that made her feel bad and depressed. I think it does not mean that she don't like to remember leaving school: just that she doesn't want to doubt again ^^
**********
Ever when people discouraged me
I never stopped and turned around
Because I hoped that I could keep on going
**********She repeats the same message. Don’t you think that this second part of the song is much more optimistic than the first one?
**********
My dream is as strong as it was years before
And now I will walk even if there’s any difficulty
Those days will never disappear from my memory
We all fought for our dreams and we attained to become
The Generation of Change
Sixteen my dream
**********In fact, in the literal lyric, it doesn’t say “we”. It says: when you believe in your dreams, you become the generation of change”. But I supposed it was plural, because a generation is a group of people. But, apart from YUI, who? I suppose that her love for the music encouraged her companions and friends to work hard, and they demonstrated that, with effort, you can do whatever you want ;)
**********
Looking through the glass of the window of my class
I promised that I will make my dreams come true
**********YUI revives her feelings when she was that age, and imagines that she is still at school. She must be happy for what she has been able to archive!
**********
My dream couldn’t be expressed with any word they said
I was controlled by the weakness of couldn’t be able to trust my own dreams
Sixteen my dream
**********END!!!!!
Do you like my analysis? What’s your opinion? Did you understand it well? Sorry for my horrible English ^^’