Songs you would recommend to new listeners lyric wise?

[Machiko]

I'm really sorry if this is a topic already

This isn't so much about favorite Ayu lyrics but rather, what are the most brilliant, deep lyrics Ayu has written in your opinion? Even if not particularly your favorite per se. Song that you would recommend to someone new, impress them with its lyrics?

Extra points if you write or copypaste part(s) of the lyrics you are referring to or/and explain why they're so good!

[Chris_Duvall]

Tough call... but I think one of her finest lyrics are HEAVEN. The song isn't my personal favorite, but the lyrics are so deep and meaningful:

"That sky which you’ve set out on a journey to
Sparkled with stars shining gently down on me

Stay with me, my beloved. As time passes and form changes
The future we haven’t yet seen
Hey, there’s still so much of it here, so

Stay with me, my beloved. As time passes and form changes
The future we haven’t yet seen
Is still here, so

Believe in me, my beloved. You live on within me
So from now on, forever into the future
I’ll never say goodbye

That day, we surely touched love"

[Andrenekoi]

The one that fits the most the interest of the other person

[Party_King]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The one that fits the most the interest of the other person

Exactly.

I often use Depend on you for her lyrical introduction,
because IMO it's the base (or the beginning) of a lot of her later lyrics (Endless sorrow, BLUE BIRD etc).

[Aderianu]

Moments!

[Machiko]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The one that fits the most the interest of the other person

Even if you don't know them?

[cosmicfirefly]

SURREAL is one of my favorites, both in general and lyrically. A Song for xx has the question format that really work for the subject matter and it can be relatable to a lot of people. Of her recent ones Mad World is a good choice. I would also add rollin', monochrome, and YOU since it's one of the first translations I read and thought it had really nice imagery. I also agree on Moments and HEAVEN, there are a lot I like apparently lol

[Andrenekoi]

^I find it very hard to point one Ayu lyric that would impress a lot of people, mostly because she sings about several different things, and even when she sings about the same stuff, it's not uncommon for her to give the same subject a completely different aproach.

Other than that, there is the fact that different Ayu lyrics are interesting for different stuff. Some have an interesting point of view, some have uncommon insights, some have interesting imagery, etc. She is very versatile as a writter.

The one that I think that deals with something I believe everyone will identify one moment or another is A song for ××. Not by surprise, it's also the lyrics that turned her into a big name.

[voltron]

I think it depends on one generally appeals to someone - do they like love-y songs, are they super emo, etc.? But in general, maybe some of the following:
- Endless Sorrow: Other than just being beautiful and introducing the one-winged theme that she would re-use many times later, it is a direct reference to the classic Chinese poem "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" which is referenced in so many pieces of art, literature, etc.
- Moments: When this song came out, it was really applauded for being a modern pop piece that used Kachou Fuugetsu (Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon) which is common in Japanese poetry, and considered really artistic.
- A Song for XX: Probably her most famous song lyrically.

I could go on and on, and incorporate some newer ones, but I think those are all great starts.

[EndOfTheWorld]

I think I am... would be a great introduction to Ayu. I think it is one of her best moments.

[cosmicfirefly]

^
I am... has great lyrics (I was just listening to the ayu-mi-x 4 acoustic version which I think is so good).

[Sky High]

I would recommend Rainbow song: great lyrics, nice pv.

[Kacku]

I had four songs come to my mind immediately: A Song for xx, M, Memorial Address, and Walk.

- A Song for xx has this phrase that struck me deep and has never left my mind since: "I was born alone. I'll go on living alone / I thought that living this way was truly normal" And even if the song didn't have this truly iconic and unforgettable turn of phrase, it still a phenomenally effective, chillingly honest piece about feeling lost, lonely and out of place in the world. The very beginning is also a highlight: the first three lines, all starting with why, are so powerful.

- M has another one of those unforgettable phrases: "Beginnings come at random / but endings always have a reason". It's also one of her more interesting love songs, as it talks about how love and loss are inseparable and how and why people still feel need to love someone even though painful things will happen.

- Memorial address is amazingly and painfully (I almost cried just now reading the lyrics again) real about feelings and effects caused by loss. The choruses are all about the feelings you go through as you first process loss (and those feelings are so complicated with Ayu's circumstances) and they are so, so well written, but this time around it was the second verse that really hit me: "The sorrow I had thought to be endless came to an end", but there is still a feeling of emptiness, of feeling "bitterly cold", and grieving is surprisingly complicated; "The sky kept on weeping instead of me this year / I feel as if I were living in the continuation of the dream / and I can't even cry now". And as a bonus, this song also has some striking lines that have really stuck in my mind: "Leaving an unfading scar on my heart / you became a star by yourself", " I can't accept the coldness of the eternal parting".

- Walk is a great example of older Ayu's work. It's a song full of introspection and second-guessing yourself (relatable), but Ayu (or the speaker of these lyrics; this is one of those cases where there doesn't seem to be much distance between the two) also has the maturity to be content with herself and say "But I’m proud, uh, to live this way". Also, I find these lyrics very evocative: reading the lyrics and listening to the song, I can easily picture Ayu walking around a wintery town, observing other people and sinking into her own thoughts.

Other songs I want to mention:

- untitled ~for her~ is beautiful and amazing but might require some context to really hit with its full power.

- Ivy is another great example of the new maturity in Ayu's recent works.

- Love song is a powerful statement of purpose. "Without uncompromisable thoughts / life is boring and meaningless"... tell them, Ayu!

- POWDER SNOW is the ultimate song of teen angst.

- monochrome has such interesting lyrics, but I can't put into words what exactly it is about them that's so great.

- no more words with some more iconic lines: "If this world were split into / winners and losers / I'd rather be a loser / I always want to be a loser."

I need to stop now before this gets out of hand.

[cosmicfirefly]

Originally Posted by Kacku

monochrome has such interesting lyrics, but I can't put into words what exactly it is about them that's so great.

The part of monochrome that always stands out to me is:

"What I wanted to be
wasn't a princess
What I wanted
wasn't glass slippers

What I wanted to be
was with you
What I wanted
was your smiling face"

It's straightforward, but I've always liked the way she alters the sentences to go from typically 'desirable' things to something more meaningful and intangible between people. I also love the vulnerability of the song in general, from needing to put on the sunglasses, to convincing herself she's strong. That's why I prefer the single version, because of the 'yeah right' at the end when it cuts off.

And while we're on LOVEppears (my favorite album lol), I really like the lyrics of and then. They feel more unconventional, as if she's just talking to you, telling a story. I also love the attitude of this song, almost nonchalant, but then you get to the chorus which references lines in A Song for xx:

"You were saying you can't stay in the same place forever, right?
Let's leave this town together before the sun rises"

I also like how she mentions actually writing lyrics/writing process, which I don't think is a common theme in her music:

"Just lining up practically meaningless words on paper
and feeling like I'd write lyrics, la la la..."

Not to mention she also touches on philosophical themes too:

"Saying that it's so that we who were born incomplete
will someday become complete, la la la...

When was I able to believe in things I can't see?
These days I can see too much of everything, and don't know anymore"

[Sky High]

Originally Posted by Kacku

- Walk is a great example of older Ayu's work. It's a song full of introspection and second-guessing yourself (relatable), but Ayu (or the speaker of these lyrics; this is one of those cases where there doesn't seem to be much distance between the two) also has the maturity to be content with herself and say "But I’m proud, uh, to live this way". Also, I find these lyrics very evocative: reading the lyrics and listening to the song, I can easily picture Ayu walking around a wintery town, observing other people and sinking into her own thoughts.

I adore Walk, especially performance on CDL 2014/15.

[Evan Odinson]

Heartplace is the first I always recommend, I have done this with about 4 to 5 people and they all loved the song and its lyrics