Which of Ayu's Songs has the most lyrical meaning?

[emi♡]

I'm doing a poetry project in my English class, and we have to pick a song to analyze as a poem. I wanted to do one of Ayu's songs because her writing can be really powerful. I can't choose though...I've been reading different lyrics for the past couple of days...but, I really like to know what you guys think.

[ImaSuguHoshii]

That would be a fun assignment But, "M" has pretty meaningful [and powerful] lyrics. I know a lot of people on the forum like the lyrics, right?

But some personal favorites for me are:
TO BE
no more words
Dearest [My favorite Ayumi song of all time]
HANABI
HANABI ~episode II~
Memorial address ~take 2 version~
forgiveness
In The Corner
Moments
Will

However, lyrics that would be more poetic and please others more would probably be:
Moments
M [as I said before]
forgiveness
HAPPY ENDING
Pride

If I were to choose one from the list above I would choose "HAPPY ENDING". That seems appropriate for such a project.

I hope I helped

[[AHS]MortalSex]

I think all of her ballads' have a very deep lyrical meaning =)

[alternarist]

probably Moments? have tonnes of things for you to analyse!

[darkswordz]

Moment, walking proud and CAROLS

[Tasked]

Judging from the lyrics only, my favorites are:
1. Teddy Bear
2. Moments
3. Memorial address
4. About you
5. HAPPY ENDING

Really. Teddy Bear is a REAL masterpiece! It's about when she's in bed with her dearest one. He has his arm around her and she's stroking her hair, and he says to her: "If you wake up tomorrow there'll be a present for you from me at your pillow"... So then you think: aaaah what a sweet happy song. But.... Then she wakes up, and she sees a wonderful present.. But the present is located exactly where her dearest should have been. He had left her.... And then she repeats the first paragraph and the end, which makes the refrain change from very sweet to very ironic.

[Enfluerage]

Originally Posted by Rody!

Judging from the lyrics only, my favorites are:
1. Teddy Bear
2. Moments
3. Memorial address
4. About you
5. HAPPY ENDING

Really. Teddy Bear is a REAL masterpiece! It's about when she's in bed with her dearest one. He has his arm around her and she's stroking her hair, and he says to her: "If you wake up tomorrow there'll be a present for you from me at your pillow"... So then you think: aaaah what a sweet happy song. But.... Then she wakes up, and she sees a wonderful present.. But the present is located exactly where her dearest should have been. He had left her.... And then she repeats the first paragraph and the end, which makes the refrain change from very sweet to very ironic.

Teddy Bear is an absolute masterpiece, but I don't agree with your asessment... It is actually more brilliant than that.

I reckon it's actually about how her father walked out of her family when she was little.... You'll have to read her interviews, and how she mentions that she was especially hurt since her father lied about leaving her.

If you don't believe me, consider how Teddy Bear and Memorial Address (about her father's death) are performed consecutively in Arena 2003/2004... And how the lyrics and music of Memorial address strongly reference Teddy Bear.

Teddy Bear is an incredible song coz the three choruses are identical in wording yet very different in meaning. It's especially special due to the key changes F maj, Ab major and A maj... With the betrayal occurring AFTER the switch from Ab to A major (music theory suggests that a semitone transpose up usually gives an uplifting, happy effect).... which is also perfect to represent betrayal.

Five other great songs she wrote... hahaha I probably could easily write 5 pages on each one.

A Song is Born (the inspirational masterpiece she wrote after 9/11)

Who (This one is still a mystery to me, of who the song actually refers to - possibly her grandmother who died during the recording of Poker Face)

Memorial Address

Appears

Endless Sorrow

[*Petit*]

Ayu is always trying to tell something with her lyrics. She never randomly throws in words, like showed here not even in STEP you which has been critisized by many for not being a "deep" song. Even a lot of the non-meaningful words make sense in her songs, like some of the wow yeahs and aha-s. (like in vogue). Singing laughter like that I haven't really heard outside of old musicals and opera pieces. =P

[Yabisi]

I love the lyrics in A Song for XX. All of those questions she asks in there, I used to ask myself in the past..so this song I can relate to alot.

I can't decide on which lyrics I like the most, most of her lyrics are just simply wonderful :]

[chibi_sunny]

This is a really hard question...but these are my top five (not in order):

1. Alterna
2. End Roll
3. Walking Proud
4. About You
5. Daybreak

[Hana<3]

Memorial Address for me =)

[AyUmIXx]

Currently, I love HEAVEN the best..it's so touching..

[orenji_jaro]

no doubt, PRIDE, from all her composition, PRIDE is the most most most really really poetic and powerful lyrics, sono touri desu!! ^^

specailly the chorus part is very poetic and also the pv is even poetic she's wearing a black dress and it explains the song also her look expalins the song ^^

HEAVEN?? o.O hazure... i dun think so... kekeke

[stardusties]

i read the translation to her A Song for XX album...OH MY GOD...how could i miss what an inspiring writer she is? or was...i don't see much of that kidna of stuff now, now it's basically about love and couples =\...at least msot of the time

so i say for now, most of the a song for XX album, M makes me cry every time, an i really liked monochrome and SURREAL as well

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by stardusties

i read the translation to her A Song for XX album...OH MY GOD...how could i miss what an inspiring writer she is? or was...i don't see much of that kidna of stuff now, now it's basically about love and couples =\...at least msot of the time

so i say for now, most of the a song for XX album, M makes me cry every time, an i really liked monochrome and SURREAL as well

Yeah, A Song For Xx is a severly underrated album. Some aspects of it may not meet the standards of her other albums, but lyrically, the entire thing is a masterpiece that I don't think she has matched since.

Originally Posted by Rody!

Really. Teddy Bear is a REAL masterpiece! It's about when she's in bed with her dearest one. He has his arm around her and she's stroking her hair, and he says to her: "If you wake up tomorrow there'll be a present for you from me at your pillow"... So then you think: aaaah what a sweet happy song. But.... Then she wakes up, and she sees a wonderful present.. But the present is located exactly where her dearest should have been. He had left her.... And then she repeats the first paragraph and the end, which makes the refrain change from very sweet to very ironic.

Yeah, I love Teddy Bear as well. So does my Dad, he cries everytime he watches the live performance. Just to clarify for those that don't know, it is about when her father walked out on her and her mother.

[truehappiness]

I think Ayu is incapable of writing the way she used to back then because she's said all she can say about those subjects.. at least that's what I think..

Ayu's lyrical meanings can really depend on the situation and what you're looking for. Most of her songs can be used for some sort of poetry thing unless its like STEP you which makes no sense to me xD [I still love it]

[hallelujah_united]

STEP you sounds so silly, but in a very cute way.

Lyrical meaning? I think most of her earlier works will make for interesting research.

[Yukitora]

Originally Posted by hallelujah_united

STEP you sounds so silly, but in a very cute way.

Lyrical meaning? I think most of her earlier works will make for interesting research.

Actually STEP you is a lot deeper than everyone thinks.

The whole 1.2.3.4. thing is talking about stages/phases people (especially girls) go through in a crush. If you read the lyrics while watching the PV at the same time it's a little clearer.

The first stage is like, the flirtacious 'friendly' kinda polished persona. The innocent playful one as seen as the first 'Ayu' in the PV:

Talking about nothing at all,
We acted in a moment and displayed our habits.
Though I don't have to remind myself not to forget,
From somewhere within me, fully...
I remember YOU and ME
in this way
I want to know you well

At this point, the second Ayu appears, the dark one who is kind of obsessive and want power. As in someone who wants to make sure he won't be distracted by another girl:

in this way
No one can stop me now

After that phase, it turns into that 'i'll do anything for you!'. The love sick and weak hearted for you sort of thing. Ayu seen as the white 'cute' ayu.:

"Where are you, what are you doing around this time?"
Right after I thought such things,
Even for just a moment,
I wanted you to remember me.
I wished for YOU and ME

Then about now the third Ayu appears, who resembles what would happen if she DID give up and fall into the traps of a lust. This last part talks about how then people become completely obsessive, a total mess when something goes wrong with their partner and all. The only thing they can think of is that person and they don't care about anything.:

sometime soon
I am becoming greedy
sometime soon
Will I begin to want only your smile?

This last part basically sums it all up. It questions the strength of human beings and women in general. Probably the best line in her whole 'power woman' theme.:

The gap between idealism and reality
Is so very cutting
And as we cannot cut them off, they are opening up.
In this place, will we give up?
Or will we persevere and do our very best?

And the ending just goes through all the stages again to emphasize the whole 'structure' of it all.

Ayu has lots of great lyrics, but a lot of them lack subtleness. For a poem analysis, i'd suggest you don't pick lyrics which are kinda obvious like CAROLS, Ladies' Night, A Song for XX etc. I recommend Moments or Criminal/(miss)understood/Game out of her more recent music. If you do Moments, you could make up for own chorus using your own incarnation ^_^ like 'If I were a the sun, I'd always shine light onto you' or something

The first few songs that come to my mind are Hanabi, I am..., and A Song for XX.

I am... or A Song for XX. <333333 Those lyrics are so deep.