Ayumi ~ The Anything Goes Thread 8 ~

[rainbow_smile]

^ Thank you for your informative reply! I like those interpretations, I was just curious if there was any official confirmation behind them, but yes they do make sense. I also liked someone's analysis of Memorial address in another thread, which also linked the song to the booklet (there was a date on one photo) and to July 1st lyrics. It's so interesting to analyse Ayu's lyrics, interviews etc. It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together

[Gustavopc]

^ Talking on that date, she did the same thing in a mirror on the Party queen booklet, didnt she? I dont think I ever saw theories about those numbers...

[Andrenekoi]

^It means nothing, it's just Ayu being a desperate filthy slutty whorish whore in underwear on a lazy production!

Jk~ But yeah, nobody pointed a theory... We should open a Party Queen concept thread /o/

[Surreal17]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^It means nothing, it's just Ayu being a desperate filthy slutty whorish whore in underwear on a lazy production!

Jk~ But yeah, nobody pointed a theory... We should open a Party Queen concept thread /o/

yeah, please! The Next Level thread attracted a few interesting teories! gotta love your idea

[ExodusUK]

Wow you can see on the Leilo making of that Ayu's husband has a sleeve tattoo on one arm. Didn't know that.

[tasking]

Sooooooo nobody caught this in the Lelio making?

[rainbow_smile]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

I'm pretty sure both are conjecture, but they're not without merit, and I agree with those interpretations. Having heard ayu talk about her grandmother crying as she left to record her first single, I think the last two lines of the song tie directly into that event.

Memorial address is a bit easier... look at the facts we can glean from the lyrics:
-The person who passed away wronged Ayu in a way she hopes they regret ("All I wanted to hear --even if it had been a lie, I don't care -- was that you regret that day back then.")
-They were supposed to be someone who loved Ayu, but she never heard them say it ("All I wanted to hear --even if it had been a lie, I don't care -- was that you really loved me. Just once would have been fine.")
-She wasn't anywhere around them at the end ("I don't even get to hear your final words")
-She was upset at this person for a very, very long time ("The curtain has closed on a sadness I thought would never end")
-But she's more angry than sad that they've passed away without giving her closure ("...The sky kept crying instead of me"/"Your farewell is so cold, I've come to hate it out of spite"/"Why, jus tlike that, at the very very end, have you left me with only memories?")

All that really fits the idea that Memorial address is about her father who left her when she was very small, and all she has are memories of him leaving, his fishing equipment still being left at the house, and her MAYBE being scolded by him when she was playing recklessly at Momochihama; She has no memories of him saying he loved her, she never got closure about his departure or whether or not he might have been proud of her success, she never got to say goodbye to him properly. In 2002 she told Time Magazine she might like to see him someday before she died, and if she never got that, then the frustration you can hear in this song is really understandable.

By the way, about the bolded part... In a translation I read it says a complete opposite thing:

"I wish I could have heard from you
That you never regretted the days we had spent together
Only once, even if it had been a lie"

Could anyone fluent in Japanese tell me which translation is correct, please? ^^

[ayu-michan]

Originally Posted by tasking

Sooooooo nobody caught this in the Lelio making?

That tattoo, that face, that smile, that jawbone

He's hot.

[marty]

Awesome, supportive, hot husband is awesome. And supportive. And hot (in a very Vin Diesel way).

[terra]

^Yeah, her husband is supportive and hot imo

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by rainbow_smile

By the way, about the bolded part... In a translation I read it says a complete opposite thing:

"I wish I could have heard from you
That you never regretted the days we had spent together
Only once, even if it had been a lie"

Could anyone fluent in Japanese tell me which translation is correct, please? ^^

I'm not fluent, but the lyrics you posted are definitely correct. She's saying she wants to hear that the person DOESN'T regret it, not that he does. Someone who is fluent in Japanese can corroborate, lol, I think Deli was just quoting from memory.

[ayumisrael]

I wonder why ayu never sang LOVE ~refrain~ or LOVE ~since 1999~ live... well she did ~since 1999~ live on ayuready? with tsunku but it was never in her own tours, where she only sang LOVE ~Destiny~.

And don't start with that version is not to my taste/bad/boring because I'm sure that's not the reason why ayu never performed these lol =)

[Delirium-Zer0]

I was paraphrasing from an ooooooooold translation, I don't even remember the source of it... but yeah wow, that's a big fat "wrong" lol. See this is why I'm going through & retranslating all her lyrics. XD

[YUKARI]

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

I wonder why ayu never sang LOVE ~refrain~ or LOVE ~since 1999~ live... well she did ~since 1999~ live on ayuready? with tsunku but it was never in her own tours, where she only sang LOVE ~Destiny~.

And don't start with that version is not to my taste/bad/boring because I'm sure that's not the reason why ayu never performed these lol =)

LOVE ~Destiny~ could easily become one of her classics like SEASONS, M and etc. I wonder if Japanese still remember this song.

[Andrenekoi]

Ken Hirai covered it for Ken Bar's II

[orangeakira]

I can't believe Colours is the first album since I am... where I like every single song. Damn.

[Ashen Twilight]

I'm watching a bunch of old TV interviews and lives and I never realized how awkward it must be to sit there for minutes on end watching old performances of yourself with a tiny little box gaging your every reaction. I would hate that. It makes me wonder what types of things she thinks about when she sees, idk, an old performance of appears or M and she is on to promote a song like Mirrorcle World.

She needs to write an autobiography.

[Coelacanth]

The special screen for 'End roll' in Concert 2000 B is so bizarre... Wall St. & exploding skyscrapers. Ayu predicted 9/11 tbh

[Sunrise]

I've always wondered why ayu-mi-x V (RMX Works) wasn't as well received as the other remix albums. They're her only albums (whether it be remix, studio, mini, live or best) to miss the top 10 (with ayu-mi-x V, ayu trance III, ayu-ro mix III peaking at #18, #14 and #13 respectively). Even all of the ayu-mi-x VI and ayu-mi-x VIII releases peaked within the top 10 when she had less selling power than she did when ayu-mi-x V was released.

Was it a competitive week to release? The fact that the majority of songs were taken from RAINBOW as opposed to scanning over all of her releases at the time? General disinterest in remixes? (though, disinterest has increased even further over time yet the remix albums following this set still went top 10 so I'm not sure). Did fans/the public think the remixes were just plain bad?

Any insight would be appreciated!

[mi|kshake]

Song-wise:

Feel the Love - LOVE! I can't believe it's 5 minutes long, it seems to be over so soon!
XOXO - I was initially unimpressed, although it's more fun than it should be. Plus I liking hearing her sing in English. If it were released on this side of the world the 3:16 instrumental would be where Pitbull would be slotted in!
What is Forever Love - LOVE and also love the spoken bits. I like how Urata and Ayu collaborate every so often. I think this song could take the place of Love Song in future concerts
Hello New Me - I understood the dislike for this song when I first heard it. I expected (or was hoping?) for a more Sweet Season-esque song. However, I'm listening to it right now and it is growing on me!
Pray - love the intro, so elegant, however the chorus is a bit disappointing. I look forward to listening to it some more though. The arrangement is really pretty.
Terminal - LOVE and can't wait to listen to again! I wish it had a PV!
Angel - undecided. It sounds kinda Beyoncé-ish and I'm not especially a Beyoncé fan
Merry-go-round - After hearing Verbal on BoAs, Namie's & Kumi's songs over the years, it's nice to hear him properly feature on an Ayu track
Leilo - very catchy!
Now & 4Eva - classic Ayumi! Another one I look forward to hearing again!

It would have been nice if Tell All had been a bonus track as it hasn't officially been released & My Way could have slotted into the album too. A few interludes wouldn't have gone amiss either but I'm still really enjoying the album!