0
今はレットイットビー 作詞：久保田洋司 作曲：BULGE 編曲：BULGE・柳沢英樹
Credits
久保田さん has penned some really successful songs for top names like KAT-TUN, 嵐 and KinKi Kids. Those three names are pretty much synonymous with Oricon #1. However, one song by 嵐 in particular stands out... 「RAINBOW」 from their album 「いざッ、Now」. He wrote the lyrics to it but I'm just highlighting it for the name. The song is m'eh, especially the line "Together Together Oh/Happy on the rainbow!". Similarly, BULGE have also worked with a few famous names, including KAT-TUN again but closer to the H!P home are 安倍なつみ and 月島きらり starring 久住小春（モーニング娘。）. 柳沢さん has worked mainly on arranging songs for Avex Trax's enka-cum-j-pop singer 島谷ひとみ. Through his association with 島谷さん, he worked with BULGE on 沙羅双樹, a track from her 5th album 「Heart&Symphony」. Given their combined experience there's a sort of expectation that their combined work should be good at a bare minimum and nothing short of great would really be satisfactory, right? Or is it just me?
Title
I ran into a blog which asked, perhaps rhetorically, why 『レットイットビー』 is written in katakana and that's a good, if ultimately pointless, question. Why is it? I have no idea. The words haven't really been incorporated into Japanese like ダブル and レインボウ (as レインボー) have so I'm semi-curious as to why. Not curious enough to form any theories though... I'm not too concerned. Either way, there's obviously going to be the comparisons with The Beatles' Let It Be. I'm not a great Beatles fan. In fact, I actually think they were overrated for the most part (「Love Me Do」 anyone?) but 「Let It Be」was is one of those songs. More than anything, I like the idea because I'm one of those silly people who believes in fate. I don't believe in destiny but I believe in fate. What will happen will happen. What has happened was always going to happen because if it was ever going to be any other way then why have things turned out as they have? But that doesn't mean life is no fun. Imagine watching a movie, reading a book or playing a game. Ultimately you're following a script. I'm claiming to be absolutely correct but it gives a nice reason to believe that letting things take their course is ultimately the thing to do. However, I will point out that this no-free-will theory is actually impossible to disprove! But like shares, courses may go up or down! 
Opening Thoughts
So what did the group of accomplished songwriters come up with? You know those idyllic Japanese gardens with that bamboo waterfall thing that regularly makes that lovely hollow knocking sound as it as it fills up and releases the water and the zen garden raked gravel segment? Well, this song "reminds" me of one of those gardens. I've never been in one (hence the inverted commas), yet it feels familiar, a comfortable place to be, just to float about an existence while other existences float about you. Which is perhaps how best to describe the real substance of this song. So that's what they came up with; a song in which it's comfortable to be, and let it be...
今はレットイットビー
Now, Let It Be
思い出すたび寂しいことは
思い出さないがいい
When I reminisce, it's fine to not remember loneliness
思い出ならばそれでいいが
That's fine for the memories but
この気持ちをどうしよう？
What should I do with these feelings?
冷めた紅茶淹れ直し
花の水を入れ替えて
周りが整うほどに
一人取り残されてく
I'm getting left on my own to the point of rebrewing cold tea, watering plants and tidying up.
明日は今日よりも
思い出すことが多いのでしょうか
Might tomorrow create more memories than today?
いいえそれとも
No, or
忘れてることが多いのでしょうか
Might there be more things forgotten?
いずれわかることならば
If it's something I'll eventually know
今は 風に任せましょう *
I should just leave it to the wind
思い出すたび悲しいことを
忘れ去ってもいいの？
When I reminisce, am I allowed to forget the sad events?
同じ間違い起こさぬよう
To avoid making the same mistakes again
悲しくても忘れずに
I won't forget even though it's sad
温めに張ったお風呂に
少し長めに浸かって
Soaking in the warm-filled bath for a while
静かな気持ちになって
Coming to peace and
一人考えるもいい
Thinking by myself is fine
明日は今日よりも
心ごと大人の私でしょうか
Might I be more adult in mind tomorrow than today?
いいえそれとも
No, or
体だけ大人の私でしょうか
Might I just be adult in body?
いずれわかることだから
It's something I'll eventually know so
今は 時に委ねましょう
I should just leave the present to time
温めに張ったお風呂に
少し長めに浸かって
Soaking in the warm-filled bath for a while
静かな気持ちになって
Coming to peace and
一人考えるもいい
Thinking by myself is fine
明日は今日よりも
心ごと大人の私でしょうか
Might I be more adult in mind tomorrow than today?
いいえそれとも
No, or
体だけ大人の私でしょうか
Might I just be adult in body?
いずれわかることだから
It's something I'll eventually know so
今は 時に委ねましょう
I should just leave the present to time
* The mouse-over pop-ups being as small as they are, the furigana for 『風』 looks like 『かせ』 but is in fact 『かぜ』. Apologies for that.
Lyrics and Translation
This song is very much about the same thing as The Beatles' iconic song. I wouldn't be surprised if 久保田さん had the Beatles' song at least half-in-mind while writing this song. There is another famous song that carries that come-what-may message. Most people only know the chorus but the verses also carry questions like this song. I am talking of course about 「Que Sera Sera」 from Hitchcock's 「The Man Who Knew Too Much」. The questions in the chorus aren't rhetorical, rather they can only be answered in time so trying to answer them will only be speculation anyway, much like what goes on in the forum really. That's the sort of "let it be" message that's given by the song: stop moping about stuff and get on with life!
Most of the lines speak for themselves so I don't feel I need to explain much. The only thing I will elaborate on is why I've translated 『心ごと』 as "mind" in the second chorus. It can translate as "heart" as would be expected but when used in the emotional sense, it's closer to "mind". The heart is very impulsive and prone to act out of reflex whereas the mind is more considered in less likely to be led by impulse. The question in that line is whether she will have an adult approach to life as opposed to just being physically developed like an adult.
What it all comes down to is living life and not being overly concerned with questions and just get on with life. Easy enough right? The lyrics are nice and simple.
Musical Style
Obviously with a song of this title I'm not the only one to draw the Beatles comparison but I read a blog that suggested that the arrangement of both songs is similar. That's a comparison that didn't enter my mind and quite frankly I'm not entirely certain what the similarity is. Does anyone else? I suppose there is a sort of airiness to the two but I'm going to shut up about The Beatles because this isn't about them.
All the instruments are very light and soft, almost mystical. The bass steps down very gently and the arpeggios on the acoustic guitar are played very lightly. The percussion sounds hollow is focused more on instruments like maracas than the actual drumkit. I'm sure there is a very, very quiet set of strings in the background and when most of the instruments cut out I can hear a brass instrument of some sort (trumpet probably). Then there's that synthy thing in the background that I don't know the name of. It's quite faint like the other instruments but quite high in pitch (old people might not be able to hear it!). The instrument is a bit more prominent in the intro of Myco's 「Eternal Snow」 from the 「満月をさがして」 anime (see attached file at the bottom of the entry) if you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about). However, in 「今はレットイットビー」 it's not meant to be so manically depressing! It delivers a sort of cosmicness which adds to that floating above the ground feel. Finally, there's the periodic chimes add to the whole delicate nature and the whole thing just sounds fantastically calm. Bliss, really. It's divine!
Thoughts and Conclusion
Its message sort of whispers "relax..." like listening to a CD of waves and the such. All that sort of therapeutic calming is crammed into a song, and one with lyrics that do the same thing. After hearing it on the first FIVE STARS I really thought it was going to be my favourite from the album. I really loved it from the start and I still do. It's definitely up there with the very best of Hello! Project. However, as you might have guessed from the words I've used, it's not my favourite. In a strange way, that's a good thing because it would have meant the album going downhill and never hitting a peak after the opening song! However, take nothing away from it. I can't find anything I'm not happy with.
Romaji (aka the Spawn of the Devil)
Omoidasu tabi samishii koto wa
Omoidasanai ga ii
Omoide naraba sore de ii ga
Kono kimochi wo dou shiyou
Sameta koucha irenaoshi
Hana no mizu wo irekaete
Mawari ga totonou hodo ni
Hitori torinokosareteku
Ashita wa kyou yori mo
Omoidasu koto ga ooi no deshou ka
Iie soretomo
Wasureteru koto ga ooi no deshou ka
Izure wakaru koto naraba
Ima wa Kaze ni makasemashou
Omoidasu tabi kanashii koto wo
Wasuresatte mo ii no
Onaji machigai okosanu you
Kanashikute mo wasurezu ni
Nurume ni hatta ofuro ni
Sukoshi nagame ni tsukatte
Shizuka na kimochi ni natte
Hitori kangaeru mo ii
Ashita wa kyou yori mo
Kokorogoto otona no watashi deshou ka
Iie soretomo
Karada dake otona no watashi deshou ka
Izure wakaru koto da kara
Ima wa Toki ni yudanemashou
Nurume ni hatta ofuro ni
Sukoshi nagame ni tsukatte
Shizuka na kimochi ni natte
Hitori kangaeru mo ii
Ashita wa kyou yori mo
Kokorogoto otona no watashi deshou ka
Iie soretomo
Karada dake otona no watashi deshou ka
Izure wakaru koto da kara
Ima wa Toki ni yudanemashou
← Back to the main page
(By the way, if anyone wants the hear the full song 「Eternal Snow」, just let me know. It's a nice song but Myco has a weird voice that isn't what I'd call "great".)
Credits
久保田さん has penned some really successful songs for top names like KAT-TUN, 嵐 and KinKi Kids. Those three names are pretty much synonymous with Oricon #1. However, one song by 嵐 in particular stands out... 「RAINBOW」 from their album 「いざッ、Now」. He wrote the lyrics to it but I'm just highlighting it for the name. The song is m'eh, especially the line "Together Together Oh/Happy on the rainbow!". Similarly, BULGE have also worked with a few famous names, including KAT-TUN again but closer to the H!P home are 安倍なつみ and 月島きらり starring 久住小春（モーニング娘。）. 柳沢さん has worked mainly on arranging songs for Avex Trax's enka-cum-j-pop singer 島谷ひとみ. Through his association with 島谷さん, he worked with BULGE on 沙羅双樹, a track from her 5th album 「Heart&Symphony」. Given their combined experience there's a sort of expectation that their combined work should be good at a bare minimum and nothing short of great would really be satisfactory, right? Or is it just me?
Title
I ran into a blog which asked, perhaps rhetorically, why 『レットイットビー』 is written in katakana and that's a good, if ultimately pointless, question. Why is it? I have no idea. The words haven't really been incorporated into Japanese like ダブル and レインボウ (as レインボー) have so I'm semi-curious as to why. Not curious enough to form any theories though... I'm not too concerned. Either way, there's obviously going to be the comparisons with The Beatles' Let It Be. I'm not a great Beatles fan. In fact, I actually think they were overrated for the most part (「Love Me Do」 anyone?) but 「Let It Be」
Opening Thoughts
So what did the group of accomplished songwriters come up with? You know those idyllic Japanese gardens with that bamboo waterfall thing that regularly makes that lovely hollow knocking sound as it as it fills up and releases the water and the zen garden raked gravel segment? Well, this song "reminds" me of one of those gardens. I've never been in one (hence the inverted commas), yet it feels familiar, a comfortable place to be, just to float about an existence while other existences float about you. Which is perhaps how best to describe the real substance of this song. So that's what they came up with; a song in which it's comfortable to be, and let it be...
今はレットイットビー
Now, Let It Be
思い出すたび寂しいことは
思い出さないがいい
When I reminisce, it's fine to not remember loneliness
思い出ならばそれでいいが
That's fine for the memories but
この気持ちをどうしよう？
What should I do with these feelings?
冷めた紅茶淹れ直し
花の水を入れ替えて
周りが整うほどに
一人取り残されてく
I'm getting left on my own to the point of rebrewing cold tea, watering plants and tidying up.
明日は今日よりも
思い出すことが多いのでしょうか
Might tomorrow create more memories than today?
いいえそれとも
No, or
忘れてることが多いのでしょうか
Might there be more things forgotten?
いずれわかることならば
If it's something I'll eventually know
今は 風に任せましょう *
I should just leave it to the wind
思い出すたび悲しいことを
忘れ去ってもいいの？
When I reminisce, am I allowed to forget the sad events?
同じ間違い起こさぬよう
To avoid making the same mistakes again
悲しくても忘れずに
I won't forget even though it's sad
温めに張ったお風呂に
少し長めに浸かって
Soaking in the warm-filled bath for a while
静かな気持ちになって
Coming to peace and
一人考えるもいい
Thinking by myself is fine
明日は今日よりも
心ごと大人の私でしょうか
Might I be more adult in mind tomorrow than today?
いいえそれとも
No, or
体だけ大人の私でしょうか
Might I just be adult in body?
いずれわかることだから
It's something I'll eventually know so
今は 時に委ねましょう
I should just leave the present to time
温めに張ったお風呂に
少し長めに浸かって
Soaking in the warm-filled bath for a while
静かな気持ちになって
Coming to peace and
一人考えるもいい
Thinking by myself is fine
明日は今日よりも
心ごと大人の私でしょうか
Might I be more adult in mind tomorrow than today?
いいえそれとも
No, or
体だけ大人の私でしょうか
Might I just be adult in body?
いずれわかることだから
It's something I'll eventually know so
今は 時に委ねましょう
I should just leave the present to time
* The mouse-over pop-ups being as small as they are, the furigana for 『風』 looks like 『かせ』 but is in fact 『かぜ』. Apologies for that.
Lyrics and Translation
This song is very much about the same thing as The Beatles' iconic song. I wouldn't be surprised if 久保田さん had the Beatles' song at least half-in-mind while writing this song. There is another famous song that carries that come-what-may message. Most people only know the chorus but the verses also carry questions like this song. I am talking of course about 「Que Sera Sera」 from Hitchcock's 「The Man Who Knew Too Much」. The questions in the chorus aren't rhetorical, rather they can only be answered in time so trying to answer them will only be speculation anyway, much like what goes on in the forum really. That's the sort of "let it be" message that's given by the song: stop moping about stuff and get on with life!
Most of the lines speak for themselves so I don't feel I need to explain much. The only thing I will elaborate on is why I've translated 『心ごと』 as "mind" in the second chorus. It can translate as "heart" as would be expected but when used in the emotional sense, it's closer to "mind". The heart is very impulsive and prone to act out of reflex whereas the mind is more considered in less likely to be led by impulse. The question in that line is whether she will have an adult approach to life as opposed to just being physically developed like an adult.
What it all comes down to is living life and not being overly concerned with questions and just get on with life. Easy enough right? The lyrics are nice and simple.
Musical Style
Obviously with a song of this title I'm not the only one to draw the Beatles comparison but I read a blog that suggested that the arrangement of both songs is similar. That's a comparison that didn't enter my mind and quite frankly I'm not entirely certain what the similarity is. Does anyone else? I suppose there is a sort of airiness to the two but I'm going to shut up about The Beatles because this isn't about them.
All the instruments are very light and soft, almost mystical. The bass steps down very gently and the arpeggios on the acoustic guitar are played very lightly. The percussion sounds hollow is focused more on instruments like maracas than the actual drumkit. I'm sure there is a very, very quiet set of strings in the background and when most of the instruments cut out I can hear a brass instrument of some sort (trumpet probably). Then there's that synthy thing in the background that I don't know the name of. It's quite faint like the other instruments but quite high in pitch (old people might not be able to hear it!). The instrument is a bit more prominent in the intro of Myco's 「Eternal Snow」 from the 「満月をさがして」 anime (see attached file at the bottom of the entry) if you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about). However, in 「今はレットイットビー」 it's not meant to be so manically depressing! It delivers a sort of cosmicness which adds to that floating above the ground feel. Finally, there's the periodic chimes add to the whole delicate nature and the whole thing just sounds fantastically calm. Bliss, really. It's divine!
Thoughts and Conclusion
Its message sort of whispers "relax..." like listening to a CD of waves and the such. All that sort of therapeutic calming is crammed into a song, and one with lyrics that do the same thing. After hearing it on the first FIVE STARS I really thought it was going to be my favourite from the album. I really loved it from the start and I still do. It's definitely up there with the very best of Hello! Project. However, as you might have guessed from the words I've used, it's not my favourite. In a strange way, that's a good thing because it would have meant the album going downhill and never hitting a peak after the opening song!
However, take nothing away from it. I can't find anything I'm not happy with.Romaji (aka the Spawn of the Devil)
Omoidasu tabi samishii koto wa
Omoidasanai ga ii
Omoide naraba sore de ii ga
Kono kimochi wo dou shiyou
Sameta koucha irenaoshi
Hana no mizu wo irekaete
Mawari ga totonou hodo ni
Hitori torinokosareteku
Ashita wa kyou yori mo
Omoidasu koto ga ooi no deshou ka
Iie soretomo
Wasureteru koto ga ooi no deshou ka
Izure wakaru koto naraba
Ima wa Kaze ni makasemashou
Omoidasu tabi kanashii koto wo
Wasuresatte mo ii no
Onaji machigai okosanu you
Kanashikute mo wasurezu ni
Nurume ni hatta ofuro ni
Sukoshi nagame ni tsukatte
Shizuka na kimochi ni natte
Hitori kangaeru mo ii
Ashita wa kyou yori mo
Kokorogoto otona no watashi deshou ka
Iie soretomo
Karada dake otona no watashi deshou ka
Izure wakaru koto da kara
Ima wa Toki ni yudanemashou
Nurume ni hatta ofuro ni
Sukoshi nagame ni tsukatte
Shizuka na kimochi ni natte
Hitori kangaeru mo ii
Ashita wa kyou yori mo
Kokorogoto otona no watashi deshou ka
Iie soretomo
Karada dake otona no watashi deshou ka
Izure wakaru koto da kara
Ima wa Toki ni yudanemashou
← Back to the main page
(By the way, if anyone wants the hear the full song 「Eternal Snow」, just let me know. It's a nice song but Myco has a weird voice that isn't what I'd call "great".)
Attached Files
-
Eternal_Snow_Intro.mp3 (485.33K)
downloads: 123
