“Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.”
— Erich Fromm —
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
Fortunately, there was a bank on campus, so I was able to withdraw enough cash to buy a guitar. My account balance was actually higher than I expected.
To be honest, I wanted an electric guitar, but right now, I’m essentially unemployed. In a place where the very concept of a band doesn't even exist, I can’t exactly make a living as a session musician either. Buying an electric guitar in this situation? That would be the same as deciding to live on the streets.
'But what can I even do with just an acoustic guitar...'
An acoustic guitar's sound is too thin to carry the energy of a full band. Furthermore, without a band culture here, it would be nearly impossible to recruit members until I actually become famous.
'Then I guess busking is the only answer...'
Historically, the greatest musicians were born on the streets. And this place is a wasteland where popular music utilizing instruments is practically non-existent. In that case, I should show the people here what real music actually is.
Music that sings of [sincerity], not [lies].
ㅡㅡ
Busking is essentially a miniature stage built on the pavement. What is the first thing an artist must decide when preparing a performance? The setlist. A performance must have a sense of continuity from start to finish. That’s why the setlist—determining which songs to play before the show even begins—is the crowning glory of any performance.
'But this is Japan... and the only instrument I have is this acoustic guitar...'
Songs in Japanese that can honestly express deep emotions through a guitar... these were quite difficult constraints. In my past life, I was a rock fanatic who devoured anything in the genre, but I didn’t listen to much J-Pop. Even when I did, it was strictly band music. I wasn’t very familiar with songs that could fill the entire soundscape with just an acoustic guitar.
'Should I translate Western songs into Japanese and sing them...?'
After giving it some thought, I realized that wasn't a great choice either. Music reflects the environment and the zeitgeist of the era in which it was created. Lyrics, in particular, lose their essence if they aren't kept in their original form. If I tried to adapt Western songs into Japanese, the music would likely end up as a half-baked mess that was neither here nor there.
'In this case, I shouldn't worry about a complex narrative arc. I should just build the set around a single, consistent concept. That’ll make it easier for the audience to get immersed.'
In the end, I decided to settle on one theme and sing songs with a similar emotional resonance. While such a setlist can be monotonous, it has the advantage of a clear emotional line, allowing the audience to easily fall into the artist’s world. It’s also far more effective for delivering a specific message.
Closing my thoughts, I set the guitar case down on the street with a heavy thud and began to take out the instrument. An artist with a guitar. I bet you guys have never seen anything like this before, have you?
ㅡㅡㅡ
There is a small girl wearing a hat on the street. With deep purple hair and black stars embedded in her eyes, she looks like someone who has let go of reality.
As she wandered aimlessly through the streets as she usually did, she spotted a strange boy. A boy holding a guitar, singing his heart out with raw, honest emotion.
To her, it was incomprehensible. Speaking one's true feelings so openly to a group of strangers! For her, someone who even forced herself to [lie] with a smile, it was something she simply couldn't fathom. But they say people are drawn to their opposites. She stopped in her tracks and began to listen to the song.
As she listened to the boy’s voice, a thought occurred to her. She wanted to hear more.
She didn't know why.
She just wanted to keep listening.
And so, the girl began to focus on the song.
僕が死のうと思ったのは
(The reason I thought I would die)
ウミネコが桟橋で鳴いたから
(Is because a black-tailed gull cried at the pier.)
She remembered.
The Mama who tormented her before ultimately abandoning her.
In truth, Mama was her enemy. But when even that Mama disappeared and she was left alone in the world with nothing, she had fallen into despair.
波の随に浮かんで消える
(Floating and disappearing along with the waves,)
過去も啄ばんで飛んでいけ
(Peck at my past and fly away.)
Even so, she had to live.
Because dying like this was too terrifying, and it felt too unfair.
So she entered the orphanage and lived her life wearing a [fake smile].
僕が死のうと思ったのは
(The reason I thought I would die)
心が空っぽになったから
(Is because my heart became empty.)
満たされないと泣いているのは
(The reason I’m crying about being unfulfilled)
きっと満たされたいと願うから
(Is surely because I long to be filled.)
Still, she lived without knowing why she had to keep going.
Since she had never received affection or love from anyone—receiving only hatred and disgust from her parents—she considered herself an empty vessel.
僕が死のうと思ったのは
(The reason I thought I would die)
靴紐が解けたから
(Is because my shoelaces came undone.)
結びなおすのは苦手なんだよ
(I'm not very good at tying them back up,)
人との繋がりもまた然り
(And the same goes for my connections with people.)
The bonds between people are easily broken.
Even if that bond is between family.
Her Papa had abandoned her from the start, effectively non-existent since the day she was born.
And her Mama had left her behind to go to prison.
僕が死のうと思ったのは
(The reason I thought I would die)
冷たい人と言われたから
(Is because I was told I’m a cold person.)
愛されたいと泣いているのは
(The reason I’m crying, wanting to be loved,)
人の温もりを識ってしまったから
(Is because I have come to know the warmth of a person.)
She thought of herself as a hollow person.
Bright on the outside, but inside, she was empty, cold, and rotting away from neglected wounds.
あなたのような人が生まれた
(Because someone like you was born,)
世界を少し好きになったよ
(I've come to like the world just a little bit more.)
The girl couldn't understand the song.
Nor could she understand the boy singing it.
However, she found herself wanting to know.
What exactly is this love that the boy speaks of?
Could love truly fill her emptiness?
And could that boy, who sings of love with such sincerity, teach her what it is? It was nothing more than a simple curiosity.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register