Forum - View topicEnglish Lyrics in J-Pop songs
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setzer
 Posts: 120 Location: Laputa, the Castle in the Sky |
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Can somebody explain something to me? Recently while I was listening to "The Meaning of Peace" by Koda Kumi & BoA, there was English words in the song. I was just wondering why...
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jfrog
 Posts: 925 Location: Seattle |
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You know how most anime fans think that anything with Japanese in it or on it is cool? It's the exact opposite across the pond. Thus we get engrish (and over here, people with tattoos that say "Happy Lotion").
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Zoe
 Posts: 898 Location: Austin |
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For that particular song, it was written in support of 9/11.
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setzer
Posts: 120 Location: Laputa, the Castle in the Sky |
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another song that recently came to mind was BoA's Every Heart. Is it just a BoA thing?
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CrackaJax
 Posts: 250 Location: Mount Olympus, Syracuse University |
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Soramimi Kekki... "Cake for you!" "Tea for you!" etc. No, it's actually done a lot. I find it fun to listen to.
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Sword of Whedon
Posts: 683 |
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No,thousands of songs have intermittant english lyrics, tons of major acts have recorded songs entirely in English. English is "cool" in Japan. Due to the pervasiveness of American media in other countries, various phrases and words have naturally made their way into the vernacular.
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Dilandau
 Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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IT has been that way for a very long time. Even Megumi Hayashibara, Two-Mix and others used Engrish words and phrases in a large percentage of their songs.
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Osaka
 Posts: 127 Location: A-stray-ya |
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I agree that they may find it cool to put it in their songs or maybe they're trying to head in an original direction so those who hear it will be like "Wow"
 and from there it just caught on. Maybe the english was needed to express something that couldn't be expressed in any other way. Or maybe the english culture has become a greater part of their lives so they somehow ended up incorporating some of its components 
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Sarki-Kun
 Posts: 594 Location: Spain |
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Oh, yes, you're refering to the greatest american culture, huh?
They use to say some things in english for making it look cooler, newer, etc. We do the same at sometimes with japanese. |
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Osaka
Posts: 127 Location: A-stray-ya |
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Yes of course we all incorporate Japanese into a lot of the things that we say so that we sound 'cooler'. Yet it's not just the American culture, there are so many more English cultures- British culture, Australian culture, New Zealand culture etc. it's one vast world with English culture spread everywhere (and very different in all the parts of the world) and the Japanese are exposed to all of these as well because many live oustide of Japan or are exposed to these in their home country. So I guess it's fair to say that it's not limited to just American but the broader English world ne?
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Sarki-Kun
Posts: 594 Location: Spain |
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Hum...I think not. Let's take out from that list Australia and New Zealand. Kangaroos, surfers, Sydney's Opera House, The Lord of The Rings scenes and that things are bothering to Japan.
Why english? Apart of being the most spoken language around the world, outside of Eastern Asia, the biggest market is America. Many people who go there are americans. If someone goes to Japan without speaking japanese, he/she would try in english. It's just because America has been a known place outside of Japan for japanese people, same for english language. You may be proud of it, be if you want. I think that's the way. Not english culture, american culture. And we all know how huge american culture is
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Osaka
Posts: 127 Location: A-stray-ya |
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I don't understand how those things are a bother to Japan considering plenty of Japanese people live in places like Australia and New Zealand. I guess that although America is a huge market and very influential we should be a little bit more broadminded because I mean not everyone here is from America either
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Vigilante024
 Posts: 578 Location: back. but not really. |
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I'm just going to kill the little thoughts of ethnocentrism here...
Its quite obvious that there are English words in Japanese songs, that's nothing new. That doesn't mean that Japan is dying to be All American. More notably are the many instances in American Music where foreign languages, from French, German, Japanese, etc. are used in the lyrics. Japan as well uses French, German, English, etc. in their music. Its not new. Its more readily recognized by Americans when English is used because that is the language they know. |
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Sarki-Kun
Posts: 594 Location: Spain |
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Ok, sorry  . With "bothering" I was refering that they're not constantly doing anything releated to them, or that they (Australia and New Zealand) will do something releated to Japan. Probably, I didn't explain myself as I wanted^^.
Well, the american proportion of users at ANN won't make change how the J-singers will create their songs. Furthermore, a very little proportion of users aren't american. By the way...Japan songs with german short things on it?? Never heard that...-_-. It probably sounds really bad. |
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setzer
Posts: 120 Location: Laputa, the Castle in the Sky |
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I kinda new it had been going on for a while, but I never knew really why. Thank you for helping clarify it.
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