SOUNDTRACK: UraShimaSakataSen (浦島坂田船)-Shoutër (2016).
When I looked up “Shouter” I found this song (I love the umlaut).
I’ve never heard of UraShimaSakataSen (浦島坂田船), or USSS for short. But I love that this is their description:
USSS is a 4-unit indie pop boy group consisting of Uratanuki (Green), Shima (Purple), Sakata (Red) and Senra (Yellow).
I didn’t spend a lot of time researching this band, but every image of them seems to be manga. And the video for this song is entirely manga (hilariously only four still images recycled). Each singer is a color and each singer has a background of that color. And each time that singer sings the screen turns that color.
I particularly like that Green has a cuddle creature on his shoulder implying some kind of fascinating back story, I’m sure.
Most of the lyrics are in Japanese, but there is an occasional English section like the one that mentions the title:
浦)Unlimited,
島)Success,
坂田)Shining,
船)Shoutër,
For a pop band, this song doesn’t quite sound as poppy as I’d have thought.
It starts with a flute and loud electronic drums as the soft vocals come in. The flute returns and it segues to heavy guitars and kind of rapped section as the song bounces along.
The chorus has heavy guitars and a grungey stomp before all four sing whatever it is the chorus is.
The melding of heavy metal guitars, traditional sounding flute, dance drums and pop melody and fast singing is (at least for 2016) so uniquely Japanese.
Babymetal has released their first album two year earlier. While this is in no way a heavy metal song (and sounds nothing like Babymetal), the use of the really heavy guitars in this song has to be attributed to Babymetal’s success.
Then I had to check out the lyrics. Someone has spelled out the English lyrics online. Holy cow this is a really dark song. And, how many pop songs name check Joan of Arc, Aristotle and Nietzche? Is UraShimaSakataSen some kind of existential anime boy band? The plot thickens.
Maybe we cry while we’re born
And smile when we die because we’re happy
All our words pile up
Our voices continue to reach its limits as we search for the meaning of shouting
Input, Verify, Accept, Start.
Being raised in a made-up and empty pitch black world
I play alone
A little light shines from the window like a lamp
One or two texts stand out
I wonder what I should play tonight.
Should I talk, dance, or draw…
Walk out to spaces and change
Going back and forth from reality and delusions
All ya flags throw away; struggle through it.
After spending extra time eating dinner and taking a bath
I say the magic words.
Listen to my voice
What should we shout in an empty world?
The people who “encourage” us, like a gallant figure Jeanne d’Arc
What should we shout in an empty world?
We chase after people who cause “conflict”, and want to be like Einstein…
Shout! Yeah Yeah Yeah
Until our voices continues to reach its limits
Stopped, Reload, Reenter, Restart.
I see. It’s because I wasn’t taught to be a good loser?
I only keep on losing my way
So I wonder what I should do with my future?
Right hand, left hand, you, and a survey
Let’s talk more; it’s prolonging the battle
Really, thank you for everything.
Shocking sound and tonight; you’re the guest of honor
Here, so to say, is the electronic secret base
Enjoy tour and travel; I’m the guide
It’s the era for minority groups and puffing out your chest.
These are words to destroy weapons
Listen to my voice
What should we shout in an empty world?
We “petition” to understand people, like the unfortunate Alan Turing.
Comforting people in lamentation about Friedrich Nietzsche…
Shout! Yeah Yeah Yeah
Until our voices continue to reach its limits
If the us that cry while we’re born
Smile when we die,
Then, y’know
I’ll make noise with you all every night
Until our voices reach its limits.
That’s the answer I got from shouting daily.
The empty world disappears and returns to normal.
Each person lives together and waits for reality in a faraway place
In an empty world, I wonder what’s left?
I want to play here one more time.
Please listen to my voice
What should we shout in an empty world?
“Confessions” tie people to the truthful Aristotle.
What should we shout in an empty world?
“Promises” tempt people like Shakespeare…
Shout! Yeah Yeah Yeah
Until your voice reaches its limit
[READ: June 20, 2019] “Shouters”
I think it’s fascinating the way that Shouts & Murmurs tends to make funny people… less funny. Is it the nature of the New Yorker, that the comedy is such that it’s at a different wavelength? (Not higher or lower, just different).
Or maybe these pieces aren’t really supposed to be all that funny.
Steve Martin is one of the funniest people ever and yet this idea is so blandly unfunny, that I don’t understand why he wrote it.
I enjoyed the opening… (more…)