How's your Japanese?

[DaiDCTfan]

I love DCT, but I can't understand the lyrics.
I was wondering if you all understand the songs well or just love the music like me.

[Jei]

It varies on this board...some know jack...others can translate the songs completely. ^^

My Nihongo is very rusty-poor. Fortunately, when it comes to music, it's always about the sound, melody & energy before lyrics for me...even with English songs. Still, even not understanding what is being said (mostly), I seem to know the lyrics anyway

[tachikaze]

For most J-POP songs I get the most enjoyment generally knowing what they're singing about but necessarily not understanding all the words.

It's fun translating songs I like but only rarely do I find deeper enjoyment of the song that way.

Of the DCT catalog, SNOWDANCE and Asa-ga Mata Kuru were two whose lyrics had hidden colorings to the song.

My translations that Jei has posted on this site try to preserve the original Japanese construction and not try to over-translate the songs. . .

[nogizaka]

Sometimes, a translation may be disappointing, because I have already created my own mental picture based on the music and Miwa's voice, and the lyric turns out to be something completely different. Sometimes, as with many good songs by performers we love, what they're singing is exactly what I'm feeling.

I could ask my wife to translate everything, but one, it wouldn't teach me Japanese, and two, it would drive her crazy! So I still don't know the meaning of almost all of the lyrics, but it really doesn't matter (at this point anyway), because the songs are already THAT good.

[nakoruru]

I think the biggest shock for me was knowing what "Billie Jean" is all about after growing up listening to it. And of course, not understanding a word of it. Now that is a song that gave me a completely different mental image based on the music itself. Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop" did come as a surprise as well when I finally got what she was talking about.

For me it is either I understand like 90% of the lyric right away like "Futari no Difference" or I have a real hard time figuring out what the song is all about. I understand some phrases, most of the words but the whole thing simply doesn't make any sense.

But anyway, you don't need to understand the lyrics to appreciate music. I listen to chinese pop sometimes and I literally don't understand a word they say. I grew up listening to pop music in english when I didn't understand a word of it, either. It never stopped me from enjoying.

[Yukifox]

I'm trying to learn Japanese, honestly it's rough though. I can recognize certain words, but right now it's all just pretty sounds for me. XD I do enjoy DCT's english songs though. ^_^