Original Title: impulse

Artist: AliA

Year: 2019

Link To Purchase

English Lyrics

This rotten world continues to gnaw at me
It pushes selfish ideals onto me without listening to me at all

What do you know about me?
You think I’ll let you be the one to evaluate me?
I just keep getting up after getting knocked down, over and over again
I don’t know what’s correct

I’ve shut myself up, having grown scared of being denied
This is my counterattack story, look at me now

Impulse? Illusion? Stand up right now
I’ve decided we can say anything
We can be the change need it
It’s not selfish, what’s wrong with it?

Unleash your emotions, stand up right now
I am who I am, I’m crawling my way up
We can be the change need it
What’s wrong with letting your feelings be important?

Is it all a lie? That’s stupid
This is all theory, it’s pointless
I am who I am, it’s none of your business

There you were, continuing to fight in this rotten world
While I pathetically stayed here, overcome with anxiety

“In this world, results are everything”
All the grown-ups around me say that
I can do it, I definitely can
I’ll show you that I can throw away my anxiety

Impulse? Illusion? Stand up right now
I’ve decided we can say anything
We can be the change need it
It’s not selfish, what’s wrong with it?

Unleash your emotions, stand up right now
I am who I am, I’m crawling my way up
We can be the change need it
What’s wrong with letting what you feel be important?

The thing I hate the most is myself
I’ve been switching back and forth between two faces
“I want to change” I spit out
I, a weakling, screamed out

Don’t make belittle yourself, get stronger
Even now, you can start fighting
I’m no longer who I was back then
And I’m not handing over who I am now

Don’t get in my way, I don’t want to hear words that don’t have any heart in them
This is the story I’m painting, look at me now

Impulse? Illusion? Stand up right now
I’ve decided we can say anything
We can be the change need it
You’re not superior, and I’m prepared

Unleash your emotions, stand up right now
I am who I am, and I’ll persevere ‘till I get there
We can be the change need it
It’s time to let what you feel be important

Is it all a lie? That’s trivial
All you’re giving me is excuses, it’s pointless
Am I really fine with this?
That’s none of your business.

I am who I am

Romaji lyrics

Kusatta sekai ga boku wo mushibandeitatte
Katte na risou dake nani mo kikazu
Oshitsukerarete

Boku no nani wo shitteirunda?
Shinasadamesarete tamaru monka?
Nana korobi ya oki kurikaeshite
Seikai ga nanika wakaranai

Damatteitanda, hitei sarete kowakunatta
Boku no hangeki sutoorii ima ni mitero hora

Shoudou? Gensou? Stand up right now
Nantodemo ie kimeta no wa boku da
We can be the change need it
Wagamama janai, nani ga warui no?

Kanjou kaihou, stand up right now
Boku wa boku da, haiagatteyaru
We can be the change need it
Kankaku juushi doko ga warui no?

Zenbu uso ka? Kudaranai
Rikutsu darake, tsumaranai na
Boku wa boku da
It’s none of your business

Kusatta sekai de tatakaitsudzukeru kimi ga itanda
Fuan de, fuan de, nasakenai boku ga mada koko ni

“Kekka ga subete, kono sekai wa”
Mawari no otona wa kou iunda
Boku ni datte dekiru koto datte
Fuan nagesute misetsukeru

Shoudou? Gensou? Stand up right now
Nantodemoie kimeta no wa boku da
We can be the change need it
Wagamama janai, nani ga warui no?

Kanjou kaihou, stand up right now
Boku wa boku da, haiagatteyaru
We can be the change need it
Kankaku juushi doko ga warui no?

Boku ga boku wo ichi ban kirai da
Futatsu no kao ga ikikishiteita
“Kawaritai” hakisuteta
Yowai boku ga sakendeita

Baka ni shinaide, tsuyoku narunda
Ima naru sugu ni tatakaeru
Ano toki no boku wa inai
Yuzurenai, ima no boku wa

Jama shinaide, kokoro no nai kotoba kikitakunainda
Boku ga egaku sutoorii, ima ni mitero hora

Shoudou? Gensou? Stand up right now
Nantodemo ie, kimeta no wa boku da
We can be the change need it
Joutou janai, kakugo wa dekita

Kanjou kaihou, stand up right now
Boku wa boku da, tadoritsuiteyaru
We can be the change need it
Kankaku juushi, sono toki da, ima

Zenbu uso ka? Kudaranai
Iiwake darake, tsumaranai na
Sore de ii no ka?
It’s none of your business

Boku wa boku da

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End Note

Energetic, passionate, and overall a great song! AliA really did well to impress with their first mini-album. There are two interesting things to note with this song’s original lyrics.

Shinasadamesarete tamaru monka?
You think I’ll let you be the one to evaluate me?

When I asked a native Japanese person what they would translate this line to, they said “I will not let them appraise me! (like products)”. I found it very interesting that they included that little bit at the end. If you look at the kanji that makes up shinasadame (品定め), the kanji for article/goods/item is present. In this sense, though the word generally means evaluate, there is a slight nuance in the meaning. The writer is frustrated that they are being dehumanized when they are evaluated. No respect is given to what actually makes people human, and what makes the life of every human priceless. Their worth is instead being quantified, like of an item where mere numbers and results are enough to say everything about its value and usefulness.

Nana korobi ya oki kurikaeshite
I just keep getting up after getting knocked down, over and over again

Nana korobi, ya oki is a Japanese idiom meaning “fall down 7 times, get up 8 times”. Of course, it is one that promotes perseverance. The point being made is that if one gets up one more time than how many times they’ve fallen, then they succeed. However, the lyricist put “kurikaeshite” at the end, indicating there they are stuck in a never ending struggle. Once again, frustration can be felt in this song. This is for those who’ve told themselves over and over again to keep going, and yet they don’t see the end in sight, and no longer know what to do. As the line continues:

Seikai ga nanika wakaranai
I don’t know what’s correct

Hopefully this was insightful for those who had less of an understanding of the song. Stay tuned for more from the artist by following their YouTube channel. If the song really made you feel something inside of you, then perhaps you should Consider supporting AliA. You can purchase their first mini album ‘AliVe’ here.