Despite the numerous issues recently on Jun Maeda's health and condition in general, VisualArt's surprises us with a sudden release of a new song on their YouTube channel, produced by the man himself. Entitled "Autumn Song," this song gives us a familiar feel of his previous "Hikkikomori no Uta" but
This is amazing! Jun Maeda does it again! Itâs such an interesting blend of instruments, starting off with a folksy sound featuring a banjo and the consistent strum of a guitar, while a haunting sound plays repeatedly in the background. It creates a deeply sentimental, yet intensely personal sound. Then, the progression shifts the songâs tone, the harsh sound of an electrical guitar overtaking the banjo. The personal nature of the song becomes more vivid, lashing all of the singerâs inner rage out on the viewing audience. Once finished, the song settles down back to itâs original beat as the performer finishes.
The instrumental is so dynamic. Iâm grateful to Visual Arts for uploading the whole song on their own Youtube channel.
Rock on Maeda!! ;_; I love this, Iâm so happy. His music is always so exciting.
This is actually really good, I expected to hear a female voice, but I like the way it came out more. Overall solid and refreshing song from Maeda
I donât think I heard Jun Maeda sing before. D= I hope he has a successful operation and his health improves.
This is a good song!
Bless this manâŠ
I canât stop listening to this song. Itâs so MAEDA, even if heâs not the one performing it. I love it.
Funnily enough, they were talking about the song being different from usual on twitter.
Iâve been listening to this song constantly, but I feel like Iâm missing something. At first I spent a lot of time looking for patterns in the text all because of this line. âmoshi kashi tara gake dake ga atte.â The repetitious reading just sounds too good to not be deliberate. Alas, I canât find anything else.
The lyrics also have many things going on. The most interesting line, I think, is actually the last one. In a solemn tone, our narrator takes note that the winter has come. This obviously connects to the title, Autumn Song. This is a song about âautumn,â and autumn has now come to an end in place of winter. One could theorize long and hard about what this could be in reference to; I can only really say that itâs a period of some kind. The narrator does reminisce about how he was raised, so it could be talking about childhood. However, Iâm more inclined to think the song is about whomever the narrator is talking to.
Theyâre vague, but there are clear references to the twoâs relationship over time. They grew up together and theyâre seemingly on a journey. One of my favorite things in the song is the phrase âæłćă甶ăăâ and how itâs used. Now, Iâve looked through a couple of dictionaries, but I still donât think I really get what this phrase means, so some of my thoughts could be off. Thereâs an poignant progression in how the narrator uses the phrase throughout the song. Itâs said three times. The first time, while the narrator is looking back at where they came from, he urges the other person to not do it and instead stop walking and rest. The narrator prefers to sit down and look back on things while the other person is someone who would walk ahead.
The second mentioning of âæłćă甶ăăâ is when the narrator proclaims a desire to âchase the windâ(the wind is also a prevalent symbol in the song). Itâs said in a matter similar to âIâll do this. I wonât run away, so letâs go together.â Obviously, the narratorâs thinking is changing here as he wishes to join the other person on their adventure.
Directly after that though, the narrator talks about if the two ever meet again, so they somehow get separated. They also mention alcohol, so they are adults. The final time âæłćă甶ăăâ is mentioned, the narrator is talking about if life perhaps should be lived âfree like the wind,â and this time he is urging the other person to join him, so their roles have reversed. In the end though, the journey is cut short by the cold wind of winter. This progression makes me think the period that has ended is the narratorâs time with this other person. Perhaps they failed to keep walking forward alongside the narrator, like in Futari Dake no Ark, or alternatively they could be dead. Whatever it is supposed to be, Iâve put so much time into this song: itâs awesome.
Just going to put a bit of my thoughts on this song hereâŠ
First of all, it feels exceptionally âmatureâ or âadultâ, call it whatever you want.
Without a doubt this is a song of a journey⊠but what journey exactly?
We are asked at the very beginning if we know what lies ahead at the end of a long road/journey.
And then this very journey actually starts, the journey of life. It starts not from the youth, or spring of life. It actually starts from adulthood. We are introduced to the road that lies ahead of our protagonist of this song, to the road which can be full of cliffs (which can easily be interpreted in all of human life troubles).
Our protagonist walks on this road, he has been told that its only good that road ainât easy, that he has to keep on going. And so he does⊠then decides to stop for a moment and looks back. And the wind stops blowing. All of the time he has lived through lies behind him, his memories, his failings, and acomplishments, everything is there and it all looks somehow beautful. Yes, it does. Its so beautiful, that you canât even imagine just how much.
And so the travel continues on. It is said that if you try, you will surely achieve something⊠but, bah. Thatâs not really true. A lof of people failed trying⊠And who said that you need an umbrella when it rains? Will you die if you get wet? And if so, what is there so good about living anyway?
And so you are soaked to the bones, and what about it? Just dry it and everything would be fine.
Then the wind again started to blow, and it would be nice if he can be with someone who is so dear to him.
Now everything have dried up and it would surely be nice to pursue the wind. Yeah, he imagine and goes beyond that imagination. No more running away, he calls to go further.
His life goes on. He meets people, he separates with them.
But if only he manages to meet again that someone so dear to him he would surely bring in some wine. Because this world is so big and they should surely drink for the miracle of their meeting.
Then some philosophycal questions kicks in: what are we all living and dying for? And if this life is just a coincidence, protagonist doesnât know what to doâŠ
But the wind blows! Blows the way it wants and nothing can change it.
The next line is a bit tricky⊠as it can be read in two ways: âWhere are wind called us blowingâ or âWhere is this wind blows us toâ. I personally think that both meanings are expressed here.
It would surely be good to think of the life the way we think of a wind⊠Just try to imagine it and go beyond the boundaries of imagination. Then maybe we will be able to live our life the way we wantâŠ
But cold wind blows.
Ah, right⊠The winter is already here.
Ugh⊠or âuguuuâ Why whenever I just try to write my impressions it goes into a full-blown translation⊠well, so.
At the very end weâve got an answer on âwhat is lying ahead in the end of the roadâ⊠The âWinterâ lies there.
To me, this song (Iâve said it in the beginning) represents the life of a person. Then, winter here would mean twilight years, senility.
Basically, the protagonist of this song spent all of his adulthood and maturity looking for the meaning of life, looking for what is there in the end of it. He had meetings, he made farewells on his way. It wasnât easy, there were a lot of troubles on his road of life, yet in the end he come across the though that it would be nice to live like a wind, be free of any chains. Just live the way you wantâŠ
Meh, I wanted to write it less frantic, but guess Iâve failed.
His musical touch is amazing. I think I like every single one of his works that I know of so far, and that is pretty rare for me to like everything like that!
