Yorushika Song List

Yorushika Background
Song List
Arts

This post is a work in progress, I am adding couple songs from time to time.

Yorushika Background

This is a short introduction about the ヨルシカ musicverse, to better help understand some of the lyrics. Basically ヨルシカ is a Duo composed of composer N-buna and vocalist Suis. The duo is very secretive and their personal information is not public knowledge. In general, I only like the work people produce, not investing in their persons, so their philosophy is very much of my liking. Their albums is that usually the tracks within an album feature a continuous storyline, sometimes the storyline extended across two albums. For instance:

The エルマ(Elma) storyline is spanned across two albums: だから僕は音楽を辞めた(That’s Why I gave up on music) and エルマ(Elma). Here is a guide to the complete story about these two albums.
The Plagiarist storyline also has two albums: 盗作(Plagiarism) and 創作(Creation). Again This is the guide to the complete analysis about the plagiarist storyline. It is actually quite important to at least read the abstract to understand the lyrics and by an extensions, songs.
夏草が邪魔をする(The summer grass is getting in my way) is an earlier mini-album, the story is explained in this post
負け犬にアンコールはいらない(Losers don’t need an encore) is another mini-album.

Below are the corresponding album covers, note that the latest album Magic Lantern, is still not completed:

1. エルマ 2. だから僕は音楽を辞めた 3. 負け犬にアンコールはいらない

4. 盗作 5. 創作 6. 夏草が邪魔をする

Song List

The actual list begins here, the songs are in fact ranked in my decreasing order of preference, though it has to be said, all the ones listed here are good. This is my own rendering of the translation, and some accompanying images from fan arts, where all art credits go to lima. I restrain from trying to explain what each song means, because I think it is up to your own interpretation, although what is objective, is that each song is a part of a storyline and I will point that out where necessary.

春泥棒(Spring Thief):

Easily the best song for me, so much range, MV for this song is also top-notch.

	あともう少しだけ
	Only a little bit left
	もう数えられるだけ
	I can now count the flowers left
	あと花二つだけ
	Only two flowers left 
	もう花一つだけ
	Just one flower left 
	ただ葉が残るだけ はらり
	Only the leaves are left now 
	今 春仕舞い
	At this moment, spring has come to an end 

春泥棒

嘘月(Liar)：

The final song of 創作(Creation) album and also the final song to the Plagiarist storyline. This song is also used in the anime movie 泣きたい私は猫をかぶる. The titular 夜になって行く of this blog comes from here, also my second favorite ヨルシカ song.

	君の目を覚えていない
	I have forgetten the look of your eyes
	君の口を描いていない
	And I can't picture the shape of your mouth
	もの一つさえ言わないまま
	I am unable to say a single thing
	僕は君を待っていない
	I am no longer still waiting for you

	君の鼻を知っていない
	I can't recognize your nose
	君の頬を思っていない
	And I can't even think of your cheeks
	さよならすら言わないまま
	Without even the shortest of farewell
	君は夜になって行く
	Your image gradually fades into the night

嘘月/だから僕は音楽を辞めた

だから僕は音楽を辞めた(That’s Why I Gave Up on Music):

Possibly the most famous ヨルシカ song, also the song that got me into ヨルシカ. This is the titular song and final song to だから僕は音楽をやめた album, and also the third best ヨルシカ song imo. The lyrics and tones are absolutely amazing, and Suis’ rendering is also impeccable.

	間違ってないだろ
	I am probably not wrong
	間違ってないよな
	There's no way I am wrong
	間違ってないよな
	Surely I am not wrong?
	間違ってるんだよ わかってるんだ
	And yet I know I am wrong, known it all along
	あんたら人間も本当も愛も救いも優しさも人生もどうでもいいんだ
	I don't really care though, about either humans,
	or truth, or love, or redemption, or kindness, or even life
	正しい答えが言えないのだって防衛本能だ
	Not being able to give right answers is just a defense mechanism
	どうでもいいや あんたのせいだ
	I don't care anymore, everything is your fault


	僕だって信念があった
	Even if I had faith before 
	今じゃ塵みたいな想いだ
	Now it's as insignificant as the dust
	何度でも君を書いた
	I wrote to you time and time again
	売れることこそがどうでもよかったんだ
	That I didn't care about whether I'd be rich or famous
	本当だ 
	It's the truth
	本当なんだ 
	I promise it's the truth
	昔はそうだった
	It has always been that way
	だから僕は
	So that's why 
	だから僕は音楽を辞めた
	That's why I gave up on music 

花に亡霊(Ghost in a Flower):

This song is also used in the anime movie 泣きたい私は猫をかぶる as the main theme. This is final song to the 盗作(Plagiarism) Album.

	言葉をもっと教えて
	Tell me more, the meaning of words
	さよならだって教えて
	Tell me when we need to say goodbye
	今も見るんだよ
	Still, right now, I can see it:
	夏に咲いてる花に亡霊を
	What I see through a flower in summer is the ghost
	言葉じゃなくて時間を
	Not about the words, but the time
	時間じゃなくて心を
	Not about the time, but this heart
	浅い呼吸をする
	I’m taking a shallow breath
	汗を拭って夏めく…
	wiping the sweat off to be summer-like

花に亡霊

ノーチラス(Nautilus):

Conclusion to Amy and Elma storyline, the MV is strongly recommended, and watching it makes me appreciate more this song. Canonically it’s about Elma going on the same journey across Europe that Amy went through one year ago and recollect old memories. There are many good lines, I am not sure which ones to pick.

ノーチラス/雲と幽霊

雲と幽霊(The Cloud and the Ghost):

The final song to 夏草が邪魔をする, the canonical lore states that the band name ヨルシカ(Yorushika) comes from here.

	夜しかもう眠れずに
	Now I can only sleep at night

靴の花火(Firework Beneath My Shoes):

The penultimate track of 夏草が邪魔をする album and also imo the second best in the ablum. After some reconsideration I think it might be better than 雲と幽霊.

	朝焼けた色 空を舞って
	Dancing across the sunrise-colored sky
	何を願うかなんて愚問だ
	What do I wish for? It's such a foolish question
	大人になって忘れていた
	I've forgotten it in becoming an adult 
	君を映す目が邪魔だ
	But your reflection in my eyes makes it difficult

憂一乗/靴の花火

憂一乗(Only Sorrow):

The most sorrowful song from an artist that only writes sorrowful songs

	本当は全部置いてただ逃げ出したいだけだった
	I really wanted to leave everything behind and escape
	人生は透明だ 水圧で透明だ 
	Life is so transparent, so transparent due to pressure
	もう蜃気楼よりも確かならそれでいいよ 
	If it's more certain than a mirage then I'm fine
	適当でもいいから 目的とかいいから 
	Even if it's mediocre, even if without a purpose
	このまま何処でもいいからさ 逃げよう
	Just like this, anywhere is fine, let’s escape

ただ君に晴れ(Just a Sunny Day for You):

The most played song on Youtube by Yorushika

ただ君に晴れ/六月は雨上がりの街を書く

六月は雨上がりの街を書く(In June, I Write About the Town After the Rain):

From the だから僕は音楽を辞めた album, reading this lyrics I realized how insanely clever the title 藍二乗 (Ai Nijou) is.

	今の暮らしはi^2
	My life right now is like i^2
	君が引かれてる0の下
	Without you it becomes negative

都落ち(Leaving the Capital):

This one is just impossible to translate, so I borrowed someone else’s

	人里離れて鳴る音は向かい波
	Away from the world, splash of the head sea
	飛ぶ鳥は遠くへ明日から向こうまで
	Birds soaring afar, to the future beyond tomorrow

都落ち/藍二乗

藍二乗(Deep Indigo)：

The first song to the だから僕は音楽を辞めた album and also the first song of the Elma story, the lyrics basically reveal the core plot.

	人生は妥協の連続なんだ
	Life is about making one compromise after another
	そんなこと疾うにわかってたんだ
	I knew that for a long time
	エルマ、君なんだよ
	Elma, it's you 
	君だけが僕の音楽なんだ
	Only you are my music

チノカテ(Chinokate):

I think this song is underrated, and it keeps climbing the ranking. Alternatively translated as Fruits of the Earth, it is a homage to the novel of the same name by André Gide. A recurrent theme of letting go, with a lot of metaphors.

	貴方の夜をずっと照らす大きな光はあるんだろうか？
	Isn’t there a beam of light illuminating your night this whole time?
	それでも行くんだろうか
	Are you leaving nontheless?
	それでいいから そのままでいいから
	Well, that's fine. It's fine that way, so...
	全部を読み終わったあとはどうか目を開けて
	After you've finished reading everything, please open your eyes
	フーフー
	Fufu
	この本を捨てよう 町へ出よう
	Let’s throw away this book, and go out into the town.

チノカテ/アルジャーノン

アルジャーノン(Algernon):

This song is from another studio album 幻燈(Magic Lantern), where each song is loosely based on a novel. This is in my opinion based on Flowers for Algernon.

	貴方はゆっくりと変わっていく　とても小さく
	Slowly you start to change, it's so tiny
	あの木の真ん中に育っていく木陰のように
	like the shade growing in the middle of that tree
	貴方はゆっくりと走っていく
	Slowly you start to run
	長い迷路の先も恐れないままで
	Not afraid of the long maze ahead
	確かに迷いながら
	Even while you will surely lose your way

斜陽(Setting Sun):

The opening to 僕の心のヤバイやつ. This song is a reference to Osamu Dazai’s novel of the same name.

	頬色に茜さす日は柔らかに
	Crimson sun softly casts on your cheeks
	爆ぜた斜陽に僕らは目も開かぬまま
	Our eyes stay shut towards the bursting setting sun

斜陽/左右盲

左右盲(Left Right Confusion):

n-buna: “Imagine your average breakup. With time, you slowly forget their face, manners and so on; I liken it to the feeling of ceasing to even distinguish between left and right—left-right confusion.”

	僕の身体から心を少しずつ剥がして
	Tearing the heart from my body piece by piece
	君に渡して その全部をあげるから
	Passing it over, giving you my everything
	剣の柄からルビーを この瞳からサファイアを
	A ruby from the hilt of my sword, a sapphire from my eyes
	鉛の心臓はただ傍に置いて
	Just lay my leaden heart to the side

あの夏に咲け(Blooming in That Summer):

The 4th track of the album 夏草が邪魔をする, the “oh-oooh-whoa-oh” in “Cattleya” (2nd track of the same album) is also present in this song as well.

	君が歩けば花が咲く
	The flowers bloom when you walk
	君が歩けば空が泣く
	The sky weeps when you walk
	君が笑えば遠い夏
	And when you smile it makes me think of that distant summer
	笑う顔が書いてみたい
	I want to draw your smiling face 
	 
	夕立の中泣く君に 僕が言えるのなら
	If I can say something to you as you cry in the evening rain
	もう一回あの夏に戻って
	Let's go back to that summer again 

あの夏に咲け/風を食む

風を食む(Eat the Wind):

Yet another great song in the Creation Album, of which there are already two (Top 2 songs from this list). The choreography of the MV is a bit bizzare.

	棚の心は十五円 一つだけ売れ残った
	My heart on the shelf is 15 yen, it is the only one remains unsold
	値引きのシールを貼って閉店時間を待った
	I put a discount sticker on it and waited for closing time.

	遂に心は半額　いつまでも売れ残って
	Finally halving the price, yet my heart on the shelf remains unsold
	テレビを眺めて空想　ニュースは希望のバーゲン
	Watching the TV and daydreaming, the news is a bargain of hope
	貴方は今日も買ってる　足りないものしか無くて
	You are still buying today, nothing but incompleteness surrounds you
	俯く手元で購入　空は高いのかな
	Casting your eyes down as you make the purchase, I wonder if the sky is high

盗作(Plagiarism):

盗作/老人と海

老人と海(Old Man and The Sea):

パレード(Parade):

From the album だから僕は音楽を辞めた(That’s Why I gave up on music), an important installment as it is about Amy’s depression arising from an insecurity of both his talent and relation to Elma.

	身体の奥 喉の真下
	Deep inside my body, right beneath the throat 
	心があるとするなら
	If I have a heart
	君はそこなんだろうから
	You would probably reside there

パレード/雨とカプチーノ

雨とカプチーノ(Rain with Cappuccino):

This is the 4-th track in the エルマ(Elma) album, which is also the most Elma appeared in MV. The tune of the song really belies the actual tone of the lyrics.

	ずっとおかしいんだ
	Something has been strange for a long time
	生き方一つ教えてほしいだけ
	I just want you to teach me how to live 
	払えるものなんて僕にはもうないけど
	But I no longer have anything to repay you back with 
	何も答えられないなら
	If you can't answer me
	言葉一つでもいいよ
	Even a single word will be fine 
	わからないよ
	I don't understand
	本当にわかんないんだよ
	I really don't understand

	辛いことも苦しいことも何も見えないならわからないし
	Exhausting and painful things, if I can't see then I won't have to know
	塞いだ目閉じたままで逃げた
	I ran away with eyes closed
	月明かりの道を歩く
	Onto a moonlit path 

	狭い部屋も冷たい夜も
	Even the narrow rooms and cold nights
	眠い昼も　寂しい朝も
	Even the sleepy afternoons and lonely mornings
	さよならの言葉越しに君の顔を見てる
	I'm looking at your face through the words of goodbye

又三郎(Matasaburo):

又三郎/花人局

花人局(Flower and Badger Game):

I was sleeping on this song until I watched the live rendering of 花人局 along with 春泥棒:

	浮雲掴むような花人局
	The flower and badger game seems like it's elusive as the drifting cloud
	誰も来ないまま日が暮れて
	No one's coming still as the sun sets
	夕陽の差した窓一つ
	Setting sun shines through the window into this lonely room
	何も知らない僕を残して
	Leaving only me behind, who knows nothing 

思想犯(Thoughtcrime):

OMG, suis’ voice is so deep. Part of the 盗作(Plagiarism) Album.

	言葉の雨に打たれ
	I'm struck by a flurry of words
	秋惜しむまま冬に落ちる
	The winter sneaks in while I'm still holding the autumn dear in my heart
	春の山のうしろからまた一つ煙が立つ
	One more smoke appears from behind the mountain in spring
	夏風が頬を滑る
	And the summer breeze gently strokes my cheeks

思想犯/ヒッチコック

	君立つ夏原 髪は靡くまま 泣くや雨催い夕 夕 夕
	You stand in the summer field with your hair fluttering, weeping under the dark-clouded twilight, twilight, twilight
	夏が終わって往くんだね
	Summer is ending, isn’t it?
	そうなんだね
	Is that how it is?
	そうか、大人になったんだね
	We’ve become adults, haven’t we?