Natori - 'Overdose' QUICK TAKE

Oooh this song has been on my Japanese favorites playlist for ages! Along with Night Dancer which Chris mentioned as well, another good one. I'm a native Japanese speaker. Chris's interpretation of the song's meaning is spot on. I disagree with the translation of some of the lyrics. For example, "I wanna dream of a blurred-out nightmare" is I think better translated as "I wanna dream out of focus" but I see how they got the first version- it's a quirk of Japanese grammar that might be tricky for someone who learned Japanese as a second language, or who isn't paying very close attention. The other line I take issue with is "I’ve got no time to make excuses, I’ll just go naked", this would more accurately convey the meaning if it was "Without time to even make excuses, I'll just end up naked". BUT, none of this changes the overall meaning of the song in English, I'm just being nitpicky about the nuance. Japanese language/communication and art of all kinds tend to be subtle and indirect by nature. We use certain words, expressions, or metaphors to indicate things that are left unspoken. You are meant to infer things based on the hints that are given. Even in regular spoken language, we often drop particles, pronouns, and even entire subjects out of sentences, sometimes only leaving the barest of predicates and you're meant to fill in the blanks based on the context of the situation and the rest of the conversation. Different aspects of this could be viewed as minimalistic (maybe even too much in some cases) or poetic depending on your perspective. I prefer to think of it as being an evocative and associative culture. You say one phrase or fragment and it makes you think of something else, or fill in the blanks, or highlight a hidden or unnoticed aspect of something. In Japanese culture, saying or expressing things too directly is seen as being confrontation or in-your-face, so respect, care, appreciation, and even affection are shown by being indirect, subtle, and understated. There is also a deep cultural appreciation for simplicity. The beauty of a thing can often be best appreciated without extra distractions. These are broad strokes and it's not as if every piece of art or communication will be like this without exception, but I think it helps explain why song lyrics often tend to be a collection of evocative, poetic expressions and fragments or wisps of thoughts rather than more concrete ideas. Honestly, it's hard to convey just what these kinds of lyrics do for native speakers- sometimes I'll be listening to a song in Japanese and the expression they use is just achingly beautiful, clever, or powerfully encapsulates a feeling or idea that is really difficult to express in words, and I try to translate and explain to my husband why it's such an incredibly awesome choice of words...and I usually fail to convey the impact, maybe because English just doesn't behave the same way, or maybe because we don't have the same sort of cultural schema in the US. Or, maybe I'm just not great at thinking of an equivalent idea/expression in English that packs the same kind of emotional punch for someone who is only intimately familiar with US culture. Language is tricky, especially when we play with it, chop it up, and reshape it as art!

Ado's MIRROR's also written by Natori, and they're the same age! (natori's slightly younger) I really like Natori's Dressing room and Absolute Zero

You 100 percent should listen to Kobo’s cover of this song. Since she impressed him so much that he wrote help for her.

The lyrics in the video are almost always more accurate than the auto-translated stuff on Google.

Links to the two most famous covers of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGNkT6XyQRc - Ado. Vocally quite different. Really showing off her low notes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiw9Z1I1AcE - Kobo Kanaeru. Different key and musically a little different.

https://genius.com/Genius-romanizations-natori-overdose-romanized-lyrics So basically: The song "Overdose" describes a toxic and addictive relationship that the protagonist knows is harmful. Despite them being aware of the danger, they are unable to resist their partner and choose to pursue the relationship anyway. They are willing to accept the pain for the intense emotional and physical high. Hence the title "Overdose", overdosing from the love, no matter the consequences. It definitely is a catchy beat and it reminds me of the song "Night Dancer" of Imase also a song about love, but it is about a healthier relationship, enjoying the present moment and creating memories with a loved one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kagoEGKHZvU both are super catchy songs and came out in 2022.