#cover you

[wiirocku]

Psalm 91:4 (NLT) - He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

[bckybzrnes]

[koinodancesite]

“Pepper Keibu”

Release date: Sept. 24, 2008

Oricon Weekly placement: 3rd

B-side: “Romance”

Members: Ai Takahashi, Aika Mitsui, Eri Kamei, Junjun, Koharu Kusumi, Linlin, Reina Tanaka, Risa Niigaki, Sayumi Michishige

Before Morning Musume officially released the cover of Pink Lady’s “Pepper Keibu” in 2008, there was Nippon TV’s Hitmaker Aku Yu Monogatari -- a biopic drama of the life of legacy lyricist Aku Yu, who passed away the year before. He wrote for countless acts of Showa-era pop including Hiromi Go, Junko Sakurada and of course Pink Lady. He also directed the popular talent-search program of that era, Star Tanjo, which introduced icons like Momoe Yamaguchi, Akina Nakamori and Yukiko Okada to the nation.

Ai Takahashi and Risa Niigaki played Mie and Kei, respectively, of Pink Lady for the TV drama, and the two performed “Pepper Keibu” in one of the scenes. “My mother loved Pink Lady, she adored them, and she told me, ‘if you want to learn the dance to “Pepper Keibu,” you can count on me’ when we found out we’re going to sing the song,” Niigaki recalled. Her mother apparently coached her on some of the choreography, and from the sounds of it, her involvement to play the most iconic idol duo of Japan made more of the previous generation happy.

The official cover of “Pepper Keibu” by Morning Musume meanwhile makes some attempts to satisfy audiences who was yet to be born during Pink Lady’s popularity. While important musical elements like the signature guitar riff are kept in tact, that main guitar line also gets played via synth to update the song for a post-disco, post-electronic-pop world. The mellow tempo dates the song more than the sounds here, though it’s for the best to keep “Pepper Keibu” moving to the rhythm of its era.

That said, this cover “Pepper Keibu” is not a celebration of Pink Lady but Aku Yu’s creative work, and Morning Musume perform a fine interpretation of the song’s protagonist. Like Pink Lady’s “Southpaw” and its extended metaphor of love as a game of baseball, the lyricist likens attraction as a crime through the eyes of a woman who got shot in her heart by a crush’s stunning look. Morning Musume sings with the adult stoicism of their previous singles as well as the original duo’s, sounding weak in the knees yet still with their guard up against the titular officer daring to intrude on her romance.

Morning Musume add some twists to mark the single as theirs. The ad libs fit the cover alongside any of their other disco-indebted releases such as “Daite! Hold on Me” or “Egao Yes Nude.” Sayumi Michishige’s winking closing script provides a signature Hello! Project touch like the group’s previous cover song, “Morning Musume No Hyokkori Hyotanjima.” Just fresh off of having a similar dialogue-like part in “Resonant Blue,” Michishige seems to be the perfect one for those kinds of roles in a single.

The group’s cover of “Pepper Keibu” eventually inspired an entire album, 2008’s Cover You, full of songs written by Aku Yu. They tackled other Pink Lady singles such as “Nagisa No Sinbad” and “UFO” as well as classics by other stars like Hiromi Go and Junko Sakurada. The album came out not long after the airing of Hitmaker Aku Yu Monogatari, three months after to be exact -- a quick turnaround after the cover was out in September.

The hurried release suggests an urgency to capitalize while Aku Yu’s name was still a buzzing topic from the drama show, and yet neither the “Pepper Keibu” cover nor the rest of Cover You convinces this effort to be particularly necessary. Morning Musume served as a solid vehicle to re-introduce these hits of a past era but for whom? The younger generation’s favorite idol group has released more dynamic singles filled with more quirk, and the older generation most likely knows the originals enough to prefer them over these re-recordings. Timelessness gets reflected through this project, though this is far from the only project harping on that as the legacy of these records.

It’s not like Morning Musume hasn’t been hired to support older pop icons before. The group, for one, already performed with Pink Lady on TV in 2006. The then-recent passing of Aku Yu was a fitting time for a retrospective of his most accomplished works. But a decade since that initial reflection of the lyricist’s works, TV shows still like to highlight clips from that era to the point it’s difficult to say its stars are anywhere close to being forgotten. Amid all that media saturation, Morning Musume’s effort with “Pepper Keibu” feels small among those countless tributes.

[5]

[kimonobeat]

Pink Lady Lyrics: UFO

English translation and romanization below the cut.

ENGLISH

UFO

We could love each other, we could talk too If we just put our hands together and stared into each other’s eyes You rock my heart More sweetly than a kiss Harder than hearing you whisper to me All I have to do is think something and you know almost instantly Even though I haven’t said a single word You give me one thing after another A drink when I want one A bed when I want to sleep

One unbelievable thing after another just keeps happening Could it be? Could it be? Is that right? I don’t mind though. You know, lately I've had it up to here with boys from Earth

But I’d like to know for sure I’d like to see your real face just once I try to catch you in the mirror I try shining a light on you And yet you’re just your regular self Oh, out of the blue Oh, you surround me with an orange light Making me feel like I’m dreaming Then sweep me off my feet and take me somewhere I knew itーyou’re incredible

It might sound like I’m pulling your leg But I’m not kidding, I’m not kiddingーit’s true I don’t mind though. You know, lately I've had it up to here with boys from Earth

ROMAJI

UFO

te wo awasete mitsumeru dake de ai shi-aeru hanashi mo dekiru kuchizuke suru yori amaku sasayaki kiku yori tsuyoku watashi no kokoro wo yusaburu anata mono iwazu ni omotta dake de sugu anata ni wakatte shimau nomitaku nattara osake netaku nattara beddo tsugi kara tsugi e to sashi-dasu anata

shinjirarenai koto bakari aru no moshikashitara moshikashitara sou nano kashira soredemo ii wa chikagoro sukoshi chikyuu no otoko ni akita tokoro yo

demo watashi wa tashikametai wa sono sugao wo ichido wa mitai kagami ni utsushite mitari hikari wo atetemo mitari soredemo anata wa futsuu no anata aa totsuzen orenji-iro no aa hikari ga watashi wo tsutsumi yume miru kimochi ni sasete dokoka e saratte iku wa yappari sou nano suteki na anata

shinjirarenai koto deshou keredo uso janai no uso janai no honto no koto yo soredemo ii wa chikagoro sukoshi chikyuu no otoko ni akita tokoro yo

[kimonobeat]

Pink Lady Lyrics: Nagisa no Sinbad (渚のシンドバッド; Sinbad on the Seashore)

English translation and romanization below the cut. Thank you @theysbian for the coffee!

ENGLISH

Ah ah ah, ah ah ah Ah ah ah, ah ah ah... Sinbad on the seashore

Just when I think you might be one place, I find you somewhere else being flirty You go from one babe to another carrying your surfboard under your arm “You look really good in that bikini,” you say putting your arm around my shoulders Hold your horses, misterーyou’re being a little too buddy-buddy

You make quick work of sneaking in a kiss Just like the rumors I’ve heard going around about you You’re Sinbad Sexy, you’re so sexy You’ve got me beat, hands down You’ve already got me drowning over you, over you

Basking in brilliant applause for your surfing, a storm of kisses Winking at parasols left and right I’m gonna come hide in your room once it gets late Hold your horses, misterーdon’t let it go to your head

Your techniques are so charming It almost ticks me off You’re Sinbad Sexy, you’re so sexy You’ve got me beat, hands down You’ve already got me drowning over you, over you

ROMAJI

aaa aaa aaa aaa... nagisa no shindobaddo

koko ka to omoeba matamata achira uwaki na hito ne sa-fin bo-do kowaki ni kakae bijo kara bijo e bikini ga tottemo oniai desu to kata nado daite choito oniisan narenareshii wa

kuchibiru nusumu hayawaza wa uwasa doori da wa anata shindobaddo sekushi- anata wa sekushi- watashi wa ichikoro de daun yo mou anata ni anata ni oboreru

naminori azayaka akushu wo abite kissu no arashi achira no parasoru kochira no parasoru winku nagete yofuke ni nattara anata no heya e shinonde iku yo choito oniisan ii ki na mono ne

uttori saseru tekunikku hara ga tatsu hodo yo anata shindobaddo sekushi- anata wa sekushi- watashi wa ichikoro de daun yo mou anata ni anata ni oboreru

[kimonobeat]

Yamamoto Linda Lyrics: Dou ni mo Tomaranai (どうにもとまらない; Nothing I Can Do to Stop It)

English translation and romanization below the cut.

ENGLISH

Don’t believe the rumors about me I’ve got an innocent and naive heart I love being alive And having fun dreams all the time Maybe tonight I’ll dance with someone good-looking Holding a bright red rose to my chest Or maybe I’ll give my passionate heart To himーhe’s so kind

Oh, I’ll be a butterfly, I’ll be a flower I’ll leave that up to you on the nights we’re in love Oh, just for tonight, oh, just for tonight There’s nothing I can do to stop it

Calling somebody at the harbor Doing a dance with somebody at the market Kissing somebody in the shade Wouldn’t that be nice tonight? The feeling of being in love burns within me Fanned by fireworks that’ve burst A one-day carnival in the middle of summer We oughta spend it in style

Oh, I’ll be a butterfly, I’ll be a flower I’ll leave that up to you on the nights we’re in love Oh, just for tonight, oh, just for tonight There’s nothing I can do to stop it

ROMAJI

uwasa wo shinjicha ikenai yo watashi no kokoro wa ubu nano sa itsudemo tanoshii yume wo mite ikite iru no ga suki nano sa kon’ya wa makka na bara wo daki buryou no ii ko to odorou ka soretomo yasashii ano hito ni atsui kokoro wo ageyou ka

aa chou ni naru aa hana ni naru koi shita yoru wa anata shidai nano aa kon’ya dake aa kon’ya dake mou dou ni mo tomaranai

minato de dareka ni koe kakete hiroba de dareka to hito odori kokage de dareka to kisu wo shite sore mo kon’ya wa ii janai hajiketa hanabi ni aorarete koi suru kibun ga moete kuru manatsu no ichinichi ka-nibaru sharete sugoshite ii janai

aa chou ni naru aa hana ni naru koi shita yoru wa anata shidai nano aa kon’ya dake aa kon’ya dake mou dou ni mo tomaranai 

[poprocklyrics]

You're a step away from falling, I'm a breath away from life In the middle of the dark storm, we're standing in the eye And all I, all I see is you

Cover You, The Hunna ft. Travis Barker