“Finding Hope in a Life That Will End: Reflections on RADWIMPS’ ‘Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do

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January 15, 2025. Author Aoba

“Why give dreams to those of us with nothing?

Why give hope to a life that will end?

Why only give us things that slip through our fingers?

Even so, are we ugly for clinging on? Or are we beautiful?

Answer me.”

― Excerpt from RADWIMPS’ “Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?”

Caught Off Guard

Several years ago, I was washing dishes when this song started playing. It was the theme song for the anime film Weathering with You.

I remember how the film depicted a protagonist who, amid despair, makes a choice to protect love—a poignant tale of youth and romance. In the latter half of the song, the melody shifts for just a moment. At that moment, I heard the lyrics and suddenly burst into tears.

I had actually heard this song before. But at that time, I hadn’t listened carefully to the lyrics until the end, and I had casually dismissed it as “just another love song.”

Why did these lyrics resonate with me so deeply this time? I wanted to understand, so I played the song on repeat, again and again. The more I listened, the more I felt that this song contained hidden questions—questions directed at God.

For context, I don’t follow any specific religion. And yet, I couldn’t shake the way these lyrics seemed to echo within me.

Today, I want to share these lingering thoughts with you here on note. I believe that those who gather on this platform are people who truly understand the power of words.

Why Only Give Us Things That Slip Through Our Fingers?

I looked up the full lyrics to this song online and saved them in my iPhone’s notes app. When I reread the lyrics, I felt their words pierce deeply into my heart.

These lyrics seem to pose profound existential questions to us.

“Why give dreams to those of us with nothing?”

“Why give hope to a life that will end?”

These questions confront the contradictions and uncertainties we all face in life. They invite us to reflect on the journey of searching for meaning within those contradictions.

While it’s true that this is a love song, it feels like so much more. To me, it reads as a question about the very essence of human existence—and perhaps even a question directed at God.

The line that struck me the hardest was:

“Why only give us things that slip through our fingers?”

This line made me think about the helplessness I’ve felt in the face of things I’ve yearned for but couldn’t obtain, or things I’ve loved that slipped away.

For instance, the dreams I had as a student—to work in a job using English, to become a writer, or to delve deeply into psychology—all of these remained unfulfilled.

I also think of my dog, who suffered from a serious illness. In the end, I had no choice but to decide on euthanasia. And then, there’s my friend who passed away from breast cancer. Even while battling her illness, she never lost her smile and continued to give love to those around her. Her life taught me what it means to “cling on and live.”

When I said goodbye to her, I couldn’t stop asking myself:

“Why do we have to lose someone so precious?”

I still don’t have an answer.

Life is filled with dreams and loves that I’ve chased but couldn’t attain, and things I’ve held dear that I can never get back. These memories resurface in my mind, one after another, until I feel my chest tighten with pain.

This song resonates with me so deeply because its depiction of “clinging on” mirrors my own way of living and my view of life itself.

I’ve Never Encountered Words This Beautiful Before

When I reread the lyrics, I realized this song’s power lies not just in celebrating love. It lies in the way it throws direct questions about life and existence straight into our hearts.

What sets these lyrics apart is how they use the theme of love to address life’s absurdities and contradictions—and humanity’s will and beauty in transcending them. This makes the song fundamentally different from typical love songs.

Take, for example, lines like:

“Why give dreams to those of us with nothing?”

“Why give hope to a life that will end?”

“Why only give us things that slip through our fingers?”

These words vividly express the fleeting nature of life and the moments when we feel powerless. Every time I listen to the song, I feel these lyrics resonate deeply within me.

In all my experiences with literature and art, I wonder if I’ve ever encountered words as beautiful as these.

It’s late, but I can’t help but express my respect for Yojiro Noda, who wrote and composed this song. His words hold incredible power and deep insight, and I feel nothing but gratitude and awe for his talent.

“Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?”

In the latter half of the song, death seems to hover just beneath the surface of the lyrics. Although the word “death” is never explicitly mentioned, its presence is felt.

When we love someone deeply—be it a partner, family member, or pet—we wish to protect them, to hold onto them forever.

To love something impermanent. To find infinity within the finite. This, I believe, is the essence of humanity captured in this song.

I’m reminded of my dog in her final days. A few days before she passed, I took her to her favorite park. Though her legs were weak, she firmly placed her paws on the ground and looked up at me with a face that said simply, “I’m happy to be here with you.” That moment stays with me even now.

Not long after, she left this world.

I remember my husband, standing before her lifeless body, saying, “Please come back to us in your next life.” His words encapsulated both the sorrow of losing her and the love that still endured.

This overwhelming sense of love, grief, and impermanence is not something that can be neatly explained. It’s a raw, visceral feeling. And it’s this feeling that the lyrics of this song awaken in me every time I listen.

At the very end of the song, the line, “Is there still anything that love can do?” feels like the answer to all the questions the song poses.

This is a truly remarkable piece that invites us to reflect on love, life, and loss. If this translation resonates with your intention, let me know if you’d like any adjustments!

ls There Still Something Love Can Do?

Born into this world with nothing in hand,
Writhing in the cracks of eternity.

In an era where only the resigned and the wise prevail,
Where can we find the air to breathe?

The rulers and even God seem distant,
But deep down, they must know the truth.

Courage, hope, and the magic of bonds—
Grown-ups turn away, leaving them unused.

And yet, even now, the memory of you
Stands at the center of all my justice.

Even if the world turns its back on us,
You, who continue to face it head-on, are still here.

Is there still something love can do?
Is there still something I can do?

Because the courage you gave me,
I want to use it for you.
Because the love we shared,
It only matters if it’s with you.

Is there still something love can do?
Is there still something I can do?

Is fate nothing more than a roll of the dice?
Or perhaps just another whim of God?

Armor we can’t remove, chosen or forced,
Or is it an unwavering, distant will?

Unfulfilled wishes and reunions never realized,
Tangled misunderstandings and accumulating hatred.

Voices of forgiveness and hands clasped together—
This planet carries it all as it keeps on living.

Is there still something love can do?
Is there still something I can do?

Because the courage you gave me,
I want to use it for you.
Because the love we nurtured together,
It only has meaning with you.

Is there still something love can do?
Is there still something I can do?

Why were we, who have nothing, made to dream?
Why were we given hope in a life that ends?

Why were we given only things that slip through our hands?
Even so, is it ugly that we still cling to them?
Or perhaps… is it beautiful?

Answer me.

Love songs have been sung to exhaustion.
Countless movies have told every story.
Yet in this wilderness, you and I were born.

Even so,
There is still something love can do.
There is still something I can do.

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