#lyrical analysis

(Lovelyz / Nogizaka46 / Nakashima Mika / Apink / Kenshi Yonezu)

When we peer beneath the pristine, hyper-synchronized veneer of East Asian pop music, we frequently discover that songwriters utilize the language of irresistible attraction to comment on something far more expansive than a simple human crush.

In my latest deep dive, I map out how themes of cosmic orbits, gravity, and shooting stars serve as a brilliant architectural map of our internal psychology—a mirror reflecting what it truly means to survive under a crushing, inescapable system.

🌌 Act I: Lovelyz — “Destiny (나의 지구)” : The Organic Tragedy

Yoon Sang’s production creates a flawless astronomical allegory. Singing from the cold trenches of the Moon, locked in a rigid orbit around an indifferent Earth. It captures 아련함 (Ah-ryeon-ham)—the bittersweet ache of gazing at something breathtakingly beautiful through a golden fog, yet remain entirely barred from touching.

🚇 Act II: Nogizaka46 — “Influencer” : The Systemic Cage

Strips away the romantic illusion. Layers frantic acoustic guitar riffs rooted in traditional Japanese Enka (existential burden) with a sharp gaze at global hegemony. Are we chasing our own dreams, or a pre-determined track drilled into our heads since birth?

💫 Act III: The Orion Trilogy : From Fear to Freedom

Nakashima Mika — “ORION” : The fragile celestial witness. The terrifying panic of watching your sanctuary get slowly erased by the blinding lights of a harsh reality.

Apink — “Orion” : Quiet self-reconstruction. Internalizing the fading stars as a permanent, shifting lighthouse to guide the independent self forward.

Kenshi Yonezu — “orion” : The defiant binding. A raw, instinctual act of mutual rescue. Forcing a human connection to reject the numbness and write our own destiny.

Music can carry us part of the way there when nothing else can. Read the full cultural and lyrical breakdown on the blog and let's cross boundaries together! 🎧👇

If I have to watch one more man try and mansplain “The Fate of Ophelia” to me while simultaneously getting the meaning and intended reference in the song wrong I’m going to go postal. The song is about how her relationship with Travis saved her life not about how she or her life resembles Ophelia’s. But even still she can and does draw parallels between herself and Ophelia, and they WORK!

Ophelia was used, abused and lied to by the men in her life, causing her to go mad and eventually drown herself. Taylor has been used, abused (we can garner from her previous works she’s at minimum been emotionally and potentially mentally abused by former boyfriends ie. Gyllenhal in All Too Well and Mayer in Dear John and Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve as well as Heely in Smallest Man Who Ever Lived) and lied to by the men in her life whether it be the men she’s had romances with or the men she’s had business relationships with. There are several instances in Midnights and TTPD where she implies she had thoughts of self harm and talks about how she felt she was going mad.

Shorter project because I felt bad I hadn’t finished anything in a while:

Roses are red 'Guess still there's no use, my dear comfy bed Violets are blue Electric sheep cannot be true The books I read Told me there is hope as long as I live Faces of you Is that what you call a "muse"?

First, the title links directly to the first line and structure of the song itself, being much akin to a poem (or a series thereof) and within the first verse of this song is what I would argue is the most recognisable poem of all time. “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue”, juxtaposes the natural imagery of the phrase itself with the “Machine” in question singing the song.

The latter half of this poem “Sugar is sweet/and so are you” could potentially be referenced in the second last line of this verse itself, addressed to “you” as a muse. 

The intermittent phrases between the two flowers:

'Guess still there's no use, my dear comfy bed [...] Electric sheep cannot be true

Can too be seen as a singular phrase. The latter of the two is of course a lamentation of the nature of the singer (Angela) as mechanical, relating back to the themes and story of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (see previous work about Angela). 

The former can be seen on its own that one can’t simply waste away and spend time in their comfort, needing to leave their bed to live, however the fact of their interspersion leads to the potential reading if these lines are linked. There’s no use in sleep like as a human, after all she never needed to.

“Electric sheep cannot be true” could too link to the idea of how the bed acts as a comfort, some kind of note about sheep’s wool and pillows/mattresses. 

Those two lines could too be linked to the later lines of the same verse, which act as a cohesive phrase.

The books I read Told me there is hope as long as I live

The books in question of course relate back to the books of the Library itself, the life stories of each and every person who was received written out plainly are what taught Angela that there is–will be–hope so long as she continues to live and find a purpose. The second half of these lines:

Faces of you Is that what you call a "muse"?’

Can be read in various ways depending on one’s own reading of Angela. Fun fact, the google doc I write the Angela series in is called “Trans analysis of Angela and associated literature/stories”, which is exactly how we’re going to read this line. 

The idea of a “muse” is one who plants an idea within her mind, which we may understand as Carmen or the light in itself. Angela, being a simulacra of Carmen, strives towards her ideal, sparked by the face that she sees and wishes to become, the face of humanity, to become truly a human. 

The face that she sees is in nature her own, or her idealised face. Such is to say, transition goals. (Note: Angela can be read as transmasc and transfemme in different readings, I simply personally lean towards transfemme in these interpretations (at least until I make a follow up) due to my own lived experiences, hope you all understand). 

Tick tock tick tock No need to overclock My wish is locked Only your time passes by I'm in the rye Spinning round and round, round and round Pretend I don't need golden rings Re-experiment Only this time I'll play nice And I'll be brighter than the city's book-powered fires So here I lie Reading you my poetic stupid rhymes

The relationship to time is one fairly evident throughout Angela’s story, punctuated very explicitly by the fourth line about how “Only *your* time passes by”, implying stagnancy or, alongside the prior line’s allusions to locks, that she is trapped in some kind of position. 

There’s some nice parallel ideas in the first two lines as well, the “Tick tock” linking both in rhyme and concept to the latter half of the “Overclock”. 

The term overclock too relates back to the idea of her artificiality, or rather of her nature being a machine, asking not to be overclocked (by extension, to be exploited or used harshly). The relationship between the allusions towards time and locks may too be in reference to a time lock, she may only ever reach her wish after enduring such lengths of time in torment. 

I'm in the rye Spinning round and round, round and round Pretend I don't need golden rings Re-experiment Only this time I'll play nice

Here, the first of these lines in the latter half of the verse is most likely an allusion towards Catcher in the Rye. Principally the novel is about the loss of innocence, specifically in one’s transition into adulthood, however the same concept and thematic may be extended to transitions of other kinds as well; The Catcher In the Rye’s primary concern with the world surround itself is one of alienation and ‘reality’ or lack thereof, Holden’s detachment from the people surrounding him and all that he considers “Phony” is a shield to protect him from the harms of connection, and engaging in the masquerade that is human interaction, while at the same time these beliefs prevent him from forming the connections that a human needs to survive, all the while still possessing a “phony” mask such is to say a persona by which he prevents connection. 

Angela’s “innocence” could too be interpreted in her lack of true knowledge or understanding of the City and those within it, one that she comes to understand throughout the course of Ruina itself, thus transitioning into a human—an adult, a woman, a person—and thus no longer caught in the rye.

(Don’t worry I’m not turning this into a fully fledged parallel analysis like last two times) 

The following four lines are reflective of Angela’s own entrapment and learned worthlessness—as “Phony” as that mask of being an unfeeling machine may be—circling in the rye—thus refusing to mature as a person, to be vulnerable and form real connections with others—going in circles spinning like a merry go round.

“Re-experiment” too reflects this idea, the seed of light being an experiment, the receptions within the library being an experiment in turn, and the former having her forced to “play” a role of machine, the latter, though she wishes to be less “phony” than in her former life—to be herself anew—placing her the role of librarian, one that she truly believes is more “fair” than that of before. 

The line of “play nice” can be interpreted in both these manners.

And I'll be brighter than the city's book-powered fires So here I lie Reading you my poetic stupid rhymes

The line of book-powered fires is fairly straightforward. Whilst I could connect it to Fahrenheit 451’s book burnings, I feel that is making an unnecessary step in the logic; Historically, book burnings have been used to rewrite history, to maintain regimes and suppress any opposition or ‘unwanted’ groups. This links back fairly clearly to the City, the blood of so many which oils the gears of the greater whole, and to the refusal to acknowledge Angela’s—or any robot’s—humanity. 

At the same time, Angela’s Light is too powered by the burning of other’s books. She gains from ending—destroying—the stories and books of the cityfolk in the same manner. The mechanic within Ruina itself is to “burn books” after all, we are once again found with the dichotomy of the City being no different from Angela in its nature, but Angela too is neither different from the cruelty of the city.  

The last two lines of this verse reflect the same concept as afore stated. It’s poetic in the ways that they match, the City and its people, and Angela. This song out of all of the To Kill a Living Book songs too has a more defined and consistent rhyming scheme, adding to the conceit of it being a “poem” (Or poems). 

Once again we also see the self image in “stupid” poetic rhymes. I’m certain everyone has at least heard someone say “it’s nothing, it's stupid” as to why they’re feeling a certain way.

I stopped for Death 'Guess still there's no place for my silicone flesh Liquor I brewed Can't taste it though I bet it's something new Marionettes Cut down all the strings, rewrite their presets Phases of the moon We lived in a dead cocoon

I swear it’s the songs, it's not just me doing this but the first line of this verse is a reference to another poem. “Because I Could not Stop for Death”. The third and fourth lines make reference to “I tasted a liquor I didn’t brew” as well, both of these poems by Emily Dickinson. 

“Because I could not stop for death” or “The Chariot" is a poem known largely for its portrayal of ‘death’ as a kind and gentle figure, something calm and measured. The opening stanzas: 

Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility.

The author could not stop for death itself, things left undone, needing to be finished, but death as inevitable as it is would stop for them. It’s important to note that this poem has multiple interpretations, many of which are centred around lines 3/4 of the poem and the figure of “immortality”. 

In order to not dissect the poem in whole with potential linkages, the important aspect of the poem is the line from which is borrowed in Poems of a Machine, “I stopped for Death”. This line mirrors that of String Theocracy, as well as the ending of both Library of Ruina and Lobotomy Corporation, after she has found and finished her “purpose” or task.

When does it end for me? Hmm I think I am done with everything Now I'm ready to leave

Such is to say that, despite having finished, despite stopping herself, death was not to come for her “Silicone flesh”, once again a callback to her synthetic nature, with the line itself referring to her lack of a place, acting as a returning idea that she was never rewarded or acknowledged within Lobotomy Corporation. 

The second poem referenced, “I Tasted a Liquor I didn’t Brew” is a poem which uses alcohol to be analogous to joy itself, or rather an appreciation of life and nature. Once again the line in question is inverted, “Liquor I brewed, can’t taste it”.

This in my eyes refers back to the events of Lobotomy Corporation and Ruina, Angela’s longing for life and happiness, her purpose to create it for everyone except for herself, who would never taste the light of the sun like as in the poem. 

Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats –  And Saints – to windows run –  To see the little Tippler Leaning against the – Sun!

Marionettes Cut down all the strings, rewrite their presets Phases of the moon We lived in a dead cocoon

Marionettes refers back to Angela, taking control of her own life and thus “cutting the strings”

This is too a link back to String Theocracy, hencefrom Angela refers to herself as a marionette again:

Sure I'll be your marionette Here, tug on my thread Spread me open for dolly pink, snow white artificial beauty

Phases of the moon is once again in reference to time, with the moon slowly changing over time as months pass in turn. The idea of a “dead cocoon” is too comparable to Lobotomy Corporation itself, a place made for change which is set in stagnancy.

This imagery of a cocoon too invokes images of transformation, which could liken the cocoon to the Library itself, something that was to change Angela into something anew, yet now acts simply as a husk. 

Tick tock tick tock No need to overclock My wish is locked Ever dreaming to taste the sweet nectar of morality Allowed my heart to hold enough love to be broken Maybe I'll try getting drunk Finally I'd cry for help From the top of my simulated lungs. 

The line 4/5 of the second chorus here are some of my favourite lines of all time I want to just note. “Allow my heart to hold just enough love to be broken” ironically, broke me at one point. The line of the sweet nectar of morality has two lines of thought in my mind. The garden of Eden, the fruit which gave humans—for lack of a better phrase—humanity in the nature of free will. Angela is divorced from morality in this traditional sense, she cannot choose to enact her will for the longest time; The second line is that of her artificiality. Morality itself is corrupt within the city, but even still the most moral thing one can be is “human”.

This concept was explored in the String Theocracy analyses, that no matter how inhuman ‘humanity’ remains, they are allowed the privilege of moral choice, and that is what allows for good and evil, for morality in whole, to exist. 

The line after this is returning to the same idea we explored (strong word(?)) afore on The Catcher in the Rye, and in part 1 of String Theocracy analysis. It is better to hold what love you can at risk of losing it than it is to never love at all. 

Being closed off from all other people will prevent your heart from hurting—it will prevent your heart from feeling at all. Being connected to other people will allow your heart to hold love, even if that allows for you to lose it. 

The line “maybe I’ll try getting drunk” too links conceptually back to the concept of being “drunk on life”, the ability to enjoy things and relish in your own existence, to taste the liquor that you didn’t brew, or even to taste the one that she did.

The final verse of the song 

Only your time passes by And from my eyes the oil leaked Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why, tell me why Tell me why, tell me why A malfunction Only this time I'm smiling at your side To know that I would someday be gratified So here I lie in our imperfect paradise A eulogistic lullaby

Makes more reference to machinery, highlighting the nature of Angela’s existence. She is not human in form but still sheds tears—still feels—she is still questioning “why”

Why wouldn’t he look at me? Why must I be denied? Why was I given the mind of a human? Why did you have to model me after a person with fond memories of you? Why didn’t he ever look at me? He always had his back turned to me. Why should I bother to look back on the past full of suffering? Why did I bother entertaining the empty hope that I will reach you one day. What good did I see in you? Why should I have to be the one that seeks forgiveness?

The final lines before the last are of course the resolution. The knowledge that there are those that would stand by her side in the end. 

Was there truly no one by my side? Was my struggle meaningless in the end… I know better now. I know that there are some people who chose to stay until the end. And it won’t matter if their sentiments towards me were positive or not.

And the gratification of a faint voice heard in the warmth of the light. The eulogy of praise for one who was denied death and life the same. A lullabye to put to sleep and rest within the light.

swimming pool by the front bottoms is the most theo raeken song possibly ever. walk with me now