Didn't wanna be an Adult　 (2006.10.15)

　 　Childhood (←Click here to Japanese)

　　　　　　　　　 　　　--- Japanese Lyrics : Tetsuya Takeda
　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　English Translation  : Jun Kuribayashi 　---

　　When I was sad, I used to walk out of the neighborhood　　

　　and gazed at the light of an electric pole.

 
　　I was only seven, so it was like a shining fantasy

      to see the small pieces of rainbow twinkling at the light

      while I was looking up with tears in my eyes.

 

　　They changed their shapes every time I blink.

　　It was as if I was dreaming in the twilight,

　　so I stayed there fascinated until I was scolded back.

 

　　　　Oh, dear.　

　　　　Why am I going to be an adult?
　　　　
　　　　　 Oh, dear.　

　　　 When am I going to be an adult?

 

　　 I wake up and see the evening glow of sunset outside the window.

　　 And I feel strangely lonely, rubbing my eyes.

 

　　 Ah, yes.

        I had played in the sunlight, got tired and had fallen sound asleep.

 

　    In my dream, could I freely walk in the blue sky,

　　　 but now that I woke out of the dream, I can not fly.

　    And the beautiful evening sky is such far away.

 

　　　　　 Oh, dear.　

　　　 Why am I going to be an adult?
　　　　
　　　　　 Oh, dear.　

　　　 When am I going to be an adult?

 

　This is the song from the Doraemon movie, "Nobita's Little Star Wars" sung by Tetsuya Takeda. I think it is one of the MASTERPIECES in Doraemon movie song. It describes the distressed feeling of a little boy who is puzzled about becoming an adult. Haven't you had similar feelings in your childhood? Well, I have. 

　In my case, the feelings were stronger and continuous. I NEVER wanted to be an adult. I DID NOT WANT TO BELIEVE that I become an adult.

　For me, adults didn't seem to have the same hearts as us child. I couldn’t see what they really thought. Although most of them might be gentle and polite, somehow I felt that they were using FAKE politeness to one another. I felt that they CONCEAL SOMETHING in them and that they had LOST the pure feelings of their childhood. I didn't understand what they live for. I didn’t understand why they work. I didn’t understand why they marry. I didn’t understand why they are interested in political issues. And I didn’t understand why they often go drinking and go crazy. Everything was mysterious.

　Why they behave like that? What is their true purpose? For me, adults were completely DIFFERENT CREATURES. 

　So, in those days, becoming to an adult meant LOSING my HEART. It was the same thing as CHANGING into a DIFFERENT PERSON. Am I going to be like them in the future? No way! I don't want to change! I want to stay me! I don't want to lose my PRESENT FEELING!　

 
　However, when I actually reached their age, it was not so bad.

　Living as an adult, I encountered a lot of new discoveries. Gradually, I came to solve the mysteries of adults, and came to enjoy the depth and the subtlety of human culture. I came to be able to sympathize with a variety of people. And I have noticed that becoming to an adult is NOT losing something. We don’t need to throw away the pure feelings in our childhood. It is POSSIBLE to have the child’s heart and mature personality at the same time!

　So, if I could send a message to myself in the boyhood, I would say as follows.

　"Don't worry. You are NOT going to change. I bet YOU ARE YOU even in the future. You are just going to GROW UP. And believe me. You will get much more opportunity to learn, taste and move your heart. When you grow up, lots of things around you will make you enjoy yourself more. It is like a SHINING FANTASY. “