Song Meaning
The lyrics open with a vivid fantasy of escape: throwing away a smartphone and flying from Haneda at dusk. This immediate desire to shed burdens sets a tone of weary introspection. The speaker wonders what might be gained by "losing so much." It's a moment of profound hypothetical longing.
A core tension emerges from the speaker's complex relationship with love, described first as a "curse" and then as a "law." The repeated phrase, "You're the one who wished for it," suggests a self-imposed burden, while the fear of being "fired as a human" for stepping out of line reveals a deep-seated anxiety about societal expectations and the consequences of emotional freedom. This isn't just about a relationship; it's about the very definition of being human within the confines of love.
The lyrics brilliantly use contrasting imagery and self-aware irony to convey a sense of being adrift. The speaker admits to having "grandly strayed from the path" and then, in the "rain of parallels and what-ifs," attempts to "chant reasons for happiness like a sutra." This forced optimism, juxtaposed with the acknowledgment of understanding life's platitudes ("Life is just how you perceive it... The future can be changed") while still "struggling," creates a powerful sense of relatable frustration and internal conflict.
Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they articulate the universal struggle of reconciling idealized notions with messy reality. The final lines offer a poignant resolution, as the speaker observes "encounters and partings, things received" reflected in city buildings. Describing these moments as "terribly ordinary" yet "terribly dear" captures a bittersweet acceptance. It suggests that after all the internal debate and hypothetical escapes, the true meaning is found in the simple, often overlooked, fabric of life itself.