Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of existence, immediately establishing a sense of urgency with the repeated "命" (life) and the phrase "急いで生きる" (hurrying to live). This frantic pace is directly linked to "七月の蝉" (July cicadas), creatures known for their brief, intense lifespans. The dominant emotional tone is one of existential awareness, a feeling of being alive yet simultaneously facing inevitable demise. This tension is amplified by the direct assertion "俺らはみんな生きている / 俺らはみんな死んでいる" (We are all living / We are all dying). The lyrics present life and death not as sequential events, but as concurrent states of being. The natural cycle of "花が咲いたらいつか散る" (when flowers bloom, they will eventually scatter) is mirrored in the human condition, leading to a desperate struggle: "枯れるまでただ悪あがく" (until they wither, just struggle desperately). The core of the song's effectiveness lies in its relentless focus on the cicada's frantic, self-sacrificing existence. The repetition of "がむしゃらに捨て身" (recklessly, self-sacrificing) and "捨て身 捨て身" (self-sacrificing, self-sacrificing) emphasizes this all-out effort. The imagery of "羽広げ飛ぶ上に / 上に 上に" (spreading wings, flying upwards / upwards, upwards) captures a desperate, upward surge against the backdrop of a short, predetermined life. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they distill the human experience into a primal, urgent struggle for existence. The cicada serves as a potent, if bleak, metaphor for living with full intensity, even when aware of the end. The writing forces a confrontation with the fleeting nature of life and the instinct to push forward, "upwards," regardless of the outcome.