FLCL (Furi Kuri/Fooly Cooly): English Translation of 'Ride on shooting star' by the pillows

If you are a fan of the pillows, but don't actually speak Japanese, have you ever wondered about the meaning of the lyrics, and scratched your head over those bizarre clunky literal English translations of 'Ride on Shooting Star'?

Well, wonder no longer!

Seeking musicians anywhere to record an
English language cover of a J-Rock hit.
Non-profit fan effort in hopefully tolerated copyright infringement:
No pay, but opportunity for expanded exposure to new audiences.
Could be the next viral video!

: With thanks for the original source video from Pat Jackson's Podium

Added in white titling to the above embedded video: Rendered from inadequate and literalistic translations and information into lyrically serviceable English that perhaps even scans to the melody, 'Ride on Shooting Star' by the pillows the J-Pop musical closing credits theme to the anime 'FLCL' (Fooly Cooly/furi kuri). Find also on this webpage, annotations and bibliography.

'Ride on Shooting Star' by the pillows
-lyrics as rendered into metered poetical English by Aaron Agassi

Rosy filtered still frame mirrored sky brushed wide: Purport: Ambiguous double-entendre of reciprocity: Which reflects which? The orenge-ih su-lide-ou, or frame in the camera film strip negative, paints the sky, both in the sense of capturing the image, but in magical ideations of the socially discarded homeless girl firebug and shutterbug, also, like a gel or chromatic filter on a floodlight, is poetically thought to actually pigment the sunset horizon.
Dangled yonder of my spongy pride and joy: See: end notes.

Spider -
The savor of prey - captured live: Ah, the joys of coitus captivus!
Nothing so foreboding to deny: Just lie back and enjoy it, whelp!
All as vivid as life, while dreaming in color

"Ride on shooting star"
Just like a shotgun blast -wow! gave true voice to your heart, now...: You're so hot for me! You like me, you like me, you really like me!
Still ringing out in song

Hey there, grungy hamster, precociously
Oh vengeful lobster, enthralling me

Sniper -
Whaddya think you'll target sighting there
Virgin at the margin of your world
Oh let me touch, before you take aim!

"Ride on shooting star"
My forbidden quest for you an awkward Jones I'm having
I kissed and fibbed to you

"Ride on shooting star"
Just like a shotgun blast, wow! gave voice to all your heart, now...
Still ringing out in song

Um beep beep, yeah!
...Oh, yeah!
: Still don't get it? The passionate metaphors explicated:; Pink and brushed wide like the sunset horizon is my spongy pride and joy, and yonder such my feminine whiles dangles your manly shot gun like a succulent spider tethered in my web of love and guile. But fear not, my tender prey, only savor the dream come true!; Just what do you think you know, precocious little brat? How can you even imagine your potential without new experience? I will rock your world!; Ah, let me touch before you take aim! I see new vistas through your eyes. Your heart sings, still pealing like a bell when you continue shooting your load. And I am enthralled, perverted, addicted to forbidden love, oh narrow minded innocent.; Why should a few years difference come between us! See? I kiss and fib just like a little girl, yes your very, very bad little girl!; So just be the man already; get it together and stop pouting, kido. Take your hot revenge upon me:; Ride, ride, ride me onward into the starry night.; Yes, yes, oh yes!

Dedicated to Neil Nadelman, in his best spirit of translation more in sense, idiom and spirit than literally.

This page including the language editing for this metered poetical English language rendering of 'Ride on Shooting Star' lyrics that might even scan to the music, plus annotations, is copyright 2003 - 2011 by Aaron Agassi, derivative and under ongoing revision from sources on the Web as they have turned up:

Download the rideon.mp3 and enjoy the music video. Also live at the Whisky a Go Go!
And get multiple versions of the guitar tabs for 'Ride on Shooting Star'
From Campus Lyrics: A literal translation, with the Japanese lyrics in Kanji at the bottom of the page
From animelyrics.com: Another literal translation, side by side with the Japanese lyrics in Romaji
At animeboards: the Japanese lyrics in Romaji
Another informative literal translation is provided at the approved fanlisting for 'Ride on Shooting Star'
I was guided also by scholarly discussion at TWoP Forums
And compare with 'Ride On Shooting Star subbed'
Broken links have been removed, pending retrieval of the lost resources.
keep watching for new linked resources, as they turn up.

Get the latest news and updates from the pillows on

Extraneous schlock!

Funny Misheard Music Lyrics: mishearance of 'Ride on Shooting Star'
Or endure the appalling MIDI version of 'Ride on Shooting Star'

FLCL (Fooly Cooly/furikuri) is hands down the best anime ever, 'The Wonder Years' on acid or 'Lolita' as might have been written by Salmon Rushdie, with loose women, fighting robots, and all with uncommon literary depth peppered with nigh Jittlovian data streams of dazzling SFX, lightening action and rapid fire off beat nerd humor. Life changing!

'FLCL' can be viewed in Japanese with English subtitles on Hulu or dubbed in English on AnimeNetZone

supervised by the original creators and acclaimed as among the Gold Standard of anime dubs

Bonus : Lyrics to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' television opening theme:
Zankoku na Tenshi no TE-ZE (Cruel Angel's Thesis)

Fanfic
Creative Writing
Home

2003 - 2011 by Aaron Agassi