Riverside Hotel
吉幾三 Lyrics

Translation:

The May rain was green,
making me feel sad on that afternoon alone.
I was lonely in love.
I nurtured my unspoken feelings,
my first love is a fake facade of the heart.
You ran in the schoolyard after school,
and I was always looking for you from afar.
But, it's just a shallow dream and I cannot escape the feelings in my heart.

The evening glow is apricot-colored.
Whistling alone on my way back, unable to even call out your name.
I gazed at my captive heart,
my first love is a fake facade of the heart.
Like the petals fluttering in the wind, disturbing the surface of the water,
When I wrote the word "love," I trembled as back then.
But, it's just a shallow dream and I cannot escape the feelings in my heart.

You ran in the schoolyard after school,
and I was always looking for you from afar.
But, it's just a shallow dream and I cannot escape the feelings in my heart.

Interpretation:

“Hatsukoi” is a classic Japanese ballad written by Kikuchi Yoshio in the early 70s. The song has a nostalgic feel that transports the listener back to their first love experience. The lyrics explore the theme of unrequited love, and the longing of a person for their crush. The rainy environment that is described by the song's opening lines and the image of petals dancing in the wind evoke a sense of melancholy.

The song's chorus, “goodbye my first love, fake words of love,” speaks to the tension between wanting to express one's love and being unable to do so. The verse “whistling alone on my way back, unable to even call out your name" conveys the feeling of being smitten with someone but not having the courage to confess that love to them. The line “even writing the word love made me tremble at that time” is an interesting expression of the general uncertainty that characterizes first love.

Overall, Hatsukoi is a highly emotional song that speaks to people's insecurities and vulnerability when falling in love for the first time.