Kaela Kimura (木村カエラ, born Kaera Rie Kimura [木村カエラりえ] on October 24, 1984 in… Read Full Bio ↴Kaela Kimura (木村カエラ, born Kaera Rie Kimura [木村カエラりえ] on October 24, 1984 in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan), is a Japanese singer, model and former TV presenter. Born to a British father and Japanese mother, Kaela started work as a model in 2002 for the Japanese fashion magazine Seventeen. Her fresh look and personality took her on to present the popular morning television show Saku Saku.

From there she gained more public exposure; she released her debut single Level 42 in June 2004, which was featured on Saku Saku as its ending theme. Her debut album KAELA followed in December of the same year. Her fanbase grew considerably after her third single リルラリルハ, which was used in a series of Vodafone commercials in Japan and made Kaela a household name.

Kaela's third studio album Scratch, released in February 2007, is her most successful so far, spending two consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Oricon charts and selling over 360,000 copies.

In 2009, Kaela released her fifth studio album, Hocus Pocus. Butterfly, a promotional song off the album, became Kaela's biggest hit. It was certified Million by the RIAJ in both ringtones and cellphone downloads, and Double Platinum in PC downloads.

In 2011, Kaela released her sixth studio album and first since her marriage to actor 瑛太 (Eita) and the birth of her first child, 8EIGHT8, which peaked atop the charts, making it her second album to do so, since Scratch.

SWINGING LONDON
木村カエラ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

あらら　ここはどこなのかしら
見慣れない　ノスタルジックな風景
勢いをました　ルートマスターバス
スリムパンツ
はきこなすモダンニスト
ブリティッシュネスロンドン超えて
派手におめかししよう
花開く　COLORFUL SPIRIT

少女の無邪気さは　Stupid
ミニワンピがスキャンダルに
SWINGING
よみがえる　SIXTY'S WORLD
バター　カップを　一杯に　摘んで
朝から　ウサギと　おいかけっこ
目覚める前は　ティータイムです
ナイフをちょうだい
パンにジャムをぬるの
雨降る　ブリッティッシュネス
黄色い　レインコートで出かけよう
花開く　COLORFUL SPIRIT
傘なんていらないよ　MAMA
水たまり　飛びこえて
笑い飛ばすのSIXTY'S WORLD
I KNOW!! パール着飾るKING&QUEEN
HEY BOY!! 背中のZIP あけてよ
夢が欲しいのよ　さあ　はやく

花開く　COLORFUL SPIRIT
少女の無邪気さは　Stupid
ミニワンピがスキャンダルに
SWINGING
よみがえる　SIXTY'S WORLD
花開く　COLORFUL SPIRIT
傘なんていらないよ　MAMA
帰りたくないよ　家に
悩み飛ばすまで　SIXTY'S

私の　SIXTY'S
よみがえる　SIXTY'S WORLD

Overall Meaning

In SWINGING LONDON, 木村カエラ sings about the beauty and excitement of London in the 1960s. From the opening lines, she paints a picture of an unfamiliar yet nostalgic landscape, highlighting the excitement and energy of a new place. With a sightseeing red Routemaster bus and stylish modernists in slim pants, the song calls for extravagance and reinvention that goes beyond traditional Britishness.

The lyrics invoke a sense of freedom and joy from childhood memories of playing with bunnies and chasing butterflies, and of youthful innocence where anything and everything seemed achievable. The chorus centers around the colorful spirit of youth, that is both silly and scandalous, but also pure and inspiring. The idea of not needing an umbrella in the rain is a metaphor for being able to weather life's challenges with an optimistic and carefree outlook.

Overall, the song captures the effervescence of London in the 1960s, with its fashion, music, and youth culture. By infusing those elements with a sense of nostalgia and wonder, 木村カエラ creates a song that celebrates hope, freedom, and creativity.

Line by Line Meaning

あらら　ここはどこなのかしら
Oh my, where am I? This nostalgic view is unfamiliar.

見慣れない　ノスタルジックな風景
This view is nostalgic, though unfamiliar.

勢いをました　ルートマスターバス
Jumped on the Routemaster bus with energy.

スリムパンツ
Slim pants.

はきこなすモダンニスト
A modernist who wears them well.

ブリティッシュネスロンドン超えて
Going beyond the Britishness of London.

派手におめかししよう
Let's dress up boldly.

花開く　COLORFUL SPIRIT
A colorful spirit is blossoming.

少女の無邪気さは　Stupid
The innocence of a girl can seem foolish.

ミニワンピがスキャンダルに
A mini-skirt can be scandalous.

SWINGING
Swinging.