Born in March 1997, daoko first attracted attention as a 15 year old in 2012, for rap tracks she shared on NicoNico Douga, including a rap remix of the popular vocaloid song "戯言スピーカー" (Tawagoto Speaker) she posted. She joined LOW HIGH WHO? Productions and appeared on labelmate 不可思議/wonderboy's second album in the song "世界征服やめた" later that year, as she began to receive attention as the "15 year old high school girl rapper." She released her first album HYPER GIRL – 向こう側の女の子 - that December.
In September 2013, daoko collaborated with m-flo for the theme song of a commercial, and in the same month also released the UTUTU EP, produced by Pigeondust. On December 11, 2013, she released her 2nd indie album, GRAVITY. Her debut major album, titled DAOKO, was released 25 March 2015 through TOY'S FACTORY.
BOY
daoko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Again today this town is noisy. Hachiko's statue, the symbol of peace
Lost children going every which way
The scornful youth and vagrants alike
Intersection, scramble, oxygen running out
Oh? This is a turning point
I don't know this fork in the road, come quickly
It's straight at the red light, the din of the town, harder to breathe
The reverberating sirens, and pretend yells,
In the aftermath of this ruined world, let's go
In front of the exit, a shining person, a hint to life
Is what we'll surely find
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Painted over with green paint, my darling
Students dressed up in the latest fashion
Tired Father returning from work
A part time job desperately distributing tissues
And the high school girls showing underwear
Everyone, everyone has energy
Because I can feel their will to live and
It's shining, living in the now
I am a small bird in the middle of a big road
Far from a shining star
Raining Shibuya, covered by an umbrella
Painted colorfully, the puddles are somewhat
Just a bit, bright to me. What I want now
Was tutted at by that girl who just left 109
Un-discouraged mentality
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Spit on the ground and chewed my gum
The blossomed moon, cracks and breaks apart
The center of town is crowded too
Being caught persistently is disheartening
Obviously a lot will happen in life
I'm addressing the weakened hearts
If even just your surroundings are depressed, it's genuinely over
These things called people are strange things
Straight through other people, a connecting circle
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Yes, a connecting circle, a clogged hole
Because we can say "see you tomorrow"
Let's raise our glasses to new encounters
Let's guide this town's stores that we're proud of
In the song "Boy" by Daoko, the artist describes the bustling city of Tokyo through the eyes of a young protagonist. The lyrics are filled with vivid descriptions of different people and events encountered in the city. The song begins with the singer describing the noisy and chaotic atmosphere of Tokyo, where lost children roam around and vagrants and scornful youth roam on the streets. The Hachiko statue is highlighted as a symbol of peace in the midst of the chaos. The singer is lost and unsure of which path to take, but they are hoping for a turning point that will help them find their way.
As the song progresses, the singer notices the wide variety of people that make up the city of Tokyo - from fashion-conscious students to overworked fathers, to teenagers distributing tissues and high school girls showing off their underwear. Despite the differences, there is one thing that unites them all - the will to live and to find happiness in the present moment.
In the chorus, the singer encourages a sad boy to keep going and not to give up. She urges him to share his story and take a deep breath, while together they yell "BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!" In the last verse, the singer reflects on the idea of connection and the power of coming together. She hopes for new encounters with people and for the city's stores to be guided towards a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
T-O-K-Y-O, answer, by all means
The town of Tokyo is noisy, but we must find an answer amidst the chaos.
Again today this town is noisy. Hachiko's statue, the symbol of peace
The bustling town is chaotic, but Hachiko's statue serves as a reminder of peace and hope.
Lost children going every which way
Amidst the busy city, there are lost children wandering around aimlessly.
The scornful youth and vagrants alike
There are both scornful youth and homeless people wandering the city.
Intersection, scramble, oxygen running out
At the intersection, it feels like there's not enough air, and it's difficult to navigate among the crowds.
Oh? This is a turning point
This moment feels like a turning point in life.
I don't know this fork in the road, come quickly
I feel lost and uncertain about which direction to take, and I want someone to guide me.
It's straight at the red light, the din of the town, harder to breathe
Even though it's just straight ahead at the red light, the noise of the city makes it difficult to breathe.
Umm, umm, this mumbling maze... I'm sick of it
The constant noise and chaos of the city feels overwhelming, and I'm tired of the constant buzz.
The reverberating sirens, and pretend yells,
The blaring sirens and people pretending to yell only add to the cacophony of the city.
In the aftermath of this ruined world, let's go
Despite the chaos and destruction of the world, we must continue moving forward.
In front of the exit, a shining person, a hint to life
There is a shining individual at the exit who serves as a symbol of hope and a new beginning.
Is what we'll surely find
If we keep going, we'll surely find hope and a new beginning.
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Don't be sad or give up, share your story with me and let's shout together to feel a new sense of energy and hope.
Painted over with green paint, my darling
The city is painted with green, including my beloved.
Students dressed up in the latest fashion
The students are fashionable and up-to-date on the latest trends.
Tired Father returning from work
A father returns from work looking tired and drained.
A part time job desperately distributing tissues
Someone is working a part-time job passing out tissues, trying to make ends meet.
And the high school girls showing underwear
High school girls are showing off their underwear, trying to be provocative and edgy.
Everyone, everyone has energy
Despite the challenges of the city, everyone still has energy and is hopeful for the future.
Because I can feel their will to live and
It's shining, living in the now
I can feel the energy and life force emanating from others, and it's inspiring to see people living in the moment.
I am a small bird in the middle of a big road
Far from a shining star
I feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and far from reaching my full potential.
Raining Shibuya, covered by an umbrella
It's raining in Shibuya, and I'm covering myself with an umbrella.
Painted colorfully, the puddles are somewhat
Just a bit, bright to me. What I want now
Was tutted at by that girl who just left 109
The colorful puddles are somewhat bright to me, but what I want now was dismissed by a girl who left a nearby store.
Un-discouraged mentality
Despite setbacks and rejections, I remain determined and undiscouraged.
Spit on the ground and chewed my gum
The blossomed moon, cracks and breaks apart
I spit on the ground and chew my gum, observing the moon which appears to be breaking apart.
The center of town is crowded too
Being caught persistently is disheartening
The center of town is crowded and it's discouraging to feel stuck in the midst of it all.
Obviously a lot will happen in life
Life is unpredictable, and a lot will happen that we don't expect.
I'm addressing the weakened hearts
If even just your surroundings are depressed, it's genuinely over
I'm speaking to those with weakened hearts, and acknowledging that if your surroundings are depressing, it can be difficult to find hope and a new beginning.
These things called people are strange things
Straight through other people, a connecting circle
People can be strange and unpredictable, and yet we are all connected in some way, forming a circle.
Yes, a connecting circle, a clogged hole
Because we can say "see you tomorrow"
Let's raise our glasses to new encounters
Let's guide this town's stores that we're proud of
Through our connections with others, we can create a community and support system for one another, celebrating new encounters and supporting local businesses.
Contributed by David V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mariemaland589
BOY
T-O-K-Y-O, answer, please
This town's noisy again today. Hachiko's statue, the symbol of peace
Lost children going every which way
The scornful youth and vagrants alike
Intersection, scramble, oxygen running out
Oh? This is a turning point
I don't know this fork in the road, come quickly
It's straight at the red light I think, the din of the town, hard to breathe
Umm, umm, this mumbling maze... I'm sick of it
The reverberating sirens, and pretend yells,
Toward the ruin of this world, let's go
In front of the exit, shining people, a hint of life
Are what we'll surely find
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Painted over with green paint, my darling
Students dressed up in the latest fashion
Tired fathers returning from work
Part timers desperately distributing tissues
And the high school girls showing underwear
Everyone, everyone has energy
Because I can feel their will to live and
It's shining, living in the now
I am a small bird in the middle of a big road
Far from a shining star
It's raining in Shibuya, hide under an umbrella
Painted colorfully, the puddles are kind of
Just a bit, bright to me. What I want now
Was tutted at by that girl who just left 109
Un-discouraged mentality
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
I spat on the ground and chewed my gum
The blossomed moon, cracks and breaks apart
The center of town is crowded too
It's disheartening to be caught here so often
Obviously a lot will happen in life
I'm addressing the weakened hearts
If even just your surroundings are depressed, it's genuinely over
These things called people are strange things
Straight through them, a connecting circle
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Yes, a connecting circle, a clogged hole
Because we can say "see you tomorrow"
Let's raise our glasses to new encounters
Let's guide this town's stores that we're proud of
(credits to the translator )
@alyssacurry9086
ginalTransliteration
T - O - K - Y - O ōtō seyo dōzo
kyō mo kono machi wa sōzōshii heiwa no shōchō hachikō zō
maigo no kodomo ga uōsaō
sagesumu wakamono furō monodomo
kōsa sukuranburu usuku naru sanso
are? koko ga tāningupointo
bunki ten nante shiranai sugu ni kite
akashingō de mo chokushin desho machi no kensō iki ga kurushikute
etto etto kuchigomoru meiro ni hedo ga deru
narihibiku keihō misekake no ēru o
konna sekai metsubō go ni rettsugō
deguchi saki ni kagayaku hitobito jinsei no hinto
kitto koko de find
nē BOY
sonna sabishi sō ni shinai de yo
sonna kao mitakunai na
tachidomatte nayamu yori
hora kimi no sutōrī no tsuzuki kikasete yo
ōkiku shinkokyū shite sakebu
BOY! BOY!
gurīn penki de nuritsubushite dārin
saishin no fashon ni kikazaru gakusei
o shigoto gaeri otsukare otōsan
hisshi ni tisshu kubari arubaito
panchira jōshū joshikōsei mo
minna minna enerugī o motteru
ikiru pawā kanjiru kara
kirakira shiteru n da ima o ikiru
ōdōri no naka ja boku wa kotori
mabushii sutā to wa hodotōi
amefuri no shibuya kasa o oowarete
karafuru ni irodoru mizutamari ga nandaka
choppiri boku ni wa mabushii ima hoshii mono wa
109 kara dete kita gyaru ni shitauchi sareta tte
megenai mentariti
nē BOY
sonna sabishi sō ni shinai de yo
sonna kao mitakunai na
tachidomatte nayamu yori
hora kimi no sutōrī no tsuzuki kikasete yo
tsuba o hakisute gamu o kanda
saita tsuki kakete wareta
sentā gai mo hito de ippai
shitsukoku kyacchi sareta tte shogenai shi
jinsei iroiro atte atarimae
yowatta kokoro ni katarikake
mawari sae fushin ni nattara shōshinshōmei owari da na
hito tte mon wa fushigi na mon da
tanin o tōshi tsunagaru wa
nē BOY
sonna sabishi sō ni shinai de yo
sonna kao mitakunai na
tachidomatte nayamu yori
hora kimi no sutōrī no tsuzuki kikasete yo
ōkiku shinkokyū shite sakebu
BOY! BOY!
nē BOY
sonna sabishi sō ni shinai de yo
sonna kao mitakunai yo
sō tsunagaru wa fusagaru ana
'mata ashita' tte ieru kara
arata na deai ni kanpai shiyou
annai shiyou kono machi no hokoreru o mise o
@thedude633
T-O-K-Y-O, answer, please
This town's noisy again today. Hachiko's statue, the symbol of peace
Lost children going every which way
The scornful youth and vagrants alike
Intersection, scramble, oxygen running out
Oh? This is a turning point
I don't know this fork in the road, come quickly
It's straight at the red light I think, the din of the town, hard to breathe
Umm, umm, this mumbling maze... I'm sick of it
The reverberating sirens, and pretend yells,
Toward the ruin of this world, let's go
In front of the exit, shining people, a hint of life
Are what we'll surely find
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Painted over with green paint, my darling
Students dressed up in the latest fashion
Tired fathers returning from work
Part timers desperately distributing tissues
And the high school girls showing underwear
Everyone, everyone has energy
Because I can feel their will to live and
It's shining, living in the now
I am a small bird in the middle of a big road
Far from a shining star
It's raining in Shibuya, hide under an umbrella
Painted colorfully, the puddles are kind of
Just a bit, bright to me. What I want now
Was tutted at by that girl who just left 109
Un-discouraged mentality
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
I spat on the ground and chewed my gum
The blossomed moon, cracks and breaks apart
The center of town is crowded too
It's disheartening to be caught here so often
Obviously a lot will happen in life
I'm addressing the weakened hearts
If even just your surroundings are depressed, it's genuinely over
These things called people are strange things
Straight through them, a connecting circle
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Instead of stopping and worrying
Come on, your story, let me hear the rest
Take a huge, deep breath and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY! BOY!
Hey BOY
Don't look so sad
I don't want to see that look
Yes, a connecting circle, a clogged hole
Because we can say "see you tomorrow"
Let's raise our glasses to new encounters
Let's guide this town's stores that we're proud of
@Nikomuth
I would translate it, I've been translating as many of her songs as I can, but I can't find the Japanese lyrics. :( I'm not fluent enough to understand everything she's saying but one day when someone writes the Japanese lyrics down I'll translate it. :)
EDIT: Here's the chorus, at least:
"Hey, BOY , don't look so sad, I don't want to see you looking like that.
Instead of stopping and worrying...
Come on, your...
Story, let me hear the rest of it.
Take a huge, deep breath, and shout
BOY! BOY! BOY BOY"
@yufu7990
109から出てきたギャルに舌打ちされたってめげないメンタリティって歌詞が若いころ凄く印象的だったなぁ。日常を生きていくのに大切なのってそういうちょっとした事なんだろうなって…！若者目線なDAOKOがかっこよかった…
@pillow33futon
僕はこの春に上京しました。某シンガーソングライターさんの言うように、"沢山の孤独が集まる街"東京は賑やかな淋しさで溢れていました。多くの失敗をして、こんなところで生きていくのも嫌になった時、この曲に出会いました。理由のない感情的な何かではあるけれど、この曲にすごく受け止められたと思います。DAOKOさんの言うように、淋しそうにするのをやめて、もうちょっと自分の物語を続けてみようと思います。大学に入って始めたアイスホッケーのレプリカTシャツにも運命を感じるこの曲は僕のトウキョーアンセムです。
@user-dr9or9zy7v
「109から出てきたギャルに舌打ちされたってめげないメンタリティ」って女の子にしか書けないラインだよなあ
@pppo4787
これ聴くと 体の底がキューーーっとなる。
@user-qd8mj1br1n
やっぱりこの頃のだをちゃんが好き過ぎるんだよなあ、、、もちろん今の頑張るDAOKOも応援してるけど。この湿っぽいため息みたいな雰囲気をもう少し大切にして欲しかった。
@user-pu8qh4um4n
ぴーやん それ本当にわかります！
@user-qd8mj1br1n
シーサーエイリアン ですよねー(´･ω･`) 次のアルバムあたりで原点回帰してくれないかなあ。
@user-pu8qh4um4n
ぴーやん ですよね！個性っていうかだをこにしか出せない雰囲気や曲調があるのに最近はそれを潰して無理に人気や万人受けを狙ってるような気がします。
@user-qd8mj1br1n
シーサーエイリアン それがメジャーってものだからねえ。でも滑っちゃってる。だからいい加減、DAOKOのチームは彼女の本来の魅力と自分達の戦略との間にあるギャップに気づくべき。
@chitovvv
ぴーやん めっちゃわかるけど、人は環境で変わる生き物だからね。僕らもこの環境に適応しないと