Donna Toki Mo. – Noriyuki Makihara | 1991

どんなときも。 [Donna Toki Mo.]
Noriyuki Makihara
Words & Music : Noriyuki Makihara

Noriyuki Makihara is a singer-songwriter from Osaka Prefecture. He handles almost all the lyrics, composition, and arrangement of his songs by himself. He’s the same type as Tatsuro Yamashita, whom I introduced yesterday.

Noriyuki Makihara tends to create lyrics before the melody. His lyrics are crafted in very careful and easy-to-understand Japanese, making them easy to grasp even if you read only lyrics. I highly recommend them. Since the 1990s, there has been a trend of songs that emphasize music over lyrics, leading to more abstract or sensory lyrics, so his songs are quite valuable.

“Donna Toki Mo.” is Noriyuki Makihara’s third single. It was adopted as the theme song for the movie “Shūshoku Sensēn Ijō Nashi ^YT” (No Worries on the Recruit Front), which served as the turning point for his rise to fame. Ultimately, this song became his biggest hit.

どんな [donna] : any kind of
時（とき） [toki] : time

“どんな時も / donna toki mo” means “no matter what the time.” There’s a Japanese period “。” at the end in the title どんなときも。 [Donna Toki Mo.], so it feels like “No Matter What the Time.”. If asked what meaning it has, it’s a bit difficult to explain, but it can be said to create a unique atmosphere, giving it a somewhat literary feel. Can you imagine it? In subcultures, this expression is occasionally used, adding a kind of rule-breaking charm.
What’s even stranger is that some artists use this in their names. Famous examples include “モーニング娘。: Morning Musume” “ゲスの極み乙女。 : Gesu no Kiwami Otome” and “ずっと真夜中でいいのに。 : Zutomayo.”

僕の背中は自分が思うより正直かい?
boku no senaka wa jibun ga omou yori shōjiki kai
誰かに聞かなきゃ不安になってしまうよ
dareka ni kikanakya fuan ni natte shimau yo

僕（ぼく） [boku] : I
背中（せなか） [senaka] : back
自分（じぶん） [jibun] : oneself
思う（おもう） [omou] : think
正直（しょうじき） [shōjiki] : honest
誰か（だれか） [dareka] : someone
聞く（きく） [kiku] : ask
不安（ふあん） [fuan] : anxiety
なる（なる） [naru] : become

(translation) “Is my back more honest than I think?
I feel uneasy if I don’t ask someone.”

In Japanese, there’s an expression about one’s back “telling a story.” Even without speaking or showing facial expressions, sometimes you can understand someone’s emotions just by their posture when viewed from behind. Whether they seem happy or sad, you can somehow tell, right?

旅立つ僕の為にちかったあの夢は
tabidatsu boku no tame ni chikatta ano yume wa
古ぼけた教室のすみにおきざりのまま
furuboketa kyōshitsu no sumi ni okizari no mama

旅立つ（たびだつ） [tabidatsu] : set out
ため [tame] : for the sake of
誓う（ちかう） [chikau] : swear
あの [ano] : that
夢（ゆめ） [yume] : dream
古ぼけた（ふるぼけた） [furuboketa] : worn out
教室（きょうしつ） [kyōshitsu] : classroom
すみ [sumi] : corner
置き去り（おきざり） [okizari] : left behind

(translation) “The dream I swore for when I set out
remains left behind in a worn-out classroom’s corner.”

あの泥だらけのスニーカーじゃ追い越せないのは
ano dorodarake no sunīkā ja oikosena no wa
電車でも時間でもなく僕かもしれないけど
densha demo jikan demo naku boku kamo shirenai kedo

泥（どろ） [doro] : mud
だらけ [darake] : covered with
スニーカー [sunīkā] : sneakers
追い越す（おいこす） [oikosu] : overtake
電車（でんしゃ） [densha] : train
時間（じかん） [jikan] : time
かもしれない [kamo shirenai] : might be

(translation) “What those mud-covered sneakers can’t overtake
might not be the train or time, but myself.”

The “me” who still hasn’t reached the dream.

どんなときもどんなときも
donna toki mo donna toki mo
僕が僕らしくあるために
boku ga bokurashiku aru tame ni
「好きなものは好き!」と
“suki na mono wa suki!” to
言えるきもち抱きしめてたい
ieru kimochi dakishimetetai

僕らしく [bokurashiku] : true to myself
好き（すき） [suki] : like
言う（いう） [iu] : say
気持ち（きもち） [kimochi] : feeling
抱きしめる（だきしめる） [dakishimeru] : embrace

(translation) “No matter when, no matter when
To stay true to myself
I want to hold on to the feeling of being able to say, ‘I like what I like!'”

どんなときもどんなときも
donna toki mo donna toki mo
迷い探し続ける日々が
mayoi sagashi tsuzukeru hibi ga
答えになること僕は知ってるから
kotae ni naru koto boku wa shitteru kara

迷う（まよう） [mayou] : hesitate
探す（さがす） [sagasu] : search
続ける（つづける） [tsuzukeru] : continue
日々（ひび） [hibi] : days
答え（こたえ） [kotae] : answer
知っている（しっている） [shitte iru] : know

(translation) “No matter when, no matter when
Because I know that the days spent hesitating and searching will become the answer.”

もしも他の誰かを知らずに傷つけても
moshimo hoka no dareka o shirazu ni kizutsukete mo
絶対ゆずれない夢が僕にはあるよ
zettai yuzurenai yume ga boku ni wa aru yo

もしも [moshimo] : if
他（ほか） [hoka] : others
誰か（だれか） [dareka] : someone
傷つける（きずつける） [kizutsukeru] : hurt
絶対（ぜったい） [zettai] : absolutely
ゆずれない [yuzurenai] : can’t compromise
ある [aru] : have

(translation) “Even if I unknowingly hurt someone else
there’s a dream I absolutely can’t compromise on.”

“僕には夢がある / boku ni wa yume ga aru” (=I have a dream) is a phrase worth remembering as is.

“昔は良かったね”といつも口にしながら
“mukashi wa yokatta ne” to itsumo kuchi ni shinagara
生きて行くのは本当に嫌だから
ikite iku no wa hontō ni iya dakara

昔（むかし） [mukashi] : past
良い（よい） [yoi] : good
いつも [itsumo] : always
口にする（くちにする） [kuchi ni suru] : say
生きる（いきる） [ikiru] : live
本当に（ほんとうに） [hontō ni] : really
嫌（いや） [iya] : hate

(translation) “Because I really hate living
while always saying, ‘The past was better.'”

消えたいくらい辛い気持ち抱えていても
kietai kurai tsurai kimochi kakaete itemo
鏡の前笑ってみるまだ平気みたいだよ
kagami no mae waratte miru mada heiki mitai da yo

消える（きえる） [kieru] : disappear
辛い（つらい） [tsurai] : painful
気持ち（きもち） [kimochi] : feeling
抱える（かかえる） [kakaeru] : hold
鏡（かがみ） [kagami] : mirror
前（まえ） [mae] : in front
笑う（わらう） [warau] : smile
まだ [mada] : still
平気だ（へいきだ） [heiki da] : okay
みたい [mitai] : seems

(translation) “Even if I’m holding on to feelings so painful I want to disappear
I smile in front of the mirror—it still seems like I’m okay.”

どんなときもどんなときも
donna toki mo donna toki mo
ビルの間きゅうくつそうに
biru no aida kyūkutsu sō ni
落ちて行く夕陽に
ochite iku yūhi ni
焦る気持ち溶かして行こう
aseru kimochi tokashite ikō

ビル [biru] : building
間（あいだ） [aida] : between
窮屈（きゅうくつ） [kyūkutsu] : cramped
落ちる（おちる） [ochiru] : fall
夕日（ゆうひ） [yūhi] : sunset
焦る（あせる） [aseru] : rush
溶かす（とかす） [tokasu] : melt

(translation) “No matter when, no matter when
In the cramped space between buildings,
I’ll melt away my rushing feelings
with the setting sun.”

そしていつか誰かを愛し
soshite itsuka dareka o aishi
その人を守れる強さを
sono hito o mamoreru tsuyosa o
自分の力に変えて行けるように
jibun no chikara ni kaete ikeru yō ni

そして [soshite] : and then
いつか [itsuka] : someday
愛する（あいする） [aisuru] : love
その [sono] : that
人（ひと） [hito] : person
守る（まもる） [mamoru] : protect
強さ（つよさ） [tsuyosa] : strength
自分（じぶん） [jibun] : myself
力（ちから） [chikara] : power
変える（かえる） [kaeru] : change
行く（いく） [iku] : go

(translation) “And then, someday,
I’ll turn the strength to protect the one I love
into my own power.”

“行く / iku” means “go,” but it’s often combined with other verbs. In the lyrics, there are distinctions, such as with “生きる / ikiru” (=live), “生きていく / ikite iku” (=keep on living), “落ちる / ochiru” (=fall), “落ちていく / ochite iku” (=keep on falling), and “変える / kaeru” (=change), “変えていく / kaete iku” (=gradually change). The inclusion of the sense of moving forward gives these words a more positive feeling.

どんなときもどんなときも
donna toki mo donna toki mo
僕が僕らしくあるために
boku ga bokurashiku aru tame ni
「好きなものは好き!」と
“suki na mono wa suki!” to
言えるきもち抱きしめてたい
ieru kimochi dakishimetetai
どんなときもどんなときも
donna toki mo donna toki mo
迷い探し続ける日々が
mayoi sagashi tsuzukeru hibi ga
答えになること僕は知ってるから
kotae ni naru koto boku wa shitteru kara

These are positive, uplifting lyrics. As mentioned earlier, Noriyuki Makihara’s lyrics are crafted with great care, and I believe his singing style also reflects this attentiveness. This makes his songs very easy to understand and pronounce, even for non-native speakers.