~Background~
World’s End Umbrella is a song released on February 7th of 2010. It has been featured in the Hall of Legend, and was included in Hachi’s Hanataba to Suisou, even being featured in Project Diva F, with a remastered PV. It has reached 1,300,000 NND views, and 800,000 YT views.
By Minakata Laboratory
~Lyrics~
-Note-all centered lyrics in bold are not directly sung, but included in instrumentals throughout the song.-
The great umbrella, covering the earth,
A tower is built at the center, a mass of machinery keeping it up.
As one would expect, the villages below get no sun.
And are tormented by leaks called rain.
But the people do not question,
For it is commonplace, it means nothing.
It is simply “law”.
The umbrella, blocking out the sun,
The sky crying on everyone.
And- the townspeople- all to blind- they question it not.
Towards the Umbrella, we two-faced,
And- you spat at it in disgrace.
But... that two, went into the rain and we could say not.
Within that moment I knew no one spoke-
You felt the rain and as it provoked,
You took my hand- and towards that tower....
We went running.
Together- we had always been, or so you promised me...
”There is sky that we found but in stories, it’s time we went to see.”
Within that moment, the rain simply seemed to go away-
And so, did our prior sadness, forgotten- just the same!
Struggling through the recurring rain, the couple reached the umbrella tower.
With one push, the double doors easily opened, the two not refused.
No one had even tried to enter.
It would have been the same had they been locked or not.
At the other side of that door..
Climbing- we picked up our pace, up an ancient spiral staircase,
Stained in black as the rain repeats its echo...
And... I nearly about to cry... was encouraged by you so nearby.
As you gently held my hand and took me in tow.
Chased down by a shadow ghostly white,
Countless rows of cages moved in and out of sight.
Yet there was no time to search for a reason...
Nor we’d want to.....
My hand started trembling, but you could hold them still-
Given such aid, I could not be afraid to protect you, my only will-
Gears lurking within the darkness laugh, and all seems bleak,
But hey... can you feel a gentle wind brushing past your cheek?
”The wind is blowing”
The girl said.
The boy quietly acknowledged her.
Nothing could stop their feat.
It seemed they had come far...
Yet it had seemed they barely begun running.
Hopelessly small the two were, no one found any trace of them.
No one found any trace of them.
The white shadow chasing us, stopped chasing anymore.
And though it seemed sad, it started to disappear.
Our surroundings smelled like rust, and we were colored wholly black,
But at last, murky colors turned to clear.
As we kept on walking, we heard a voice call out to us,
Maybe just imagined? Or maybe heard before.
Waiting at the far end of the hall,
At the final step,
There was a small ordinary door.
All covered in dust... waiting here, just ignored.
”Let’s open it.”
”Okay..”
And beyond it-
We saw almost all of everything thing before our eyes-
Flowers in bloom of every color- below such a vivid sky!
In this captivating world, with only you and I... all that I could need was right by my side.
The sky locked in storybooks you promised we would see,
Now in our sights, let’s return this to where it ought to be-
When I turned around, you held a bunch of flowers just for me,
And together- we laughed softly, on your shoulder I leaned...
Waiting for us at world’s end, the umbrella is raised.
As long such a world exists, for now, I’m sure that it’ll be okay...
I’ll always be happy here, as long as I’m with you...
Ahhh ah, ahh ah, ahh ahhh, ah ahh....
Waiting at umbrella where the flowers bloomed...
Faces filled with happiness stayed there forever...
Peacefully, the two slept side by side, together....
By Minakata Laboratory
~Meaning~
The lyrics don’t have any direct meaning, like all Hachi songs.
The basic synopsis is that a boy and a girl live in a town where no flowers bloom or sun shines, due to a umbrella-like structure in the middle of the town. They go into the structure and decide to escape the town.
They have many struggles, but grow through the hardships and come across a ordinary door at the top of the tower that leads to a flower filled, blue skied world.
There’s a common theory that the “sleep” was actually the two dying from a lack of oxygen, since they were so high up.
But, as said before, the lyrics don’t have a definite meaning, so it’s up to the listener.
By Minakata Laboratory
~Extra Facts~
• The song has its own page on Myanimelist.com
• The meaning of the song has been debated for a long time. It’s guessed to be about Global Warming, following your dreams, even some saying it’s about more serious matters.
•Like said before, the song was used in Project Diva- A rhythm game staring Crypton Vocaloids- and instead of making a new PV, the animation studio, Minakata Labs, remastered their animation skills to make a smoother PV!
•The PV was made by the same people who made the PV of Sand Planet!
———>Background by Shinatarou<——