The double time choreo is total murder on all of the live versions of this, but I really still adore the song, because singers find the right balance of longer notes in the vocals to contrast against the bouncing of the instrumental.
I'm reminded of the Lauryn Hill Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, which also does that "hip hop tinge to an oldschool arrangement" thing, though of course this song is way more overt about it, thanks to Nagai Rui's reliable Spector-Beatles fusion.
BE HAPPY Koi no Yajirobee (“Be Happy–Love's Balancing Toy“)
youtube
“BE HAPPY–I'd like this love to be mutual. I'd like to be just as in love with you as you are with me. Because even when we're out shopping, I want my heart to be stirred by buying the same cup as you.”
OR: A girl wants her seemingly one-sided love to balance.
kon'ya mo daisuki ga tomaranai AND
kon'ya mo namida ga tomaranai YOU KNOW?
AH koi no houteishiki OH YEAH! HOW ABOUT IT!
Once again tonight my feelings of love won't stop AND
Once again tonight my tears won't stop, you know?
Ah, love's equation–oh yeah! How about that?
kono mama daisuki ga tomaranai? da to
tandoku TOPPU no kataomoi! mitai
AH koi no yajirobee naritatanai
Will these feelings of love stay like this without stopping? If so
It looks like this will be the one TOP unrequited love of all!
Ah, love's balancing toy won't hold still and balance
If you call me up, I can talk no matter what time it is
I won't be scared off by silence–I want to become your girlfriend
BE HAPPY soushisouai ga ii anata to
onaji dake suki ga ii
datte kaimono shitete mo
onaji KOPPU de kandou shitai
BE HAPPY I'd like this love to be mutual I'd like to be
Just as in love with you as you are with me
Because even when we're out shopping, I want my heart
To be stirred by buying the same cup as you
BE HAPPY soushisouai ga ii mainichi
issho ni kaettari shitai
motto watashi no ii bubun
sarigenaku ni APIIRU shite
BE HAPPY
BE HAPPY I'd like this love to be mutual I'd like to
Go home together everyday and stuff
As I casually show off
My good points a little more
BE HAPPY
yatto koisuru omoi wa fukuzatsu AND
ano ko to aitsu wa sokubaku YOU KNOW?
AH koi no houteishiki OH YEAH! HOW ABOUT IT!
After everything, these feelings of love are complicated AND
That girl and that guy are tied down, you know?
Ah, love's equation–oh yeah! How about that?
BARANSU kankaku ga taisetsu demo
oshitari hiitari no kurikaeshi shichau
AH koi no yajirobee FURAFURA ne
It's important to have a sense of balance but
I end up constantly pushing and pulling over and over again
AH, love's balancing toy wobbles all over
nee raishuu wa tanjoubi anata no ne
soushitara mata hitotsu toshiue ni naru hito
Hey, next week is your birthday, huh?
Afterwards, you'll be one year older than me once again
BE HAPPY soushisouai no futari naraba
kowai mono wa nai wa
sou yo michi ni mayotte mo
ude wo kunde susunde yukou
BE HAPPY If we were a couple mutually in love
I wouldn't be scared of anything
That's right–even if we lose our way
I'll link my arm in yours and move forward!
BE HAPPY soushisouai no futari dakara
yowasa mo shitte hoshii
ano ne suki yo suki dakara
zutto zutto issho ga ii
BE HAPPY
BE HAPPY We'd be a couple mutually in love So
I'd want you to know my weaknesses too
Hey, I like you I like you, so
I want to be together forever and ever
BE HAPPY
BE HAPPY soushisouai no futari naraba
kowai mono wa nai wa
sou yo michi ni mayotte mo
ude wo kunde susunde yukou
BE HAPPY If we were a couple mutually in love
I wouldn't be scared of anything
That's right–even if we lose our way
I'll link my arm in yours and move forward!
BE HAPPY soushisouai no futari dakara
yowasa mo shitte hoshii
ano ne suki yo suki dakara
zutto zutto issho ga ii
BE HAPPY
BE HAPPY We'd be a couple mutually in love So
I'd want you to know my weaknesses too
Hey, I like you I like you, so
I want to be together forever and ever
BE HAPPY
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No notes, but I love how unashamedly mushy this song is, especially how “I’d like to go home together as I low-key show off my good points to you” unexpectedly turns into a much sweeter “I want you to know my weaknesses too”.
A mixtape with Hello! Project songs that features some kind of rap as an important part of the song.
01. RFRO - GIRL ZONE
02. ANGERME - Tsugi Tsugi Zoku Zoku
03. Tsubaki Factory - Kedakaku Sakihokore!
04. High-King - C\C (Cinderella\Complex)
05. 7AIR - Kowarenai Ai ga Hoshii no
06. Taiyou to Ciscomoon - Sunrise Sore Demo Hi wa Noboru
07. Country Musume. ni Konno to Fujimoto - Uwaki na Honey Pie
08. Morning Musume. - What's Up? Ai wa Dou na no yo~
09. S/mileage - Ee ka!?
10. SALT5 - GET UP! Rapper
11. Berryz Koubou - Loving you Too much
12. Tanpopo - BE HAPPY Koi no Yajirobee
13. Kobushi Factory - Kitto Watashi wa
14. Morning Musume. '19 - Seishun Night
15. Erina Ikuta, Riho Sayashi, Kanon Suzuki, Ayumi Ishida & Sakura Oda - Funwari Koibito Ichinensei
16. ℃-ute - Final Squall
1999: Morning Musume - Memory Seishun no Hikari | Morning Musume - Wasurerannai | Country Musume - Morning Gyuunyuu | Morning Musume - NIGHT OF TOKYO CITY | Taiyou to Ciscomoon - Hey You! | Taiyou to Ciscomoon - Sunrise Sore Demo Hi wa Noboru
2002: Sexy 8 - Shiawase Desu ka? | Morning Musume - Do it! Now | Tanpopo - BE HAPPY Koi no Yajirobee | Melon Kinenbi - Kousui
2003: SALT5 - GET UP! Rapper | 7AIR - Kowarenai Ai ga Hoshii no | Country Musume - Uwaki na Honey Pie | ROMANS - SEXY NIGHT ~Wasurerarenai Kare~ | Goto Maki - Daite yo! PLEASE GO ON | Minimoni - CRAZY ABOUT YOU
2004: Morning Musume - Dokusenyoku | Nochiura Natsumi - LOVE LIKE CRAZY
tanpopo’s BE HAPPY Koi no Yajirobee (duh), s/m’s uchoten LOVE,
what h!p songs do you think are the saddest?
mm’s mikaeri bijin, mm’s toki wo koe, mano erina’s next myself
what h!p songs do you think are bittersweet?
c-ute’s Ai wa Marude Seidenki, mm’s aruiteru, mm’s endless sky, and bk’s very beauty. (okay but really the whole tsunku brand is bittersweet songs so these are just the most bittersweet imo)