TSUBASA – English Lyrics

• By: Awich, Yomi Jah

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heart of Okinawa's story with Awich's powerful song, 'TSUBASA' featuring Yomi Jah. This track offers a unique window into Japanese culture and the nuances of the Okinawan experience. You can learn vocabulary related to hope, resilience, and the beauty of overcoming adversity, while also appreciating the blend of hip-hop with poignant lyrical storytelling.

[English]

“Good bye” is coming our way From over the ocean into our day

So until that very moment, let’s play

Counting shadows above our heads And dreams of flying away

Imagine breaking through the sky into our future

As we chase the rainbow

We are trying to let it go

And trying to sing louder than their roars

But the tearing noise Is blocking our words

You didn’t hear my “thanks”

So we just wave our hands

How does our island look from that window?

We wanna break free and fly too Into the beautiful blue sky

Things we’ve lost People we’ve missed

Let’s go find them

Spreading our own wings

We always look up to the shadows Flying in the sky

If that cloud moves then We just know that it’s gonna rain

Rain sparkle in the sunset and drips

That’s the island’s beautiful and playful gifts

Our playground enclosed by the fence of another country

Every morning we hear both Kimigayo and Star-spangled

Kick push and feel the wind of the hills of Futenma

No matter what you are, we know we’re all humans

Everyday we walk, laugh cry and laugh again

What we like changes and what we hate changes

“What did you say?” Your words blown away by the airplane

You said it’s nothing You said “See you soon again”

So It’s ok It’s ok

We have nothing we fear

See you soon again at our promised spot

So we just wave our hands

How does our island look from that window?

We wanna break free and fly too Into the beautiful blue sky

Things we’ve lost People we’ve missed

Let’s go find them

Spreading our own wings

Whimsical sky smile with the rainbow again

Your laughs let me know that we are at where it begins 　

Open our arms and look to the sky Take a fly like them choppas

If we say we do then we just do it You know that nothing can stop us

In the city we were born, love and pain still swirling

Light, shadow, rain and winds, “champloo” we mixin

One day we’ll show you how beautiful it is

Our beats echo forever louder than any noise

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A2	noun - a farewell
ocean /ˈoʊʃən/ A2	noun - a large body of salt water
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to imagine or hope for something
fly /flaɪ/ A2	verb - to move through the air using wings
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - water that falls from clouds
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the expanse of air over the Earth
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ B1	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ B1	noun - the time yet to come
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ B1	noun - a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm
island /ˈaɪlənd/ A2	noun - a piece of land surrounded by water
playground /ˈpleɪɡraʊnd/ A2	noun - an outdoor area for children to play
mix /mɪks/ B1	verb - to combine or blend different substances
echo /ˈɛkoʊ/ B2	verb - to repeat a sound by reflection
swirl /swɜːrl/ B2	verb - to move in a twisting or spiraling pattern

Key Grammar Structures

• So until that very moment, let’s play

  ➔ Present simple with 'let's' (let us) for suggestions or intentions

  ➔ 'Let's' is a contraction of 'let us' used to make suggestions or express intentions.

• You didn’t hear my “thanks”

  ➔ Past simple with negative form (did not / didn't) for negation

  ➔ 'Didn't' is the contraction of 'did not' used to form the negative past tense.

• Into the beautiful blue sky

  ➔ Preposition 'into' indicating movement toward a space or area

  ➔ 'Into' is a preposition used to show movement from the outside to the inside of a place or space.

• We are trying to let it go

  ➔ Present continuous with 'are trying' to express an ongoing effort

  ➔ 'Are trying' is the present continuous tense used to describe an ongoing effort or attempt.

• Looking up to the shadows

  ➔ Phrasal verb 'look up to' meaning to admire or respect

  ➔ 'Look up to' is a phrasal verb meaning to admire or respect someone.

• If that cloud moves then we just know that it’s gonna rain

  ➔ First conditional with 'if' to express a real possibility

  ➔ First conditional uses 'if' + present tense in the if-clause and 'will'/'gonna' + base verb in the main clause to talk about real future possibilities.

• Our beats echo forever louder than any noise

  ➔ Comparative form 'louder' to compare two qualities

  ➔ 'Louder' is the comparative form of 'loud', used to compare the volume of sounds.