Commenting On: Adaptation Analysis: Utada’s Hikari vs. Simple And Clean

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All Comments: 4

  1. Maria says:

    Since I was younger I always thought she says “you don’t hear me say ‘please oh baby, don’t go’” because her lover has left her feeling “simple and clean”, meaning she is completely satisfied. Now that I’m older and have experienced love I feel like I understand more of the song “The daily things that keep us all busy are confusing me” = She is stressed, overcomplicating things and seeking validation from her partner.
    “Don’t get me wrong I love you, but does that mean I have to walk on water?”= her partner reminds her he loves her and that’s enough. She’s expecting the impossible from him.
    “When you are older you’ll understand it’s enough when I say so and maybe some things are that simple.” he’s saying eventually she will understand that what they have is enough; they love each other and it’s that simple. She understands this, and is completely reassured, at peace and cleared of any doubt, hence now she feels “simple and clean”

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  2. Steffani says:

    I really enjoyed this analysis. I have loved these songs for over a decade and finally decided to look up the differences between the two. Thank you for taking the time to do all of this.

    Now, back to KH3. Again

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  3. Zeke says:

    Great read! It’s amazing how much different it is to read the lyrics of a song than it is to just listen to it. I never noticed before how great some of the lines are in “Simple and Clean.” It’s interesting how the songs seem so alike, but also different. Is it possible the songs are about the same couple?

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    1. Cindy Caraturo says:

      I had thought about whether “Simple And Clean” is a kind of second part to “Hikari.” I think that kind of interpretation can work. Perhaps in “Hikari,” she was moving too fast for him, so things like meeting her family made him really uncomfortable. Then, she allows time to pass, and while her feelings for him grow, he hasn’t made any progression. I, of course, don’t know what Utada was considering when she translated the lyrics and adapted them into “Simple And Clean,” but it’s definitely an interesting theory.

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