Gold -Mata Au Hi Made-

おととい来やがれ

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Mata Au Hi Made (Gold) is the first single released by Hikaru Utada ever since the launch of their English-Japanese album, BAD MODE, in 2022.

I don't have the full context to what went into this song's creation, and I wish I did. All I really know are the lyrics, the video visuals, and how it makes me feel. There's a lot I want to unpack about this song, Mata Au Hi Made, which translates to "Until the day we meet again".

It is accompanied by a music video that I dare say is equally as important, nay, inseparable to the song as the audio itself. With Utada walking down an empty, foggy street that appears to resemble Shinjuku City, undertoned with a lovely piano ballad, there's a sense of somber loneliness you can feel, before any words are even spoken.

Unfortunately for me, the lyrics start off with ideological sweeping statements, in regards to some of the unavoidable highs and lows of being alive.

• Happiness - it's just waiting nearby. It's not all fun and games, but even the things that suck will one day blossom like flowers.
  • It's unfortunate because I'm an absolute sucker for this kind of writing.
• Anyone that shines like you... like gold, refuses to be an ornament and fashioned by just anyone.

In typical Utada fashion, they stroll down the street by themselves, as if they're in their own universe. Some truck drivers and whatnot can be noticed, but that's real life seeming to work around Utada's intentions, and not the other way around. Hikaru's method of cinematography enhances the intimacy of the scenarios that she sings about, focussing strictly on herself and her emotions.

As the song continued, my heart steadily started to sink once I started to piece things together, especially with regards to the song title. This song seems to be about the void that's left when someone close is no longer around.

また逢う日まで

また逢う日まで

また逢う日まで

Immediately after I piece this together, there's a change of tone and tempo. Looking back, I think this serves as the representation of self-reflection, since the lyrics change in tone pretty dramatically.

• Tragedies that could someday happen, I take them and say
  • F--k off, go bother me some other day

In the official video, 「おととい来やがれ」 is translated as "F--k off, you belong in the past", though the phrase directly translates to "Come back the day before yesterday", this has a bit of an indirect meaning. I think this translation as "go bother me some other day" more closely resembles the theme of the song than what was actually in the video, especially when considering the past lyrics where Utada acknowledged that the pain won't "ever really go away".

• I'm gonna fill my calendar with lots of fun plans
  • My tears are on hold, until the day we meet again

Oh my god. These are my favourite lyrics in the entire song, on principle of flipping the downcast tone from the song on its head. Grievance is a process, one that can consume someone entirely if they're left alone in their thoughts. But there is a sense of momentum and hope within these two lines, and it is beautiful to see how someone else was able to process these emotions in a positive and healthy way. It's not something I was able to do.

You can tell that the subject of the song is someone who has been unforgettable and inseparable from the beginning, and that bond will continue to be inseparable even outside of the realm of the living. At this point in the music video, Utada starts to walk jovially, even beginning to levitate, indicating the freeing nature of her mind letting go of the initial pain caused by the departure of the person close to them. At this point, their positivity is almost infectious, and Utada once again ensures that any out distractions don't detract from her achieving peace.

Gold brings out memories of pure, unadulterated dread and hopelessness. It somehow also evokes a gentle reminder that, while the worst has already happened, there might be room for progression and healing.

• You bystanders are making too much noise
  • Please shut up for a second.

This one made me smile for a bit, as the original Japanese word-choice Hikaru used came off as a bit arrogant by "politely" requesting that onlookers simply "shut up". Using "please" in the translation doesn't really convey this as obviously as it does in the original language, but it just reinforces that nothing can bring her down at this point. Her attitude here is really empowering, to say the least.

一番いいとこが始まる - "The best part is about to start."

This song, if I recall correctly, is Hikaru's first single ever since their 2022 release of the English-Japanese BAD MODE album. That album was Utada's first time mixing multiple languages into one album, but the artist continues to break new ground even here. Being of Japanese heritage, born in New York, and living in London, Hikaru breaks into French in the next line. It only underscores here personal evolution, which is amazingly still on-point for the song.

The song breaks into a lovely layering of harmony and vocalisations that Hikaru is known for. It ties the song together, ending the tragedy on a momentous and comforting note.

I would be lying if I said this song doesn't make me emotional every time I listen to it. This might be one of the best songs I've ever listened to.

Lyrics

Original	Romanised	Translation
追いかけても追いつけぬ 幸せは側で待ってるだけ	Oikaketemo oitsukenu Shiawase wa soba de matteru dake	Chasing it won't get you any closer to it Happiness—it's just waiting nearby
楽しいことばかりじゃないけど 嫌なことなんて いつかまた思い出話する日の 花になる迄	Tanoshii koto bakari ja nai kedo Iya na koto nante Itsuka mata omoide hanashi suru hi no Hana ni naru made	It's not all fun and games But even the stuff that really suck Will blossom like flowers When we talk about old times one day
No, no, 知らないよ あなたのように輝けるもの No, no, 飾りにも 誰のものにもならない gold	No, no, shiranai yo Anata no you ni kagayakeru mono No, no, kazari ni mo Dare no mono ni mo naranai gold	No, no, I don't know Anything that shines like you No, no, Gold that refuses to be an ornament Or to be owned by anyone
何処かで流れるBGM あれ以来聴いてなかった曲	Dokoka de nagareru BGM Are irai kiitenakatta kyoku	There's music playing somewhere It's the song I hadn't listened to since then
遠ざかっていく景色から目を 離せない 別れの言葉じゃなく 独り言 また逢う日まで また逢う日まで また逢う日まで	Toozakatte iku keshiki kara Me wo hanasenai Wakare no kotoba ja naku hitorigoto Mata au hi made Mata au hi made Mata au hi made	I can't look away From the scenery speeding away from me These aren't words of farewell, I'm just talking to myself Til the day we meet again Til the day we meet again Til the day we meet again
いつか起きるかもしれない悲劇を 捕まえて言う おととい来やがれ 楽しい予定を いっぱい入れるの 涙はお預け また逢う日まで	Itsuka okiru kamo shirenai higeki wo Tsukamaete iu "Ototoi kiyagare" Tanoshii yotei wo ippai ireru no Namida wa wo azuke Mata au hi made	The tragedies that might happen one day I capture them and say "F--k off, go bother me some other day" My schedule for fun times will be Filled completely full My tears are on hold Until the day we meet again
No, no, 消えないよ あなたの隣で見つけたもの No, no, 飾りにも 誰のものにもならない gold	No, no, kienai yo Anata no tonari de mitsuketa mono No, no, kazari ni mo Dare no mono ni mo naranai gold	No, no, it won't even disappear What I found when I was by your side No, no, Gold that refuses to be an ornament Or to be owned by anyone
プラチナもダイヤモンドも アンドロメダも勝負にならぬ 外野はうるさい ちょっと黙っててください 一番いいとこが始まる	Purachina mo daiyamondo mo Andoromeda mo shoubu ni naranu Gaiya wa urusai Chotto damattete kudasai Ichiban ii toko ga hajimaru	Platinum, diamonds And Andromeda are no match for you You outsiders are making too much noise For a second... shut up, please The best part is about to start
"Tout le monde est fou de toi" 「世界中が君に夢中」 たしかそんな意味だったはず	"Tout le monde est fous de toi" "Sekai juu ga kimi ni muchuu" Tashika sonna imi datta hazu	"All of the world is crazy for you" "The entire world is crazy about you" I'm pretty sure it must've meant something like that
たしか そんなはず たしか そんな そんなはず You are You are You are You are You are (don't you know that?) You are You are You are (Gold)	Tashika Sonna hazu Tashika Sonna Sonna hazu You are You are You are You are You are (don't you know that?) You are You are You are (Gold)	Certainly... That should be right It must be Like that That should be it You are You are You are You are You are (don't you know that?) You are You are You are (Gold)
いつか起きるかもしれない悲劇を 捕まえて言う「おととい来やがれ 楽しい予定を いっぱい入れるの 涙はお預け また逢う日まで	Itsuka okiru kamo shirenai higeki wo Tsukamaete iu "Ototoi kiyagare" Tanoshii yotei wo ippai ireru no Namida wa wo azuke Mata au hi made	The tragedies that might happen one day I capture them and say "F--k off, go bother me some other day" My schedule for fun times will be Filled completely full My tears are on hold Until the day we meet again