Show Me Love (Not a Dream)
Encyclopedia
"Show Me Love" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter
Hikaru Utada. It was released digitally as the third single from Utada's second Japanese compilation album, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2
, on November 17, 2010.
The lyrics of the song are self-reflective, with the protagonist of the song making statements about their own flaws, such letting their lack of confidence get the best of them, endless anxiety, and weakness, however says that these are not things they are embarrassed about. Several images in the verses are created, such as slowly sinking to the bottom of a lake, chasing two rabbits but catching only one, and a purple traffic light stopping her thoughts. The song later tells people to scream, find the source of pain and to forget theories; and that it "is good if we all carry deep darkness." The song finishes with several aphoristic statements, such as "If you climb a mountain, you must go down," "no matter what kind of deep love you have, it is imperfect." The song ends with a plea to recognise yourself and your own courage.
"Show Me Love (Not a Dream)" was inspired by the feelings Utada felt while making her decision to go on hiatus.
" before it. Later in February 2011, the song will be used as the theme song for the Tomohisa Yamashita
starring film adaptation of the manga Tomorrow's Joe
.
The song was performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life
in December 2010.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Hikaru Utada. It was released digitally as the third single from Utada's second Japanese compilation album, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2
Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2
Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 is Japanese pop singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada's second compilation album, released on November 24, 2010, the same day as her Universal-released English language compilation album, Utada the Best...
, on November 17, 2010.
Composition and inspiration
The song is a multi-sectioned composition, featuring piano, synths and later a rock arrangement featuring drums and bass. The song begins with a piano solo, which leads into a section featuring Utada's vocals and atmospheric background synths. Background vocals and a bass line are later added in this section. For the first chorus, these instruments cut out, and the arrangement is replaced with a rock sound. The rock sound persists until the end of the song, with occasional verse sections featuring background vocals, atmospheric sounds and piano.The lyrics of the song are self-reflective, with the protagonist of the song making statements about their own flaws, such letting their lack of confidence get the best of them, endless anxiety, and weakness, however says that these are not things they are embarrassed about. Several images in the verses are created, such as slowly sinking to the bottom of a lake, chasing two rabbits but catching only one, and a purple traffic light stopping her thoughts. The song later tells people to scream, find the source of pain and to forget theories; and that it "is good if we all carry deep darkness." The song finishes with several aphoristic statements, such as "If you climb a mountain, you must go down," "no matter what kind of deep love you have, it is imperfect." The song ends with a plea to recognise yourself and your own courage.
"Show Me Love (Not a Dream)" was inspired by the feelings Utada felt while making her decision to go on hiatus.
Promotion
The song was used in an advertising commercial campaign for Recochoku digital media store during the album's release, much like "Goodbye HappinessGoodbye Happiness
"Goodbye Happiness" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released as the lead track from Utada's second Japanese compilation album, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2, in November 2010...
" before it. Later in February 2011, the song will be used as the theme song for the Tomohisa Yamashita
Tomohisa Yamashita
, also widely known as Yamapi, is a Japanese idol, actor, and singer.Yamashita joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of 11 and made his official CD debut with NEWS in 2004. He debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the hit single "Daite Senorita". His first solo...
starring film adaptation of the manga Tomorrow's Joe
Tomorrow's Joe
is a critically acclaimed boxing manga written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba in 1968 that was later adapted into an anime series and movie. It is most commonly referred to as Ashita no Joe. Outside Japan it is also referred to as Rocky Joe or Joe...
.
The song was performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life
Wild Life (concert)
WILD LIFE was Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada's final concert tour before her scheduled hiatus from 2011. Performing only two dates at the Yokohama Arena, Japan on December 8 and 9 2010.-Set list:-Tickets:...
in December 2010.
Chart rankings
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart RIAJ Digital Track Chart The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads .... Top 100 |
21 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Japan Adult Contemporary Airplay |
20 |
| Billboard Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
27 |
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart Top 100 | 33 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Full-length cellphone download, ringtone | |
| PC download |