SKE48 – Katariau koto kara hajimeyou. Lyrics Meaning: Let’s Start by Talking It Out

What would you write if someone gave you a marker and pointed to a blank whiteboard, asking you to name a problem worth discussing? SKE48’s song “Katariau koto kara hajimeyou” throws us right into that moment of panic. This track is all about the struggle to find your voice when you feel like a tiny, silent part of a giant machine.

    The Story of SKE48’s “Katariau koto kara hajimeyou”

    The song paints a really clear picture. It’s not just about a feeling; it’s about a specific scene that kicks everything off.

    The Blank Whiteboard Moment

    Imagine this. You’re handed a black marker. In front of you is a totally empty whiteboard. The instruction is simple: “Write down a problem you think we should talk about.” But your mind goes completely blank. The song’s opening lines capture this perfectly.

    Nani mo kaitenai howaitoboodo
    A whiteboard with nothing written on it
    Kuroi maakaa watasare
    I’m handed a black marker
    Kimi ga omou katariau beki
    What you think we should discuss
    Mondai o agero to iu
    They say to raise a problem

    It’s that sudden pressure to have an opinion. The lyrics say we’re usually too busy just living to think about big ideas like happiness or misfortune. We just don’t have the time.

    Just a Cog in the Machine

    The song then introduces a powerful metaphor. We are all just cogs, or haguruma, in a massive machine called society. We turn and clatter, doing our part without ever really knowing our purpose. We just keep things moving.

    Hito wa haguruma de shika nai
    People are nothing but cogs
    Jibun no yakume o shirazu ni
    Without knowing their own role
    Tada katakata to mawari tsudzukete
    They just keep clattering and turning
    Shakai to iu na no kikai o ugokashiterun da
    Making the machine called society move

    This part feels so real. The song asks, “Where is our own will in all of this?” We just find ourselves lined up, moving forward because if one person stops, the whole line stops. There’s no room to question things.

    A Call to Shout

    But then, the chorus changes everything. It’s a sudden burst of energy. Even if our path is already set, the song urges us to scream out what we’re truly feeling inside. It’s about finally acknowledging the anger and pain we didn’t even realize we were holding onto.

    Konomou to konomazarou to kimatterun da
    Whether you like it or not, it’s already decided
    Soredemo sono mune no uchi o sakebe
    Even so, shout out what’s in your heart
    Kidzukazu ni ita ikari ya itami
    The anger and pain you didn’t notice
    Katariau koto kara hajimeyou
    Let’s start by talking it out

    That last line is the title and the whole point. The first step isn’t a revolution. It’s just a conversation.

    What’s at the Heart of “Katariau koto kara hajimeyou”?

    This song is about the journey from being a silent, obedient part to becoming someone who speaks up. It’s about realizing that you’ve been conditioned to stay quiet and not cause trouble. The lyrics mention how we get used to enduring things and learn to “save” our emotions. But the song pushes back against that, saying we should throw a stone into the quiet water and see what happens. The core idea is that real change begins with the simple, brave act of talking.

    The Big Takeaway: Your Voice Matters, Even When It’s Quiet

    So, what’s the big lesson here? It’s that you don’t need a perfect, world-changing idea to write on that whiteboard. You just need to start talking. “Katariau koto kara hajimeyou” is a reminder that ignoring problems is the easy way out, but it’s a detour. Facing things, even if it’s just by talking to someone, is the real path forward. Your feelings, your anger, and your pain are valid. Giving them a voice is the first and most important step.

    So, What Do You Think?

    This song really hits deep, right? It makes you think about all the times you stayed quiet when you wanted to say something. I’d love to hear your take on it. Does the “cog in the machine” idea resonate with you? Let’s chat about it!

    Lyrics: "Katariau koto kara hajimeyou" by SKE48


    SKE48 – Katariau koto kara hajimeyou [Lyrics KANJI]


    何も書いてない ホワイトボード
    黒いマーカー渡され
    君が思う 語り合うべき
    問題を挙げろと言う

    急に言われても 何も思い浮かばないよ
    誰もそんなこと考えちゃいない
    不幸とか幸せとか 自分の暮らしを振り返る
    余裕なんてあるわけないだろう

    人は歯車でしかない
    自分の役目を知らずに
    ただカタカタと 回り続けて
    社会という名の機械を動かしてるんだ

    僕たちの意思なんてどこにあるのか?
    気づいたら この場所に並んでいた
    進む行列 一人休めば
    そう止まってしまう

    好もうと好まざろうと決まってるんだ
    それでもその胸の内を叫べ
    気づかずにいた 怒りや痛み
    語り合うことから始めよう

    人生で一番 やっぱ大事なことってさ
    見ないふりだけはしないってことだろ?
    いいことや悪いこと ちゃんと見てなきゃダメなんだ
    ずっと逃げ続けて遠回り

    我慢するって慣れて来る
    歯車だけじゃ外れない
    無理を承知で言うだけ言って
    みんなはどうかと一石 投じたいんだ

    僕たちは知らぬ間に諦めてるのか?
    感情をセーブするようになった
    冷静な分 自分の意見
    主張する気もない

    歯車は 油を差し 歯向かうことなく
    キーキーと軋む音 しないように
    与えられてる場所だけ守れ
    語り合うことより ひたむきに•••

    僕たちの問題は解決できる?
    改めて考えてもわからないよ
    それでもここで時間を取って
    語り合うべきだろ?

    僕たちの意思なんてどこにあるのか?
    気づいたら この場所に並んでいた
    進む行列 一人休めば
    そう止まってしまう

    好もうと好まざろうと決まってるんだ
    それでもその胸の内を叫べ
    気づかずにいた 怒りや痛み
    語り合うことから始めよう

    SKE48 – Katariau koto kara hajimeyou [Lyrics ROMAJI]


    Nani mo kaitenai howaito bōdo
    Kuroi mākā watasare
    Kimi ga omou katariau beki
    Mondai o agero to iu

    Kyū ni iwaretemo nani mo omoitsukabanai yo
    Dare mo sonna koto kangaechainai
    Fukō to ka shiawase to ka jibun no kurashi o furikaeru
    Yoyū nante aru wake nai darō

    Hito wa haguruma de shika nai
    Jibun no yakume o shirazu ni
    Tada katakata to mawari tsuzukete
    Shakai to iu na no kikai o ugokashiteru’nda

    Bokutachi no ishi nante doko ni aru no ka?
    Kizuitara kono basho ni narandeita
    Susumu gyōretsu hitori yasumeba
    Sō tomatte shimau

    Konomō to konomazarō to kimatteru’nda
    Soredemo sono mune no uchi o sakebe
    Kizukazu ni ita ikari ya itami
    Katariau koto kara hajimeyō

    Jinsei de ichiban yappa daiji na koto tte sa
    Minai furi dake wa shinai tte koto daro?
    Ii koto ya warui koto chanto mitenakya dame nanda
    Zutto nige tsuzukete tōmawari

    Gaman suru tte narete kuru
    Haguruma dake ja hazurenai
    Muri o shōchi de iu dake itte
    Minna wa dō ka to isseki tōjitai’nda

    Bokutachi wa shiranu ma ni akirameteru no ka?
    Kanjō o sēbu suru yō ni natta
    Reiseiteki na bun jibun no iken
    Shuchō suru ki mo nai

    Haguruma wa abura o sashi hamukau koto naku
    Kīkī to kishimu oto shinai yō ni
    Ataerareteru basho dake mamore
    Katariau koto yori hitamuki ni…

    Bokutachi no mondai wa kaiketsu dekiru?
    Aratamete kangaetemo wakaranai yo
    Soredemo koko de jikan o totte
    Katariau beki daro?

    Bokutachi no ishi nante doko ni aru no ka?
    Kizuitara kono basho ni narandeita
    Susumu gyōretsu hitori yasumeba
    Sō tomatte shimau

    Konomō to konomazarō to kimatteru’nda
    Soredemo sono mune no uchi o sakebe
    Kizukazu ni ita ikari ya itami
    Katariau koto kara hajimeyō

    SKE48 – Katariau koto kara hajimeyou [English translation]


    There’s a blank whiteboard with nothing on it.
    You handed me a black marker and said,
    “List the problems you think
    we should talk about.”

    Even if you ask me suddenly, nothing comes to mind, you know?
    No one’s really thinking about things like that.
    Like misfortune or happiness, or looking back at our own lives…
    We definitely don’t have the luxury for that, do we?

    People are just cogs in a machine.
    Without even knowing our own roles,
    we just keep turning, clatter-clatter,
    moving the machine called society.

    Where is our own will in all of this?
    Before we knew it, we were all lined up here.
    In this moving line, if just one person rests,
    yes, it will stop.

    Whether we like it or not, it’s already decided.
    Even so, scream out what’s in your heart!
    The anger and pain we hadn’t noticed,
    let’s start by talking about them.

    The most important thing in life, I guess,
    is probably not to pretend you don’t see things, right?
    Good things and bad things, we really need to look at them properly.
    If we keep running away, it’s just a long detour.

    We get used to enduring things, you know?
    Just being a cog won’t break us free.
    Knowing it might be difficult, let’s just speak our minds,
    and challenge everyone by asking, “What about you?”

    Are we giving up without even realizing it?
    We’ve started to hold back our emotions.
    Because we’re so calm, we don’t even
    feel like asserting our own opinions.

    Cogs get oiled without any resistance,
    so they don’t make a squeaking sound.
    “Just protect the place you’ve been given,
    more diligently than talking it over…”

    Can our problems actually be solved?
    Even if I think about it again, I just don’t know.
    Even so, we should take some time right here,
    and talk things over, shouldn’t we?

    Where is our own will in all of this?
    Before we knew it, we were all lined up here.
    In this moving line, if just one person rests,
    yes, it will stop.

    Whether we like it or not, it’s already decided.
    Even so, scream out what’s in your heart!
    The anger and pain we hadn’t noticed,
    let’s start by talking about them.

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