Follow the Nightingale

Kokia likens the song to "Chowa Oto" from her Trip Trip album.{{cite web | url=http://www.kokia.com/blog/1/ | script-title=ja:11月21日リリース！！ニューシングル！ |work='Otonami' Music Translator Kokia's Blog | language=Japanese |date=2007-10-12 |accessdate=2010-05-02| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501003659/http://www.kokia.com/blog/1/ | archivedate=1 May 2010 }} She described the song as being like a magnificent film's soundtrack, such as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. She also describes the song as being "like a horse running through a great plain."

"Follow the Nightingale" is an upbeat song influenced by dark wave neoclassical music, with two major movements. The first movement (occurring three times, 0:00-0:40, 1:19-1:50 and 2:17-3:23) are quiet, featuring light chorus work by Kokia, the harp, stringed instruments and the piano. The final section of this movement features an extended bridge, with Kokia singing in operatic vocals. The second movement (0:40-1:19, 1:50-2:17 and 3:57-4:36) begins with the sound of maracas and Kokia's voice amplified several times with layered chorus work. It then moves into a complex arrangement of strings and drums/cymbals, along with Kokia's chorus work and the maracas.

The lyrics of the song come in two different sections: coded Japanese and standard Japanese.{{cite web |title=Follow the Nightingale - KOKIA 歌詞情報 - goo 音楽 |url=http://music.goo.ne.jp/lyric/LYRUTND63030/index.html |publisher=Goo Ongaku |language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804032458/http://music.goo.ne.jp/lyric/LYRUTND63030/index.html |archivedate=2009-08-04 }} Kokia describes these coded sections as "perplexing riddle words." The standard Japanese is written in capital letters in a roman script (such as the first line, "REGNIH REGNIH CI AN ETTAM REGNIH ETTAM ETTAM"). The standard Japanese only appears in the first movement's second and third sections, while the coded lyrics appear throughout the song.

Kokia has written coded lyrics previously, for her song "Chowa Oto" (in which each syllable was reversed).{{cite web | url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/jpop/essentials/kokia/index.html | title= KOKIA Special Feature |work=CDJapan |year=2006 |accessdate=2010-03-08}} However, this cipher does not work for the lyrics of "Follow the Nightingale." If each individual letter is reversed, some comprehensible lyrics are able to be read (such as "ATTAMIJAHAHIRA TAGONOM" becoming {{nihongo|"monogatari ha hajimatta"|物語は始まった|The Story Has Begun}}, and "ATERA REGANAHIAS" becoming {{nihongo|"sai ha nagerareta"|骰は投げられた|The Dice Were Able to Have Been Thrown}}), however this does not work in all cases.{{cite web | url=http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/18994/kokia/follow-the-nightingale.html | title=Follow The Nightingale - Kokia Lyrics | work=JPOp Asia | language=Japanese, English | accessdate=2010-05-02 | archive-date=2009-04-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418174945/http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/18994/kokia/follow-the-nightingale.html | url-status=dead }}

"Say Goodbye & Good Day," in comparison, is a pop song, arranged with a standard band backing (bass, guitar, drums) and piano, with without complex chorus work. Kokia described "Say Goodbye & Good Day" as being a refreshing song. On her decision to use the word "goodbye" (despite its sad implications), she notes she chose it to give the feeling of "advancing to the next step."

"Follow the Nightingale" and "Say Goodbye & Good Day" were used as the theme song for the game Tales of Innocence, which was released 16 days later on the 6th of December.{{cite web | date=November 28, 2007 | title=Tales of Innocence DS Scores High, Gets High Price | url=http://www.gemaga.com/2007/11/28/tales-of-innocence-ds-scores-high-gets-high-price | work=Gemaga.com | accessdate=2009-08-09| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218062103/http://www.gemaga.com/2007/11/28/tales-of-innocence-ds-scores-high-gets-high-price | archivedate=18 December 2009 }}

Kokia featured in several minor media outlets in promotion of the single, such as internet TV show Ameba Studio on November 24, the NHK TV show Manga Yawa on the 29th, and on the Nippon Broadcasting radio show Mucomi on December the 6th.{{cite web | title=11月24日インターネットTV『Ameba Studio』に出演 | url=http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/tv.html | publisher=Kokia Web | language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223094914/http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/tv.html | archivedate=23 December 2009 }}{{cite web | script-title=ja:11月29日深夜24:05放送の「マンガ夜話」出演 | url=http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/nhk_bs.html | publisher=Kokia Web | language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223094845/http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/nhk_bs.html | archivedate=23 December 2009 }}{{cite web | script-title=ja:ニッポン放送「ミューコミ」(毎週月曜〜木曜、24:00〜25:00)に出演！ | url=http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/post_17.html | publisher=Kokia Web | language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223095035/http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/post_17.html | archivedate=23 December 2009 }} She also had a feature article in Shūkan Famitsū in the December 14 issue.{{cite web | script-title=ja:週刊ファミ通2007年12月14日号にインタビュー掲載！ | url=http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/post_14.html | publisher=Kokia Web | language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223095023/http://www.kokia.com/20/2020/post_14.html | archivedate=23 December 2009 }}

On December 22, 2007, Kokia performed "Follow the Nightingale" at the 2008 Jump Festa anime/game expo.{{cite web|script-title=ja:ジャンプフェスタ2008 :おた☆スケ -おたくのスケジュール帳- |url=http://www.ota-suke.jp/event/6968 |publisher=Ota-Suke |language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224120944/http://www.ota-suke.jp/event/6968 |archivedate=December 24, 2007 }}{{cite web | script-title=ja:12月22日(土)幕張メッセ「ジャンプフェスタ2008」にゲスト出演！ | url=http://www.kokia.com/20/2010/12222008.html | publisher=Kokia Web | language=Japanese |accessdate=2010-05-02| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530054756/http://www.kokia.com/20/2010/12222008.html | archivedate=30 May 2010 }}

The song debuted at #23 on Oricon's daily singles chart, peaking at #22. For her first week, Kokia's single peaked at #33, selling 4,600 copies. The single charted for nine weeks, selling a total of 12,000 copies in this time. Because of this, "Follow the Nightingale" is Kokia's fourth best selling single, after "The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss," "Kawaranai Koto (Since 1976)" and "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)".

{{tracklist

| extra_column = Arranger(s)

| total_length = 18:45

| title1 = Follow the Nightingale

| writer1 = Kokia

| extra1 = Taisuke Sawachika

| length1 = 4:36

| title2 = Say Goodbye & Good Day

| writer2 = Kokia

| extra2 = Sawachika

| length2 = 6:06

| title3 = Follow the Nightingale (Original Karaoke)

| writer3 = Kokia

| extra3 = Sawachika

| length3 = 4:36

| title4 = Say Goodbye & Good Day (Original Karaoke)

| writer4 = Kokia

| extra4 = Sawachika

| length4 = 6:07

}}

{{Listen|filename=Kokia - Follow the Nightingale.ogg|title="Follow the Nightingale"|description=A sample from the second movement of "Follow the Nightingale."|format=Ogg|filename2=Kokia - Say Goodbye & Good Day.ogg|title2="Say Goodbye & Good Day"|description2=The chorus of "Say Goodbye & Good Day."|format2=Ogg}}

• Katsuhiko "Chara" Asano - recording & mixing engineer
• Shigeyuki Hirano - director (Anco & Co.)
• Noriko Inose - photographer
• Masao Itō - head of promotion (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)
• Hiroshi Kawasaki - mastering engineer
• Kokia - performer, producer, styling, songwriter
• Keiichi Nozaki - director (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)
• Kaoru Nyūi - hair & makeup
• Shiro Sasaki - executive producer (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)
• Masakazu Sato - sales promoter (Victor Entertainment)
• Taisuke Sawachika - arranger
• Seishi Takeuchi - post pro editor (Victor Entertainment)
• E. Yaguchi - arti direction, design
• Hiroshi Yamashita - sales promoter (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Discography/A012051/VTCL-35011.html Victor Follow the Nightingale profile] {{in lang|ja}}
• [http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/cs/list/talesofinnocence/themesong/ Bandai Tales of Innocence theme songs profile page] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Kokia}}

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Category:Kokia (singer) songs

Category:2007 singles

Category:Songs in Japanese

Category:Tales (video game series) music

Category:Video game theme songs

Category:Songs written by Kokia (singer)

Category:2007 songs