Teenage City Riot (stylized as TEENAGE CITY RIOT) is a song by multinational hip-hop/funk band ALI. It was going to be the opening theme for The World Ends with You The Animation, but was replaced by Twister -Animation OP ver.- following drummer Kahadio's arrest on fraud charges.[1][2] It was announced as the opening theme on November 23rd, 2020.
ALI's drummer, Kahadio (real name Kadio Shirai), was arrested for an advance-fee fraud scam in early April 2021.[3] On April 8th, 2021, just over 24 hours before the premiere of The Animation, it was announced that Teenage City Riot would be replaced. Its use in the first episode was replaced with Calling - Animation OP Ver. -. In the second episode onwards, the show's opening animation uses TWISTER - Animation OP ver. - instead of Teenage City Riot. In the wake of the news, official media releases featuring Teenage City Riot (such as tweets, links, and the second and fourth promotional videos) were deleted or otherwise taken down.[4]
The song was brought back for the live morning television show "Sukkiri" on January 13th, 2022.[5] The song would later be fully released on February 23rd, 2022, as a part of ALI's returning EP, INGLOURIOUS EASTERN COWBOY, alongside an official music video.
The intended opening with the song can be seen here.
Lyrics[]
スクランブル交差点
渦巻いてる「もうダメ…」
気づかんフリをして
俯いてるお前
君の考え事…
ヤツの厄介ごと…
誰のせい？
頭ん中 足の踏み場も無ぇ
ノイズ混じりのエール
かき消された声
崩れそうな防波堤
歪み出す境界線
掃き溜め死神のお迎え
what a wonderful world生き残れ
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your time
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your life
I want it all
The lust for life
Moondance in the city riot
Break down all the town
I'm just castaway
Howling at yesterday
I am grown in wind storm
Teenage city riot
Don't let me down
I'm just castaway
Roaming like a stray
But now I stand alone
Sing it loud
Don't waste your time
Don't waste your life
Sing it loud
Just do it my way!!
ヘッドフォンから漏れる
ガキの戯言で
剥がれ落ちそうなベール
歯車を拒め
寝首かくような目
息の詰まる画面
死期を悟る前に
何を賭ける
生馬の目を抜きそびえる伏魔殿
死に損なったあの日から苔の蒸すまで
行くあて？ 知らねぇ、涙浮かべ
what a wonderful world 創造主
もうすぐ七日目
Around the town
Covered by cloud
I am a moon rider
and
Midnight talker
Let's be riding high
At troublous night
Rock this town
Rock this town
Baby I'm gonna love you
Thousand eyes on
Rumbling dice
At twilight's time to say goodbye
Love me twice
Kill me double taps
Love me twice
Darkness will bring you back to life
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your time
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your life
I want it all
The lust for life
Moondance in the city riot
Break down all the town
I'm just castaway
Howling at yesterday
I am grown in wind storm
Teenage city riot
Don't let me down
I'm just castaway
Roaming like a stray
But now I stand alone
Sing it loud
Don't waste your time
Don't waste your life
Sing it loud
To be added.
Scramble crossing
Head full of "I give up"
Pretending not noticing
You staring downwards
With the thoughts
Burden of them
"Who's fault?" on the mind
Also no foothold
Noise mixed support
Muffled voices
Breakwater that is about to collapse
Borderline that begins to distort
The reaper's sweep up
What a wonderful world Survive
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your time
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your life
I want it all
The lust for life
Moondance in the city riot
Break down all the town
I'm just castaway
Howling at yesterday
I am grown in wind storm
Teenage city riot
Don't let me down
I'm just castaway
Roaming like a stray
But now I stand alone
Sing it loud
Don't waste your time
Don't waste your life
Sing it loud
Just do it my way!!
Leak from headphones
Of the kid's joke
A veil that is about to come off
Deny the system
Eyes that disturb sleep
Suffocating screen
Before realizing the death
What to bet
Pandemonium dominating the horse's eyes
From the day I died to the growth of moss
Where to go? I don't know, tears flow
What a wonderful world, Creator
Seventh day coming soon
Around the town
Covered by cloud
I am a moon rider
and
Midnight talker
Let's be riding high
At troublous night
Rock this town
Rock this town
Baby I'm gonna love you
Thousand eyes on
Rumbling dice
At twilight's time to say goodbye
Love me twice
Kill me double taps
Love me twice
Darkness will bring you back to life
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your time
The voodoo is working
Don't waste your life
I want it all
The lust for life
Moondance in the city riot
Break down all the town
I'm just castaway
Howling at yesterday
I am grown in wind storm
Teenage city riot
Don't let me down
I'm just castaway
Roaming like a stray
But now I stand alone
Sing it loud
Don't waste your time
Don't waste your life
Sing it loud
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Although the song is no longer associated with The Animation, many of the lyrics still contain references to TWEWY. Including "What a wonderful world", "Scramble crossing", "The reaper's sweep up", and "Seventh day coming soon".
- The Music Video features ALI´s main vocalist, Leo Imamura being judged by a crowd of people wearing white blindfolds and wings. This is a possible reference to how Angels in the Higher Plane look down upon people in the RG and UG.
References[]
- ↑ TVアニメ「すばらしきこのせかい The Animation」OPテーマ曲変更についてのご報告 [Report on the change of the OP theme song for the TV anime "The World Ends With You"]. (in Japanese)
- ↑ https://www.nintendoenthusiast.com/the-world-ends-with-you-anime-opening-theme-changed-due-to-ali-band-members-arrest/
- ↑ 詐欺容疑でＡＬＩドラマー逮捕 [ALI Drummer Arrested on Suspicion of Fraud]. Reuters (in Japanese). April 9, 2021.
- ↑ TWEWY_PR tweet. Translates from Japanese to "With the change of the OP theme song, we have deleted some related tweets. Thank you for your understanding."
- ↑ ALI_EN_LIBERTY tweet.