[trunker]

i do find it interesting though that a culture which puts so much emphasis on the subtleties of its own language, for the sake of politeness etc, seem to skip really understanding the loan words they use.

for example, instead of "getting even" as in beating a team this week that beat you last week, they frequently use "revenge" which is a bit harsh. or using the term "unacceptable" without realizing that it is quite an abrupt way of telling someone "no".

but i suppose english does the same with its loan words.

about the lyrics in english thing,.... tinymixtapes.com did an article on a big rapper in japan called Zeebra, who frequently throws in english phrases into his music,.... when asked why he did that, he said it had to do with having a common element lyrically so that someone who doesnt speak japanese will still get some of the lyrics and catch the vibe of the track. he gave the example of getting demo tapes from korean rappers where he doesnt understand a thing.

personally i dont listen to Zeebra, and I think its a cop out to excuse straight out imitation, but perhaps he does have a point, as Ryzorian said its just the de facto language of popular music.