Hotel Californiaの歌詞で「the」を学ぶ

On a dark desert highway,cool wind in my hair

Warm smell of colitis,rising up through the air

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light

My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim

I had to stop for the night.

There she stood in the doorway,

I heard the mission bell

And I was thinking to myself

‘This could be heaven or this could be Hell’

Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way

There were voices down the corridor

I thought I heard them say

Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)

Such a lovely face.

Plenty of room at the Hotel California

Any time of year (any time of year) you can find it here

出典：Hotel California/Eagles

まず、1番の歌詞。母音で始まる単語の前（青色）が1箇所。子音で始まる単語の前（緑色）が6箇所。

ふむふむ、お約束どおりだね。んで赤色は・・・？「hotel」という子音で始まる単語の前なので緑色のはずですよね。

「ジ」って言ってるよね！！！

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends

She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends

How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat

Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain

‘please bring me my wine’

He said, ‘we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine’

And still those voices are calling from far away,

Wake you up in the middle of the night

Just to hear them say

Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)

Such a lovely face

They livin’ it up at the Hotel California

What a nice surprise ( What a nice surprise),bring your alibis

出典：Hotel California/Eagles

Mirrors on the celling,

The pink champagne on ice

And she said, ‘we are all just prisoner here, of our own device’

And in the master’s chambers,

They gathered for the feast

They stab it with their steely Knives,

But they just can’t kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was

Running for the door

I had to find the passage back to the place I was before

‘Relax’ said the night man,

‘We are programmed to receive.

You can check out any time you like,

But you can never leave！‘

サビの「♪Welcome to the Hotel California〜」の部分だけが子音で始まる前の「the」なのに「ジ」と発音しているわけです。

後ろの単語を 強調したいときには子音で始まるとしても「ジ」と発音するんです。

学校で子音の前が「ザ」、母音の前が「ジ」というルールを押し付けられた一般的な日本国民にとっては驚きの事実です。

このへんがいかにも西洋的というか。ルールは破るもの、的な。

最後に

学校でも、形式ばった文法とかではなく有名な曲の歌詞とかで授業を進めたらいいと思うんですよ。

「My name is 〜」なんて「拙者、〜でござる」みたいなもんでしょ。

そして、少しでもいいので歌詞の意味とかを調べるとそのうち新たな世界が開けるかもしれません。

アレンジもそうだし、歌詞の世界観もそうだし。なにより、キャッチーなメロディなのにナゾの暑苦しさというか（笑）

この、ねちっこいギターというのがなかなか真似できないんですよ。音作りもそうだけど、ここぞというタイミングで弾かないと“軽く”なっちゃうから。

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