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Artist: Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Release: After Dark
Label: Sony Japan
Designer: Yusuke Nakamura
Release Date: November 13, 2007

I tried to find the lyrics to this single to see if it could shed some light on the meaning of Nakamura’s art here (or vice versa), but all the sites I tried didn’t have them up. This cover is similar to a lot of his other work: psychedelically-influenced with sparse yet smooth, solid colors and selective outlining that hints at some things (the girl’s hoodie) while strongly emphasizing something else (the chicken’s feathers). I like the reinterpretation of the weather vane, but the thematic meaning of the girl as a “remix” of the chicken sparks some curiosity.

[EDIT: 2:49 PM]
Here are the lyrics. They are from the “TV Size” version (shortened mix used as a show intro), but it puts the art in some sort of context. Thanks, Atashi.

Escape during the time when your shadow behind you finishes stretching
Without even minding our wings that have peeled and fallen off, let’s fly

At the street corner, a sweet scent spreads
Faraway, from the other side
There’s a cry that I seem to have heard elsewhere

Riding on the faint hope that the night wind carries
Where can we go?
As if rejecting it, the world shakes
And steals away everything

If it was a dream, then we’ve woken up
But we’re not doing anything still
Advancing into the night