Off Course -- Yes-Yes-Yes

Because of the superficial similarity in the titles, I've always considered (yes, silly, I know) Off Course's（オフコース） "Yes-No" and "Yes-Yes-Yes" as musical cousins. But these two cousins are otherwise chalk and cheese.

"Yes-Yes-Yes", the band's 19th single from June 1980 was more of a confrontational piece by Kazumasa Oda（小田和正）, lyrically and melodically, with the lead vocal challenging the girl, "Well, will ya or won't ya....YES OR NO?!" The cousin here is the strutting, cocky type who won't take that latter option as an answer. On the other hand, Off Course's 24th single from June 1982 has Oda being the more bashful cousin, the one who is loving more from a distance, the one who, according to the lyrics, loves that girl more than she realizes. Oda, who was also behind the creation of this song, is much more of the wishful thinker here....the way "Yes-Yes-Yes" proceeds, it sounds as if he's singing the lyrics as a commentary and vow to himself that he will still somehow attract his crush while he's watching her walk on the other side of the street. That "yes, yes, yes" promise is very much the soft yet overt mantra heard throughout the song as opposed to the unheard but hinted-at challenge from "Yes-No".

I love the song, especially when Oda's refrain/vow hits that fever pitch showing his passion and resolve to somehow get the girl. It kinda gives that reassurance to all of us Charlie Browns.

"Yes-Yes-Yes" peaked at No. 6 on Oricon and was a track on Off Course's 10th album, "I Love You" which was released in July 1982. That album actually hit the top spot.