Curtain Call – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Shota Shimizu, Taka
• Album: Pulsatilla cernua

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the profound lyrics of Shota Shimizu and Taka's 'Curtain Call,' a powerful Japanese ballad that beautifully articulates themes of perseverance and finding one's purpose. By engaging with this song, you can learn rich Japanese vocabulary and expressions related to life's journey, inner feelings, and determination. Its compelling narrative and emotive delivery make it a perfect piece for language learners to connect with authentic Japanese storytelling and musical artistry.

[English]

No one ever makes a show where everyone is the star

Doesn't exist anywhere

In our fixed positions

Tonight tonighttonight

Even things we don't want to do

Someone’s gotta do it, right?

But who decided that? I wonder

Tonight tonighttonight

I've just lived without any questions

Watching the passing era

I knew I wouldn’t sleep tonight

I feel like I’m not in the right place

Even if many things

Are just made-up

The pain and feelings we sense

Are the truth, after all

Someday, if I can

Experience something truly inspiring

And pull through this stage

Waiting for me — Curtain Call

Looking straight ahead

The things I believed in are gone

And I’ve known despair

Alright alright alright

Crawling on the ground

Easily overtaken

Even today, when I can't accept it

Alright alright alright

If you need help

Just come here, I’ll sing for you

And can you stand up and walk again afterward?

It’s still too early to give up

Even if many things

Are just made-up

The pain and feelings we sense

Are the truth, after all

Someday, if I can

Experience something truly inspiring

And pull through this stage

Waiting for me — Curtain Call

Without stopping

Without tiring

Without quitting

Keep walking on

There are days of doubt

And days when you fall

But even so, until the day

You shine brightly

No questions asked, just living

Watching the passing era

I knew I wouldn’t sleep tonight

I am not in the place I should be

I’m not there

Even if many things

Are just made-up

The pain and feelings we sense

Are the truth, after all

Someday, if I can

Experience something truly inspiring

And pull through this stage

Waiting for me — Curtain Call

Without stopping

Without tiring

Without quitting

Keep walking on

There are days of doubt

And days when you fall

But even so, until the day

You shine brightly

[Japanese]

誰もが主役のショーなんて

どこにも存在しないんだね

それぞれ決まった配置で

tonight tonighttonight

やりたくないことだって

誰かがやんなきゃなんだね

でも誰が決めてんだろう？って

tonight tonighttonight

疑問なんてなく、ただ生きてきた

流れゆく時代の傍観者

今夜、眠れないのはわかってた

僕は居るべき場所にいない気がした

もし沢山のことが

作り物だとしても

僕らの感じる痛みや

想いは真実だから

いつか自分でも

感動できるような

舞台をやり遂げたなら

待ってるCurtain Call

真っ直ぐ見つめた先に

信じてたものがなくて

絶望した日もあるさ

alright alrightalright

地面を這いつくばって

簡単に追い越されて

納得できない今日にも

alright alrightalright

もし君に助けが必要なら

ここへ来てとにかく歌うから

その後もう一度歩き出せるかい

まだ諦めるには早すぎるから

もし沢山のことが

作り物だとしても

僕らの感じる痛みや

想いは真実だから

いつか自分でも

感動できるような

舞台をやり遂げたなら

待ってるCurtain Call

止まることなく

飽きることなく

辞めることなく

歩き続ける

迷う日もある

落ちる日もある

それでもいつか

輝く日まで

疑問なんてなく、ただ生きてきた

流れゆく時代の傍観者

今夜、眠れないのは分かってた

僕は居るべき場所に居ない

居ないんだ

もし沢山のことが

作り物だとしても

僕らの感じる痛みや

想いは真実だから

いつか自分でも

感動できるような

舞台をやり遂げたなら

待ってるCurtain Call

止まることなく

飽きることなく

辞めることなく

歩き続ける

迷う日もある

落ちる日もある

それでもいつか

輝く日まで

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
主役 /しゅやく/ B1	noun - leading role
存在 /そんざい/ B2	noun - existence
決まる /きまる/ B1	verb - to be decided
痛み /いたみ/ B1	noun - pain
真実 /しんじつ/ B2	noun - truth
感動 /かんどう/ B2	noun - emotion
舞台 /ぶたい/ B1	noun - stage
輝く /かがやく/ B2	verb - to shine
絶望 /ぜつぼう/ B2	noun - despair
迷う /まよう/ B1	verb - to hesitate
歩く /あるく/ A1	verb - to walk
必要 /ひつよう/ B1	adjective - necessary
助け /たすけ/ A2	noun - help
今日 /きょう/ A1	noun - today
日 /ひ/ A1	noun - day
今夜 /こんや/ A2	noun - tonight

Key Grammar Structures

• 誰もが主役のショーなんて

  ➔ The particle 'が' indicates the subject of the sentence, marking '誰も' (everyone) as the doer or subject.

  ➔ The particle 'が' assigns the subject that performs or is described by the verb.

• 疑問なんてなく、ただ生きてきた

  ➔ The phrase 'なんてなく' uses 'なんて' to downplay or dismiss the noun, and 'なく' from 'ない' indicates negation.

  ➔ 'なんて' is a particle used to belittle or dismiss the noun that follows, creating a nuance of disregard.

• 流れゆく時代の傍観者

  ➔ The phrase 'ゆく' is the continuative form of '行く' (to go), indicating ongoing action, and 'の' functions as a possessive or modifying particle.

  ➔ 'ゆく' (from '行く') is used to express ongoing or continuous movement or progress in time.

• 信じてたものがなくて

  ➔ The verb '信じてた' is the colloquial past tense form of '信じていた' (believed), and 'が' marks 'もの' (things) as the subject.

  ➔ The past tense '信じてた' is a colloquial short form of '信じていた' meaning 'believed,' with 'が' indicating the subject 'things.'

• 止まることなく

  ➔ The phrase 'ことなく' combines 'こと' (thing) with the negation 'なく' from 'ない,' meaning 'without' doing something.

  ➔ 'ことなく' means 'without' doing something, emphasizing the absence of action.