HAPPY BIRTHDAY

• By: back number
• Album: MAGIC

Lyrics:

[日本語]

[English]

いつの間にやら日付は変わって

Before I knew it, the date had changed

なんで年って取るんだろう

I wonder why we grow older

もう背は伸びないくせに

Even though I can’t grow taller anymore

着信の音で飛び起きたけど損したな

I jumped up at the sound of a message, but I lost out

君かと思ったのに

Thought it was you

何かの手違いで

By some mistake or error

好きになってくれないかな

Could you possibly like me back?

どうにも君のいない場所は

No matter where you are, without you

空気が薄くてさ

The air feels thin, you know

くだらない話は思い付くのに

I can come up with silly stories, but

君を抱き締めていい理由だけが見付からない

I just can’t find a reason to hold you close

ああそうか そうだよな

Oh, I see, that’s right

ハッピーバースデー 片想いの俺

Happy Birthday, to my unrequited love

...

...

愛が何かは知らないけれど

I don’t really know what love is, but

好きと言う名前の痛みになら詳しいかも

Maybe I know the pain that comes with the word ‘love’ better

君にも教えてあげたいけれど結局

I want to tell you, but in the end

教わるのは俺だろう

I guess I’m the one learning this

このまま今日が終わり明日が来れば

If today ends as it is and tomorrow comes

いつになっても縮まらないこの距離を

I wonder if we can close this distance that never shrinks

駆け引きにも綱引きにもならないやり取りを

Exchanging words that are just games or tug-of-war

もっと単純な名前で呼んであげられるよ

I wish I could call you by a simpler name

何ひとつ終われないけど

Nothing can really end, but

つまらない言葉の繰り返しで

Repeating boring words,

つじつまもきっと合ってない物語の続きに

Continuing a story that probably doesn’t even make sense

ひとりよがりの毎日に

In a selfish daily life

ハッピーバースデー

Happy Birthday

君に言って欲しいだけ

I just want to hear you say it

くだらない話は思い付くのに

I can come up with silly stories, but

君を抱き締めていい理由だけが見付からない

I just can't find a reason to hold you close

ああそうか そうだよな

Oh, I see, that’s right

ハッピーバースデー 片想いの俺

Happy Birthday, to my unrequited love

ハッピーバースデー 片想いの俺

Happy Birthday, to my unrequited love

...

...

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
日付 /ひづけ/ A2	noun - date
年 /ねん/ A1	noun - year
背 /せ/ B1	noun - height
音 /おと/ A1	noun - sound
君 /きみ/ A2	noun - you (informal)
手違い /てちがい/ B2	noun - mistake
理由 /りゆう/ B1	noun - reason
愛 /あい/ A2	noun - love
痛み /いたみ/ B1	noun - pain
距離 /きょり/ B2	noun - distance
物語 /ものがたり/ B2	noun - story
毎日 /まいにち/ A1	noun - every day
話 /はなし/ A1	noun - talk, story
言葉 /ことば/ A2	noun - word, language
片想い /かたおもい/ B2	noun - unrequited love

Grammar:

• なんで年って取るんだろう

  ➔ Why do we '...' (question form using んだろう)

  ➔ The sentence uses the question form with んだろう to express curiosity or speculation.

• 好きになってくれないかな

  ➔ I wonder if you '...' (asking for a favor or hope using くれないかな)

  ➔ This sentence uses the form くれないかな to express hoping or wondering if someone can do something for the speaker.

• ～は思い付くのに

  ➔ Although I '...' (contrast between thoughts and action)

  ➔ The phrase ～は思い付くのに is used to contrast thinking or ideas with actual actions or outcomes.

• このまま今日が終わり明日が来れば

  ➔ If '...' (conditional clause using ば)

  ➔ The phrase uses the conditional form ば to describe a hypothetical situation where if today ends and tomorrow comes, then something follows.

• もっと単純な名前で呼んであげられるよ

  ➔ Can call you by a more simple name (potential form)

  ➔ The phrase uses the potential form 〜あげられる to express the ability or possibility of calling someone by a simpler name.

• ひとりよがりの毎日に

  ➔ In an overly self-centered '...' (possessive and noun + の)

  ➔ The phrase uses の to connect a noun describing an attitude ('ひとりよがり') with '毎日', indicating a possessive or attributive relationship.

• 何ひとつ終われないけど

  ➔ Cannot '...' at all (negative potential form)

  ➔ This phrase uses the negative potential form わない to express inability to do something at all.