東京 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 吉田仁人
• Album: 東京

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic world of Yoshida Hito with 'Tokyo.' This song is a perfect gateway to learning natural, emotive Japanese used in modern songwriting, helping you master vocabulary related to city life, feelings, and daily observations through its beautiful, melancholic melody.

[English]

A desolate heart

Makes everything in sight

Turn cloudy and dim.

It's just not fair, is it?

My old friends

Are all living such happy lives.

I bet they've already forgotten all about me.

It's a mess.

When things don't go as planned

You stop being able to believe in anything.

Even looking back

Becomes something to fear.

To avoid getting hurt,

I take the easy way out,

Slowly, bit by bit, I get used to

My narrowing vision.

By the time I look up at everything,

Without even a moment to look at my feet,

I just keep walking, just keep walking forward.

That's the strength I need right now.

This city I dreamed of is so relentlessly real,

Moving so fast it won't even give me time to cry.

Even so, within that light,

I found myself.

I found a version of me that could smile.

By the time I look up at everything,

The backs of those I admired

Are so far away,

It's as if they carry no doubt, no fear, and no hesitation.

So distant.

With this small body, carrying all

The baggage I can hold—to the me who has nothing left to fear.

This city I dreamed of is so relentlessly real,

Moving so fast it won't even give me time to cry.

Even so, within that light,

I found myself.

I found a version of me that could smile.

A desolate heart

Makes everything in sight

Turn cloudy and dim.

It's just not fair, is it?

[Japanese]

さびれた心が

見えるもの全て

濁してしまうよ

食えたもんじゃねえな

昔馴染み達は

楽しそうに生きてさ。

僕のことなんて忘れたよな。

無茶苦茶だ

思うようにいかず

信じられなくなる

振り返ることすら

怖くなってしまう

傷つかないように

都合のいい方に

狭くなる視界に少しずつ少しずつ

慣れていく

全てを見上げる頃

足元を見る暇もなく

ただ前にただ前に歩く

その力が今欲しい

夢みたこの街はずっとリアルで

泣いてる暇さえいただけない早さで

それでもあの光に僕は

僕を見つけた

笑えてる僕を見つけた

全てを見上げる頃

憧れていた背中は

迷いも恐れも焦る気持ちも

抱えてる事なんて見えないほどに

遠い

小さな体　持てるだけ

荷物を背負った　怖いもんなんてない僕へ。

夢みたこの街はずっとリアルで

泣いてる暇さえいただけない早さで

それでもあの光に僕は

僕を見つけた

笑えてる僕を見つけた

さびれた心が

見えるもの全て

濁してしまうよ

食えたもんじゃねえな

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
さびれた sabireta N3	adjective - desolate, worn-out
濁る nigoru N2	verb - to become muddy, to become cloudy
馴染み najimi N3	noun - familiarity, old friend
無茶苦茶 muchakucha N3	adjective - absurd, incoherent, mess
振り返る furikaeru N4	verb - to look back, to reflect
都合 tsugou N3	noun - convenience, circumstances
視界 shikai N2	noun - field of vision, visibility
見上げる miageru N4	verb - to look up
足元 ashimoto N3	noun - footing, at one's feet
憧れる akogareru N3	verb - to long for, to yearn for
背中 senaka N4	noun - back (of the body)
迷い mayoi N3	noun - hesitation, doubt
焦る aseru N2	verb - to be impatient, to be in a hurry
抱える kakaeru N3	verb - to carry, to bear (burden)
荷物 nimotsu N4	noun - luggage, baggage

Key Grammar Structures

• 食えたもんじゃねえな

  ➔ ~たもんじゃない (Colloquial negative evaluation)

  ➔ This phrase means 'it's not even worth eating' or 'it's terrible.' Used here to emphasize how bleak the world looks to the singer.

• 振り返ることすら怖くなってしまう

  ➔ Noun + すら (Even)

  ➔ The particle 'sura' emphasizes 'even,' indicating that the situation is so bad that 'looking back' has become fearful.

• 傷つかないように

  ➔ ~ように (In order to / So that)

  ➔ Used to express the purpose of an action. Here, it describes doing things 'in order not to get hurt'.

• 慣れていく

  ➔ Verb-て + いく (Progressive change)

  ➔ Indicates a gradual change over time. 'Narete iku' means 'to gradually get used to (something).'

• 足元を見る暇もなく

  ➔ Verb-dictionary form + 暇もなく (Without even the time to...)

  ➔ Expresses that an action is impossible or neglected because there is no time. Here, he is too busy to look at his feet.

• 泣けてる暇さえいただけない早さで

  ➔ Passive causative verb (いただけない - cannot receive/cannot get)

  ➔ Refers to the city moving so fast that it doesn't 'grant' him the luxury of crying.

• 笑えてる僕を見つけた

  ➔ Verb-て + いる (Resulting state)

  ➔ Used to describe a state. 'Waraeteru' (waraete iru) describes the state of being able to smile.

• 抱えてる事なんて見えないほどに

  ➔ Verb (te-form) + ほどに (To the extent that)

  ➔ Shows the degree of something. It is so far away that you can't even see the worries they are carrying.