かつて天才だった俺たちへ – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Creepy Nuts

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can feel like unlocking a new part of yourself, and 'Katsute Tensai Datta Oretachi e' by Creepy Nuts is the perfect song to inspire you on your Japanese learning journey. The song's title translates to 'To Us Who Were Once Geniuses,' and its lyrics are a powerful reminder that it's never too late to pursue something you once thought was beyond your reach. Through R-Shitei's clever and rhythmic lyrics, you can learn common Japanese phrases and vocabulary related to dreams, potential, and overcoming challenges, all while being energized by DJ Matsunaga's infectious beat. This song is special because it speaks to a universal feeling of wanting to recapture the fearlessness of youth, making it a relatable and motivating anthem for learners of all ages.

[English]

If I hadn't noticed that I was bad at it or scared

I could have become friends with the ball too

If I didn't think I was stupid

I surely could have solved Fermat's theorem

If Masaya hadn't laughed at me when we passed by

I would have been riding a bike with training wheels all along

If I didn't think I was weak or clumsy

I would have been protecting the Earth, hey

Those scribbles I tore up

The hairstyle that didn't suit me

That clumsy song I barely remember

Might have changed the world, ey

To those of us who were once geniuses

To you, who were a prodigy

Shaped into a similar form

There's hardly a trace left

A way more complicated than ever before

Worry as much as you can, when the time comes, go for it

Let the wind guide you, either way it's a thorny path

We are late bloomers, ey, when the time comes, go for it

I wanna be a winner, wanna be a strong one

Rushing towards heights I've yet to see

Even if it's a fate like fireworks

I feel like I can keep going until my end, ey

...

Since I was born, how many

Turning points have I overlooked?

How many more until I enter the grave?

How many possibilities will I snuff out?

A rare fool, a ruler of the world

Still an ugly duckling

Look, how about that, your guidance and encouragement

As I get baptized by the world, ey

I'm a campus, quite dirty

But there's still a chance, there's room left

Sometimes standing out, sometimes falling behind

May this gap last forever

To those of us who were once geniuses (we!)

To you, who were a prodigy (you!)

We could have been anything, another way

I'm not giving up yet

A way more complicated than ever before

Worry as much as you can, when the time comes, go for it

Let the wind guide you, either way it's a thorny path

We are late bloomers, ey, when the time comes, go for it

I wanna be a winner, wanna be a strong one

Rushing towards heights I've yet to see

Even if it's a fate like fireworks

I feel like I can keep going until my end, ey

...

You are still an ever-expanding galaxy

Forever a freshman until the next generation

A country good at nitpicking

Let's ignore it and move on from now on

I too am still an ever-expanding galaxy

Forever a freshman until my last breath

Almost died, but came back from the afterlife

From the shadows of the grass, I'm a gonfing

I can't stay unscathed

A polyhedron that keeps changing

You can't measure it with that ruler

I have no intention of letting you measure it

To those of us who were once geniuses (we!)

To you, who were a prodigy (you!)

Spread your wings towards the unseen tomorrow

Let's go, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

A way more complicated than ever before

Worry as much as you can, when the time comes, go for it

Let the wind guide you, either way it's a thorny path

We are late bloomers, ey, when the time comes, go for it, ey

...

[Japanese]

苦手だとか怖いとか 気付かなければ

俺だってボールと友達になれた

頭が悪いとか 思わなけりゃ

きっとフェルマーの定理すら解けた

すれ違ったマサヤに笑われなけりゃ

ずっとコマ付きのチャリを漕いでた

力が弱いとか 鈍臭いとか

知らなきゃ俺が地球を守ってた hey

破り捨てたあの落書きや

似合わないと言われた髪型

うろ覚えの下手くそな歌が

世界を変えたかも ey

かつて天才だった俺たちへ

神童だったあなたへ

似たような形に整えられて

見る影もない

未だかつて ないほど入り組んだWay

悩めるだけ悩め 時が来たらかませ

風任せ どっちみち茨のWay

俺らは大器晩成 ey 時が来たらかませ

I wanna be a 勝者 wanna be a 強者

まだ見ぬ高みへ駆け込み乗車

花火のような 運命だろうが

我が身果てるまでやりきれそうや ey

生まれてこの方 一体いくつ

分岐点を見過ごしてきたんだろうか

墓場に入るまで あと一体いくつ

可能性の芽を摘んでしまうんだろうか

稀代のうつけ者 天下人

今まだ醜いアヒルの子

ほらどう そうご指導ご鞭撻のほど

渡る世間の洗礼を浴びるとこ ey

俺はキャンパス かなり薄汚れた

だけどワンチャンス まだ余白はあるさ

ちゃっかり目立ったり 劣ったり

この隔たりよ永遠に

かつて天才だった俺たちへ(we!)

神童だったあなたへ(you!)

何だってなれたAnother way

まだ諦めちゃいない

未だかつて ないほど入り組んだWay

悩めるだけ悩め 時が来たらかませ

風任せ どっちみち茨のWay

俺らは大器晩成 ey 時が来たらかませ

I wanna be a 勝者 wanna be a 強者

まだ見ぬ高みへ駆け込み乗車

花火のような 運命だろうが

我が身果てるまでやりきれそうや ey

お前は未だに広がり続ける銀河

孫の代までずっとフレッシュマン

粗探しが得意なお国柄

シカトでかまそうぜ金輪際

俺も未だに広がり続ける銀河

今際の際までずっとフレッシュマン

くたばり損ねた 冥土からCome back

草葉の陰からゴンフィンガー

無傷のまんまじゃいられない

変わり続けていく多面体

その物差しじゃ測れない

測らせる気もない

かつて天才だった俺たちへ(we!)

神童だったあなたへ(you!)

まだ見ぬ明日へ羽ばたけ

いくぞ 1 2 3 4 5

未だかつて ないほど入り組んだWay

悩めるだけ悩め 時が来たらかませ

風任せ どっちみち茨のWay

俺らは大器晩成 ey 時が来たらかませ ey

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
天才 /ten'sai/ B2	noun - genius
神童 /shin'dou/ C1	noun - child prodigy
形 /kata/ A1	noun - shape, form
見る /miru/ A1	verb - to see, to look
影 /kage/ A2	noun - shadow
悩む /nayamu/ B1	verb - to worry, to be troubled
時 /toki/ A1	noun - time
風 /kaze/ A1	noun - wind
茨 /ibara/ C1	noun - thorn, briar
大器晩成 /taiki bansei/ C2	noun - late bloomer
勝者 /shousha/ B2	noun - winner
強者 /kyousha/ B2	noun - strong person
高み /takami/ B1	noun - height, eminence
花火 /hanabi/ A2	noun - fireworks
運命 /unmei/ B1	noun - fate, destiny
分岐点 /bunki ten/ B2	noun - turning point

Key Grammar Structures

• 気付かなければ

  ➔ Conditional form with 'ば' (if...)

  ➔ The phrase "気付かなければ" uses the "-なければ" form to express "if I do not notice".

• ずっとコマ付きのチャリを漕いでた

  ➔ Past continuous tense with "てた" (was doing...)

  ➔ The "てた" form indicates an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past.

• 時が来たらかませ

  ➔ Conditional "たら" (when/if...) + imperative

  ➔ The "たら" form expresses "when" or "if" something happens, followed by a command or suggestion.

• 夢だろうが

  ➔ Contrasting 〜だろうが (even if it's a dream...)

  ➔ The "だろうが" structure expresses contrast or concession, similar to "even if" or "although".

• 我が身果てるまでやりきれそうや

  ➔ Potential form with "やりきれそう" (seems capable of doing until the end)

  ➔ The "やりきれそう" form indicates a potential or ability to complete an action by the end.

• 未だかつて ないほど入り組んだWay

  ➔ Superlative construction with "ほど" (as much as...)

  ➔ The "ほど" particle creates a superlative or extreme comparison, emphasizing the degree.