Mirage – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Creepy Nuts

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the captivating blend of Afrobeats and J-rap in "Mirage" by Creepy Nuts. This song, the opening theme for "Call of the Night" Season 2, uses evocative lyrics and Latin rhythms to explore themes of longing and the complexities of the night, offering a unique entry point into Japanese music and anime culture.

[English]

Lit-up midnight, where ego, desire, and lingering regrets cross paths.

Rain-blurred vision, neon lights trace wet outlines.

Until morning, don't wake up yet.

Time tears us apart, mm, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.

With a fed-up look, good night. Just when I thought I caught up, it's a mirage.

I want to touch you as you were that day, the dignity I'd long since shed.

Mistakes happen in a flash, yeah, the night is short.

A lighter out of gas illuminates the circumstances.

Hold on a sec, huh? I've got a family, I've got a life, you know?

Don't just leave me, uh-huh. Before I could even lie, you'd already crossed the line.

La-di-la-di-la-la. Today, humming a tune, I opened the keyhole.

You're really doing as you please, aren't you? I recall, it started this way 20 years ago too.

Ah, I have to choose. Precious daylight, or sweet darkness, one or the other.

"Write more," "Sing more," you say, laughing greedily.

Tomorrow melting away just as you planned, whoa.

I don't care, whoa, just like this.

I can't stop it now, hahahaha.

With a fed-up look, good night. Just when I thought I caught up, it's a mirage.

I want to touch you as you were that day, the dignity I'd long since shed.

Mistakes happen in a flash, yeah, the night is short.

A lighter out of gas illuminates the circumstances.

Once my blood rushes, it starts. Chupacabras eating each other, blah-blah.

When the sun rises, I'll turn to ash. Lid on the coffin, dracula-la-la.

Once my blood rushes, it starts. Chupacabras eating each other, blah-blah.

When the sun rises, I'll turn to ash. Lid on the coffin.

Even if you're still in the middle of it, ha-ha, I'll shake off your hand and say, "See ya."

No, I won't see you again. Goodbye. Once I finish writing this last thing,

And once more, into you, my pen pierces tender skin.

I return to being just an ordinary dad, hiding the bite mark on my neck, yeah-yeah.

With a fed-up look, good night. Just when I thought I caught up, it's a mirage.

I want to touch you as you were that day, the dignity I'd long since shed.

Mistakes happen in a flash, yeah, the night is short.

A lighter out of gas illuminates the circumstances.

...

[Japanese]

明かりの灯ったmidnight エゴと欲と未練が行き交う

雨にぼやけた視界 ネオンがなぞる濡れた輪郭

Until morning まだ醒めないで

時が引き裂く mm, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah

呆れた顔で good night 追いつけたと思えばmirage

あの日のままで触れたい とっくに脱ぎ捨ててた品格

あっという間に起こる間違い yeah 夜は短く

ガス切れのライターが照らす いきさつ

ちょっと待ってや huh 俺にゃ家庭があって 生活があってやな

放っとかんて uh-huh 俺が嘘つく前にとっくに跨ってら

La-di-la-di-la-la 今日も鼻歌混じり開いたカギ穴

本当勝手やな 確か20年前もこんな始まり方

あぁ 選ばなきゃ大事な日向 甘美な暗闇かどっちか

「もっと書いて」「もっと歌って」欲張って笑う

お前の計画通り溶けていく明日 whoa

どうでもいいや whoa この通り

もう止まんねーや はっはっは

呆れた顔で good night 追いつけたと思えばmirage

あの日のままで触れたい とっくに脱ぎ捨ててた品格

あっという間に起こる間違い yeah 夜は短く

ガス切れのライターが照らす いきさつ

血が昇ったら始まっちゃう 共食いしてるchupacabra-blah-blah

日が昇ったら灰になっちゃう 棺桶にフタしてdracula-la-la

血が昇ったら始まっちゃう 共食いしてるchupacabra-blah-blah

日が昇ったら灰になっちゃう 棺桶にフタして

たとえお前がまだ途中でもha-ha その手を振り解いて「またな」

いや もう会わない サヨナラ 最後にこいつを書き上げたら

そしてまた お前の中 ペンを突き立てる柔肌

戻るただ 平凡なパパ 隠す首筋の歯形 yeah-yeah

呆れた顔で good night 追いつけたと思えばmirage

あの日のままで触れたい とっくに脱ぎ捨ててた品格

あっという間に起こる間違い yeah 夜は短く

ガス切れのライターが照らす いきさつ

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
未練 /mɪɾen/ B2	noun - lingering affection; regret; reluctance to part
視界 /ɕi.ka.i/ B1	noun - field of vision; visibility
輪郭 /ɾiɴ.ka.kɯᵝ/ B1	noun - outline; contour; profile
引き裂く /çi.ki.sa.kɯᵝ/ B2	verb - to tear apart; to rip up (literally or metaphorically)
呆れる /a.ki.ɾe̞.ɾɯᵝ/ B1	verb - to be astonished; to be disgusted; to be fed up with
mirage /mi.ɾaː.d͡ʑɯ/ B2	noun - mirage; illusion; delusion
品格 /çiɴ.ka.kɯᵝ/ B2	noun - dignity; character; caliber
いきさつ /i.ki.sa.t͡sɯᵝ/ B2	noun - circumstances; background;経緯 (sequence of events)
家庭 /ˈka.te̞ː/ A2	noun - household; home; family
生活 /ˈse̞ː.ka.t͡sɯᵝ/ A1	noun - life; living; daily life verb - to live; to get by (as する verb)
鼻歌 /ˈha.na.ɯ.ta/ B1	noun - humming; tune hummed through the nose
勝手 /ˈka.t̚.te̞/ B1	adjective (na-adjective) - selfish; arbitrary; self-indulgent noun - one's own convenience; circumstances; way (of doing something)
暗闇 /ˈkɯ.ɾa.ja.mi/ B1	noun - darkness; gloom; dark place
欲張る /ˈjo.kɯ.ba.ɾɯᵝ/ B2	verb - to be greedy; to covet; to grasp at everything
溶ける /ˈto.ke̞.ɾɯᵝ/ B1	verb - to melt; to dissolve; to thaw (literal or metaphorical)
共食い /ˈto.mo.ɡɯ.i/ C1	noun - cannibalism; mutual destruction; infighting
棺桶 /ˈka.no.ke̞/ B2	noun - coffin; casket
柔肌 /ˈja.wa.ɾa.ka.ha.da/ C1	noun - soft skin; delicate skin
平凡 /ˈhe̞ː.boɴ/ B1	adjective (na-adjective) - ordinary; common; mediocre; plain noun - ordinariness; commonness
歯形 /ˈha.ɡa.ta/ B2	noun - bite mark; teeth marks

Key Grammar Structures

• 明かりの灯ったmidnight

  ➔ Verb in past tense modifying a noun (連体形 - rentaikei)

  ➔ “灯った” ("tomotta"), the past tense of “灯る” (tomoru - to light up/be lit), directly modifies "midnight" (implicitly, "midnight with lights lit"). This is a common structure for relative clauses in Japanese, where a verb in its dictionary or past tense form precedes and describes a noun.

• 追いつけたと思えばmirage

  ➔ V-ta to omoeba (verb in past tense + と思えば)

  ➔ “と思えば” ("to omoeba") indicates "if/when one thinks that..." or "just when one thought that...". It often implies a realization or a sudden change after a thought. Here, “追いつけたと思えば” ("oitsuketa to omoeba") means "just when I thought I had caught up."

• あの日のままで触れたい とっくに脱ぎ捨ててた品格

  ➔ Noun/state + のままで (no mama de); V-te-ita (progressive/state) contraction

  ➔ “〜のままで” ("~no mama de") means "as is" or "just as it was," indicating a state of being unchanged. “脱ぎ捨ててた” ("nugisuteteta") is a colloquial contraction of “脱ぎ捨てていた” ("nugisutete ita"), combining the "V-te iru" form (for ongoing action or state) with the past tense, meaning "had been casting off" or "had already cast off."

• 選ばなきゃ大事な日向 甘美な暗闇かどっちか

  ➔ V-nakereba (conditional negative - なければ) contraction

  ➔ “選ばなきゃ” ("erabanakya") is a colloquial contraction of “選ばなければ” ("erabanakereba"). It functions as a conditional "if [one] doesn't choose," often implying "one must choose" or "there's no choice but to choose."

• お前の計画通り溶けていく明日 whoa

  ➔ Noun + 通り (doori); V-te iku (gradual change/movement)

  ➔ “〜通り” ("~doori") means "as per," "according to," or "exactly like [Noun]." “溶けていく” ("tokete iku") combines “溶けて” (tokete - the te-form of 溶ける, to melt) with “いく” (iku - to go), indicating a gradual process of melting away or moving towards a state of dissolution.

• もう止まんねーや はっはっは

  ➔ Colloquial negative potential/will + particle や (ya)

  ➔ “止まんねーや” ("tomannē ya") is a highly colloquial and masculine/rough contraction of “止まらないよ” ("tomaranai yo") or “止まらないな” ("tomaranai na"). “止まらない” ("tomaranai") is the negative form of “止まる” (tomaru - to stop). The “ー” elongation and “や” ("ya") particle add emphasis and a sense of irreversible action or determination, meaning "I can't stop anymore" or "It's not stopping anymore."

• 血が昇ったら始まっちゃう 共食いしてるchupacabra-blah-blah

  ➔ V-tara (conditional); V-te shimau (completion/undesirable outcome); V-te iru (contracted)

  ➔ “〜たら” ("~tara") is a common conditional form meaning "if/when [action] happens." “始まっちゃう” ("hajimacchau") is a colloquial contraction of “始まってしまう” ("hajimatte shimau"). "V-te shimau" indicates either the completion of an action, or more commonly in this context, an undesirable outcome or a regrettable action that happens despite oneself. “してる” ("shiteru") is a colloquial contraction of “している” ("shite iru"), indicating an ongoing action or state ("are doing/are being").

• たとえお前がまだ途中でもha-ha その手を振り解いて「またな」

  ➔ たとえ...でも (tatoe...demo - even if)

  ➔ “たとえ〜でも” ("tatoe~demo") is a common grammatical pattern meaning "even if," "even though," or "no matter how/what." It expresses a concession or hypothetical situation that doesn't change the main clause. Here, “たとえお前がまだ途中でも” ("tatoe omae ga mada tochū demo") means "even if you are still halfway [through]."

• ペンを突き立てる柔肌

  ➔ Compound verb (V + 立てる)

  ➔ “突き立てる” ("tsukitateru") is a compound verb formed by combining “突く” (tsuku - to thrust/stab) and “立てる” (tateru - to set up/stand). It means "to thrust/stab into something and make it stand upright" or simply "to thrust/stab forcefully into."