プラスティック・ラブ – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 竹内まりや
• Album: Precious Days

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the magic of Japanese city pop with Mariya Takeuchi's 'Plastic Love.' This iconic track offers a unique opportunity to learn Japanese through its blend of catchy, easy-to-follow phrases and deeper, more poetic expressions. The song's narrative of love and loss in a bustling metropolis provides a rich cultural context, making the language learning process both engaging and emotionally resonant. Its mix of Japanese and English lyrics also provides a gentle entry point for learners.

[English]

With sudden kisses and heated gazes

Don't let the love program go awry

Skillfully managing encounters and farewells

It will end when the time comes, don't hurry!

Since that day I was hurt by love

I continue living a life where day and night are reversed

While dancing the night away at the trendy disco

It's a magic I've learned, I'm sorry!

...

Never truly

Love me for real

Love is just a game

As long as you enjoy it, that's enough

Adorning a closed heart

With flashy dresses and shoes

Lonely friends

...

Those who invite me

It's ironic, always

He resembles them somehow

Overlapping with memories

Suddenly dropping a glass

Even if I get teary-eyed

Please don't ask why

As I fall asleep on the highway late at night

Only the halogen lights shine mysteriously

Even if they whisper that I'm a cold woman like ice, don't worry!

ささやく声がしても Don't worry！

I'm just playing games, I know that's plastic love

Dance to the plastic beat, another morning comes

I'm just playing games, I know that's plastic love

Dance to the plastic beat, another morning comes

I'm just playing games, I know that's plastic love

Dance to the plastic beat, another morning comes

...

[Japanese]

突然のキスや 熱いまなざしで

恋のプログラムを 狂わせないでね

出逢いと別れ 上手に打ち込んで

時間がくれば終わる Don't hurry！

愛に傷ついた あの日からずっと

昼と夜が逆の 暮らしを続けて

はやりの Disco で 踊り明かすうちに

覚えた魔術なのよ I'm sorry！

私のことを決して

本気で愛さないで

恋なんてただのゲーム

楽しめばそれでいいの

閉ざした心を飾る

派手なドレスも靴も

孤独な友だち

私を誘う人は

皮肉なものね いつも

彼に似てるわ なぜか

思い出と重なり合う

グラスを落として 急に

涙ぐんでも

わけは尋ねないでね

夜更けの高速で 眠りにつくころ

ハロゲンライトだけ 妖しく輝く

氷のように冷たい女だと

ささやく声がしても Don't worry！

I'm just playing games, I know that's plastic love

Dance to the plastic beat, another morning comes

I'm just playing games, I know that's plastic love

Dance to the plastic beat, another morning comes

I'm just playing games, I know that's plastic love

Dance to the plastic beat, another morning comes

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
キス /kis/ A1	noun - a touch with the lips as a sign of love or greeting
恋 /koi/ A2	noun - love or romantic affection
傷 /kizu/ B1	noun - a wound or injury
夜 /yoru/ A1	noun - night
友だち /tomodachi/ A2	noun - friend
心 /kokoro/ B1	noun - heart or mind
夢 /yume/ B1	noun - dream
光 /hikari/ B2	noun - light
声 /koe/ B1	noun - voice or sound
朝 /asa/ A2	noun - morning
魔術 /majutsu/ B2	noun - magic or sorcery
ゲーム /gēmu/ A1	noun - game
ドレス /doresu/ A2	noun - dress
冷たい /tsumetai/ B1	adjective - cold
派手 /hade/ B2	adjective - showy or flashy
孤独 /kodoku/ B2	adjective - lonely or solitary

Key Grammar Structures

• 恋のプログラムを 狂わせないでね

  ➔ Negative imperative form with ないで (naide)

  ➔ It is a **request** not to 'disturb' the love program, by using the negative imperative form **ないで**.

• 夜更けの高速で 眠りにつくころ

  ➔ で (de) as a particle indicating means/manner

  ➔ The particle **で** indicates the **means or manner** by which an action occurs, here refers to **highway at night** as the setting or context for sleeping.

• グラスを落として 急に 涙ぐんでも

  ➔ ても (temo) as a concessive conjunction meaning 'even if' or 'even when'

  ➔ The conjunction **ても** expresses **concession**, meaning *even if* the glass drops suddenly and tears come, the subject is acknowledging the situation despite it.

• 私は決して 本気で愛さないで

  ➔ 決して (kesshite) as an adverb meaning 'never' or 'by no means'

  ➔ The adverb **決して** emphasizes **negation**, meaning 'never' or 'by no means,' stressing the speaker's firm denial.

• 私は誘う人は 皮肉なものね いつも

  ➔ は (wa) as a topic marker, choosing 'the person who invites me'

  ➔ The particle **は** marks the topic of the sentence, here emphasizing 'the person who invites me' as the subject under discussion.

• ハロゲンライトだけ 妖しく輝く

  ➔ だけ (dake) as a particle meaning 'only' or 'nothing but'

  ➔ The particle **だけ** indicates **exclusivity** or **limitation**, here meaning 'only halogen lights' glow eerily.