千両役者 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: King Gnu

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of King Gnu's "千両役者," where traditional Japanese artistry meets contemporary rock. Explore the rich language and cultural references that paint a vivid picture of ambition, resilience, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment in a chaotic world.

[English]

Repeating reckless plays

The script always forced and fake

Piecing together life

Always back to the start after the maze

Cross the suspension bridge exposed

Carefree, stumbling along

The gamble of life

If you die, it’s the end

Dead men tell no tales ah

The fool’s game of eating and being eaten

A fleeting illusion of prosperity for one night only

Selling life cheaply

Close the curtain, this show is over

There’s comedy after the mudslinging

Moving beyond catastrophe, keep going

Tonight’s star performer

Sing wildly, like madness, for me

When the fire dies out after all the wood is gone

The whirl of the running lamps

Is that view worth a fortune or more?

A breathtaking sight in my own eyes

A grand stage of a lifetime

Famous or unknown, it doesn’t matter

Give me only the thrill

I want to be in love with you

Doing business as I please

Regret’s a bother anyway

Living in a naive, dull life

Just give me the resistance to keep on living ah

Interjecting like a chorus

If your position worsens, “After you”

Unconscious impalement

Pure fools have no awareness

Who do you think you are? You’re nobody

Da da da, with mommy’s good food

My stomach is full

A fool’s mind

Remaining foolish

Seeking meaning from nothing

Living energy viewed from death

It’s like a festival, pouring rain

A breathtaking sight in my own eyes

A grand stage of a lifetime

Famous or unknown, it doesn’t matter

Only the thrill

I want to be in love with you

Doing business as I please

I’m not interested in wins or losses

Living a naive, dull life

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da

Just give me the resistance to keep on living

Repeating reckless plays

The script always forced and fake

Piecing together life

Always back to the start after the maze

Cross the suspension bridge exposed

Carefree, stumbling along

The gamble of life

If you die, it’s the end—dead men tell no tales

The fool’s game of eating and being eaten

A fleeting illusion of prosperity for one night only

Selling life cheaply

Close the curtain, this show is over

There’s comedy after the mudslinging

Moving beyond catastrophe, keep going

Tonight’s star performer

Sing wildly, like madness, for me

...

[Japanese]

出鱈目な劇を繰り返して

筋書きは何時も無理矢理で

命を継ぎ接ぎ

迷路の先は何時も振り出し

吊り橋を渡れ剥き出しで

のらりくらり千鳥足で

命の駆け引き

くたばりゃ最後

死人にゃ口無し ah

食った食われたの茶番劇

一夜限り仮初めの繁栄

命の安売り

緞帳閉じ当代を御仕舞い

泥仕合の果てに喜劇あり

カタストロフィ超えてけ業

今宵の千両役者

狂気の如し歌舞いて頂戴

薪尽きて火の滅する時

駆け巡った走馬灯の

其の眺めは値千金か万金か

此の目には絶景かな

一世一代の大舞台

有名無名も関係ない

爽快だけを頂戴

あなたと相思相愛で居たい

好き勝手放題の商売

後悔なんて面倒臭いや

青臭い野暮臭い生涯を

ただ生きるための抗体を頂戴 ah

合いの手の如し口を出し

立場悪くなりゃ「お先に」

無意識に串刺し

ど阿呆には自覚は無し

何様者だ 其様もんだ

Da da da ママのおマンマで

お腹パンパンだ

パッパラパーな頭ん中

馬鹿な儘だ

無意味から眺める意味を

死から眺めた生の躍動

その様まるで 御祭り土砂降り

此の目には絶景かな

一世一代の大舞台

有名無名も関係ない

爽快だけを頂戴

あなたと相思相愛で居たい

好き勝手放題の商売

勝敗なんて興味は無いや

青臭い野暮臭い生涯を

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da

Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da

ただ生きるための抗体を頂戴

出鱈目な劇を繰り返して

筋書きは何時も無理矢理で

命を継ぎ接ぎ

迷路の先は何時も振り出し

吊り橋を渡れ剥き出しで

のらりくらり千鳥足で

命の駆け引き

くたばりゃ最後 死人にゃ口無し

食った食われたの茶番劇

一夜限り仮初めの繁栄

命の安売り

緞帳閉じ当代を御仕舞い

泥仕合の果てに喜劇あり

カタストロフィ超えてけ業

今宵の千両役者

狂気の如し歌舞いて頂戴

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
劇 /ɡeki/ B1	noun - play, drama
命 /inochi/ B2	noun - life, fate
迷路 /meiro/ B1	noun - maze, labyrinth
橋 /hashi/ A2	noun - bridge
喜劇 /kigeki/ B2	noun - comedy
繁栄 /han'ei/ B2	noun - prosperity
抗体 /kōtai/ B2	noun - antibody
商売 /shōbai/ B1	noun - business, trade
生涯 /shōgai/ B2	noun - lifetime, life
狂気 /kyōki/ B2	noun - madness, insanity
絶景 /zekkei/ B2	noun - spectacular view
業 /gyō/ B2	noun - business, work, karma
立場 /tachiba/ B1	noun - position, standpoint
自覚 /jikaku/ B2	noun - self-awareness, consciousness

Key Grammar Structures

• 筋書きは何時も無理矢理で

  ➔ いつも (itsumo) + Verb, using で to indicate the manner or condition

  ➔ The particle **で** indicates the manner or condition under which the action of the verb occurs.

• 命の継ぎ接ぎ

  ➔ Noun + の + Noun, where の indicates a possessive or descriptive relationship

  ➔ The **の** particle links two nouns, indicating that the first describes or possesses the second.

• 吊り橋を渡れ剥き出しで

  ➔ Verb root + て形 (te-form) + で to connect actions or indicate means/manner

  ➔ The **て** form + で connects verbs to show sequence, manner, or means of action.

• 命の駆け引き

  ➔ Noun + の + Noun, with の indicating a descriptive or possessive relationship

  ➔ The particle **の** links two nouns, indicating a relationship such as description, possession, or characterization.

• 一夜限り仮初めの繁栄

  ➔ Noun + だけ + Phrase indicating a limited duration or scope

  ➔ The particle **だけ** limits the scope or duration of the noun phrase, meaning 'only' or 'just'.

• 今宵の千両役者

  ➔ の + Noun, showing possession or attribution

  ➔ The **の** particle indicates possession, attribution, or a relation of characteristic between nouns.

• 狂気の如し歌舞いて頂戴

  ➔ の + よし to compare or 'like'

  ➔ The **の** + よし construction is used to make comparisons, meaning 'like' or 'similar to'.