Tick Tack – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: U-KISS
• Album: Action

Lyrics & Translation

“Tick Tack” offers a unique opportunity to explore the nuances of language and localization in music. By comparing the original Japanese lyrics about a painful breakup with the upbeat Korean version about seizing the night with a lover, learners can see firsthand how a song's entire meaning can be transformed. This dynamic synth-pop track is not only a great song for practicing Japanese but also a fascinating case study in lyrical adaptation.

[English]

To Lie, I shall be here

To Lie, I shall be here

I love only you, that feeling will not change

We have wonderful memories we've built together, but I must be off right now

Tomorrow cannot be spent like today, just to tell a big lie

To Lie

I shall be singing for you - through the night

To Lie

I shall be turning on - the broken light

To Lie

As if to pierce the night sky, To Lie, To Lie, - (Tick Tack Tick Tack…)

If I have resolved to bear the sin deep in my heart, I'm going to lie

Since you’re not dull, you should catch on quickly, but we have no choice

If it stays like this, we’re falling down - then you say what?

There’s a cruel wall we cannot overcome - we must be separated

I tell a clumsy lie for your sake

To Lie

I shall be singing for you - through the night

To Lie

I shall be turning on - the broken light

To Lie

As if to pierce the night sky, To Lie, To Lie, - (Tick Tack Tick Tack…)

If I have resolved to bear the sin deep in my heart, I'm going to lie

[Japanese]

To Lie, I shall be here

To Lie, I shall be here

君だけを愛している　その気持ちは変わらない

僕らには重ねてきた素敵な思い出もあるけれど I must be off right now

今日のように明日は過ごせない ただ大きな嘘をつくために

To Lie

I shall be singing for you through the night

To Lie

I shall be turning on the broken light

To Lie

夜空を貫くように To Lie, To Lie, （Tick Tack Tick Tack・・・）

胸の奥で罪を背負う覚悟したなら　Going to lie

鈍くない君のことだから　すぐバレてしまうはずだけど We have no choice

このままならば We’re falling down then you say what?

僕らには越えられない残酷な壁があって We must be separated

下手な嘘を君のためにつく

To Lie

I shall be singing for you through the night

To Lie

I shall be turning on the broken light

To Lie

夜空を貫くように To Lie, To Lie, （Tick Tack Tick Tack・・・）

胸の奥で罪を背負う覚悟したなら　Going to lie

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lie /laɪ/ B1	verb - to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive verb - to recline or be in a horizontal position
sing /sɪŋ/ A2	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - something that makes things visible or affords illumination adjective - having little weight; not heavy
broken /ˈbroʊ.kən/ B1	adjective - having been fractured or damaged
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ in your chest that sends the blood around your body noun - the central or most important part
choice /tʃɔɪs/ B1	noun - the act of selecting or making a decision
separate /ˈsep.ər.eɪt/ B2	verb - to cause to move or be apart
memory /ˈmem.ər.i/ B1	noun - the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information
wall /wɔːl/ A1	noun - a continuous vertical brick or stone structure that encloses or divides an area
sorrow /ˈsɔː.roʊ/ B2	noun - a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune
commitment /kəˈmɪt.mənt/ B2	noun - the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause or activity

Key Grammar Structures

• I must be off right now

  ➔ Modal verb 'must' + base verb

  ➔ 'must' expresses necessity or obligation, indicating the speaker's strong intention or obligation to do something.

• 君だけを愛している

  ➔ Only + noun + を + Verb (愛している) (song structure)

  ➔ 'だけを' emphasizes exclusivity, indicating that the subject loves only that particular person.

• 僕らには重ねてきた素敵な思い出もあるけれど

  ➔ 〜もあるけれど (also have, but)

  ➔ 'もあるけれど' indicates that there are some existing memories, but introduces a contrast or concession.

• 胸の奥で罪を背負う覚悟したなら

  ➔ もし〜なら (if condition)

  ➔ 'なら' is used to express a condition, meaning 'if' the speaker is willing to bear guilt in their heart.

• Going to lie

  ➔ Going to + base verb (future intention)

  ➔ 'Going to' indicates a future intention or plan to perform the action of lying.

• 夜空を貫くように

  ➔ ように (like, as if/how)

  ➔ 'ように' is used to express similarity or manner, as if something is piercing through the night sky.

• 胸の奥で罪を背負う覚悟したなら

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'なら' (if)

  ➔ 'なら' is a conditional particle meaning 'if', introducing the condition under which the statement applies.