真夜中のジョーク – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 間宮貴子
• Album: Love Trip

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the enchanting world of 80s Japanese city pop with Takako Mamiya's “真夜中のジョーク”. This song offers a perfect entry point into the genre's sophisticated soundscapes. Through its story of a midnight drive, you can learn conversational Japanese expressions related to feelings and introspection, all set to a smooth, jazzy melody that captures the cool, melancholic vibe of a city at night. It's a timeless classic that will make you fall in love with the language and the era.

[English]

Soon it'll be morning, I can smell it close

Driving all alone

Just a whim, a midnight joke

I'm not good at waking up early

But staying up late, it depends on my mood

If I get in the mood, I’ll keep running, I’m a girl like that

Even love, I might say it’s just a thing

It all started as a joke, that’s what I meant

...

No oncoming cars, no one around

Just me, drifting along

In this drama, looking to the side, it's a man

A slightly familiar, serious-looking person

What a terrible joke, stop it!

...

Soon it'll be morning, I can smell it close

Driving all alone

Just a whim, a midnight joke

If all goes well, I might see the sea

If all goes well, I can forget

This girl, crying over jokes too much

I might even say I’m serious, but I run on

Just as I am

...

[Japanese]

もうすぐ朝の中 近いわこの匂い

一人っきりのドライブ

ほんの思いつき 真夜中のジョーク

早起きなら 苦手だけど

夜更かしなら 気分次第

その気になれば走り続ける女なの

恋にしたって 言えそうだけど

始まりはジョークのつもりだけ

対向車も 人もいない

私だけが 流れるまま

ドラマの場合となりを見ると男なの

少しだけ逢ったことのある 渋い人

ひどいジョークね、やめて！

もうすぐ朝の中 近いわこの匂い

一人っきりのドライブ

ほんの思いつき 真夜中のジョーク

うまくいけば 海が見える

うまくいけば 忘れられる

ジョークがすぎて泣くこともある女なの

本気だって言えそうだけど 走るのよ

こんな私のままで

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
朝 /あさ/ A1	noun - morning
匂い /におい/ A2	noun - smell
ドライブ /どらいぶ/ A2	noun - drive (as in a car ride)
思いつき /おもいつき/ B1	noun - idea, thought
ジョーク /じょーく/ A2	noun - joke
女 /おんな/ A1	noun - woman
恋 /こい/ B1	noun - love
始まり /はじまり/ B1	noun - beginning
人 /ひと/ A1	noun - person
流れる /ながれる/ B1	verb - to flow
泣く /なく/ A2	verb - to cry
海 /うみ/ A1	noun - sea
見える /みえる/ A2	verb - to be visible
忘れられる /わすれられる/ B2	verb - to be forgotten
本気 /ほんき/ B2	noun - seriousness, earnestness
走る /はしる/ A2	verb - to run

Key Grammar Structures

• 一人っきりのドライブ

  ➔ Noun + の + Noun (possessive or descriptive)

  ➔ The phrase "一人っきりの" describes the type of drive, indicating it is a solitary one.

• 早起きなら 苦手だけど

  ➔ Conditional form (なら) + contrastive conjunction (けど)

  ➔ The phrase indicates a condition (if I wake up early) followed by a contrasting statement (but I am not good at it).

• 恋にしたって 言えそうだけど

  ➔ Verb in conditional form (したって) + potential form (言えそう)

  ➔ This indicates that even in love, it seems possible to say something, but there is a hint of uncertainty.

• 対向車も 人もいない

  ➔ Noun + も (also) + negative form (いない)

  ➔ This structure indicates that there are neither oncoming cars nor people, emphasizing solitude.

• うまくいけば 海が見える

  ➔ Conditional form (うまくいけば) + potential form (見える)

  ➔ This indicates that if things go well, it is possible to see the sea.

• ジョークがすぎて泣くこともある女なの

  ➔ Noun + が (subject marker) + verb + こと (nominalizer) + も (also)

  ➔ This structure indicates that there are times when the woman cries due to excessive jokes.

• こんな私のままで

  ➔ Phrase + のままで (as it is)

  ➔ This indicates a desire to remain as she is, without change.