POP SONG – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 米津玄師

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Japanese with Kenshi Yonezu's "POP SONG"! This track, crafted for a PlayStation commercial, is a playful and thought-provoking exploration of contemporary life. Its unique blend of experimental sounds, including Romani influences, and its clever wordplay offer a fascinating way to engage with Japanese language and culture. You'll discover how Yonezu skillfully weaves complex ideas into catchy melodies, making it a truly special song for both music lovers and language learners alike.

[English]

Singing a playful love, baby, with a sparkling, chic melody

No one is around, another night passes by

Empty-headed, cheap harmony, everyone wants to be loved

Only unnecessary words spill from my mouth

What’s wrong with you all? Don’t look at me like that

You’re not normal, oh, the endless arguments

Singing in the rain, how cheerful it is

It must be so much fun, ah, ring-a-ling, la-la, what a blast

With one, two, three, let’s pour our love, let’s play forever

Scattering everything I’ve prepared

Yeah, after all, everything is just trivial

Sing a song just for you

That too is all just trivial

...

I want to have a lazy love, lady, a theory that leaves moralists dumbfounded

Only unpleasant things, spring is passing by

Flying by in a cat-footed bathtub, it’s a piece of cake

The spell I chant is bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Woo-hoo

...

(One, two, three)

My story, the way love unfolds

I want to live, immersed, as if everything is a game

Everything is absurdly trivial

Sing a song just for you (one, two, three)

Something’s off, something’s off, everyone’s strange

I can’t keep up, can’t enjoy, it’s a crazy ecstasy

Something’s off, something’s off, everything is just trivial

Sing a song just for you

(One, two, three)

So wonderfully foolish

This is the life I’ve been seeking

Who are you? Please tell me

After all, there’s probably nothing, right?

So annoyingly loud

This is a life worth living

Anyone is fine, but I want you

Please sing of love

That too is all just trivial

...

[Japanese]

ちゃらけた愛を歌ってるベイビー 煌めいてシックなメロディ

誰も見当たらない 夜がまたひとつ

頭空っぽチープなハーモニー 誰だって愛されたいのに

いらないことばかり 口をつく始末

どうしちゃったの皆 そんな面で見んな

まともじゃないよあなた方 あー喧々諤々さんざっぱら

雨に唄えば なんて晴れやかだ

さぞかし大層楽しかろ あーりんりんらんらんあっぱっぱらぱー

One, two, three で愛を込めて もう一生遊ぼうぜ

準備してきたもの全てばら撒いて

そうさどうせ何もかも 全部くだらねえ

君だけの歌歌ってくれ

それもまた全部くだらねえ

だらけた恋がしたいのさレイディ モラリスト呆れるセオリー

嫌なことばかり 春が過ぎていく

猫足のバスタブでフライバイ 飛んじゃってお茶の子さいさい

唱える呪文は ビビデバビビデブー

ウーフー

(One, two, three)

我がストーリー 愛の成す通り

生きてたい夢中に 全てが遊びの様に

異常にくだらねえよ何もかも

君だけの歌歌ってくれ (one, two, three)

どうかしてる どうかしてる あいつもそいつもみんな変だ

ちょっとついていけない 楽しめない イカれてるエクスタシー

どうかしてる どうかしてる 全てが全部くだらねえんだ

君だけの歌歌ってくれ

(One, two, three)

素晴らしいほど馬鹿馬鹿しい

これぞ求めていた人生

君は誰だ 教えてくれよ

どうせ何もないだろう？

喧しいこと甚だしい

これぞ価値のある人生

誰でもいいけど君がいいんだよ

愛を歌っておくれ

それもまた全部くだらねえ

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
愛 /ai/ A1	noun - love
歌 /uta/ A1	noun - song
夢中 /muchuu/ B1	noun - in a trance; absorbed
楽しい /tanoshii/ A2	adjective - fun; enjoyable
変 /hen/ B1	adjective - strange; weird
人生 /jinsei/ B2	noun - life
喧しい /yakanashii/ C1	adjective - noisy; loud
面 /men/ B2	noun - face; surface
雨 /ame/ A1	noun - rain
猫 /neko/ A1	noun - cat
歌う /utau/ A1	verb - to sing
遊ぶ /asobu/ A1	verb - to play
晴れ /hare/ A2	noun - clear weather; sunny
猫足 /nekoashi/ B2	noun - cat's paw; stealthy
呪文 /jumon/ B2	noun - spell; incantation
大層 /taisou/ C1	adverb - extremely; very

Key Grammar Structures

• 誰も見当たらない 夜がまたひとつ

  ➔ Negative pronoun '誰も' (daremo) + verb '見当たらない' (miate tanai) indicates 'no one can be found'.

  ➔ The phrase uses '誰も' (daremo) as the negative pronoun meaning 'no one', combined with the verb '見当たらない' (miate tanai), which is the negative form of '見つかる' (mitsukaru, to be found).

• もう一生遊ぼうぜ

  ➔ Volitional form '遊ぼう' (asobou) of '遊ぶ' (asobu) to express a suggestion or intention to 'play' or 'have fun' together.

  ➔ The 'volitional form' '遊ぼう' (asobou) of the verb '遊ぶ' (asobu) indicates the speaker's intention or proposal to 'play' or 'have fun' together.

• なんて晴れやかだ

  ➔ Exclamatory phrase using 'なんて' (nante) + adjective '晴れやかだ' (hareyakada) meaning 'such a bright/cheerful day'.

  ➔ 'なんて' is used as an exclamatory particle to express admiration or emphasis, paired with '晴れやかだ' (hareyakada), meaning 'bright' or 'cheerful'.

• それもまた全部くだらねえ

  ➔ Expression combining 'それもまた' (sore mo mata) meaning 'that too' or 'also' + '全部' (zenbu) for 'everything' + 'くだらねえ' (kudaranée), colloquial negative form of 'くだらない' (kudaranai) meaning 'boring or trivial'.

  ➔ 'それもまた' (sore mo mata) means 'that too' or 'also', emphasizing that '全部' (zenbu) or 'everything' is 'くだらねえ' (kudaranée), colloquially meaning 'boring' or 'trivial'.