starling-song

[starling-song]

Sorry, last reblog as there's one day left! Pleass let me know :)

I realize I can get carried away sometimes so have been wondering about your thoughts. Thanks for your help :)

[starling-song]

I realize I can get carried away sometimes so have been wondering about your thoughts. Thanks for your help :)

[starling-song]

I realize I can get carried away sometimes so have been wondering about your thoughts. Thanks for your help :)

[starling-song]

(photo: lyrics as printed in the first cd edition of Darker than Darkness -style 93-, 1993)

キラメキの中で...//Inside the Sparkle…

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi | Music: Imai Hisashi

A scarred man sings Dress swishing with a turn You laugh “It’s PRETTY isn’t it?” In the shadow of a man singing of love Everyone was intoxicated I laugh “It’s fun, right?” Let’s dance Grab my hand Close your eyes There`

That voice softly faint The look in those eyes SPARKling You laugh “It’s PRETTY isn’t it?” Inside the downpour of righteous light** that looks as if it’ll go out at any moment I laugh “It’s fun, right?” For dreaming men, a beautiful ballad At the center of love Women have dreams of loving^

At center stage Who is this naked self? Smiling out To everyone who has somewhere disappeared… Just a little more….Just a little more to become SPARKLING Even someone– even he– will become SPARKLING Can’t even run, the SPARKLE is coming Even for your sake And even for my sake Surely that’ll make it all better? Woo The song of love!

A screaming voice Tore at my ears Something’s just now— Aaa Let’s dance Grab my hand Close your eyes There`*

In the middle of this bed Who is this frightened self? Makeup veneer snatched away Who is this naked self?

A scarred me sings Dress swishing with a turn You laugh “It’s PRETTY isn’t it?” In the shadow of myself singing of love Everyone was intoxicated I laugh “It’s fun, right?” I am…

——————————————————

[I have included the kanji this time in the post because when trawling for a working copy online I found the most readily available kanji version to be incorrect with numerous mistakes. I present here a correct one.]

ケロイドの男が歌う　ドレスをひる返し　君が笑う　「キレイだね」 恋を歌う男の影に　誰もが酔いしれた　僕は笑う　「楽しいね」 踊りましょう　手をつないで　目を閉じて　さあ`

その声は弱々しくて　目つきはギラついて　君が笑う　「キレイだね」 降り注ぐ明かりの中で**　今にも消えそうだ　僕は笑う　「楽しいね」 夢を見る男達に美しき詩を 愛の中　女達は恋をする夢^

舞台の中の　裸の僕は誰だい？ 微笑みかける　みんな何処かへ消えた…

もう少しだ…もう少しでキラメキになる 誰も彼もがキラメキになる 逃れられないキラメキが来る 君のためにも　僕のためにも　きっと楽になれるでしょう？ Woo　愛の歌よ

叫び声　耳を裂いた　何かが今　ああ 踊りましょう　手をつないで　目を閉じて　ああ*

ベッドの中の　怯えた僕は誰だい？ 化粧のとれた　裸の僕は誰だい？

ケロイドの僕が歌う　ドレスをひる返し　君が笑う　「キレイだね」 恋を歌う僕の影に　誰もが酔いしれた　僕は笑う　「楽しいね」 僕は…

—————————————————— KEROIDO no otoko ga utau DORESU wo hirugaeshi Kimi ga warau “KIREI da ne” Koi wo utau otoko no kage ni Dare mo ga yoishireta Boku wa warau “Tanoshii ne” Odori mashou Te wo tsunaide Me wo tojite Saa`

Sono koe wa yowayowa shikute Metsuki wa GIRAtsuite Kimi ga warau “KIREI da ne” Furisosogu akari no naka de** Ima ni mo kiesou da Boku wa warau “Tanoshii ne” Yume wo miru otokotachi ni utsukushiki shi wo Ai no naka Onnatachi wa koi wo suru yume^

Butai no naka no Hadaka no boku wa dare dai? Hohoemi kakeru Minna doko ka e kieta…

Mou sukoshi da…Mou sukoshi de KIRAMEKI ni naru Dare mo kare mo ga KIRAMEKI ni naru Nigerarenai KIRAMEKI ga kuru Kimi no tame ni mo Boku no tame ni mo Kitto raku ni nareru deshou? Woo Ai no uta yo

Sakebi koe Mimi wo saita Nanika ga ima Aaa Odori mashou Te wo tsunaide Me wo tojite Aaa*

BEDDO no naka no Obieta boku wa dare dai? Keshou no toreta Hadaka no boku wa dare dai?

KEROIDO no boku ga utau DORESU wo hirugaeshi Kimi ga warau “KIREI da ne” Koi wo utau boku no kage ni Dare mo ga yoishireta Boku wa warau “Tanoshii ne” Boku wa…

———————

*Lyrics are printed as “Aaa” but he sings “Saa” again here

` I think we’ve talked about the versatility of ‘saa’ before on this page, but just to reiterate, in this context, he is meaning as “There there, yes, like that”

**I took a liberty using the phrase “righteous light” when the word is just “light” there. The reason for this that this is another song where Atsushi is contrasting pretty/ugly worthy/unworthy despite making these opposites always kiss like your favorite barbie dolls- honestly he loves doing this (see 小さな森の人 for a superb, overt example). And by saying something like “inside the downpour of light” and using 明かり as opposed to say 光 which also means light, apparently in a legal sense 明かり can also stand for one’s innocence of, say, crimes, etc. You can extrapolate this to innocent of sin, etc. As he seems to already be taking up the cliche old theatre metaphors of “the bad guy is always going to be the gnarliest looking dude on the stage”, I think he may be doubling down on the perceived- emphasis on perceived- purity of either himself as he presents himself on the stage or this girl he’s taken out (depending on which thread of the story you follow). She’s basking in a downpour of light which is conveying her sweet innocence, which, well, this is Sakurai, we’ll see how long she lasts in that state ahahaha. And by contrast, he is saying the audience probably views him as perfect in some sense when witnessing him on stage in the exaggerated spotlight. But this is why I have pushed that word ‘righteous’ in there to cover the full field.

^I originally had “women have dreams of falling in love” here, but after seeing a live performance of this song and watching Atsushi grab his junk for that line, I decided to blur the line a little to reflect what he was clearly thinking lmfao.

--

T/N: Hi hello back again with another out of order song because it’s been eating away at me. It's a little long again, but if you're up for it, I saw an interesting story play out with this one and wanted to share.

OK, there’s a lot to unpack here in this song. Hopefully I don’t stretch too much and it all makes sense. I think there are two storylines happening in this song at once, that are both happening separately, weaving in and out of each other, and happening on top of each other simultaneously almost like two realities playing at once, because what happens in one story thread is a reflection of what’s happening in the other story thread. Are you still with me? 😂

Story one is the story we start out with- to put it bluntly, it really looks like we’re out on a date. The scene is set- it’s a bit cliche but you have the poor street busker playing a bitchin tune while a pretty girl is on our boy’s arm. The vibe is good, so let’s dance. Nothing at all amiss here. Nothing at all.

At about this next section the story starts to warp. The shining innocence of the girl and the sparkling look in her eyes begins to melt into the speaker as he now becomes the one in the spotlight- on stage- and we are presented with Sakurai himself in front of an adoring audience. Bathed in bright yet ephemeral light of course he looks like a perfect being to that oblivious audience. Men get beautiful ballads and it’s women who get to fall in love. Or so he claims here in this moment.

The song now really seems to become an extension of 太陽に殺された, and we are back to grappling with stardom, what it means, how honest it actually is, and to be frank, Atsushi’s imposter syndrome. He envisions himself now stripped bare on the stage throwing out his arms and grinning at nothing and no one- because everyone has disappeared off somewhere else. A grim, bitter moment, and likely a fear (that thank god we all know never came to pass).

In the breakdown it’s almost like we’re getting to hear Atsushi’s inner monologue while on stage in front of us (and also probably of our boy looking to woo that girl)- if he can just turn it up a little bit more, he’ll finally have enchanted us all and he’ll be safe. Just a little more sparkle, a little more razzle-dazzle, and he’ll vindicate himself. What a bitter song of performing for love.

The next line we melt again through to the other story happening- someone is screaming. In this world, I think it’s safe to say it’s Atsushi. On the dream date, welll…..maybe the date went really well and he got to home base??? Considering what comes next. Either way we’re caught up in the fervor now so grab his hand and let’s dance- close your eyes and….

Now he’s left lying exposed in the middle of a bed wondering why he’s so scared now that he’s been literally and metaphorically stripped bare. I’m going to go super fucking meta with this, and taking into account that this song was written in ’92-’93, I mean…why wouldn’t he be playing the field? Except now who he’s become and his perceived stage persona is playing a part in pulling the girls he gets to sleep with. It feels like that kind of insecurity— who is he really without this new stage persona, and is it the persona who got the sex or he himself? Do these girls even like him for who he really is? It’s scary, and there’s a heavy dose of buyer’s remorse mixed in there like “shit, maybe I really shouldn’t have…”

Because in the end we are spun around again and see that really HE is the ugly scarred busker that the pretty couples walk by and toss a coin to for his intoxicating music without paying him any serious or sincere thought. He was really just the ugly busker in the end. But haha, it’s fun, right??? You’re entertained, right?????

Every single hat off to Atsushi and Imai for another insane complex unhinged banger that still makes you want to take your clothes off even though Atsushi’s bitter as fuck for most of it. And thanks to all of you reading for humoring my probably crazy commentary. But as I was translating this song, this is the story I saw, how it melted and wove in and out of itself. So I thought, why not write it down. There is always the danger, too, of conflating a song with Atsushi directly- I'm very very aware of it- but again this song seemed like such a natural extention of 太陽に殺された that it was hard to see it any other way. But again, this is all one person's interpretation and nothing more. Thanks for reading. <3

Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. All photos of lyrics are mine- these are from my own collection, even if potato quality.💗 v. 1.1 (5.19.25)

(v.1.1 formatting correction was made because Tumblr(tm). Some formatting issues are unfixable also due to Tumblr(tm) because the attempt would make things worse, thank you for your understanding 🥲)

[starling-song]

"This Creation in Offering to Sakurai Atsushi"

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By some wizardry courtesy of CDJ, I have received the movie box set today, on the same day of release in Japan. Beautifully and thoughtfully made, I was moved in particular by the dedication in one of the booklets and wanted to share it here. The first photo is the image on the back of the box, the second is one that I felt just fit the atmosphere. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone still waiting.

If you also have the films coming your way, please be kind to yourselves and watch it in your own time. Even the theme songs released today are difficult to hear as Atsushi's voice comes through the soundwaves from timeless eternity. So, please be gentle with yourselves and take your time if you need to. "You can be sad, but please don't suffer," are words from Imaiさん I have tried to live up to, but it's often hard.

[starling-song]

[NO LYRICS PHOTO]

<If you own this album, please consider submitting a photo of the page with this song's lyrics to the blog>

Ghost

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi | Music: Imai Hisashi

The romance of a moonlit night Is hidden in darkness Won’t be dancing Under a midday sky Just red blood Is only what I want Right at the nape of the neck A pure crimson wound^

It’s clearing up* The pretty night In the moonlight It’s only me on the prowl

Walking along Whereabouts am I going? Even a god of death Wouldn't spare a glance In your dream I dance At the end of the nightmare Surely we will meet

It’s clearing up The pretty night In the moonlight Just prowling

“Love me…” —that’s my favorite phrase “Keep staring at me…” —with tearstained eyes “Love me…” —like words in a spell “Keep dancing…” —Ah Night, stay just yet “Love me…”

I am right here Inside of you

It’s clearing up The marvelous night In the moonlight Just prowling

“Love me…” —that’s my favorite phrase “Keep staring at me…” —with tearstained eyes “Love me…” —like words in a spell “Keep dancing…” —Ah Night, stay just yet

“Love me…” —that’s my favorite phrase “Keep staring at me…” —forget it all “Love me…” —like words in a spell “Keep dancing…” —how lamentable

“Love me…” —that’s my favorite phrase

“Keep staring at me…”

——————————————————

Tsukiyo no koi wa Yami ni hisomu Mahiru no sora Odore yashinai Akai chi dake ga Hoshii dake da Kubisuji ni wa makka na kizu^

Toumei ni nareru Kirei na yoru Tsukiakari ni Samayou dake na no

Aruki tsuzukeru Doko e mukau Shinigami sae Furimukya shinai Anata no yume de Watashi odoru Akumu no hate Kitto deau

Toumei ni nareru* Kirei na yoru Tsukiakari ni… Samayou dake

“Aishite…” Sore ga kuchiguse “Mitsumeteite…” Nureta hitomi de “Aishite…” Jumon mitai ni “Odotteite…” Yoru yo kono mama “Aishite…”

Watashi koko ni Anata no naka

Toumei ni nareru Suteki na yoru Tsukiakari ni… Samayou dake

“Aishite…” Sore ga kuchiguse “Mitsumeteite…” Nureta hitomi de “Aishite…” Jumon mitai ni “Odotteite…” Yoru yo kono mama

“Aishite…” Sore ga kuchiguse “Mitsumeteite…” Wasuresarareru “Aishite…” Jumon mitai ni “Odotteite…” Sore ga kanashii “Aishite…” Sore ga kuchiguse

“Mitsumeteite…”

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^'kizu' has the distinct honor of meaning both a cut, or wound, and also its aftermath- a scar. *Personally* I rather think he's describing himself here- i.e. vampires retain the mark that turned them, etc.- but have chosen to preserve the ambiguity by just using 'wound' here. It's a little boring but oh well.

*This line came off as really obvious to me, but as I went through my usual rounds of second-guessing, I did actually find grammatical evidence that he is almost certainly talking about the sky clearing up so the moonlight shines down more prettily and not about literally "becoming invisible". I am only human, however, so I am specifically pointing it out here so I can come back to it later someday to look at it again haha.

T/N: "Ghost" is one of the most underrated B-T songs, I've said this before. It was, to my admittedly sparse knowledge of 36 years of live setlists, only ever performed once on stage which is, in my humble opinion, a bit of a sin. Atsushi has done a lot of vampire songs over the years but this one is perhaps the most playfully seductive of the bunch, while also making it very clear that while he utterly craves your attention, he doesn't care about you one bit- "Yes, forget it all- how lamentable!" you can almost see the subtle snicker on his face as he enchants you to dance on and on for him. It's a stellar song, with an also *killer* bass line. I have no idea why they never played it more often and I'll be just a tad salty about it forever.

Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. 💗

v. 1.2 (2.2.25)

[starling-song]

Had a dream Atsushi teased me for not being finished with the first two albums yet so I guess I better work harder and ramp up production again. 😂

Thank you all for your patience!🌸

[starling-song]

[NO LYRICS PHOTO]

<If you own this album, please consider submitting a photo of the page with this song's lyrics to the blog>

小さな森の人 // Little Forest People

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi | Music: Tsuchiya Masami

"I a beast and you a fairy were we born... Just for this one twinkling of a human moment^ tasting each other, we live..."

"Body like willowy torchlight softly cast The color of the lake shadowy but also rather of a deep lamentation"

"Even breath forgetting... Your voice far away... 'You will know I...am not...here...' "

"If there is writhing agony In your heart's depths... 'I have known that you...are not...here...' "

"I a beast and you a fairy were we born... Just for this one twinkling of a human moment tasting each other, we live..."

"No one even knows..."

"On the b e d of the l a k e..."

"If this is a dream I beg to just remain in it...always...forever..."

——————————————————

Watashi wa kemono ni anata wa yousei ni.....umare Tagai wo ajiwau kono hitotoki^ dake wo.....ikiru

Shizuka ni taoyaka tomoshibi no you na karada.....nageta Mizu-umi no iro wa yami sore yori fukaku.....kanashii

Kokyuu mo wasurete Kimi no koe tooku “Anata wa...shiru deshou.....Watashi...koko ni...inai…”

Kurushimi mogakeba kimi no mune fukaku “Watashi wa...shitteita.....Anata wa...koko ni...inai…”

Watashi wa kemono ni anata wa yousei ni.....umare Tagai wo ajiwau kono hitotoki dake wo.....ikiru

Dare mo shiranai...

Mizu-umi no soko... Yume nara douka kono mama Zutto…zutto…

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^The kanji used here is 一瞬 "hitotoki" which essentially means "moment". There are a few ways to say 'moment' in Japanese, however, so I felt him choosing one that was a homophone with 'hito/person' was significant seeing as how we're talking about fairies and beasts who may only partially exist on the human plane. So to specifically use 'hito-toki', a homophone with 'people-time', seemed like something I shouldn't ignore and that might be obvious to native speakers but overlooked otherwise. So I wrote this as 'human moment' to encapsulate things. It also carries a sort of "in the twinkling of an eye" meaning of quickness so I incorporated that, too.

T/N: This is a translation I did on my main blog over the summer and have decided to finally move here. I have preserved my original text stylizations as a one-time thing.

So to put it simply, this song is poetry. It wasn't written like a regular song at all, and I have done my best to preserve that sense here. It feels to me like a work of art, and one that I spent a lot of time over the summer carefully taking apart between my fingers to get the meanings just right. Atsushi has an insane skill for packing a lot of meaning into very few words and this just may be his crowning achievement in that field and it isn't even a Buck-Tick song (instead written and performed for Tsuchiya Masami's concept album "Mori no Hito"). I have a lot to say about this song and I'm not even sure where to start anymore.

Tsuchiya Masami scored two solo songs for Atsushi- this one, and "Shingetsu" (appearing in 'Ai no Wakusei'/'Spirit'). Tsuchiya is a man who, I like to imagine, saw a lot of the same interesting, intangible qualities in Atsushi as I do (because each of his songs are a big hit with me!), and did everything in his power to bring them out in Atsushi for the two songs he had him solely in his grasp. "Chiisana Mori no Hito" sees Atsushi Sakurai at his absolute most romantic. This song...listening to this song...is like being kissed softly on the mouth by him for the entire thing with such a gentle yearning that I can't even describe it much further than that. The story of the song, too, is intensely compelling- beautiful/ugly, hero/villain- a forbidden love regardless. These unexpected, very tender, lovers are separated and the call and response is heart-wrenching. Is one of them dead? Are they just far apart? Are the voices even real? And then the end with its bittersweet conclusion- reunited but at what cost? Is it a dream? Is it reality? Are they both now dead? Neither of them seem to care- they are together now, and let nothing ever again tear them asunder. The silky beauty of it all, and the absolute chokehold of "誰も知らない..." It's just pure, naked romance.

Considering, too, the reality of having lost Atsushi now, the lines of this song hit so incredibly hard. I've shed a sea of tears listening to it repeatedly. But there is still that reunion at the and- that hope where no matter *how* it happens, being together once more is possible and all that actually counts. This song is, again, the distillation of pure romance.

Anyway we deserved a 20 track album of Atsushi's songs scored by Tsuchiya Masami and I will always consider it criminal that it never happened. (and they could have done it!! Masami said Atsushi sent him around 15 candidate songs. We could have had it all~)

I don't generally do this but, seeing as how this is a rather rare song, >here is a link to the best quality version I've found on yt so far<. Please enjoy. I'm going to go back to softly sobbing in some quiet corner now...

Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. 💗

v. 1.0 (1.12.25)

[starling-song]

(photo: lyrics as printed in the first cd edition of Hurry Up Mode, 1990)

TELEPHONE MURDER

Lyrics: Imai Hisashi | Music: Imai Hisashi

Because even if it’s a lie, let me hear it— That was the first time I said those words Cheating Escaping Betraying Shot in my heart｀ Bewildered fingertips shaking And violent heartbeat Uncontrollable Whispering Murmuring Betraying Shot in my heart

※TELEPHONE MURDER ABSOLUTELY END OF THE LINE Nothing else, this is it If I spin the dial^

Just as much euphoria As telling lies Having premonitions That’s the kinda night it is Cheating Escaping Betraying Shot in my heart

※Repeat

TELEPHONE MURDER ABSOLUTELY END OF THE LINE Tangled in the radio waves Dream is over

＊Woo No more tear drop Woo Once more fantasy Woo No more tear drop Woo Once more fantasy

＊Repeat x2

——————————————————

Uso demo ii kara kikasete Hajimete itta kotoba datta Gomakasu Nogareru Uragiru Shut in my heart｀ Tomadou yubisaki furuete Hageshii kodou Osaekirezu Sasayaku Tsubuyaku Uragiru Shut in my heart

※TELEPHONE MURDER Zettai-zetsumai Mohaya Kore made sa DAIYARU mawaseba^ Ukareta bundake Uso tsuku Yokan ga hashiru Sonna yoru de Gomakasu Nogareru Uragiru Shut in my heart

※Repeat

TELEPHONE MURDER Zettai-zetsumai Karamaru denpa de Dream is over

＊Woo No more tear drop Woo Once more fantasy Woo No more tear drop Woo Once more fantasy

＊Repeat x2

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^For those perhaps too young to understand the line, phones used to have round dials on them that you would stick your finger into and manually spin to “dial” a number. This is what this line is talking about. At the time of this song the phone would have been old fashioned but not unheard of. You could still run into them in the wild even until the mid 1990s. And now I feel old for having to make this note.

｀I watched the 1990 live performance of this song several times and I’m rather strongly convinced that Imai has misspelled “shot” for this line. The katakana eigo pronunciation of shut and shot is identical and he simply got the vowel wrong. I’d give him a C-. With that said, I’ve taken the extremely bold liberty of correcting this in my translation but retaining it in the romaji as the pronunciation is, again, identical either way in katakana eigo, but please do take note. I really do just think he spelled it wrong lol.

T/N: Another punchy number from Imai going back to at least 1986. What makes this song special is the Merseybeat drums that Toll ingeniously brought to this song. The drum line really is the star of this song. I don't think they ever pulled out Mersey-style drumming again after this- it was a one and done. But it gives it a very, very nice, punchy retro feel, especially coupled with the imagery of the rotary phone throughout the song. Seems our boy is going through a break-up via a phone call instead of in person- ouch. Telephone Murder indeed lol.

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Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. All photos of lyrics are mine- these are from my own collection, even if potato quality.💗

v. 1.0 (1.8.25)

[starling-song]

Hi guys, probably won't be a new post again today while I work to finish up another side project. Aiming for the next HUM song tomorrow, though, and as time goes on probably a few more The Mortal songs sprinkled throughout because the music is just so cool and it's currently what's on my turntable.

Thanks for your patience, guys, and happy new year!

[starling-song]

明けましておめでとうございます‼️🎍

Happy New Year!!🥳

No updates tonight. There will only be the addition to "Guignol" 's commentary which I still haven't done.

May 2025 somehow treat us better than 2024! Safety and good health to you all! 💗🥂

[starling-song]

(photo: lyrics as printed in the vinyl edition of I Am Mortal)

ギニョル // Guignol

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi | Music: Miyo Ken

Un. Deux. . Un. Deux. Trois Celluloid Onnn…one foot A slow and pirouetting music box let’s…dance

Lean back beside the window let’s fall in love Your eyes roll back The moon is turning inside-out^

Why is it…I… don’t understand Love Neither tears nor blood can flow It isn’t…working

Roll up your dress let’s make love My eyes are a desiccating jelly` Lapsing into darkness

Who aaare you Teach me love Hollow eyes Glass jewels Who aaam I Make me dance on Let me dream And also be cut to thousands lullaby I had forgotten completely Grand Guignol Theatre

Un, Deux, Trois, Let us dance Halt time Un, Deux, Trois, Let us dance The same as that day Un, Deux, Trois, Let us dance Stop, O time Un, Deux, Trois, Let us dance Just like that day On one foot…well…

Roll up your dress let’s make love My eyes are a desiccating jelly` Lapsing into darkness

Who aaare you Teach me love Hollow eyes Glass jewels Who aaam I Make me dance on Let me dream And also be cut to thousands

Teach me love Give me a kiss Make me dance on Unto forever lullaby I had forgotten completely Grand Guignol Theatre Well, that concludes it

Finit

——————————————————

Un. Deux . . Un. Deux. Trois SERUROIDO Kataaa . . ashi de Yukkuri to mawaru ORUGORRU Odori . . masho

Madobe ni motare koi wo shiyou Kimi no hitomi ga gururi Tsuki wa uragaeru yo^

Doushite Ai wo shiranai Wata . . shi wa Namida mo chi mo nagarenai Koware . . teiru

DORESU wo makuri ai wo shiyou Boku no hitomi wa dorori` Yami ni ochiteyuku yo

Anata wa daare Ai wo oshiete Utsuro na hitomi GARASU dama Watashi wa daare Odoraseteite Yume wo misasete Chigirete mo lullaby wasuresarareta GURAN • GINYORU Oshibai

Un, Deux, Trois, Odorou Toki wo tomete Un, Deux, Trois, Odorou Ano hi no mama Un, Deux, Trois, Odorou Toki yo tomare Un, Deux, Trois, Odorou Ano hi no you ni Kata-ashi de . . saa

DORESU wo makuri ai wo shiyou Boku no hitomi wa dorori` Yami ni ochiteyuku yo

Anata wa daare Ai wo oshiete Utsuro na hitomi GARASU dama Watashi wa daare Odoraseteite Yume wo misasete Chigirete mo

Ai wo oshiete Kuchizuke wo shite Odoraseteite Itsumademo lullaby wasuresarareta GURAN • GINYORU Oshibai Oshimai da ne

Oshimai sa

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^ The verb in the second half of this line is a doozy and can mean at least three very vivid, different things- to turn inside out, to defect to a different side/team (aka betrayal), and to give a high pitched cracking voice like a broken falsetto. After spending quite a bit of time on it I sold out and went with the most common usage of the word, but knowing Atsushi he could have very well meant all three. I hope this better colors the understanding of this line (especially considering the context).

` The word "dorori" doesn't have a great english equivalent. It is essentially an onomatopoeia that means something disgustingly sticky and gooey, like sticking your hand in the mystery bowl when you're blindfolded at halloween and someone tells you you're touching guts or eyeballs or brains or something. Because of this I decided to insert 'desiccated' because the vibe is weird enough here to suggest he may well be dead, freshly dead, or half dead, etc. Atsushi is taking a seductive, sexy moment, drawing you in, and then pulling away the curtain to show you you've been lusting over a 4h old corpse.

T/N: Going off the beaten path tonight to do this song from Atsushi's last side project, The Mortal. Atsushi has taken advantage of some unique Japanese character stylizations that don't translate terribly well but that I have tried to preserve and reflect in different ways with italics. It felt like skipping ahead in the textbook doing this one, so I'll probably come back to it whenever I reach this album. This song sees Atsushi using a poetic device I've not seen since 'Chiisana mori no hito' which is the poetic 'yo'. This 'yo' functions rather like the Elizabethan english emphatic 'O', such as 'O Time! O Sea!' that sort of thing. The spacing of the lines is also interesting- some given space, others smushed together (so if they seem that way in places it's because they are). Like slowly unraveling thoughts that someone is still trying to hold together but not doing a very good job of it. But let's talk about the title and where we're at in this song....

Welcome to Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol- a very real theatre spectacle that saw its heyday from the late 1890s until WW1. At the Grand Guignol, guests were treated to short form extreme special-effects horror that specialized in the worst possible thing that could possibly happen to you in real life- grusome rapes, petty murders, rebelling psychiatric patients who kill everyone, slashers, revenges, disfigurement, you name it. It was said to be so graphically depicted on stage and the special effects so realistic that people would vomit, scream, cry, faint, and run from the performances. It was also, apparently, such a turn-on that the theatre kept special box rooms containing small windows beneath the stage that patrons could rent to rent to jack off in or have sex during the performances. Apparently folks got so worked up in said boxes that the performers would sometimes break character to stomp on the floor and tell them to keep it down.

And this, friends, is the world Atsushi has decided to take us to in this song. The line, however, it seems is rather blurred. You begin as a guest watching the 13th Floor With Diana-esque stage show, while also fucking in one of the sex boxes beneath the stage. But something is...not quite right. Your beau seems off.....almost dead- either physically or spiritually (or even both)....suddenly, you are part of the horror play yourself. Suddenly you are the performance. The spectacle of the play, the sex, the over-stimulation, the gory horror shocking everyone there, how can anyone feel anything after all this? Who are we- do we even know each other, in this box? Is it just an anonymous fling? "Teach me love". The viscous eyes staring sightlessly back at you as you fuck. The bloody debauchery concludes. The curtain falls. Oshimai sa. NEXT.

What a charming date night.

EDIT: After reading an interview Atsushi did for this album, it seems he merged the earlier concept of the Guignol (a puppet show archetype) with the later one (ie the theatre), which explains a lot more about what exactly is instinctively wrong about our beau in this song. So *originally* Guignol was a french marionette stock character, much like punch and judy are, who was generally a poor guy who did menial labor but was extremely honorable and always came out on top. So while his job and role and relationships to other stock characters might change from puppet show to puppet show, this was the core basis of him. Atsushi, in this interview, initially stated when asked about this song that it was about "how to make a feelingless doll feel" (so, focusing more on the puppet angle than the stock character itself) but neatly dodged the next question about the Grand Guignol Theatre references with simply "I like that sort of thing lol" which....sir....😂 So I think we may say that that our beau in this song is off because he's a fabricated person (atsushi apparently calls him a doll but let's be real here- considering what's going on in this song that is a stretch of a label at best)- perhaps crafted from the celluloid mentioned at the start, but also, judging by the eyes, organic matter. And this is the Grand Guignol Theatre after all- if this was some sort of frankenstein creation, passable enough as human in the dimly lit shadows of a candlelit theatre house at, say, midnight, but a bit of a gruesome horror up close or if you made the mistake of looking at him a little too long...well, the gross jelly eyes get the idea across well enough. This creature has happened upon the theatre looking to learn about human emotion, and the theatre's antics disguise him perfectly until the horror of him unfolds and the sex box encounter becomes another gory performance piece in and of itself. Atsushi really seems to have gotten to dump all his most favorite toys into the sandbox for this one- insatiable yearning, broken emotions, seduction, sex, slow horror, uncomfortably familiar shock- and a shameful desire to want to do it all over again. He really was in his element with this song. It's definitely become one of my favorites.

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Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations, commentary, or photos without express permission. All photos of lyrics are mine- these are from my own collection, even if potato quality.💗

v. 1.2 (5.19.25)

[starling-song]

(photo: lyrics as printed in the first cd edition of Hurry Up Mode, 1990)

HURRY UP MODE

Lyrics: Imai Hisashi | Music: Imai Hisashi

NIGHTLESS BABYLON Put on Media NIGHTLESS BABYLON Escape to the safety zone NIGHTLESS BABYLON Acting like a General NIGHTLESS BABYLON It’s giving Abnormal

※Lost in the night Out on the street (oh!) Lost in the night Out on the street (oh!)

NIGHTLESS BABYLON Searching for Pleasure NIGHTLESS BABYLON Pushing the way through Top mode NIGHTLESS BABYLON Burning through Slang NIGHTLESS BABYLON Shooing away Laughin’ voices

※Repeat x2

＊Those far too brilliant Have infinite Jealousy What failed to be won Was fleeting Merr[iment] Hide/Draw^ the neon Coloring Silhouettes I get it already “HURRY UP-MODE"

＊Repeat

※Repeat x2

＊Repeat x4

——————————————————

NIGHTLESS BABYLON Media wo haori NIGHTLESS BABYLON safety zone e nigekon de NIGHTLESS BABYLON General kidori NIGHTLESS BABYLON Abnormal kamoshidasu

※Lost in the night Out on the street (oh!) Lost in the night Out on the street (oh!)

NIGHTLESS BABYLON Pleasure sagashi NIGHTLESS BABYLON Top mode wo kakiwakeru NIGHTLESS BABYLON Slang tobashi NIGHTLESS BABYLON Laughin voice (wo) makichirasu

※Repeat x2

＊Azayakasugita no wa Musuu no JEAROUSY Tsukami soko neta no wa Tsuka no ma no MERRY Neon wo kakuse Irodoru SHILOUETTES Wakatteiru sa “HURRY UP-MODE”

＊Repeat

※Repeat x2

＊Repeat x4

--------------

^Imai doesn't use kanji for this word, which causes some problems. Frankly I can see how it could go either way so I decided to just use both, separating the two options with a slash. I even tried googling the phrase to see if I could pick up on any common usages and came up pretty empty- will ask a native speaker friend at some point to see if it makes any more sense to them but it may just be an Imai Original(tm) that we all have to live with lol.

T/N: Translation corrects spelling and english conjugation errors on the part of the band where necessary. Romanization includes words inside () said in the song that were blatantly missing from the lyrics- possibly just typographical errors. Both texts included additional repetitions wrt what's sung.

I borrowed some Gen Z slang for a line because, frankly, it really was the most accurate and concise way to express that idea in english lmao. Don't shoot me!! (plus the song mentions slang anyway so why not indulge a bit lol)

So far all these early songs are very short, cold, and punchy, very punchy, which is quite a contrast to the warm, fraught, and almost hallucinatory world that Atsushi later leads us in to. The punchiness, and Imai's aversion to kanji, makes them a pain to translate though so I will probably come back to this one later a few times- keep an eye on the version number!

--------------

Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. All photos of lyrics are mine- these are from my own collection, even if potato quality.💗

v. 1.0 (12.29.24)

[starling-song]

(photo: lyrics as printed in the first cd edition of Hurry Up Mode, 1990)

PLASTIC SYNDROME TYPE II

Lyrics: Imai Hisashi | Music: Sakurai Atsushi

Nothing to be done Burned into my memory Those tearful eyes So petty It became hard to see That reflection In dreams I can forget All of it

oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME

You’ll never Be honest, eh? Before you know it Utterly changed Now lonely Feelings hidden In lies you can forget All of it

※oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME

＊Since real feelings were forgotten Since painful thoughts were exhausting Since real feelings were forgotten Since painful thoughts were exhausting ………PLASTIC …PLASTIC …PLASTIC PLASTIC!!

※ Repeat

＊Repeat

Since real feelings were forgotten Since painful thoughts were exhausting (1986 vers. only: Since real feelings were forgotten Since painful thoughts were exhausting) Real feelings Painful thoughts

——————————————————

Dou shiyou mo naku Yakitsuite Namida gumu no wa Keihaku de Minikukunatta Sugata utsushi Yume de subete wo Wasureru sa

oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME

Sunao ni nante Narene– ze Itsu no ma ni ka ni Kawari hate Sabishikunatta Kimochi kakushi Uso de subete wo Wasureru sa

※oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME oh-PLASTIC SYNDROME

＊Honto no kimochi Wasureta kara Setsunai omoi wa Tsukareta kara Honto no kimochi Wasureta kara Setsunai omoi wa Tsukareta kara ………PLASTIC …PLASTIC …PLASTIC PLASTIC!!

※ Repeat

＊Repeat

Honto no kimochi Wasureta kara Setsunai omoi wa Tsukareta kara (1986 vers only: Honto no kimochi Wasureta kara Setsunai omoi wa Tsukareta kara) Honto no kimochi Setsunai omoi wa

--------------

T/N: Repetitions and end chorus added to the romaji and translation of this song wrt the published lyrics as seen in the photo.

Next to "utterly changed" it should really also say "(derogatory)" as the implication is the bad kind of 'changed'. I tried to convey this by putting utterly in there as it is a more negative qualifier. Personally I think it's kind of hard to tell if the speaker is talking about himself the whole time, or half himself and half, say, a nasty ex girlfriend or something. There is definitely a feeling in the second part of talking 'to' someone, but you can just as easily talk to yourself as you could someone else! Imai wrote this one so I think it could go either way. Stay tuned to the version number at the bottom of this post for me to possibly change my mind later lol.

I've seen some lyrics for this song posted online with added english lyrics at the end. That isn't present in the Hurry Up Mode cd that was published in 1990. A goal of mine is to get ahold of the To-Search EP someday, but at the very least a review of the Hurry Up Mode 1990 cd (the first time this album was published in cd format- before then it was only vinyl) in a contemporary Japanese music magazine said that it was the same as the vinyl, just basically mixed a bit better for stereo/headphones. Something I really want to do with this page is post every print of the lyrics for a song exactly in case of a situation like this. Even so, even when listening to this track from Hurry Up Mode those supposed english end lyrics are not in the song. As B-T has not posted the original To-Search EP to spotify (they may not be legally able to), it's hard to tell if the version there and the version on Hurry Up Mode are different. I'll see if I can't find it somehow.

edit: Found it! Here's a spin of the OG original version of this song from 1986's 'To-Search' EP. It is a different, older recording of this song than from Hurry Up Mode (ie the version on spotify etc) and has two extra lines of chorus- but still no english ending! The mystery continues...

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Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. All photos of lyrics are mine- these are from my own collection, even if potato quality.💗

v. 1.3 (12.28.24)

[starling-song]

Hi again! So the goal has been set to translate every song in order of release as close as possible and "To-Search" has just been posted today. I've already got some solid lists going so I'm cracking my knuckles and trying not to think too hard about the pile of over 200 songs in front of me, plus Atsushi's solo and one-off stuff eventually (And even Imai's).

So, if you're *also* up for the journey, why not pile in and follow along? I'll need all the moral support I can get! 😂 And if not, that's fine, too! I'm gonna be sitting here chipping away at it anyway. <3

This is sure to be an interesting trip through the progression of the band. And sure, there are a gazillion translators and translation websites out there for Buck-Tick, but hey now you can follow one working in real-time and live the adventure from scratch! 😂

Ok, I'm all done upselling. Time to get back at it. There is a hell of an adventure ahead....

[starling-song]

(photo: lyrics as printed on the 'Just One More Kiss' mini disk single, 1987)

To-Search

Lyrics: Imai Hisashi | Music: Imai Hisashi

(sung in 1987 ver. only: BREAK OUT!!)

Youi wa dekiteru Itsudemo heiki sa Me ni tsukumono nara ONE BY ONE Uso wo chirakashi Shitagokoro kakushi Te atari shidai ni CASE BY CASE

※Yaru nara ima sa Kuragari no uchi ni Chika yoretara Sou sa BREAK OUT (BREAK OUT) CAUTION (CAUTION) Te wo nukane– de Kuragari no uchi ni Umaku yatte Kono mama

Damashi tsuzukete Sukima wo tsukutte Suki wo ataezu ONE BY ONE Aizu wo kimetara Hanashi wo awasete Ikasazu Korosazu CASE BY CASE

※Repeat

*Dou se yaru nara Kuragari no uchi ni Barene– you ni Sou sa BREAK OUT (BREAK OUT) CAUTION (CAUTION) Ima nara dekiru Kuragari no uchi ni Umaku yatte Kono mama

#TO SEARCH TO SEARCH TO SEARCH Shou ga ne– ze Mattaku……

※Repeat

*Repeat

#Repeat x4

TO SEARCH

—————————————————— (sung in 1987 ver. only: BREAK OUT!!)

Have done the preparations Always cool and collected If something catches your eye ONE BY ONE Scattering lies Hiding motives And taking anything you can get CASE BY CASE

※If we do it, now While in the dark If we can get close That’s right BREAK OUT (BREAK OUT) CAUTION (CAUTION) Don't be slackin’ off While in the dark Do it good Just like that

Keep scamming Gain an inch Without giving an inch ONE BY ONE If the signal’s decided Then play along Not allowed to live Not allowed to kill CASE BY CASE

※Repeat

*If you’re gonna do it anyway While in the dark Don’t let ‘em catch ya That’s right BREAK OUT (BREAK OUT) CAUTION (CAUTION) If you can do it now While in the dark Do it good Just like that

#TO SEARCH TO SEARCH TO SEARCH Can’t do nothin’ about it Not a thing

※Repeat

*Repeat

#Repeat x4

TO SEARCH

--------------

T/N: Committing petty crimes and breaking out of jail by the sound of it, lads! Here come those sirens! 😂

Romanization and translation deviate slightly only at the end from printed lyrics wrt repetitions to account for what's in the actual song.

EDIT: After listening to the original 1986 EP single, added a note that Atsushi's exclamation of "BREAK OUT!" at the beginning of the song only exists in the newer 1987 recording.

--------------

Disclaimers: Please do not use my translations or photos without express permission. All photos of lyrics are mine- these are from my own collection, even if potato quality.💗

v. 1.3 (12-28-24)

[starling-song]

Hello all,

Please feel free to send in song translation requests, it may motivate me to get started despite all the complicated feels.

Thank you 💗