Lyrics

Lyrics are through 2012--need to add Arui Wa Anarchy, No. 0, The Mortal, Schaft second album

Transcription notes:
{words in braces} are what is being sung in the song but is not in the album's lyric booklet; these lyrics may come from other sources and will be noted. If the source is not noted then it's simply how I hear it and may be subject to inaccuracies. If I'm not sure what is being said, then I will put a ? mark.

(words in parenthesis) are backing vocals, notes, or samples.

In Japanese: [words in brackets] is the way the lyricist wants you to read the kanji and is not the traditional way nor is it usually even an acceptable way.

In English: [words in brackets] are the traditional way of reading the kanji or the original English of a word written in katakana in Japanese.

Translations: (if I bother to do it--I'm lazy and I think translations are dangerous) My goal is to be accurate but also to do so in a way that you can sing along. Not saying I get it right but I try to balance the following: 1. nit-picky via back translations (if I can translate it back into Japanese and it doesn't match the author's original words, then I will try to do a better translation in English) 2. syllabic matching (if the original line in Japanese was 10 syllables then I will try to translate it into 10 English syllables so you can sing along) and keep the English word in the same part of the sentence for sing-along purposes 3. not assume the author's intentions and make huge leaps in translations (the reader should be allowed to come to conclusions on their own) 4. keep the same tone: if the original lyrics were casual, dirty, slang, masculine, etc then I'll seek English words with a similar tone (here is where huge leaps may be made because the translator may color the translation with how they speak rather than how the author may speak if they learned English)

*Please note that males in Japanese often use a word for "I" which is masculine only and is often used in the lyrics presented here. This gendered nuance is not translatable in English.

Monochrome Star

Lyrics by
From: Hinan Go-Go, originally released on July 1st, 1984

モノクローム・スター

{ *初代Buck-Tick曲ですが、作詞/作曲は今井寿と思います。非難Go-Goのライブのカセットテープをよく聞いたらこんな感じ:

いつまで続けるつもり
自業自得のストリート・キッズ

* 目を覚ませ 作り出せ 
思い出せ 動き出せ

** モノクローム・スター
履き違えるなよ

It’s for punks not dead
Punk for punk 終わったのさ

自分の言葉にしばれるな
Anti for anti もう あきたから

** repeat

*** ファッション・ショーは終わったけれど
あの気持ちは忘れないのさ

** repeat
}

{ ちなみにBuck-Tickが出した1984のインタビューにこの歌詞が印刷してました:

モノクローム・スター

自業自得のストリート・キッズ
自分の言葉にいばられるな
It’s for punks not dead
Punk for punk 終わったのさ
Anti for anti もう あきたから
自分の言葉にしばれるな
It’s for punks not dead
}

{ *This is a pre-Buck-Tick song, I think the lyrics/music writer is Hisashi Imai. If you listen carefully to Hinan Go-Go live cassette tapes it sounds like this:

Itsumademo tsuzukeru tsumori
Jidou jitoku no sutoriito kizu [street kids]

* Me wo samase / tsukuri dase
Omoi dase / ugoki dase

** Monokuroumu sutaa [monochrome star]
Hakichigaeru na yo

It’s for punks not dead
Punk for punk / owatta no sa

Jibun no kotoba ni shibareru na
Anti for anti / mou akita kara

** Repeat

*** Fasshon shou [fashion show] wa owatta keredo
Ano kimochi wa wasurenai no sa

** Repeat

*** Repeat
}

{ Also, Buck-Tick released an interview in 1984 with these printed lyrics:
Jidou jitoku no sutoriito kizu [street kids]
Jibun no kotoba ni ibarareru na
It’s for punks not dead
Punk for punk owatta no sa
Anti for anti mou akita kara
Jibun no kotoba ni shibareru na
It’s for punks not dead
}

How long do you intend to continue this
You are going to reap what you sow you street kids

* Go open your eyes / go and make something
Go on remember / go and move about

** Monochrome star
Now don’t you get it wrong now

It’s for punks not dead
Punk for punk is over now

Now don’t get excited over your own words
Anti for anti is oh so boring

** Repeat

The fashion show may be over but
I will never forget those feelings I had

** Repeat

*** Repeat

{ Also, Buck-Tick released an interview in 1984 with these printed lyrics:
You are going to reap what you sow you street kids
Don’t get cocky over your own words
It’s for punks not dead
Punk for punk is over now
Anti for anti is oh so boring
Now don’t get excited over your own words
It’s for punks not dead
}