All Things Must Pass, Even This World by Tomokawa Kazuki (一切合財、世も末だ / 友川かずき)

I saw a big, red dog that was depressed.
He was headed toward the mountain with a child.
He was panting and shaking, but it sometimes looked like he was smiling.

We’re born into this life vacantly gaping.
We leave this life creaking and cracking.

Flowers bloom every spring,
The mountains and rivers are majestic,

But I just want to put a bullet
In my small and shadowed heart.

All things must pass, even this world.

Depressed dog, the sky is really very blue.
Only your thoughts are full of darkness.

Defend and attack,
Without a dream to hold on to,
Only progress lets me speak my mind.

We’re born into this life vacantly gaping.
We leave this life creaking and cracking.

Don’t tell me why you’re drifting, let me see you do something.
You just stand around brain dead, like a rusted gear.

All things must pass, even this world.

The depressed dog has longed to fall asleep.
The day I realized I was holding up the heavy sky,

I had a clear image of my childhood home.
This path leads into the snow storm.

We’re born into this life vacantly gaping.
We leave this life creaking and cracking.

There are tears in a cheerful voice.
The leaves of the fatsia fall in clumps.

There is no right or wrong.
I don’t know which scares me more.

All things must pass, even this world.

My hometown, my abandoned dreams.
My hometown, my abandoned dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xry5szUKk

絶望する大きな赤い犬を見たでぁ。
子供と連れ立って山の方さ行ったでぁ。
あえぎふるえるその顔は、時々笑っているようにさえも見えたでぁ。

ポカリポカリ、生まれた命だ。
カクンカクン、息絶えた命だ。

幾度春来て花咲いても、
山河が尊く潤んでも、

鉛の弾をぶち込みたい、
かすんでちんけな胸ばかり。

一切合財、世も末だ。

絶望する犬は、実は青空で、
観念だけがまっくら闇に充ちている。

守りだの攻めるだのと、
手に乗せる夢すらなく、
途中経過だけが力強く語らせていく。

ポカリポカリ、生まれた命だ。
カクンカクン、息絶えた命だ。

流れるなんで言わないで、何かやてみせてくれ。
歯車みたいに擦り切れて、立ってるだけじゃ能なしだ。

一切合財、世も末だ。

絶望する犬に眠ってしまいたい事がある。
重い空を認めて抱えてしまった日に、

生家のことだけがくっきりと浮かんでくる。
その道は吹雪の空へと続いている。

ポカリポカリ、生まれた命だ。
カクンカクン、息絶えた命だ。

明るい声に涙する。
八手の葉っぱがばさりばさり。

悪だの正義だのない。
どっちをおのれが怖いか、だ。

一切合財、世も末だ。

こ、こ、故郷、見捨てられた夢よ。
こ、こ、故郷、見捨てられた夢よ。

You’re Alive, Say It Now! by Tomokawa Kazuki (生きてるって言ってみろ / 友川かずき)

A soaking wet, dirty towel
Tied around your waist, dripping
You’re not exactly dead
Standing in front of your house
Trying to make yourself push open the door
It’s not exactly hell
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!

Dreams and reality hang in the air
Tears and loneliness become your friends
You’re not exactly a kokeshi doll
You have long hair and a gracious manner
But just how deep are your roots?
You’re not exactly a tombstone
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!

Making a sorrowful face you bite at the air
and jump up in your blistered body
You’re not exactly a skeleton
Blackly wilting conversations
And briefly connected mortal lives
It’s not exactly muddy water
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!

Picking out what you’ll wear into town
Smearing makeup all over your face, who for?
You’re not exactly a cultural asset
Pulling yourself off the ground, drunkenly staggering along
Tears on your face, you fall backwards in a fit
You’re not exactly a sparrow
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!
You’re alive, say it now!

* * *

ビッショリ汚れた手拭いを
腰にゆわえてトボトボと
死人でもあるまいに
自分の家の前で立ち止まり
覚悟を決めてドアを押す
地獄でもあるまいに
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ

夢と現実ぶらさげて
涙と孤独を相棒に
コケシでもあるまいに
長髪マンネリいさぎ良さ
根っこの太さはどこへやら
墓石でもあるまいに
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ

不幸な面して宙を噛む
ただれた体でジャンプする
ガイコツでもあるまいに
まっ黒にしなびたおしゃべりと
短くつないだ命だけ
泥水でもあるまいに
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ

衣装をこらして街を行く
ベタベタ化粧は誰の為
文化財でもあるまいに
ほお杖うつぶせ千鳥足
泣きっ面うしろ向き馬鹿騒ぎ
スズメでもあるまいに
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ
生きてるって言ってみろ

NOTES:

Tomokawa Kazuki, the “screaming philosopher,” has been recording albums since the mid-70s. His poetic lyrics are often barked out, almost like coughing. Many people became familiar with him in the West after he appeared in a Miike Takashi film, Izo, in which he sang several of his songs in their entirety. He is also a painter.

Lyrics taken from j-lyric. The original recorded version of the song (from Tomokawa’s 1977 album, 「千羽鶴を口に咬えた日々」 (Clutching a Thousand Cranes in My Teeth Day After Day)) only has three verses, and one of those is not among the four above. These lyrics are taken from a live version (possibly from the documentary Les Faute des Fleurs).

Waltz by Tomokawa Kazuki (ワルツ / 友川かずき)

Waltz
Tomokawa Kazuki

You drifting along, you wearing yourself ragged
Your dreams endlessly whirl in the air like clouds covering the sky
And living, and living is a waltz! And dying, and dying is a waltz!
And meeting, and meeting is a waltz! And parting, and parting is a waltz!

Exposed the way you are, you can’t help but feel ashamed
They say you’re flesh and blood, but someday the skin will come off and they won’t know you anymore
And living, and living is a waltz! And dying, and dying is a waltz!
And meeting, and meeting is a waltz! And parting, and parting is a waltz!

You living your sorrow, you optimistic about the future
Your story is spiraling up from this world into the next
And living, and living is a waltz! And dying, and dying is a waltz!
And meeting, and meeting is a waltz! And parting, and parting is a waltz!

You driving out the winter sky, spring once more comes crawling in
You playing freely in the spring thunder, surely you will have your revenge
And living, and living is a waltz! And dying, and dying is a waltz!
And meeting, and meeting is a waltz! And parting, and parting is a waltz!

ワルツ
友川かずき

流れてそして君 ボロボロになるのだや君
夢は はてなく宙舞い 雲みたいに漠々とあるのだや
生きても 生きてもワルツ 死んでも 死んでもワルツ
出会いも 出会いもワルツ 別れも 別れもワルツ

晒すのは恥しかない ありのままあらん限り
血肉とて いつかは 皮膚を出て不明になるのだや
生きても 生きてもワルツ 死んでも 死んでもワルツ
出会いも 出会いもワルツ 別れも 別れもワルツ

切なさを生きて君 前向きになるのだや君
物語は らせんに この世からあの世へとかけのぼる
生きても 生きてもワルツ 死んでも 死んでもワルツ
出会いも 出会いもワルツ 別れも 別れもワルツ

冬空をけちらして君 いざり来る 春もまたある
春雷に 御身を君 遊ばせて きっと復讐産むのだや
生きても 生きてもワルツ 死んでも 死んでもワルツ
出会いも 出会いもワルツ 別れも 別れもワルツ

Korosaretakunai nara korose by Tomokawa Kazuki (殺されたくないなら殺せ / 友川かずき)

Kill or Be Killed
Tomokawa Kazuki

At the station in my hometown
Coarse, dry tranquility
Stains my knife
If you don’t want to be killed, you have to kill
If you don’t want to kill, you may as well hang yourself

When kindness burns the town
Meanness will douse it
My heart is flooding
If you don’t want to be killed, you have to kill
If you don’t want to kill, you may as well hang yourself

A crazy young singer
Drags along his dead cat
And makes it listen to rock ‘n’ roll
If you don’t want to be killed, you have to kill
If you don’t want to kill, you may as well hang yourself

殺されたくないなら殺せ
友川かずき

故郷の駅にある
ザラザラ乾いたのどかさが
俺の刃物に泥を塗る
殺されたくない、なら殺せ
殺したくない、なら首くくれ

やさしさが街を焼けば
卑しさそれに水かける
俺の心臓水浸し
殺されたくない、なら殺せ
殺したくない、なら首くくれ

狂った若い歌手が
死んだ猫を連れ込んで
ロックンロールを聴かせてる
殺されたくない、なら殺せ
殺したくない、なら首くくれ

NOTES:

I translated the title as “Kill or Be Killed,” but it literally translates to “If You Don’t Want to Be Killed, Then Kill.” The choruses, too, more literally translate to “If you don’t want to be killed, then kill/If you don’t want to kill, then hang yourself,” which I have modified slightly.