- Lyrics & Music: Kazuya Yoshii
- Arrangement: The Yellow Monkey
Original Lyrics
静かに目をつぶりダイブ マリオネットはコンフュージョン
さっきから妙にカラスが鳴く
LONG FUNNY DAY
淫売なマドモアゼルでざわめく満員御礼の会場
とがったハイヒールで チークダンス
LONG FUNNY DAY アメトムチノロマンス
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO この世界の上から
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO 飛び降りるさ
PLAYN’ ON!
残虐加工のエクセーヌでだらしない身体をかくして
メロディアスなジョークを歌う
LONG FUNNY DAY バラトカゲノショータイム
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO この世界の上から
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO 飛び降りるさ
PLAYN’ ON!
無愛想なヤングマン 可哀相なアクションマン…
無愛想なヤングマン 可哀相なアクションマン…
愛想笑い「レディース アンド ジェントルマン」
センスの悪いダルセーニョが合図
ジンクスをくわえ 真っさかさまにダイブ
LONG FUNNY DAY ベニトカゲノシークレット
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO この世界の上から
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO このけがれた雲から
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO 仮面劇は死ぬから
NOBLE PLAY I USED TO DO 飛び降りるさ
PLAYN’ ON!
無愛想なヤングマン 可哀相なアクションマン…
無愛想なヤングマン 可哀相なアクションマン…
I CRY THEY LIE DOOTY FACE
I CRY THEY LIE DOOTY FACE
Romanized Lyrics
shizuka ni me wo tsuburi dive marionette wa confusion
sakki kara myou ni karasu ga naku
Long funny day
inbai na mademoiselle de zawameku manin onrei no kaijou
togatta high heel de cheek dance
Long funny day ame to muchi no romance
Noble play I used to do kono sekai no ue kara
Noble play I used to do tobioriru sa
Playn’ on!
zangyaku kakou ecsaine de darashinai karada wo kakushite
melodious na joke wo utau
Long funny day bara to kage no showtime
Noble play I used to do kono sekai no ue kara
Noble play I used to do tobioriru sa
Playn’ on!
buaisou na young man kawaisou na action man…
buaisou na young man kawaisou na action man…
aisouwarai “ladies and gentlemen”
sense no warui dal segno ga aizu
jinx wo kuwae massakasama ni dive
Long funny day beni to kage no secret
Noble play I used to do kono sekai no ue kara
Noble play I used to do kono kegareta kumo kara
Noble play I used to do kamen geki wa shinu kara
Noble play I used to do tobioriru sa
Playn’ on!
buaisou na young man kawaisou na action man…
buaisou na young man kawaisou na action man…
I cry they lie dooty face
I cry they lie dooty face
Translated Lyrics
Quietly turning a blind eye, I dive in; Marionettes are in a state of confusion
The crows have been cawing strangely for a little while now
Long funny day
It’s a packed house, buzzing with excitement over a whorish mademoiselle
Dancing cheek to cheek in spiked heels
Long funny day, it’s a carrot and stick romance
Noble play I used to do, I jump down
Noble play I used to do, from the top of the world
Playn’ on!
Hiding my worn down body with cruelly made Ecsaine
I sing out a melodious joke
Long funny day, a showtime of roses and thorns
Noble play I used to do, I jump down
Noble play I used to do, from the top of the world
Playn’ on!
A brusque young man, a pathetic action man…
A brusque young man, a pathetic action man…
With a forced smile, “Ladies and Gentlemen!”
A tasteless Dal segno is the signal
Adding to the list of jinxes, I dive in head first
Long funny day, it’s a secret of crimson and shadows
Noble play I used to do, from the top of the world
Nobe play I used to do, from this dirty cloud
Noble play I used to do, because masques don’t last forever
Noble play I used to do, I jump down
A brusque young man, a pathetic action man…
A brusque young man, a pathetic action man…
I cry, they lie, dooty face
I cry, they lie, dooty face
Notes
If you’re listening to Experience Movie front to back, we’re now solidly in the saggy middle of the album. Kamen geki isn’t the straightforward and bland rock number that Love is Zoophilia was, it has more texture to it than that. And though I applaud them for including a song with a completely different feel to follow Love is Zoophilia, that little bit of texture isn’t quite enough to make it stand out above some of the songs that will come later on the album (though I like the intro to this song quite a bit musically). I see what they were going for here: Yoshii was using fancier versions of words (“kamen geki” instead of just simply “kamen”, which is why the title is translated as “Masque” instead of “Mask”), and even bringing in words and phrases from European languages to give the lyrics a more sophisticated feel. I just don’t really think it works in the way he probably thought. If the lyrics were a little bit more focused around something instead of just about a general atmosphere, or maybe even picked at atmosphere that wasn’t already this well worn for Yoshii even by this point, it may have landed a little bit better for me. It may be my own inability to interpret the lyrics properly, but I’m not sure I really understand whose point of view the song is actually from: The mademoiselle? The young man? A third party?
But though the themeing isn’t particularly interesting, a lot of the actual words and phrases are. One of the phrases used before going into the “noble play” parts of the chorus is particularly interesting. “ame to muchi”, is typically translated as “carrot and stick” in English to indicate the use of both reward and punishment in equal parts, to induce cooperation. In Japanese the phrase is even a little bit more direct, literally “candy and whip”.
“Ecsaine” is the brand name that the microfiber fabric known elsewhere in the world as “Ultrasuede” is known as in Japan. I’m not exactly sure what the “cruelly made” part is referring to, since at least currently Ultrasuede is a known cruelty free fabric. A “Dal segno” (often abbreviated just to D.S.) is musical notation that the musician to repeat a passage starting from the sign to the right, called the “segno”. I’m not sure if “action man” is just a phrase that Yoshii came up independently of this or not, but he could be referring to the name under which early G.I. Joe figures were licensed under in Britain in 1966.
And of course we have to talk about how the song ends. Where did Yoshii learn the phrase “dooty face” and why on earth did he include it in a song?! It’s ridiculous to include in lyrics that I would guess are meant to be taken seriously, but he probably didn’t fully understand that it’s a phrase a child might use.
As one of the deeper cuts from Experience Movie, this one hasn’t been played live very much. It was on the set list for the actual Experience Movie tour in 1993, and re-appeared during Mekara Uroko 9 in 1998 (which turned out to be a celebration of some of the lesser played songs from their indie days up through Jaguar Hard Pain). And every time I watch it performed from one of those shows, I always end up feeling more positive. This is because Yoshii really sells it on stage, particularly during the Experience Movie tour (he sung a lot of it in kind of a weird syrupy voice at Mekara Uroko 9 (Youtube link below), though he did do the “kawaisou na action man” just before the guitar solo in a humorously low voice). It really is amazing that he can look so serious when saying “dooty face”!