1. Ghost Of A Cyborg

Repeated　Everything is transientBut it still keeps coming back　That bodily urge

Ghost of a cyborg　Tonightʼ s drinking partnerDance in just your pants　Riding on a yamaarashi*Ghost of a cyborg　Tonightʼ s drinking partnerDance in just your pants　Riding on a yamaarashiDance in just your pants　

The ghost of Frank Zappa　Standing in the kitchenThe ghost of Beefheart　Wreaking havoc in the shopThe ghost of a yamaarashi　Tonightʼ s fighting partnerThe ghost of a yamaarashi　Tonightʼ s fighting partnerThe ghost of a yamaarashi　

Dance in just your pants　Riding on a yamaarashiTonightʼ s drinking partner is the ghost of a cyborgDance in just your pants　Riding on a yamaarashiTonightʼ s drinking partner is the ghost of a cyborgThe ghost of a Highball

Pants! Pants!Strip down to your pants　Dance in just your pantsRiding on a yamaarashiRiding on a cyborg

Prime Minister of the Cabinet　Jerry GarciaChairman of the National Public Safety Commission　John BelushiMinister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries　Miles Davis Director of the Nakano Preparatory Military Academy　Hideo MurataHideo Murata

Iʼ m doing it with the nightCells are laughing　Forgetting everythingTonightʼ s drinking partner is the ghost of a cyborgDance in just your pants　Riding on a yamaarashiDance in just your pants　Ghost of a yamaarashiGhost of a cyborgDance in just your pants　

Zappa! Zappa!Strip down to your pants　Dance in just your pantsRiding on a yamaarashiGhost of a cyborgDance in just your pants　 * A porcupine

2. Potato Salad

I wanna eat a bowlful of potato saladI wanna eat a bowlful of potato saladI wanna eat a bowlful of potato saladI wanna eat a bowlful of pot sala

I wanna go to some desolate local townI wanna go to a bar by the station and just orderI wanna order a bowlful of potato saladAnd then I wanna get someone to softly slip away with

I wanna eat a bowlful of clam soupAll the more so after a night of drinkingWith just the clam soup for nibbles, I wanna drink some pure rice sakeI wanna eat a bowlful of clam soup

I wanna eat a bowlful of potato saladI wanna eat a bowlful of potato saladWavering silently in the shadows of some desolate local townI wanna go to a bar and order a bowlful of potato saladAnd then I wanna get someone from somewhere to softly slip away withAnd then I wanna get someone from somewhere to softly, softly, softly slip away withI wanna order a bowlful of potato salad and with just someone softly for nibbles I wanna drink some whiskey and special brew sake

I wanna eat a big plateful of crabI wanna live floating on the waters of HokkaidoI wanna eat a bowlful of potato saladI wanna eat a bowlful of pot sala

3. Heartbreak

Kind of on edge and frustratedLike a female cat in heatScratched the skin until itʼ s bloodstainedLike a female cat in heatCanʼ t hide the tears that drop to the floorCanʼ t hold back the feelings that rage like a storm

Heartbreak　A piece of my heart blown awayA cold flame wrapped around　It was shining with such a glare!!

My stupid face, joking and laughing　I donʼ t really knowOn a moonlit evening all aloneWhy am I here doing these things?I guess I canʼ t ever stop

Oh…

Iʼ m waiting for the day when Iʼ ll fight the demonsI feed greedily on my idle slumberWhile I wait for those demons!!

Kind of on edge and frustratedLike a female cat in heatScratched the skin until itʼ s bloodstainedLike a female cat in heatCanʼ t hide the tears that drop to the floorCanʼ t hold back the feelings that rage like a storm

4. A Morning Of Bursting Sound

A message caked in mudJumped into the puddleI can hear it　The sound of a kappa* laughing and singingJune rainThe sound of bursting rainA threatening air lingersA threatening air lingers

A message full of lies　Has arrivedIn the morning　Some light tearsSoaked in the rain　A rat-coloured greyThe morningʼ s already　The morningʼ s already　An 8am little school boyJumping into the puddleNose running　Drenched, but stillLaughing　Shining brightMud-soaked boy　A message caked in mudMud-soaked boy　A message caked in mud

That was 10 years ago　That was 100 years agoThat was us 10000 years ago

The morningʼ s already The morningʼ s already endingThe morningʼ s already The morningʼ s already endingLaughing　Laughing

That was 10 years ago　 That was 10 years ago　　That was 100 years ago　That was 100 years ago　That was us 10000 years ago

* A mythical water imp in Japanese folklore

5. Denkyu (Light Bulb)

Bored of all the ordinary coloursLetʼ s paint over the night with black and whiteThe voice of flowers in early spring　A phantomʼ s shellThe pink remains and sways in the breeze of middayI never planned on coming back to this transformed townThe light bulb made a noise　Lit a flame and diedDenkyu

3am and dreamy　Possessed by a phantomEyeballs bursting out　I couldnʼ t sleep that nightThe light bulb made a noise　Scattered a spark and diedIʼ ll replace it with a new one Iʼ ll start afreshDenkyu

Replace it with a new one　Start afreshReplace the light bulb　Start afreshDenkyu

6. Already Midnight

Itʼ s already midnightLetʼ s drink together until morningItʼ s already midnightDrink until morningSettling for midnightLetʼ s drink together, Letʼ s drink together, Letʼ s drink together until morningWipe your tearsItʼ s already, already, already midnightWipe away your tearsWipe your tears... Itʼ s already midnightAlready I donʼ t careDrink until you vomitLetʼ s fly, letʼ s fly, letʼ s rise up to the heavensItʼ s already midnightWipe away your tears...Itʼ s already midnightItʼ s already, already, already dawnWipe away your tears, your tears, your tearsGet on the first trainItʼ s already dawnItʼ s already duskItʼ s already midnight

7. Ankokuya (Dark Peddler)

In the wind of a bleak and arid plain　Shooting up the cash countCoiling themselves up in the ends of this world　They eat metal and burn corpsesTheir heads and bodies fucked by poison Concrete-coloured through and throughThem old peddlers of darkness　Making a killing from poisoned sweetmeats

The money they swindle　Swelling up their crotches Theyʼ re laughingSlavery in black markets The devil watches Itʼ s that kind of nightThem old peddlers of darkness　Making a killing from poisoned sweetmeatsThem old peddlers of darkness　Die a dogʼ s death on a mountain of thorns

Them old peddlers of darkness　Making a killing from poisoned sweetmeatsThem old peddlers of darkness　Die a dogʼ s death on a mountain of thorns

8. Sandpaper Zarazara

Blocked up dead end Blow it away with an RPG*Mustard-colours spin and scatterThe spikes of the hedgehog igaiga (scrape and scratch)Oh Rat Rat RatWah Rat Rat Rat

So sharp it hurtsThe spikes of the hedgehog igaiga Itʼ s always so iraira (frustrating and infuriating)Blow it away Let off a fart in the windLet it off, let it off A fart, a fart BwasahBlow it away Blow it away Blow it away

Sulking in a dreamThe armadillo grew hairsA most unbecoming evolutionThe spikes of the armadillo igaiga Right! Yeah right!Thatʼ s right! Really, really!Thatʼ s right! igaiga igaiga

Try and touch it　 igaigaTry and touch it　 igaigaItʼ s always so irairaItʼ s always so iariraSandpaper zarazara (rough and gravelly)Sandpaper zarazaraTry and touch it zarazaraTry and touch it zarazaraSandpaper zarazaraSandpaper zarazaraSandpaper zarazaraSandpaper zarazara

The hedgehog is in a dreamAn untouchable middayIʼ m already daradara (pouring down)Bleeding but feeling strangely serene

Oh...Agitated...Sandpaper zarazaraSandpaper zarazaraSandpaper zarazaraSandpaper zarazara

* Rocket-propelled grenad

9. Doronuma (Bog)

Big brown cicadas buzzing min-min-minLook for their shells in the summer holidaysEmpty shopping streetsInduced by the smell of metal, Iʼ m wandering

T-shirt cast asideWring it and sweat comes pouring outTotally naked Morning, night, noon, summerFrom this eternal existence Iʼ m out! out! out!

With a dry non-expressionStuck right in the bogStruggling to get out! out! out!Slippery-slip like a surume *

Stuck right in the bogStuck right in the bogStuck right in the bogStuck right in the bog...

Stuck right in the bog isSlippery-stroke like a surume

Stuck right in the bogStuck right in the bogStuck right in the bogStuck right in the bog...

* Dried squid

10. Stories

Big brown cicadas buzzing min-min-minEmpty shopping streetsA civilized age, lost its way, roaming in the mazeThe twinkling so brightThat smell of summer lingers faintly in the air

T-shirt cast asideWring it and sweat comes pouring outI was groaningThe story is in a dream

Big brown cicadas buzzing min-min-min　The story is in a dreamAn ordinary summer holiday　The story is in a dreamAn illusory summer holiday　The story is in a dreamThe story is in a dream

In a dream...

Big brown cicadas buzzing min-min-min　The story is in a dream

11. Tengu

That is now a memory from a distant pastA purple tengu* dangling from the power linesHis sharp eyeballs glaringFreezing crows that meet his eyesHe lights a cigar and puffs out concrete-coloured smokeSparrows choke on it in and fall to their deathThe city dyed red by the evening sunA memory of a tengu laughing eerilyA memory

That is now a memory from a distant pastA purple tengu dangling from the power linesA rotating discus　A metallic UFOChased it　It flew away　Flew away into the evening glowChased the discusIt spread its wings and disappeared into the evening glow

That is now a memory from a distant pastA purple tengu dangling from the power lines　Laughing eerily and puffing out smokeTengu　 Tengu　 Tengu　 TenguTengu　 Tengu　 Tengu　 Tengu　

That is now a memory from a distant pastA man holding onto the power lines　Electrocuted in midsummerHis hopelessly thinning hair is sexyNow a memory from a distant pastA purple tengu dangling from the power linesHis sharp eyeballs glaringFreezing crows that meet his eyesHe lights a cigar and puffs out concrete-coloured smokeSparrows choke on it in and fall to their immediate deathThe city dyed red by the evening sun

Laughing eerily A memory of a tenguA memory from a distant, distant past100 years on from thenThereʼ s something which you canʼ t seeThat I feel Iʼ m beginning to seeI feel itI do

That is now a memory from a distant pastChasing a bright red evening glowArms spread　Wings spreadArms spread Wings spread

* A mythical long-nosed goblin in Japanese folklor

作詞作曲 : 向井秀徳All songs and lyrics written by Mukai Shutoku

1. Ghost Of A Cyborg2. Potato Salad3. Heartbreak4. A Morning Of Bursting Sound5. Denkyu (Light Bulb)6. Already Midnight7. Ankokuya (Dark Peddler)8. Sandpaper Zarazara9. Doronuma (Bog)10. Stories11. Tengu

Zazen Boys - Stories

Zazen Boys - Stories Lyrics translated by Leo Imai