MIDNIGHT PRETENDERS [Midnight Pretenders]
亜蘭知子 [ARAN Tomoko]
Words : 亜蘭知子 [ARAN Tomoko]
Music : 織田哲郎 [ODA Tetsurō]
“Midnight Pretenders” is a track from the album “Fuyū Kūkan” released by Tomoko Aran in 1983. In the 2010s, Japanese city pop gained attention overseas, leading to high praise. Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd sampled it in “Out Of Time,” released in 2022.
This blog has been focusing on big hits in Japan recently, so the introduction of such a niche song might be surprising. However, the composer of this track is the same Tetsurō Oda who produced 1990s hits like “Makenaide” in yesterday. Due to its rising popularity, “Midnight Pretenders” was released as a 7-inch single in 2021, 38 years after the album’s release. On his YouTube channel, Oda mentioned that the song incorporates influences from the slow ballads played during the disco cheek times of that era.
Midnight pretenders
midnight pretenders
背中のホクロを なぞれば
senaka no hokuro o nazoreba
にじむ 涙 Uneasy heart, uneasy heart
nijimu namida uneasy heart, uneasy heart
- 背中（せなか） [senaka] : back
- ほくろ [hokuro] : mole
- なぞる [nazoru] : trace
- にじむ [nijimu] : smear
- 涙（なみだ） [namida] : tear
(translation) “Midnight pretenders.
Tracing the mole on your back,
tears well up.
Uneasy heart, uneasy heart.”
軽い寝息 たてながら
karui neiki tate nagara
泳ぎ疲れた 魚のように
oyogi tsukareta sakana no yō ni
眠りを 貪る人 How much I love you, I love you
nemuri o musaboru hito how much i love you, i love you
- 軽い（かるい） [karui] : light
- 寝息をたてる（ねいきをたてる） [neiki o tateru] : breathe lightly
- 泳ぐ（およぐ） [oyogu] : swim
- 疲れる（つかれる） [tsukareru] : get tired
- 魚（さかな） [sakana] : fish
- 眠る（ねむる） [nemuru] : sleep
- 貪る（むさぼる） [musaboru] : devour
- 人（ひと） [hito] : person
(translation) “While lightly breathing,
like a tired fish,
you devour sleep.
How much I love you, I love you.”
二人を 載せた船は
futari o noseta fune wa
夜の海を さすらって
yoru no umi o sasuratte
明日は 何処へ 流れ 流されるの
ashita wa doko e nagare nagasareru no
- 二人（ふたり） [futari] : two people
- 乗せる（のせる） [noseru] : load
- 船（ふね） [fune] : boat
- 夜（よる） [yoru] : night
- 海（うみ） [umi] : sea
- さすらう [sasurau] : wander
- 明日（あした） [ashita] : tomorrow
- どこ [doko] : where
- 流れる（ながれる） [nagareru] : flow
- 流される（ながされる） [nagasareru] : be drifted
(translation) “The boat carrying the two of us
wanders the night sea.
Where will we be carried away tomorrow?”
“流れる / nagareru” means to flow naturally (especially water).
“流される / nagasareru” refers to being carried away, like a boat by water.
Every time I wish
every time i wish
Monopolize your love
monopolize your love
行く先 告げない 旅人
iku saki tsugenai tabibito
Every time I wish
every time i wish
That you would be mine
that you would be mine
貴方のすべてが 欲しいの
anata no subete ga hoshī no
- 行先（いくさき） [ikusaki] : destination
- 告げる（つげる） [tsugeru] : tell
- 旅人（たびびと） [tabibito] : traveler
- あなた [anata] : you
- 全て（すべて） [subete] : everything
- 欲しい（ほしい） [hoshī] : want
(translation) “Every time I wish.
Monopolize your love.
A traveler who doesn’t disclose their destination.
Every time I wish that you would be mine.
I want all of you.”
Midnight pretenders
midnight pretenders
闇に 隠れて
yami ni kakurete
束の間 ぬくもり分け合う Secret love, secret love
tsuka no ma nukumori wakeau secret love, secret love
- 闇（やみ） [yami] : darkness
- 隠れる（かくれる） [kakureru] : hide
- 束の間（つかのま） [tsuka no ma] : brief moment
- 温もり（ぬくもり） [nukumori] : warmth
- 分け合う（わけあう） [wakeau] : share
(translation) “Midnight pretenders.
Hiding in the darkness,
sharing warmth for a brief moment.
Secret love, secret love.”
窓に しのび込む 朝が
mado ni shinobikomu asa ga
急き立てる 別れ
sekisateru wakare
最後は いつも 胸につまる Say goodbye, say goodbye
saigo wa itsumo mune ni tsumaru say goodbye, say goodbye
- 窓（まど） [mado] : window
- 忍びこむ（しのびこむ） [shinobikomu] : sneak in
- 朝（あさ） [asa] : morning
- せきたてる [sekisateru] : rush
- 別れ（わかれ） [wakare] : farewell
- 最後（さいご） [saigo] : end
- いつも [itsumo] : always
- 胸につまる [mune ni tsumaru] : choke up
(translation) “The morning sneaks in through the window,
rushing the farewell.
The end always chokes me up.
Say goodbye, say goodbye.”
深い 海の底に
fukai umi no soko ni
言えない 言葉 沈めて
ienai kotoba shizumete
置き去りの 孤独に
okizari no kodoku ni
唇 噛むだけなの
kuchibiru kamu dake na no
- 深い（ふかい） [fukai] : deep
- 海（うみ） [umi] : sea
- 底（そこ） [soko] : bottom
- 言う（いう） [iu] : say
- 言葉（ことば） [kotoba] : word
- 沈める（しずめる） [shizumeru] : sink
- 置き去り（おきざり） [okizari] : abandonment
- 孤独（こどく） [kodoku] : loneliness
- 唇（くちびる） [kuchibiru] : lips
- 噛む（かむ） [kamu] : bite
(translation) “Deep in the sea,
sink the words that cannot be said.
In abandoned loneliness,
I just bite my lip.”
Every time I wish
every time i wish
Monopolize your love
monopolize your love
約束 交わさぬ 恋人
yakusoku kawasanu koibito
Every time I wish
every time i wish
That you would be mine
that you would be mine
貴方のすべてが 欲しいの
anata no subete ga hoshī no
- 約束（やくそく） [yakusoku] : promise
- 恋人（こいびと） [koibito] : lover
(translation) “Every time I wish.
Monopolize your love.
A lover without promises.
Every time I wish that you would be mine.
I want all of you.”
Tomoko Aran originally debuted as a lyricist at the age of 19.
The melancholic depiction blends into the groove, making it cool.
It’s great that this masterpiece, once submerged at the bottom of the deep sea, has been rediscovered after 38 years.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment if you have any feedback or questions.
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