UFO – Pink Lady | 1977

UFO [Yūfō]
ピンクレディー [Pinku Redī]
Words : 阿久悠 [AKU Yū]
Music : 都倉俊一 [TOKURA Shun’ichi]

Following the introduction of Candies yesterday, Pink Lady is another idol group that debuted in 1976.
“UFO” is the sixth single by the idol group Pink Lady, released in 1977. It became their biggest hit.
UFO, of course, refers to an unidentified flying object. In Japan, it’s pronounced “Yūfō.” The lyrics were reportedly written by Aku Yū, inspired by his experience of seeing a UFO on Easter Island.
Although the title is “UFO,” the song isn’t really about space. The main theme revolves more around “aliens,” a common association with UFOs.

The song starts with an intro made on a synthesizer. Let’s listen to it.

手を合せて 見つめるだけで
te o awasete mitsumeru dake de
愛しあえる 話も出来る
aishiaeru hanashi mo dekiru

• 手（て） [te] : hand
• 合わせる（あわせる） [awaseru] : put together
• 見つめる（みつめる） [mitsumeru] : gaze
• だけ [dake] : only
• 愛し合う（あいしあう） [aishiau] : love each other
• 話（はなし） [hanashi] : conversation
• できる [dekiru] : can

(translation) “Just by putting our hands together and gazing at each other,
we can love and talk.”

The lyrics start with a reference to telepathy or something like that.

くちづけするより甘く
kuchizuke suru yori amaku
ささやき きくより強く
sasayaki kiku yori tsuyoku
私の心をゆさぶるあなた
watashi no kokoro o yusaburu anata

• くちづけ（くちづけ） [kuchizuke] : kiss
• より [yori] : than
• 甘い（あまい） [amai] : sweet
• ささやき（ささやき） [sasayaki] : whisper
• 強く（つよく） [tsuyoku] : strong
• 私（わたし） [watashi] : I
• 心（こころ） [kokoro] : heart
• 揺さぶる（ゆさぶる） [yusaburu] : shake
• あなた [anata] : you

(translation) “Sweeter than a kiss,
stronger than a whisper,
you shake my heart.”

Just by placing hands together and gazing, their heart is shaken. How mysterious!

ものいわずに 思っただけで
mono iwazu ni omotta dake de
すぐあなたに わかってしまう
sugu anata ni wakatte shimau

• ものを言う（ものをいう） [mono o iu] : speak
• 思う（おもう） [omou] : think
• すぐ [sugu] : immediately
• わかる [wakaru] : understand

(translation) “Without saying anything,
just by thinking, you immediately understand.”

飲みたくなったら お酒
nomitaku nattara osake
眠たくなったら ベッド
nemutaku nattara beddo
次から次へと さし出すあなた
tsugi kara tsugi e to sashidasu anata

• 飲む（のむ） [nomu] : drink
• なる（なる） [naru] : become
• お酒（おさけ） [osake] : alcohol
• 眠たい（ねむたい） [nemutai] : sleepy
• ベッド [beddo] : bed
• 次（つぎ） [tsugi] : next
• 差し出す（さしだす） [sashidasu] : offer

(translation) “When I want to drink, you offer me alcohol.
When I’m sleepy, you offer me a bed.
One after another, you provide.”

The word “お酒 / osake” is a polite way of saying “酒 / sake,” referring to all alcoholic beverages. The internationally known “Sake” refers to Japanese rice wine, which is called “日本酒 / nihonshu.”

信じられないことばかりあるの
shinjirarenai koto bakari aru no
もしかしたらもしかしたら そうなのかしら
moshikashitara moshikashitara sō na no kashira

• 信じられない（しんじられない） [shinjirarenai] : unbelievable
• こと [koto] : thing
• ばかり [bakari] : only
• ある [aru] : exist
• もしかしたら [moshikashitara] : maybe
• そう [sō] : that

(translation) “There are so many unbelievable things.
Maybe, just maybe, could it be so?”

“So” here suggest that her lover might be an alien.

それでもいいわ 近頃少し
soredemo ii wa chikagoro sukoshi
地球の男に あきたところよ
chikyū no otoko ni akita tokoro yo

• それでも [soredemo] : even so
• いい [ii] : good
• 近頃（ちかごろ） [chikagoro] : recently
• 少し（すこし） [sukoshi] : a little
• 地球（ちきゅう） [chikyū] : Earth
• 男（おとこ） [otoko] : man
• 飽きる（あきる） [akiru] : get tired

(translation) “Even so, it’s fine. Recently,
I’ve been a little tired of Earth men.”

Everyone who understands must be thinking, “What are you talking about? Far from being an alien, he’s the perfect husband!” Has she been dating strange men for so long that she’s surprised by a kind man?

でも私は 確めたいわ
demo watashi wa tashametai wa
その素顔を 一度は見たい
sono sugao o ichido wa mitai

• でも [demo] : but
• 確かめる（たしかめる） [tashikameru] : confirm
• その [sono] : that
• 素顔（すがお） [sugao] : real face
• 一度（いちど） [ichido] : once
• 見る（みる） [miru] : see

(translation) “But I want to confirm.
I want to see your real face at least once.”

Could he be an alien disguised as a human?

鏡にうつしてみたり
kagami ni utsushite mitari
光をあててもみたり
hikari o atete mo mitari
それでもあなたは普通のあなた
soredemo anata wa futsū no anata

• 鏡（かがみ） [kagami] : mirror
• 映す（うつす） [utsusu] : reflect
• 光（ひかり） [hikari] : light
• あてる（あてる） [ateru] : shine
• 普通（ふつう） [futsū] : ordinary

(translation) “I try reflecting you in the mirror
or shining light on you,
but you’re still the ordinary you.”

ああ突然 オレンジ色の
ā totsuzen orenji iro no
ああ光が 私をつつみ
ā hikari ga watashi o tsutsumi
夢みる気持にさせて
yumemiru kimochi ni sasete
どこかへさらって行くわ
dokoka e saratte iku wa
やっぱりそうなの 素敵なあなた
yappari sō na no suteki na anata

• 突然（とつぜん） [totsuzen] : suddenly
• オレンジ色 （おれんじいろ）[orenji iro] : orange
• 包む（つつむ） [tsutsumu] : wrap
• 夢見る（ゆめみる） [yumemiru] : dreamy
• 気持ち（きもち） [kimochi] : feeling
• どこか [dokoka] : somewhere
• さらう [sarau] : take away
• 行く（いく） [iku] : go
• やっぱり [yappari] : after all
• 素敵（すてき） [suteki] : wonderful

(translation) “Ah, suddenly, an orange light
Ah, it envelops me,
Making me feel like I’m dreaming,
Taking me away somewhere.
Could it really be so? My wonderful you.”

Maybe love is like an abduction.

信じられないことでしょうけれど
shinjirarenai koto deshō keredo
嘘じゃないの嘘じゃないの ほんとのことよ
uso ja nai no uso ja nai no honto no koto yo

• 嘘（うそ） [uso] : lie
• じゃない [ja nai] : not
• 本当（ほんとう） [hontō] : truth

(translation) “It may be unbelievable,
but it’s not a lie, it’s not a lie. It’s the truth.”

“Honto” is a casual form of “hontō,” meaning “truth.” It seems like she’s telling someone about this surprising experience.

それでもいいわ 近頃少し
soredemo ii wa chikagoro sukoshi
地球の男に あきたところよ
chikyū no otoko ni akita tokoro yo

Despite the mysterious tone, it turns out to be a love song. It’s a delightful entertainment piece that compares the feeling of meeting an unbelievably ideal and charming man to an encounter with aliens or UFOs.

Pink Lady wasn’t just popular among men; they had overwhelming popularity among children, especially compared to Candies. The easy-to-understand lyrics and fun performances were the reason. Many children at that time must have mimicked the dance for this song. Even those who aren’t from that generation likely know the iconic gesture of moving the hand from behind the head while saying “Yūfō!”

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment if you have any feedback or questions.
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