BOY Lyrics in English by King Gnu

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song BOY by King Gnu from Japanese to English.

These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!

sono namida ga ase ga nijinda

Those tears, that sweat, welled up

dare to mo chigau utsukushisa de

With a beauty unlike anyone else's

waratteokure yo

Please smile for me

iki o kirashita kimi wa

You, out of breath

dare yori suteki sa

Are lovelier than anyone

ki no nuketa tansan mitai ni

Like a soda gone flat

kasuka ni kedarui hibi ni toketa

I melted into faintly listless days

ahiru no mama de tsubasa o hirogete

Still a duck, I spread my wings

sora o mau hakuchou no yume o miru

And dream of being a swan soaring in the sky

samayou kurai nara

If I'm just going to wander

isso ajiwaitsukushimasho

I might as well savor every bit of it

chikamichi bakari ja

If you only take shortcuts

ajike ga nai desho

It's kinda dull, isn't it?

michikusa o kutte

Dawdling along the way

nukarumi nonde

Swallowing the mud

demo tadoritsukenakute

But still never getting there

mata nando datte

And again, as many times as it takes

yuugure o oikakeru no

I chase the sunset

hashire haruka saki e

Run, far ahead

yogoreta kutsu to ashiato wa

Your dirty shoes and footprints

tashika ni mirai e to

Surely toward the future

ima kaketeyuku

Now race onward

iki o kirashita kimi wa

You, out of breath

dare yori suteki sa

Are lovelier than anyone

monogatari no hajimari wa itsumo

The start of a story always comes

shijima o kirisaki totsuzen ni

Suddenly, tearing through the silence

mune no naka zawameku homura ni

Embarrassed by the flame stirring in my chest

terete wasurete otona ni naru

Then I forget it and grow up

narifuri kamawazu

Not caring how I look

kyou wa oshimai ni shimasho

Let's call it a day today

hidamari no you na

Like a patch of sunlight

yume o miremasu you ni

I hope I can have a dream like that

katazu o nonde

Holding my breath

haji o shinonde

Swallowing my shame

mada akiramekirenakute

I still can't give up

mata nando datte

And again, as many times as it takes

ashita o oikakeru no

I chase tomorrow

koe o karasu made

Until my voice gives out

naiteita n da yo

I was crying

kanawanai to wakatte nao

Even knowing it won't come true

aragatteokure yo

Keep fighting it, please

mukidashi de saku kimi wa

You, blooming bare and raw

dare yori suteki sa

Are lovelier than anyone

kyou mo

Today too

sono namida ga ase ga nijinda

Those tears, that sweat, welled up

dare to mo chigau utsukushisa de

With a beauty unlike anyone else's

waratteokure yo

Please smile for me

iki o kirashita kimi wa

You, out of breath

dare yori suteki sa

Are lovelier than anyone

hashire haruka saki e

Run, far ahead

yogoreta kutsu to ashiato wa

Your dirty shoes and footprints

tashika ni mirai e to

Surely toward the future

ima kaketeyuku

Now race onward

iki o kirashita kimi wa

You, out of breath

dare yori suteki sa

Are lovelier than anyone

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家鴨の侭 — Remaining a duck / just as a duck

家鴨の侭 (あひるのまま) literally means “remaining a duck” or “staying just as a duck.” It creates a memorable image in the song: the speaker spreads their wings and dreams of soaring like a swan, even while still being an ordinary duck, suggesting the courage to pursue transformation without denying who you are.

King Gnu's "BOY" is a pep talk for someone who keeps falling short and keeps running anyway. The opening is all sweat and tears, and the singer's answer to that mess is simple: "息を切らした君は" (you, out of breath) "誰より素敵さ" (are lovelier than anyone). Being exhausted is the attractive part here, not something to hide.

The best image is the ugly duckling, flipped. "家鴨の侭で翼を広げて" (spreading your wings while still a duck) "空を舞う白鳥の夢をみる" (dreaming of a swan dancing in the sky). Nobody turns into a swan in this song. You stay a duck and dream big anyway. Days feel like "気の抜けた炭酸みたいに" (like soda gone flat), which is a very specific kind of boredom.

Phrase worth learning: "道草を食って" (dawdling on the way). Literally it means "eating roadside grass", the way a horse stops to graze, and Japanese uses it for wandering off course. The song treats detours as the point: shortcuts are tasteless, so take the long road, wade through the mud, and when it gets hard, "走れ遥か先へ" (run, far ahead). The dirty shoes and footprints are proof you went somewhere.

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King Gnu BOY Lyrics