Danjo Lyrics in English by King Gnu

身の丈 literally means “the length of one’s body,” but it is commonly used in the expression 身の丈を知る, meaning to understand one’s own abilities, limits, or circumstances. In the song, the narrator asks whether he can face himself honestly and keep moving forward without turning away, giving this phrase a thoughtful and emotionally mature feeling.

"Danjo" means "on the stage", and the song sounds like someone standing up there alone after the show is over. It opens with a tired admission: "叶いやしない 願いばかりが積もっていく" [wishes that will never come true just keep piling up]. Then comes "大人になったんだな" [I guess I've grown up], and the proof is small: "ピアノの音でさえ胸に染みるぜ" [even the sound of a piano gets to me]. That ぜ at the end is a rough, masculine sentence ending, so he sounds tough and a little embarrassed about being moved.

The singer has stayed put while the other person moved on: "俺はまだここにずっといるんだ" [I'm still right here, always], with only "汚れた部屋だけを残して" [nothing left but a dirty room]. He even says he has no soul left to sell. Later he asks a hard question, "何も知らなかった自分を 羨ましく思うかい?" [do you envy the person who knew nothing?], and decides "もう十分でしょう" [that's enough, isn't it?]. The second half turns gentler. He wants to walk home in "履きなれた靴" [well-worn shoes] and asks you never to erase your footprints, so he can always follow them back to you. My favourite line is "骨までずぶ濡れの明日" [a tomorrow soaked to the bone]; ずぶ濡れ means drenched through, and it is a great word to learn. The last train has already gone, but he asks "この真夜中を一緒に歩いてくれるかい?" [will you walk through this midnight with me?] and adds "ゆっくりでいい" [slowly is fine].