Below, I translated the lyrics of the song チェックメイト by Travis Japan from Japanese to English.
These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!
(English)
Verse 1
donna joukyou datte piece of cake
Whatever the situation, it's a piece of cake
isshun de clear the target
In an instant, clear the target
koori no gankou de read your mind
With an icy glare, I read your mind
gurasu katamukete set the trap
Tilting my glass, I set the trap
kikenna issen sura karugaru koeyouka
Shall I leap lightly over even the dangerous line?
fushime no ura kakusareta yokkyuu
Behind your lowered eyes, a hidden desire
Trust me I can take over
(English)
Prechorus 1
Money donna oodaa mo
Money, any order at all
Thrill matatakuma strike
Thrill, I strike in the blink of an eye
Love kono te ni ireru checkmate
Love, I'll make it mine, checkmate
Chorus 1
harimegurasareta hijousen kugurinuke
Slipping through the cordon stretched all around
tamerai mo naku konpuriito
Complete, without a moment's hesitation
ubau nara karei ni kokoro goto
If I'm stealing, I'll take your whole heart in style
sore ga ryuugi sa you know it
That's my way, you know it
itami sae kanjinai hodo ni kanpeki ni done with it
So perfectly you won't even feel the pain, done with it
tsuitekoreru kana
Can you keep up with me?
That choice is mine tenbin kaketa rigai
That choice is mine, I weighed the pros and cons
nara risuku totte I'll make you mine
So I'll take the risk, I'll make you mine
utsute nado nai sa
There's nothing you can do
Whoa whoa kono mama saa checkmate
Whoa, whoa, just like this, come on, checkmate
Whoa whoa ooh I've got you in checkmate
(English)
Verse 2
kodoku wa seikou no daishou kesshite dare mo fumikomenai area
Loneliness is the price of success, an area nobody can ever step into
takishiido no oku shinobasu yurugi no nai kakugo that's my pride
Hidden deep inside my tuxedo, an unshakable resolve, that's my pride
kimi mo sudeni kyouhansha nigeba wa nowhere to hide
You're already my accomplice, there's no escape, nowhere to hide
So are you a winner soretomo loser
So are you a winner? Or a loser?
unmei wa it's up to you
Your fate, it's up to you
Prechorus 2
Power donna bamen mo
Power in any situation
Suffer tokenai pain
Suffer, a pain that won't go away
Fate kaetemiseru checkmate
Fate, I'll change it, checkmate
Verse 3
noru ka soru ka no sono setogiwa no setsuna
That split second on the knife's edge, all or nothing
dakedo kodou wa stay cool
But my heartbeat stays cool
kyokugen no kattou nomaresou demo subete shinario doori
Even if this extreme inner conflict nearly swallows me, it's all going to plan
saki no yomenai tenkai ni koso roman ga aru
There's romance precisely in a turn you can't see coming
kore ijou nai extasy
An ecstasy like nothing else
Bridge
I want it all sou nando demo
I want it all, yeah, as many times as it takes
neraisadame the target is you
Taking aim, the target is you
kobameyashinai sa
You can't refuse me
suki nante issun mo nai I'm perfect as can be
Not even an inch of an opening, I'm perfect as can be
sekaijuu yurugasu you na sonna misshon
A mission that'll shake the whole world
Oh let's play by my rules
(English)
(English)
Not over yet oh oh
(English)
Three two one
(English)
Chorus 2
harimegurasareta hijousen kugurinuke
Slipping through the cordon stretched all around
tamerai mo naku konpuriito
Complete, without a moment's hesitation
ubau nara karei ni kokoro goto
If I'm stealing, I'll take your whole heart in style
sore ga ryuugi sa you know it
That's my way, you know it
itami sae kanjinai hodo ni kanpeki ni done with it
So perfectly you won't even feel the pain, done with it
tsuitekoreru kana
Can you keep up with me?
That choice is mine tenbin kaketa rigai
That choice is mine, I weighed the pros and cons
nara risuku totte I'll make you mine
So I'll take the risk, I'll make you mine
utsute nado nai sa
There's nothing you can do
Whoa whoa kono mama saa checkmate
Whoa, whoa, just like this, come on, checkmate
Whoa whoa ooh I've got you in checkmate
(English)
Check checkmate got you in checkmate
(English)
Chorus 2
Whoa whoa kono mama saa checkmate
Whoa, whoa, just like this, come on, checkmate
kono mama
Just like this
Whoa whoa ooh I've got you in checkmate
(English)
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Did you like this lyrics translation?
瀬戸際 — the brink / a critical moment
瀬戸際 refers to the point where a decisive outcome is about to happen, such as “the brink” or “the eleventh hour.” In the song, 乗るか反るかのその瀬戸際の刹那 describes the split second at a make-or-break moment, while the singer remains calm and in control.
This song is a full spy-movie fantasy, and Travis Japan play it with a completely straight face. The narrator is a smooth thief in a tuxedo who never breaks a sweat: "どんな状況だって piece of cake" [any situation is a piece of cake], he says, and he reads you with "氷の眼光" [an icy glare]. He slips through "張り巡らされた非常線" [the police cordons stretched all around] and finishes the job "躊躇いもなく" [without hesitation]. The thing he is stealing, though, is you. "奪うなら 華麗に心ごと" [if I steal, I take the heart too, with style], and "それが流儀さ" [that's my style] is his whole personality in four words. 流儀 (ryuugi) means a personal way of doing things, almost a code, which fits a gentleman thief perfectly.
The title is the chess word, and the song keeps pushing the game idea: "打つ手などないさ" [you have no moves left] is a real Japanese phrase for being out of options, literally "no hand to play". It is also a bit of a power trip. He tells you "君も既に共犯者" [you're already my accomplice], so you can't run, then asks "So are you a winner? それとも loser?" [or a loser?]. There is a small crack in the cool, too: "孤独は成功の代償" [loneliness is the price of success]. Then he goes right back to bragging "I'm perfect as can be", which is a lot, and honestly that is the fun of it. Listen for "乗るか反るか" [sink or swim, all or nothing], a handy idiom for a make-or-break moment.
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