Romaji and English translation of the song Katherine in the trunk from the album Gama by the GazettE.
- Lyrics originally sung in English are in italics in the translation.
- Words or phrases I felt were implied are in [brackets].
- I also (usually) put repeats of chorus/verses/stanzas in [brackets] if they’re not written that way in the original lyrics for ease of singing along.
- Any comments I had during the romajization/translation process will be included as footnotes so as not to disturb the flow of the song. They’re not required reading, but Ruki does some pretty nifty things with his lyrics/kanji choices, or sometimes there’s further explanations about words or phrases in there.
Katherine in the trunk: Romaji
Mou katte ni nigenai de
Watashi no mae de wa amaeteru dake de ii no
Mou hitori ni shinaide
Hontou wa watashi ga amaetai dake kashira
Mou katte ni nigenai de
Nakitai toki dake semete tonari ni ite hoshii
Mou hitori janai no ne
Anta1 no mae de wa subete wo yuruseru mono
Namaatatakai kaze ga KYANDORU wo yurashiteru
Hi ga kiereba watashi mo kietai
Iradachi kakusu you ni anta wo dakiageru
Anta wa watashi no namida wo nameru
Itoshi no bABy… kotoba nante katachi dake iranai janai
Watashi no bABy… I love you katherine
Anta ga ireba sorede ii
Kanashiki bABy… mou daijoubu anta wa watashi ni yoku niteru mono
Watashi no bABy… I need you katherine
Watashi dake no anta de ite
Kodoku wo iyasu no wa nurui kaze to camel
Kodoko wo iyasu no wa aoime shita katherine
Mou katte ni nigenai de
Watashi no koto ga kirai ni natte shimatta no?
Nande watashi wo mite sonna kanashisou na koe de naku no…
Namaatatakai kaze ga KYANDORU wo fukikeshi
Hi ga kiete anta wa nakiyanda
Yowaku furueteta chiisai karada wa tada
Watashi no mae made kite yukkuri kuzureta
[Itoshi no bABy… kotoba nante katachi dake iranai janai
Watashi no bABy… I love you katherine
Anta ga ireba sorede ii
Kanashiki bABy… mou daijoubu anta wa watashi ni yoku niteru mono
Watashi no bABy… I need you katherine
Watashi dake no anta de ite]
Itoshiki bABy mou daijoubu watashi wa anta deaeta kara
Itoshiki bABy tsukareta desho konya wa watashi no hiza no ue de
Oyasumi bABy I love you katherine mada atatakai hoo wo nade
Oyasumi bABy wasurenai wa saigo ga watashi no me no mae de yokatta…
TORANKU no naka ni wa aoime shita katherine
Narihibiku KURAKUSHON mayoi nado nakatta
Watashi to yoku nita hitoribocchi no katherine
Kondo wa watashi ga anta wo…
Katherine in the trunk: Translation
Hey don’t run off on your own
I don’t mind that you act just like a spoiled kid when you’re with me
Hey don’t leave me all alone
I wonder if the truth is that I really just wanted to baby you
Hey don’t run off on your own
I at least want to stay by your side when you need to cry
Hey you are not alone
I would give up everything to be by your side
A barely-warm breeze is making the candlelight tremble
If its flame goes out, I want to vanish with it2
I hold you close in my arms, hoping to hide my frustration
But you can feel3 my tears
My beloved bABy… we don’t really need things like words just for the sake of saying them
My own bABy… I love you katherine
As long as you’re here I’ll be all right
My sad bABy… it’s all right now because you and I are so much alike
My own bABy… I need you katherine
I’ll stay right here with you
What I need to cure my heartache is a warm breeze and a camel4
What I need to cure my heartache is my blue-eyed katherine
Hey don’t run off on your own
Or did you really come to hate me so much?
Why do you look at me like that and cry out with such a sad voice…?
A barely-warm wind blows out the candle
And when its flame went out, you stopped crying
Your small body trembled weakly
As you slowly collapsed onto me
[My beloved bABy… we don’t really need things like words just for the sake of saying them
My own bABy… I love you katherine
As long as you’re here it’ll be all right
My sad bABy… it’s all right now because you and I are so much alike
My own bABy… I need you katherine
I’ll stay right here with you]
My beloved bABy it’s all right now because I found you
My beloved bABy I guess you wore yourself out so spend the night [resting] on my lap
Goodnight bABy I love you katherine I gently caress your still-warm cheek
Goodnight bABy I won’t forget you I’m glad I was here to see your last moments…
My blue-eyed katherine in the trunk
The car horn echoes and I have no hesitation
So much like me, my katherine, all alone
And now I will… 5
- Throughout, he uses あんた anta, a familiar form of “you.”
- This is a metaphor – Katherine is dying in the singer’s arms. OK: so, when I initially translated the song, I assumed the singer was a guy and Katherine was his girlfriend and she committed suicide and he found her before she died. But apparently there was an interview in Fool’s Mate (that I cannot find a translation or scan of anywhere, so I cannot confirm) where Ruki said this was a lonely girl whose pet cat Katherine ran away and (I’m assuming) got hit by a car. IDK, take your pick, I guess.
- 居れば ireba can be translated as “lick, taste, experience, make fun of/make light of,” so this could be how I chose to translate it (again, with guy/girlfriend scenario in mind because I’m not rewriting the whole thing unless I can find that interview), or any one of those other actions. If it’s the girl/cat version, I’m gonna say “lick” would be the best option here.
- I’m assuming Camel as in the brand of cigarette, as opposed to the desert-dwelling humped mammal…
- So yeah, with either girl/cat or guy/girlfriend, I think the singer put Katherine’s body in the trunk of the car and then committed suicide by driving off a cliff (or driving into a tree or something else car-related). Here’s hoping if that’s the case that it was single-car related and not driving in front of a semi truck or something.
蝦蟇 album cover art © 2005 PS Company
Leave a Reply