Bad Japanese translation of JD lyrics

I have the Japanese 2 disc version of Still and reading the booklet for the first time, it's amazing how absurd the lyric translations are. Here are some of the best:

Exercise One: You can ride the train to ruinAnd drowning soon 'cos it's the start of it all

Glass: Hearts fail, young hearts failAnytime, we're withoutOn the run, undergroundPut your head where it's safeLeave your head where it's safeDon't wait again

The Only Mistake: And the only mistake runs to rivers and fireLed to pleasures and painDifferent feelings and sounds

Walked in Line: Waiters in uniforms so fineThey carried pictures in their livesAnd other fantasies

Something Must Break: Two ways to choose, raise the deadGo straight behind, go straight aheadI see your face still in my windowTall Major Toms won't set me free

Dead Souls: We're figures from the fast and tallAnd mocking voices ring the hallsAnd realistic house of prayerCome kiss the dogs who took their share

Shadowplay: To the center of the cityWhere a rope's been waiting for you (!)

Means to an End: The beggars seats far removedStranger waves, then goes and hides

Passover: Can I go on with this train of defenseDisturbing, encouraging my mindAccount of my duties when all's said and done

New Dawn Fades: Direction on so plain to seeA lonely girl won't set you free

Transmission: Let the planned destructionWaiting for our sign, signWe were so young and thought that nothing was wrongAs for these days, we remained all along

Disorder: I've been wairing for a guy to come and take me by the hand

Decades: Watch from the winds as the seeds were replaced

Digital: Feel it closing inFeel it closing inHear it through my coldHear it's all over

I'm saving the best for last. Everybody sing it!

Isolation: Declaring men every eveningIt calls for a light from aboveCarefully watches for reasonShe's taking emotion and loveSo ready to self reservationFrom mothers who care for themselvesLife is the search for perfectionWhat's first like anything elseIsolation...Mother, I'd like you to believe meI'm doing the best that I canI'm ashamed of the things I've been put throughI'm ashamed of the person I amIsolation...But if you could just see the beautyOf things I could never describeThe pleasures the way of distractionThis is my bundle of prideIsolation...

Don't worry, 99.9% of Japanese people can't speak English.

:)

Yes that's pretty funny - I like the one about waiters !

I have got this Jap 2 disc set in my collection - remember buying it back in the day on import as it was (I think) the first available CD version of "Still". I've always kind of liked the 2 disc presentation which mimicked the vinyl double LP release. Any idea if these are worth much these days - mine is mint complete with OBI.

I was wondering the same thing. I looked for it in various places online and nobody seems to have a copy for sale.

A lot of the times, in Japanese lyrics booklets (as much as I'm happy many Japanese editions include lyrics---not just NO/JD)---you do have to understand that sometimes the lyrics are listed incorrectly or have typos occasionally.

So I just take the lyrics booklet (by any musician) with a pinch of salt at times.

If you thought that was bad enough, I have the Japanese release of 'Singles', and they completely have the lyrics to 'Here to Stay' wrong. I threw away the lyrics sheet, but one thing I vividly remember is that the lyrics were not even close to the real 'Here to Stay' lyrics, and that it seemed like someone with no English hearing abilities heard the song, wrote down gibberish English, and translated it from there.

But most of the lyrics sheets I've seen aren't that horrible overall.

Got these lyrics years ago with the STILL double Cd from JAPAN..actually bought it in BLACKBURN and my cheque BOUNCED!Thought at that time i had been done...spaces and wrong words.Eventually made the cheque good.Just spent 20 mins finding the OBI.I thought i was the ONLY mad one.Now i find WE ARE NOT ALONE.

The first Electronic album got a similar treatment (My life is here waiting at the Quality 8; I'm starting to claim Sunday grief).