仮面の街
サカナクション Lyrics

The song "仮面の街 (Masked City)" by サカナクション (Sakanaction) is an emotional commentary on the contradictions and masks that people wear in urban cities. Throughout the lyrics, the singer expresses the sadness and dissatisfaction he feels with the superficial relationships and interactions he has with others. Despite feeling bored and unfulfilled, he forces himself to smile and use familiar gestures, and he shakes hands with the next person without letting go of the palm he previously shook in farewell. The crowds and birds that rush around him during dusk further highlight the sense of transience and disorientation he feels in the city. He also criticizes the snobbish, masked people who surround him and mentions that he wants to sleep.

Despite smiling and laughing, the singer reveals that he was actually crying inside. He compares the transitory and disposable nature of wounds to rotting fruit and warns people not to touch him with their thorny hands. He repeats how the city is full of contradictions as if to emphasize that he feels trapped in this environment. In the final verse, the singer touches someone he cares about, but his own hands appear dirty and he inexplicably desires to wash them. Ultimately, the song conveys a sense of loneliness and detachment that arises from living in a city that values appearances over authenticity.