She attempted suicide in July 1989 in her then-boyfriend 近藤真彦 (Masahiko Kondo)'s apartment after discovering that 松田聖子 (Seiko Matsuda), her main competition, and her boyfriend were having an affair together. Afterward, she disappeared from the public eye and is rumored to have spent her days drinking heavily in Hawaii. Her career since her suicide attempt has never regained the popularity she experienced in the early- to mid-1980s. But she kept performing even after 1996. Her performances before Japanese audiences continue to be of high quality. Her 2000, 2002 and 2003 concerts attracted large numbers of fans. She still performs and releases original songs (as of 2005). She is also on the New Year’s TV show Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
TATTOO
中森明菜 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
哀れなアンドロイド
くどき上手のチープなレプリカント
ハートの萎えた男は要らない (get out! Get out!)
Get out! (Get out! Get out!)
チャンスをあげるわ
熱い 儀式(レボリューション)
紅く刻んで生まれ変わるのよ (get out! Get out!)
Get out! (Get out!)
さあ ひえた胸に
じっと眠る炎 起こして
いま ゾクゾクする夢を
追ってごらん (take a dream, take a dream, take a dream)
手頃な恋(プレイ)で麻痺したエモーション
感動したくて 女はアジテーション
言葉じゃなくて soulを 感じたい (wake up! Wake up!)
Wake up! (Wake up!)
いま せとぎわだわ
焦り焦り凍りつく私を
さあ 欲しいのなら
愛を見せてごらん (take a chance, take a chance, take a chance)
Show me your real love 咲かせなさい
その胸に 消えないバラを
Show me your real love
陥としてみて この私 tatooで
Just falling you
都会は sweet drug
いかさまパラダイス
孤独にまみれて 恋もパラノイア
優しささえ 毒入りのジェリービーンズ (wake up! Wake up!)
Wake up! (Wake up!)
いま 時代というぬるい
ベットなんか這い出て
さあ わしづかみで 愛を
獲ってごらん (take a love, take a love, take a love)
Show me your real love
空白(しろ)い胸に
焼きつけて 消せないバラを
Show me your real love
刻みつけて 私へと tatooを
Just falling you
Show me your real love
咲かせなさい
その胸に 消えないバラを
Show me your real love
陥としてみて この私 tatooで
Just falling you
The lyrics of 中森明菜's song TATTOO speak of a woman's desire to live passionately and authentically, rejecting the superficiality and emptiness of the city and those who inhabit it. She describes the men she encounters as "pathetic androids" and "cheap replicants" who try to charm her with their smooth words but ultimately have no real heart or soul. Instead, she calls for a revolution, a rebirth, symbolized by the red rose tattoo she has etched onto her skin, a mark that cannot be erased. She invites others to join her, to awaken the fire within them and follow their dreams, even if it means risking everything to find true love and authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
都会(まち)にはびこる
Cities are rampant
哀れなアンドロイド
Sad androids
くどき上手のチープなレプリカント
Cheap replicants skilled in sweet talk
ハートの萎えた男は要らない Get out!
I don't need a man with a withered heart. Get out!
チャンスをあげるわ
I'll give you a chance
熱い 儀式(レボリューション)
A passionate ritual (revolution)
錆びた魂 バラのTattooを
A rusty soul engraved with a rose tattoo
紅く刻んで生まれ変わるのよ
I'll be reborn, engraved in red
Get up!
Get up!
さあ ひえた胸に
Come on, in my cold chest
じっと眠る炎 起こして
Awaken the flame that sleeps inside
いま ゾクゾクする夢を
Now, let's pursue our thrilling dreams
追ってごらん(Take a dream)
Try chasing after them (Take a dream)
手頃な恋(プレイ)で
With a manageable love (play)
麻痺したエモーション
Numbed emotions
感動したくて
I want to be moved
女はアジテーション
Women are agitated
言葉じゃなくて Soulを 感じたい
I don't need words, I want to feel the soul
Wake up!
Wake up!
いま せとぎわだわ
Right now, on the verge
焦(じ)り焦(じ)り凍りつく私を
I'm getting impatient, I'm freezing up
さあ 欲しいのなら
Come on, if you want it
愛を見せてごらん(Take a chance)
Show me your love (Take a chance)
Show me your real love 咲かせなさい その胸に 消えないバラを
Show me your real love, bloom an unforgettable rose in your heart
Show me your real love 陥(お)としてみて この私 tatooで Just falling you
Show me your real love, try falling for me with this tattoo of mine, just falling you
都会(まち)はSweet drug
The city is a sweet drug
いかさまパラダイス
A paradise of deception
孤独にまみれて 恋もパラノイア
Covered in loneliness, even love is paranoia
優しささえ 毒入りのジェリービーンズ
Even kindness is like a poisonous jelly bean
いま 時代というぬるい ベットなんか這い出て
Now, crawl out of the lukewarm bed of this era
さあ わしづかみで 愛を
Come on, seize the love
獲(と)ってごらん(Take a love)
Try capturing it (Take a love)
Show me your real love 空白(しろ)い胸に 焼きつけて 消せないバラを
Show me your real love, burn an unforgettable rose into your blank heart
Show me your real love 刻みつけて 私へと Tatooを Just falling you
Show me your real love, engrave this tattoo on me, just falling you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Yuriko Mori, Anri Sekine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind