They disbanded in 2002 when it was announced that bassist Nakao was leaving the band, and the former members moved on to other projects - Mukai and Inazawa formed Zazen Boys. Tabuchi formed Toddle shortly after Number Girl's breakup and joined bloodthirsty butchers as an official member after being a guest guitarist for a number of shows throughout their Kouya Ni Okeru tour in early 2003. Nakao joined Spiral Chord after their original bassist left, and shortly after formed Sloth Love Chunks.
The band got back together in 2019 and release their first new song since their disbandment, "排水管" ("Drainpipe"). During this reunion period, Number Girl played a number of shows from 2019 to until their eventual second disbandment on December 11, 2022.
Zegen vs. Undercover
NUMBER GIRL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
笑う さらに笑う あきらめて
ZEGEN(女衒)が暗躍して 街が色
JORO(女郎)とねんごろの潜入刑事
が殺されて見つかった のはこの街のロジウラで
知らん 俺は知らん 傍観者
蛇味線を持ったアフリカンアメリカンの女
がブルースをこの上なく器用に歌って街が色
キケンが暗躍して もみ消して
知らん 俺は知らん 傍観者
見えん 実に見えん 殺風景
おととしの事件を誰も憶えておらんように
オレもまた この風景の中に消えてゆくのだろうか
ヤバイ さらにやばい バリヤバ
笑う さらに笑う あきらめて
知らん 俺は知らん 傍観者
見えん 実に見えん 殺風景
The lyrics to the song "Zegen vs Undercover" by Number Girl depict a city that is deeply entrenched in crime, corruption, and danger. The opening lines of the song, "Yabai sarani yabai baribaya, warau sarani warau akiramete," suggest that things are bad, and they're only getting worse. The next few lines describe the chaos and violence that characterizes the city, with the female protagonist ZEGEN (a female merchant) pulling the strings behind the scenes.
The following lines introduce JORO (a female prostitute) and an undercover detective, who were both found dead in the city's slums. The singer, however, remains a passive observer, uninvolved in the violence that surrounds them. The lines "shiran, ore wa shiran, hokanse" suggest a sense of detachment and apathy on the singer's part, and "mien, jitsu ni mien, sappuukei," convey a sense of bleakness and emptiness in the singer's surroundings.
The song continues to describe the city's dangerous underworld, with an African American woman wielding a knife and singing blues music to camouflage the illegal activities happening in the city. The final lines of the song suggest a sense of hopelessness and futility, with the singer wondering if they, too, will eventually disappear into the landscape of the city's violence and chaos.
Overall, the lyrics of "Zegen vs Undercover" paint a vivid picture of a city overrun with crime and corruption, where violence and apathy reign supreme and there seems to be no way out.
Line by Line Meaning
ヤバイ さらにやばい バリヤバ
Things are bad, and they're getting worse at an alarming rate
笑う さらに笑う あきらめて
Laughing more and more, giving up
ZEGEN(女衒)が暗躍して 街が色
ZEGEN is scheming behind the scenes, the city is changing
JORO(女郎)とねんごろの潜入刑事
が殺されて見つかった のはこの街のロジウラで
JORO, her partner and the undercover cop were found dead in this town's Rosiura district
知らん 俺は知らん 傍観者
I don't know, I'm just an observer
見えん 実に見えん 殺風景
Can't see anything, it's really hard to see anything in this dreary atmosphere
蛇味線を持ったアフリカンアメリカンの女
がブルースをこの上なく器用に歌って街が色
An African American woman with a serpent-like voice sings the blues with great skill, changing the city
キケンが暗躍して もみ消して
Danger lurks in the shadows, covering up everything
おととしの事件を誰も憶えておらんように
オレもまた この風景の中に消えてゆくのだろうか
Like how no one remembers the incident from two years ago, will I also disappear in this landscape?
ヤバイ さらにやばい バリヤバ
Things are bad, and they're getting worse at an alarming rate
笑う さらに笑う あきらめて
Laughing more and more, giving up
知らん 俺は知らん 傍観者
I don't know, I'm just an observer
見えん 実に見えん 殺風景
Can't see anything, it's really hard to see anything in this dreary atmosphere
Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bassman6820
売れる
売れない
二の次で
格好のよろしい
歌ば作り
聴いて
もらえりゃ
万々歳。
そんな私は
歌舞伎もの。
人呼んで……
「ナンバーガール」
と、発しやす。
@dallas9908
yabai sara ni yabai bari yaba
warau sara ni warau akiramete
zegen ga anyaku shite machi ga iro
jorou to nengoro no sennyuu keiji
ga korosarete mitsukatta no wa kono machi no rojiura de
shiran ore wa shiran boukansha
mien jitsu ni mien sappuukei
hebi aji sen wo motta afurikan amerikan no onna
ga burusu wo kono ue naku kiyou ni utatte machi ga iro
kiken ga anyaku shite momi keshite
shiran ore wa shiran boukansha
mien jitsu ni mien sappuukei
ototoshi no jiken wo dare mo obaete oran you ni
ore mo mata kono fuukei no naka ni kiete yuku no darouka
yabai sara ni yabai bari yaba
warau sara ni warau akiramete
shiran ore wa shiran boukansha
mien jitsu ni mien sappuukei
@mikknroll
「おととしの事件を誰も憶えておらんように俺もまたこの風景の中消えてゆくのだろうか」とか向井周徳が歌うから、めちゃくちゃ好きだ。
@TheCyberiaaa
グランジ一派やナンバガのこういう感触の曲は多分死ぬまで好き
もはやDNAに刻み込まれてるわ・・・
@hinipark
遅刻しそうなときに思わず口ずさんでしまう
@numburger
「ヤバイ さらにやばい バリヤバ
笑う さらに笑う あきらめて」
"Be dangerous in even more dangerous territory
Laugh at even more laughable abandonment"
Iconic.
@user-df6cu3qq4f
なんかすごく時代の音だなあと思う
流行ってた音とかって意味じゃなく
90年代〜00年代に生きてた若者の心象風景って感じがする
@stranger7648
God, I’m so glad spotify recommended me this band!
@pauljennyd7448
This song makes me nostalgic I don't know why...
@abesuke0604
これ確か最初はアルバム音源にアテフリする用に設営したんだけど、頑張ってテンポチェンジに合わせるくらいなら演奏した方がよくね?ってなってこの場の音そのまま使ってるんだよね ライブバンドすぎる、、、
@sfpixies
ナンバガの中で特にお気に入りの曲だー
@user-dd7su1kw5g
最初のイモい声のナレーションでもう最高