I felt like it's possible, but now I know it for sure: the intro of Susumu Hirasawa's 'Parade' is a reversed line from another song. People who know it are saying it's from 'Nurse Cafe'. I couldn't sit still and checked it by playing the song in reverse. It's really similar, though not absolutely authentic.
Speaking of reversed lines, there was one song that bothered me, but now that I've checked it, this case is not as interesting. The song is 'Niji' - 虹 (A DAY IN JAPAN Version) - by Denki Groove where the intro is obviously a musical phrase turned backwards, but this part is simply the last lines of the chorus sung only by the girl. くりかえす事もタマにある ぼんやりとただ意味なく 遠く短い光から 水のしずくハネかえる ゆっくり消える虹みたく トリコじかけになる
Of course I know this song because of 'Paprika' - a movie which is one of a kind, unique and oh, RIP Satoshi-sama
Since the lyrics are absolutely impossible to hear throughout most of this song, I was rescued by animelyrics. However, translating was no less difficult. The first problem - phrases used here do not make a line of complete sentences which makes it difficult to read. Secondly, some words have different meanings and 'tis hard to guess what is implied. The favourite moment of mine is the 'kakenedo' word - an old-Japanese beautiful... hurdle. My 'grammar cyclopedia' does not provide any info for '-nedo' ending and my knowledge is too shallow. I used an article explaining a phrase つゆ忘るるにはあらねど here - thanks to the fact that on Weblio one can read every word and its ending explained in terms of grammar, I was able to draw an analogy with the word in the lyrics.
Therefore! my translation this time is only an attempt, only a guess. Still, I hope 'tis useful
Energy in the heart, chemical foam,
I walk through a street of hired cars, old tyres, blood and meet
This is liberty, a parody on utopia
Gorgeous rows of trees [on the avenue of] buyers and Giga Movies, it’s a sunny day
Minor depressions are pranks, rose colour is low priced,
Therefore, rejoice – to the extent you can hardly bear
Dying literacy – we kill it mechanically
A street of traders, hanging wires and formaldehyde
Drying synergy – we moisten it with synthetic sweetness
In the mega-temple of skyscrapers a frenzy rain of funds falls
I cannot write the word ‘ignorance’, but the future is low-priced
Laugh that this is in general a superstition. A story of karma
See, giving an off-smell, eating your shadow
A parade of fear is coming, under your name
An MC of roar – it’s a lethal dose for a civilian
A street of the disabled, diamonds for sell and reason fallen into blood
This is liberty, a parody on utopia
What I ask for is SSRI. And now, hi-ho on the terrace of vogue
Minor theories are nonsense, pleasure is low-priced
On no account you should reflect, for it is too late
See, giving an off-smell, eating your shadow
A parade of fear is coming, under your name
See, it can cover everything around, your shadow produces it –
The parade of insanity is coming, under your name
_____
translator's notes
while searching for some words, I stumbled upon a blog where a person stated he (she?) thinks that exactly in the peaceful world one's heart can be in pain. probably this means that living in a modern welfare state can be not as great as it seems. this is only a personal opinion, but I cannot disagree that the lyrics imply something like that
some of the comparisons are really vivid, such as 'skyscraper' and 'temple'. others are not. I believe that 'rose colour' in the first verse means a bright future - or at least the ability to see it as such, as the following two verses have 'future' and 'pleasure' in similar contexts
I might be wrong but the line 'I cannot write the word 'ignorance'' may have two meanings here. not only 'ignorance' itself is important, but maybe also the fact that in Japanese the kanji for 'ignorance' - 蒙昧 - are difficult and not all people know them. well this is my speculation not yet proven by anything except the fact that my kanji dictionary tells me both kanji are rarely used
not only 'kakenedo' sounds obsolete, but also the phrase 'on no account you should reflect for it is too late' is written unlike how they say it in oral everyday speech. I love it
and I also love it how every second phrase in each verse has a lot of 'ya' sounds, as they give a special feeling to the lyrics
and I also love that a lot of loan words are used. this is not a coincidence
'Giga movies' must mean the adult videos produced by a company called Giga, if I am not mistaken. At least this is what a simple Google search told me. Search for any details at your own risk, it is 18+ in Japan and seems to be 21+ in other countries.
