【Touhou Lyrics】 Green Sanatorium

A contemporary duet for Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn. ...In the CD story for "Neo-Traditionalism of Japan," Merry suffers the loneliness of quarantine while recovering from a supernatural illness.

If you've been alive in the outside world for the past several years, you might notice some clear parallels at play. Compared to when I first started writing these lyrics, "quarantine" may be less of a headline today. But the most important message here remains... don't become complacent!

--☆--

ABOUT US:

LYRICA LIVE is a two-person team, creating English covers for Touhou music!
Asa (or "Lyrica") writes the lyrics. Lori (or "Lori-hime") is my singing partner.

ABOUT THIS SONG:

CHARACTERS: Maribel Hearn & Renko Usami
ORIGINAL MUSIC: "Green Sanatorium" (緑のサナトリウム) by ZUN
ORIGINAL CD: Neo-Traditionalism of Japan
LYRICS BY: Lyrica Live
VOCALS BY: Asa (as Maribel) and Lori-hime (as Renko)

Please feel free to cover or use these lyrics, as long as you give credit to Lyrica Live!

VIDEO ARTWORK BY: Lori-hime

--☆--

No connection, no reception.
You, my lifeline, out of range.
I write letters every morning,
Then pretend at your exchange.

Places that we haven't gone
And faces that we haven't seen
Dance behind these heavy eyelids,
Sealed away in quarantine.

This certainly feels just like the time to indulge in imagination.
But whenever I dream, it's right there... all I can see is nightmare.
Dreamscapes of hell may mirror very well those fears, when awake, that we face.
After all, you would say reality always has been the scariest place.

Soon enough, they'll calm all their commotion.
Set me free... how wishful of a notion.

Meanwhile, I'm wasting away.
I'm stuck uncounted in between.
I might go mad as they think me,
Sealed away in quarantine.

I'll tell no soul of our secret.
Do you think they'd even care?
Sometimes, it's best to keep on
These necessary masks we wear.

Lonely, lonely, I'll be lonely
Stuck for even one more day.
Where you are, you might as well be
Forty thousand moons away.

This certainly feels just like the time to indulge in imagination.
But is that such a wise move while your dreams are the thing on trial?
Hardly do I remember the sky outside, sinking deep in my mind.
And we're not sure what's going to happen if you continue to leave it behind.

Soon enough, they'll calm all their commotion...
Soon forget the threat still is in motion.

Who has the best of the answers?
Often, those who make the rules
Can't see the truth with their own eyes,
So make judgments fit for fools.

I'll fill you in on the headlines,
All this news unfolding fast.
We seek a strange sort of progress,
Reaching right back to the past.

Four white walls, and one glass window
Overlooks synthetic green.
Still not wilting, still not growing,
Just like me in quarantine.

What comes next? Will I slip through the cracks now?
Cures unfound may fade into the background.

If we had a new vision to trust in...
Surely there'd be no problem adjusting.

I've taken all the precautions,
Sanitized and squeaky-clean.
I'll see you then on the flip side,
Once you're free from quarantine.

Oh, tell me -- what shall we do when
Life returns like once before?
You'd say I took it for granted...
Even now, I'm wanting more!

...Though you didn't catch the symptoms,
Could it be contagious still?
Just because you haven't felt it,
Don't assume you never will.

Close the door and then reopen,
Will we see a different scene?
Reinvent a world forgotten,
Sealed away in quarantine.

[lyrica-live]

The rest of the guest lineup is also shaping up to be amazing. Please check out the event information! We'd be really happy to see you there! (While wearing our necessary face masks indoors, of course~)

[ivorywind]

Just wanted to say that I love y’all’s work! I found your channel from Pear’s Koishi animatic, and although I don’t know much about Touhou, your wordplay and voices lend so much character and charm to the music that I’ve been listening ever since!

[kurukuroni]

The legends return! :D
EDIT: That Heian Alien reference was on-point. Glad I'm not the only one who noticed the similar melody. :3

[nnooaaahhh]

It has been 8 years since you started, and you just keep getting better and better. Thank you for such a lovely (yet dark) song!

[Pudding]

How you're able to make lyrics for a song out of Neo-Traditionalism of Japan's story is really cool, especially since it's a fast read.
Merry's disease only being classified from delirium since it doesn't exist on earth, I'm surprised it was taken seriously since there only three symptoms, fever, sleep-walking and otherworldy visions, two being actual symptoms and the other being normal but would sound crazy of you explained that in real life and would probably be brushed aside. It's comical in a way.

[houraidinbucuresti]

This song was a bit on the dark side, especially given its real life parallels, yet it had an important message nonetheless. I really liked those last few lines... The reuse of "close the door and then reopen" was a great addition, as I think your cover of Nue's theme touched on some of the broader themes of Touhou while also focusing on the fear of the unknown, and said themes happen to directly relate to some of the motifs behind Maribel and Renko. And the goal to "reinvent a world forgotten" is truly a great one... I hope we can try to make the world a better place than it used to be after everything we've been through. Thank you to both Lyrica and Lori for this excellent cover!

[Krilldyn]

Wow, That was a hit of nostalgia when you sang "Lonely, Lonely, I'll be lonely" what a way to take me back! Another great cover that I'll be sure to be listening to for a long time!

[FrostyCirno]

When you come back, it would be cool to see you guys create a story over multiple songs!

[cafedew]

Your lyrics really hit home how people have become complacent with the quarantine gone. Still though it makes me curious as to how they found out that Maribel has a supernatural illness and not just a normal disease. Like did they go to the doctor's and they couldn't diagnose her or did Mari just go off a hunch and quarantined herself? Now I can't stop imagining Mari sneezing once and telling Renko to stay at least 2 meters away at all times.

[psichicspeltwrong]

I love the use of the Un Owen and Heian Alien lyrics

[HisamiYomotsu]

Plot twist: this was made because Lyrica was going to quarentine herself from us /j

[GrahamChapman]

Heh, "lonely, lonely, I'll be lonely" from U.N. Owen and "close the door and then reopen" from Heian Alien... Clever allusions, what with Merry being attacked by a chimera (definition 1: a creature formed of parts from different animals, like the Nue; definition 2: a creature of imagination, like just about any youkai) and then being forced to spend time in isolated quarantine.

I do have to say that this song hits pretty hard though... Way harder than your songs usually do... The parallels between Merry's experiences at the sanatorium and the stuff that's still somehow going on around us are quite on point.

Imma have to set aside checking the thought process behind the song for later but I promise I will check it out, 'cuz it sounds like it could be quite interesting... (honestly, I kinda feel like I should set aside an afternoon to read through as many of those thoughts-behind-the-song pages as an afternoon may allow... I mean, provided you have made pages like that for your other songs -- maybe you haven't and I'm just setting aside an afternoon to read a single page... Oh well...)

Until next time: Take care, both of you.

[tygerion]

Hmm... The 'Lonely, lonely, I'll be lonely" line sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I've heard it before...
I guess that where I know it from will have to stay... UNow(e)n.
(Okay, okay. Bad pun, I know...)

On a more serious note, I stumbled across one of your video for 'Heian Alien' while browsing music videos a few months ago, and while I'd heard of Touhou before, and was aware of Bad Apple and Night of Nights... Your channel is what finally pushed me (lightly) over the edge into actually getting interested in the series, for which I am quite thankful.
... And yes, that was a reference to your lyrics to Yuyuko's theme.

[penndragyn]

Really beautiful work, love seeing some more of Renko and Merry! I actually read Neo-traditionalism's story not too long ago, and I think you absolutely nailed the vibe with the lyrics. (Also, I think I recognized some motifs from the story, such as being 40, 000 moons away? I think there was something like that somewhere, I'm not sure.)
Anyway, now that this song is firmly stuck in my head, hope you have a happy new year! :D

[thisrg]

This easily became an instantly favorite of your lyrics for me (with the exception of Emotional Skyscrapper, that one will always have the first spot for me).

The lyrics are not only really good and fit the album's story but also achieve that without affecting the flow of the song, in other words: it's super smooth~

And the reference to your Heian Alien lyrics at the end was just the cherry on top, great work. EDIT: Yoo, just noticed the reference to U.N Owen was Her?, nice~

[AverageSatori]

Came back to this bc I relapsed on my Merrenko phase, can say its a good type of relapse fr

[borgar]

new Lyrica video? aww yisss
it's Renko & Merry? AWW YISSS
it's with Lori? **AWWWW

[bluekirby]

everyone's talking about the heian alien reference but that UN owen reference at 1:31 was fucking on POINT

[BreadBoxVideo]

Always good stuff. Love the musical theater style to your writing and performances. You two always do Renko and Maribel justice.

[bappityyyy]

MARIBEL DID YOU BRING DOWN COVID-19 FROM TORIFUNE,

Jokes aside, really nice song! Many lyrics feel like they can fit both Neo-Traditionalism of Japan and the COVID-19 pandemic. God what a crazy past few years it's been with pandemic happenings. But anyways, Maribel and Renko are two of my favorite characters, and Neo-Traditionalism of Japan is one of my favorite Hifuu club albums I think (I need to do a re-read/re-listen on all the albums soon), so I also enjoy those factors. 'Tis always a good day when you upload!