Shirafu and Heel Hold collaborate on ‘Express,’ a song that captures the relentless spirit of moving forward. The lyrics, penned by Shirafu and Heel Hold, mix nostalgia with a drive to push beyond limits. Daichi Ishiyama joins them in crafting a melody that mirrors the energy of an unstoppable train.
Released: February 4, 2026
Express
Shirafu
Express Meaning & Lyrics (Shirafu)
The songwriter reflects on youth and growth, comparing life to an express train that won’t stop. A key line, ‘Life’s a moment,’ highlights the urgency of chasing dreams. Shirafu mentions specific memories, like riding bikes and school days, to ground the story in relatable moments.
Mokutechi made ashi wo tomenaiI won’t stop moving until I reach the destination,
Ore wa marude ExpressI’m just like an Express train.
Mada Teen no you niJust as if I’m still a teen,
Butsukari nagara mukau shuutenI crash through everything, heading for the terminal.
Ibaramichi wo susumu saichuuIn the middle of traveling this thorny path,
Tamani sugiru kyuukei (Don’t stop)I take the occasional break (Don’t stop).
Atama maruku natte karaSince I’ve mellowed out and matured,
Ushirogami wo hiku te wa mou neethere are no hands pulling me back by the hair anymore.
“Life’s a moment” jikan wa yuugen“Life’s a moment,” our time is finite,
Sou kizuku no waand you usually realize that
Itsumo kyou ga kinou ni natta toki deonly when ‘today’ has already turned into ‘yesterday’.
Odore My friendsDance, my friends.
Mugen wo motsu omae ni itteruI’m talking to you, who still has infinite possibilities.
Ano hi no ore wa StudentBack in those days I was just a student,
Umareta machi wo kiratta shounen waa boy who hated the town he was born in,
Kako to yume kakae Stu ecarrying his past and his dreams into the ‘Stu’.
Chari de itteta akuasu moEven ‘Aquas’ where I used to ride my bike,
Kuruma ni nareba tookunaiisn’t that far once you’re in a car.
Goutsu hashiru guriin rain woRunning down the Green Line through Gotsu,
Nukete ima wa koukugaiI’ve broken through and now I’m outside the school district.
Konomi zutto kawaranai karaMy tastes haven’t changed a bit,
Baakan de tanomu kokuhaiso I order a Coke Highball at the bar counter.
Seishun wa mijikai yueBecause youth is so short,
Mina ga mina ano hi no rosu taimueveryone is living in the ‘loss time’ of that day.
Kudaranai koto tsubuyakiMuttering about stupid, trivial things,
Kudaru gakkou no sakamichigoing down the slope from school.
Nooheru chari ga mitsukariI got caught riding my bike without a helmet,
Okorareta na Kanayama Tand man, did Mr. Kanayama scold me.
Gekouchuu ni kinshi sareta okashi woFrom the days I bought and ate forbidden snacks
Katte kutta hi karaon the way home from school,
Toki wa tatte ugokimawattetime has passed, I’ve moved around,
Kashi wo kaite kuu meshiand now I eat by writing lyrics.
We can’t stop anymoreWe can’t stop anymore.
Nemutteru toki moEven when we’re sleeping,
Koko line wa tsuzuiteiruthis line keeps on continuing.
Hashiru sokudo agarebaAs my running speed increases,
Mukai kaze mo tsuyoku natteikuthe headwind just gets stronger too.
Still, we are expressStill, we are express.
Live on expressLive on express.
Aitsu ya kakutei mo sudooriPassing right by that guy and the local trains.
Do my thingDo my thing.
Ano hi to renketsu shite GoingLinking up with ‘that day’ and Going.
Kono jinsei wa ichido ugoitaraOnce this life starts moving,
Kantan ni tomaranee kyuukou resshait’s an express train that won’t easily stop.
Chuubou no koro kara hayauki de kaeru hiThe days I went home early in middle school,
Itsumo kakaeta kuyashisaI was always carrying frustration.
Aibou ga Budoukan tatta hiThe day my partner stood at the Budokan,
Ore arubaito konashiteta nakabanI was grinding through my middle shift at a part-time job.
Ima nara kono kyori wo umeru tameBut right now, to close this distance,
Hashireru ki ga shiterun daI feel like I can run.
Hikaku yori mo Big upSo instead of comparing, Big up.
Right nowRight now.
I’m turning Even my complex into expressionI’m turning even my complex into expression.
Tadayou “Pressure” “Jealous” “Henka” gotoThe drifting “Pressure,” “Jealousy,” and “Change” all together,
Ride on to the next stationRide on to the next station.
Saki wa daibu nagasouThe road ahead looks pretty long.
Dakedo kitsukunai yoBut it isn’t painful,
Ima mukau nakama no tokoroheading to where my friends are now.
Shikato kuratta 15At 15 I was totally ignored,
Anna ni suki datta kimi no koto woand even though I loved you so much,
Oboetenai 25I don’t remember it at 25.
Mikaesu tabi wa shuuryouThe journey to prove them wrong is over.
Tsugi wa doko ni iku noWhere will I go next?
Aoi haru wo sugite saita hana niTo the flower that bloomed after ‘blue spring’ passed,
Mizu wo yaru yo kyou moI’ll water it again today.
Baka ni sareru imada niI still get made fun of,
Kedo ki ni suru hima naibut I don’t have time to worry about it.
Gakkou ja kuukiAt school I was just air,
Seishain kara baitofrom full-time employee to part-timer,
Rirekisho ni wa kizua scar on my resume.
Donden gaeshi are kara 10 nen goA total reversal ten years since then,
Jibun no kyoku nagareru rajiomy own song is flowing from the radio.
Hashiru tafuto kokudou 9 gouRunning tough on National Route 9,
Yume wo nosete susumu kyoucarrying my dreams as I move forward today.
We can’t stop anymoreWe can’t stop anymore.
Nemutteru toki moEven when we’re sleeping,
Koko line wa tsuzuiteiruthis line keeps on continuing.
Hashiru sokudo agarebaAs my running speed increases,
Mukai kaze mo tsuyoku natteikuthe headwind just gets stronger too.
Still, we are expressStill, we are express.
Live on expressLive on express.
Aitsu ya kakutei mo sudooriPassing right by that guy and the local trains.
Do my thingDo my thing.
Ano hi to renketsu shite GoingLinking up with ‘that day’ and Going.
Express Music Video
‘Express’ lyrics are about resilience and the journey of self-discovery. The chemistry between Shirafu and Heel Hold makes the song a powerful anthem for anyone pushing through life’s challenges.