Machita Chima brings haunting emotion to ‘Neon Ghosts,’ a song she co-writes with Erica Masaki, RIO, R’AN, and S.A.S. The musician also collaborates with the same team to compose a melody that mirrors the lyrics’ raw vulnerability. The track explores loneliness and self-doubt, set against the backdrop of a city where love has faded.
Released: March 10, 2026
Neon Ghosts
Machita Chima
Neon Ghosts Meaning & Lyrics (Machita Chima)
The songwriter questions her existence with lines like, ‘I wonder if it’d have been better if I wasn’t born.’ She describes feeling invisible, comparing herself to a worn shoe sole with a hole. The lyrics mention neon lights, park swings, and sirens, all symbols of her struggle to find belonging and escape emotional pain.
Umarenakereba yokatta no kanaI wonder if it’d have been better if I wasn’t born.
Nee dareka atashi to asoboHey, won’t someone play with me?
Neon no naka mitsukete hoshiku mo naiI don’t even want to be found amidst the neon lights,
Nanoni sabishikute shinjaisouyet I’m so lonely I feel like I’ll die.
Wake naku naitaI cried for no reason,
Uzukumaru biru kage aacrouching in the shadows of the buildings, ah.
Ato hitotsu mitashite yoFill just one more void,
Doko ni aru nigeba o sagashiteas I search for an escape route, wherever it may be.
Atashi wa surihetteI’m worn down,
Ana aita kutsuzoko mitai dattajust like a shoe sole with a hole in it.
Kimi to me ga atta shin’ya terasu keikoutouOur eyes met under the fluorescent lights illuminating the dead of night,
Sukui no iro shitashining in the color of salvation.
Yatto iki ga dekiruFinally, I can breathe.
Kienai yogore sore wa atashi deThat stubborn stain that won’t wash away, that’s me,
Sou eigou tsukimatou noroi ni oboresouyes, I feel like I’m drowning in a curse that’ll haunt me for eternity
Sairen kikinagarawhile listening to the blaring sirens.
Kouen burankoThe swings in the park,
Yurashi yureru gurari atashi munashiiswaying and shaking unsteadily, leaving me feeling so empty.
Toumei ni natte saI’ll just become invisible
Ima made o yarinaoshite saand redo everything I’ve done up ’til now.
Kimi to kirei na atashi de deeto shiyoLet’s go on a date with a beautiful version of me.
Yasashige na otona no koe gaThose gentle-sounding voices of adults,
Honto ni yasashikatta koto wa nakatta yo nethey were never truly kind to us, were they?
Muteikou na yatsu eTowards those who offer no resistance,
Te o ageru aitsu mo aathe guy who raises his hand to strike, ah,
Inakunareba ii noniI wish he’d just disappear.
Doko ni iru ibasho o sagashiteSearching for a place I belong, wherever it may be,
Atashi wa samayotteI just wander around.
Ai no shinda kono machi o aruitaI walked through this city where love has died.
Kimi ga tonari de nantonaku waratta karaBecause you laughed for no reason right beside me,
Kono mama iyou kashould we just stay like this?
Sou omotte shimauThat’s what I end up thinking.
Waracchau ne itsuka otona ni naru tteIt makes me laugh, saying we’ll become adults someday.
Baka mitai ne konna jibun o hinikutteIt’s so stupid, being cynical about this self of mine.
Mirai nante nai yo iikitte shimaisou deI feel like I’ll just declare that there’s no such thing as a future,
Shiru wake nakatta atashi no kachi nantesince there was no way I could know my own worth.
Kizutsuite aza darake kimi to hashiroHurt and covered in bruises, I’ll run with you.
Nannimo iranai kimi to hashiroI don’t need anything at all, I’ll run with you.
Yorisotte kureta tte shinjirannai yoEven if you stay close to me, I can’t believe it.
Datte nande sou shite kureru noAfter all, why’d you do that for me?
Kawaisou nante itte dakishimenai de yoDon’t hug me while calling me pitiful.
Ibasho o sagashiteSearching for a place I belong,
Atashi wa samayotteI just wander around,
Ai no shinda kono machi o aruku nowalking through this city where love has died.
Kimi ga tonari de nantonaku waratta karaBecause you laughed for no reason right beside me,
Kono mama iyou kashould we just stay like this?
Sou omotte shimauThat’s what I end up thinking.
Atashi o sagashiteSearching for me,
Atashi o miushinattelosing sight of me,
Isso nanteI’d rather just…
Semai sora nagametegazing up at the narrow sky.
Kimi to me ga atta yoake tsugeru taiyouOur eyes met under the sun that announces the dawn,
Sukui no iro shitashining in the color of salvation.
Yatto iki ga dekiruFinally, I can breathe.
Neon Ghosts Music Video
‘Neon Ghosts’ is about the search for identity in a disconnected world. The lyrics highlight the struggle to find hope while wandering through a city that feels empty.