Kanae’s ‘Refrain’ from the album ‘i’ tells the story of urban isolation and fleeting connections. Yuuki Waga writes the lyrics, while やぎぬまかな composes the melody. The song captures the frustration of shallow interactions in a noisy city.
Released: February 19, 2026
Refrain
Kanae • From “i”
What is the meaning of Refrain Lyrics from i?
The performer sings about endless goodbyes and forced smiles, saying, ‘I keep repeating ‘Nice to meet you’ once more, and saying ‘Goodbye’ without ever seeing them again.’ The lyrics describe how one-time encounters lose their color, turning to ash before vanishing.
Nee kimi wa ima doko de nani shiteruHey, where are you and what are you doing now?
Boku ga shiru yoshi mo nai kedoI’ve got no way of knowing, though.
Nee ano hi yuruginaku watashitachi wa soko ni iteHey, on that day, we were undeniably standing right there.
Zawameku machi no naka surechigau shiranai musuu no silhouetteCountless unknown silhouettes pass me by in the noisy city,
Deai mo wakare mo kazoekirenai hodo ni kasaneteas meetings and partings pile up until they’re impossible to count.
Ichido kiri nante jiki ni iro o ushinatteOne-time encounters soon lose their color,
Hai ni natte tonde itte kietekuturning into ash and flying away before they vanish.
Kudaranai kotoba o kazaru you ni shiteWhile I dress up worthless words to make them look good,
Nando muriyari datte warattaI forced a smile over and over again.
Mata hajimemashite kurikaeshiteI keep repeating ‘Nice to meet you’ once more,
Nidome ga nai mama sayounaraand saying ‘Goodbye’ without ever seeing them again.
Heiki na furi nara nareteru kedoI’m used to pretending I’m fine,
Sore wa akuma demo furi de shika nakute sabut that’s strictly just an act, you see.
Nomikomu tabi sukoshi dake sabishiku naruEvery time I swallow my words, I feel a little more lonely.
Onaji shuuhasuu nano ni nandeWe’re on the same frequency, so why,
Chigau hito mitai ni furumau nodo you act like a completely different person?
Iwanai mama de shimaikondaI tucked those thoughts away without saying a word.
Jikan wa bannouyaku da nanteThey say that time is a ‘cure-all’ for everything,
Sonna wake nakutebut there’s no way that’s true.
Tashika na itami ga nokottaA distinct pain still remains.
Atarashii mono dake motome tsuzukete moEven if I keep searching for nothing but new things,
Sugu nichijou ni tokete ikuthey soon dissolve into the mundane routine.
Akiru koto sae akite shimatteI’ve even grown tired of being bored,
Soko no nai rasen ni ochite ikuand I’m falling down a bottomless spiral.
Hyoumen dake no tadashii koto ga hannan shisugiteThere’s such an overflow of surface-level ‘correctness’,
Ikigurushii n datte bathat I’m telling you, it’s suffocating.
Boku no kono migatte na hodo karamari motsureta honne waThese true feelings of mine, so selfishly tangled and knotted,
Hodokenai n dajust can’t be unraveled.
Aa boku wa ima koko de utatte iruAh, I’m singing right here and now.
Sore wa kienai jijitsu deThat’s an unerasable fact.
Nee itsuka kono koe mo karehateta sono saki deHey, in the future when this voice has completely withered away,
Kudaranai kotoba o kazaru you ni shitewhile I dress up worthless words to make them look good,
Nando muriyari datte warattaI forced a smile over and over again.
Mata hajimemashite kurikaeshiteI keep repeating ‘Nice to meet you’ once more,
Inoru you ni otosu sayounaradropping a ‘Goodbye’ like it’s a prayer.
Wasurenaide tte‘Don’t forget me,’ I say.
Zutto soba ni ite tte‘Stay by my side forever,’ I say.
Wasurenaide tte‘Don’t forget me,’ I say.
Yamanai refrainIt’s a never-ending refrain.
MouEnough.
Suuji wa uso o tsukanai da tokaLike how ‘numbers don’t lie’,
Dakara koso zankoku na n da tokaor how that’s exactly why they’re so cruel.
Doryoku surya mitomerareru da tokaOr how ‘if you work hard, you’ll be recognized’.
Kikiakita yo wakatten da yoI’m sick of hearing it, I get it already.
Agaite tsukande mukuwarete moEven if I struggle, grab hold, and get rewarded,
Hai tsugi mata tsugi owannakute sait’s just ‘Okay, next, and then the next,’ it never ends.
Baka mitai daIt’s all so ridiculous.
Refrain Music Video
‘Refrain’ lyrics are about the suffocating routine of modern life. The song from ‘i’, by Kanae, explores the pain of shallow connections and unspoken feelings.