NMB48 – Imifu. Lyrics Meaning: A Journey Through a Beautifully Cluttered Mind

Why do the most random thoughts pop into our heads at the weirdest times? NMB48’s song “Imifu” takes that exact feeling and turns it into a super catchy tune. It’s a wild ride through the messy, confusing, and sometimes hilarious inner workings of our own minds.

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• NMB48 – ~Do my best~ Ja imi wa nai | When Your Awful ID Photo Leads to Love

• Tyler, The Creator – She [ft. Frank Ocean] | The Chilling Gaze of Obsession
• Amble – Of Land and Sea | The Quest for Authenticity and Peace
• AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long [OST “Who Made Who”] | The Electric Ride of an Unforgettable Encounter

• HKT48 – Kanashimi no jouka souchi | Your Tears Are a Purification System
• SKE48 – Jikan ga nai | Breaking Free from the ‘No Time’ Excuse
• HKT48 – Klaxon de I love you! | A Reckless Midnight Love Confession

The Story Inside NMB48’s “Imifu”

Okay, so “Imifu” doesn’t have a typical story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, it feels like we’re listening to someone’s unfiltered stream of consciousness. It’s a peek directly into their brain, and things get a little weird in there.

Hearing a Mysterious Voice

The song kicks off with the singer talking about a voice they hear. It’s not spooky, just… there. It feels like a second person living inside their head, and they’re not sure how to feel about it. Is it them, or someone else entirely?

[su_quote]
Mimi no oku ni kitto dareka iru n da
I’m sure there’s someone deep in my ears
Tokidoki boku ni sotto hanashikakeru yo
Sometimes, they whisper to me
Zenbu kotaete rarenai shi taitei mushi suru kedo
I can’t answer everything, and I usually ignore it but
Naze ka furimuku toki mo aru
For some reason, there are times I turn back

[/su_quote]

They’re questioning everything, trying to figure out if what they’re experiencing is real. This inner voice creates a sense of confusion, like they’re trying to find their footing in their own thoughts.

Wait, Mendelssohn?

This is where it gets really fun and random. Out of absolutely nowhere, a specific name pops into the singer’s head. It’s not a friend or a lover. It’s a famous classical composer. You can almost picture them stopping mid-thought and just going, “Huh? Where did that come from?”

[su_quote]
Menderusu Menderusu Menderusu nanda kke?
Mendels, Mendels, what was Mendels again?
(Fui ni) atama o yogitta kotoba
(Suddenly) The words crossed my mind

Menderusu Menderusu Menderusuzoon ka?
Mendels, Mendels, is it Mendelssohn?
(Doushite) sono namae ga ukanda n da?
(Why) did that name come to mind?
[/su_quote]

It has zero connection to anything else happening. This moment perfectly captures how our brains can just serve up a completely unrelated piece of information we forgot we even knew.

And Now for Some Economics…

Just when you think it can’t get any more random, it does. The next mental pop-up is a term from economics class. Again, it’s totally out of context and feels like a forgotten file was just opened by mistake. These moments show a mind cluttered with bits and pieces of life, all jumbled together without any clear order.

So What’s the Real Story Behind “Imifu”?

The core narrative of “Imifu” is the chaos of human memory and thought. The title itself is slang for “meaning unknown,” and that’s the whole point. The song celebrates the fact that our minds are not neat and tidy. They’re a jumble of memories, half-forgotten facts, and random impulses. It’s a story about someone trying to navigate this internal noise and realizing it might not have any grand meaning after all.

The Weirdly Comforting Message

You’d think a song about mental chaos would be stressful, but “Imifu” is surprisingly freeing. The lesson here is that it’s okay if things don’t make sense! We put so much pressure on ourselves to have everything figured out. This song gives us permission to just let our thoughts be weird and random.

It reminds us that most of what we experience, the good and the bad, will eventually fade into a blur. As the lyrics say:

[su_quote]
Kyou made ikite kita yorokobi kanashimi mo
The joys and sorrows I’ve lived with until today
Sou sa hotondo wa wasurete shimau yo
That’s right, I’ll forget most of them
Subete wa (subete wa) muimi
Everything is (everything is) meaningless
[/su_quote]

Instead of being sad, this feels like a weight off our shoulders. We don’t have to analyze every single thought. Sometimes, a thought is just a thought, and the best thing to do is laugh and say, “Well, that was random.”

That’s my take on this super unique NMB48 track! But what do you think? Does the randomness feel familiar to you, or do you get a different vibe from the lyrics? Let’s chat about it!

[su_spoiler title=”

Lyrics: "Imifu" by NMB48

” open=”no” style=”fancy”]

NMB48 – Imifu [Lyrics KANJI]

耳の奥にきっと誰かいるんだ
時々　僕にそっと話しかけるよ
全部　応えてられないし　大抵　無視するけど
なぜか振り向く時もある

病気か　狂気か　正常
どれが　嘘で本当?
境界線　あやふやになって
不安になる
そこには　何にもないのに
見えて来るデジャビュかな
自分の中にも絶対
そう　もう一人僕がいる

メンデルス　メンデルス　メンデルスなんだっけ?
(ふいに)頭を過(よぎ)った言葉
メンデルス　メンデルス　メンデルスゾーンか?
(どうして)その名前が浮かんだんだ?
(全く)脈絡なく(口から)出ていた
メンデルス　メンデルス　メンデルス　呪文
(浮遊)してるこの五文字には意味がある

風のせいか　ただの軽い幻聴
どうして　君はそこに隠れてるんだ?
ちゃんと　出てくればいいのに　なんだか水くさいな
なんか事情があるんだろ?

自分が他人に思える
僕は君を知らない
何人目の自分がいるのか
数えようか
確かに声だけするのに
誰もそこにはいない
想像上には　ぼんやり
ほら　笑ってる君がいた

エンゲルか　エンゲルか　エンゲルなんとかだ
(なぜか)心で叫んだ記憶
エンゲルか　エンゲルか　エンゲル係数か?
(家計の)消費支出に占める食費
(比率が)低い方が(いいんだって)教わった
エンゲルか　エンゲルか　エンゲルか　経済
(記憶)してるこの断片は甘酸っぱい

今日まで生きて来た　喜び　悲しみも
そうさ　ほとんどは忘れてしまうよ
すべては(すべては)無意味

メンデルス　メンデルス　メンデルスなんだっけ?
(ふいに)頭を過(よぎ)った言葉
メンデルス　メンデルス　メンデルスゾーンか?
(どうして)その名前が浮かんだんだ?
(全く)脈絡なく(口から)出ていた
メンデルス　メンデルス　メンデルス　呪文
(浮遊)してるこの五文字には意味がある

イミフ　イミフ　イミフ　イミフ
イミフ　イミフ　イミフ　イミフ
イミフ　イミフ　イミフ　イミフ

NMB48 – Imifu [Lyrics ROMAJI]

Mimi no oku ni kitto dareka iru n da
Tokidoki boku ni sotto hanashikakeru yo
Zenbu kotaeterarenai shi taitei mushi suru kedo
Naze ka furimuku toki mo aru

Byouki ka kyouki ka seijou
Dore ga uso de hontou?
Kyoukaisen ayafuya ni natte
Fuan ni naru
Soko ni wa nani ni mo nai noni
Miete kuru dejavu ka na
Jibun no naka ni mo zettai
Sou mou hitori boku ga iru

Menderusu Menderusu Menderusu nanda kke?
(Fui ni) atama o yogitta kotoba
Menderusu Menderusu Menderusuzōn ka?
(Doushite) sono namae ga ukanda n da?
(Mattaku) myakuraku naku (kuchi kara) dete ita
Menderusu Menderusu Menderusu jumon
(Fuyuu) shiteru kono go-moji ni wa imi ga aru

Kaze no sei ka tada no karui genchou
Doushite kimi wa soko ni kakureteru n da?
Chanto detekureba ii noni nandaka mizukusai na
Nanka jijou ga aru n daro?

Jibun ga tanin ni omoeru
Boku wa kimi o shiranai
Nannin-me no jibun ga iru no ka
Kazoeyou ka
Tashika ni koe dake suru noni
Dare mo soko ni wa inai
Souzou-jou ni wa bon’yari
Hora waratteru kimi ga ita

Engeru ka Engeru ka Engeru nantoka da
(Naze ka) kokoro de sakenda kioku
Engeru ka Engeru ka Engeru keisuu ka?
(Kakei no) shouhi shishutsu ni shimeru shokuhi
(Hiritsu ga) hikui hou ga (ii n datte) osowatta
Engeru ka Engeru ka Engeru ka keizai
(Kioku) shiteru kono danpen wa amazuppai

Kyou made ikite kita yorokobi kanashimi mo
Sou sa hotondo wa wasurete shimau yo
Subete wa (subete wa) muimi

Menderusu Menderusu Menderusu nanda kke?
(Fui ni) atama o yogitta kotoba
Menderusu Menderusu Menderusuzōn ka?
(Doushite) sono namae ga ukanda n da?
(Mattaku) myakuraku naku (kuchi kara) dete ita
Menderusu Menderusu Menderusu jumon
(Fuyuu) shiteru kono go-moji ni wa imi ga aru

Imifu Imifu Imifu Imifu
Imifu Imifu Imifu Imifu
Imifu Imifu Imifu Imifu

NMB48 – Imifu [English translation]

There’s definitely someone hiding in the back of my ear.
They whisper to me softly sometimes.
I can’t answer everything, and I usually just ignore them,
but sometimes, for some reason, I actually turn around.

Is it sickness, madness, or just normal?
Which part is a lie and which is real?
The boundary starts to get blurry,
and I begin to feel anxious.
Even though there’s nothing there at all,
is it déjà vu that I’m seeing?
Deep inside me, for sure,
yeah, there’s another me.

Mendels, Mendels, what was that Mendels thing again?
(Suddenly) a word just popped into my head.
Mendels, Mendels, Mendelssohn?
(Why) did that name come to mind?
It just popped out (of my mouth) with (absolutely) no context.
Mendels, Mendels, Mendels, a spell.
These five floating letters must have some meaning.

Is it just the wind, or maybe a faint auditory hallucination?
Why are you hiding in there?
It would be so nice if you just came out, you’re being a bit shy, aren’t you?
You must have some reason for it, right?

I feel like I’m a stranger, even to myself.
I don’t know you.
How many versions of myself are there?
Should I try to count them?
I definitely hear a voice,
but no one is actually there.
In my imagination, faintly,
look, there you were, smiling!

Engels, Engels, Engels something-or-other.
(For some reason) a memory I shouted out in my heart.
Engels, Engels, Engel’s coefficient?
(It’s the) food expenditure as a percentage of household spending.
(I was taught that) a lower ratio is better, I was taught!
Engels, Engels, Engels, economics.
This fragmented memory I recall feels a little bittersweet.

All the joys and sorrows I’ve lived through until today,
yeah, most of them I just forget.
Everything (yes, everything) feels meaningless.

Mendels, Mendels, what was that Mendels thing again?
(Suddenly) a word just popped into my head.
Mendels, Mendels, Mendelssohn?
(Why) did that name come to mind?
It just popped out (of my mouth) with (absolutely) no context.
Mendels, Mendels, Mendels, a spell.
These five floating letters must have some meaning.

Meaningless, meaningless, meaningless, meaningless
Meaningless, meaningless, meaningless, meaningless
Meaningless, meaningless, meaningless, meaningless

[/su_spoiler]