Topenga Ataata
Kupu Tūpato
When my face is all changed from the cruelty of age
– Ka huri katoa toku mata i te nanakia o te tau
I’ll still miss you
– Ka mihi tonu ahau ki a koe
In a dream, you forgave me and I almost did it myself
– I roto i te moemoea, ka murua e koe ahau, a tata tonu ahau ki te mahi i te reira ahau
Till I woke back up
– Kia ara ake ra ano ahau
I’m always procrastinating
– Kei te whakaroa tonu ahau
Evading the job of going through them boxes in the attic
– Te karo i te mahi o te haere i roto i a ratou pouaka i roto i te papa o runga
As long as they’re in the dark
– I a rātou e noho ana i te pōuri
There’s a flickering spark we’d repair
– He mānukanuka e ngingio ana ka whakatikaia e mātou
Just wanna talk to you
– Just wanna kōrero ki a koutou
Wanna talk with my best friend
– E hiahia ana ki te kōrero ki toku hoa pai
Wanna let go of everything that I carry
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te tuku i nga mea katoa e mau ana ahau
Wanna shoulder some of yours instead
– Wanna pokohiwi etahi o koutou hei utu
I wanna hurt with you
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te mamae ki a koe
Hurt with somebody who understands
– Ka whara ki tētahi e mārama ana
Have the strength to truly like myself
– Kia kaha ki te tino rite ahau
And have the love to take someone’s hand
– Me te aroha ki te tango i te ringa o tētahi
I was down in the Low Lights, getting hounded by moths and dickheads
– I hinga ahau i roto i nga Rama Iti, e whai ana I nga pirau me nga dickheads
Your uncle came in, I geared up for one on the nose
– I haere mai tōu matua keke, i whakarite ahau mō tētahi i runga i te ihu
He was sombre and kind as I self-flagellated and grovelled
– Ko ia pouri, me te atawhai rite ahau whaiaro whiu me te grovelled
Told me to come back, but I cheated and it’s over
– I ki mai ki ahau kia hoki mai, engari i tinihanga ahau, a kua mutu
Shrinks somehow link it all back to my upbringing
– Ko ngā whakaiti i tētahi ara e hono ana i ngā mea katoa ki tōku whakatupuranga
But I don’t want an excuse for my mess
– Engari kaore au e hiahia ki tetahi take mo taku raruraru
I just wanna talk to you
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te kōrero ki a koe
Wanna talk with my best friend
– E hiahia ana ki te kōrero ki toku hoa pai
Wanna let go of everything that I carry
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te tuku i nga mea katoa e mau ana ahau
Wanna shoulder some of yours instead
– Wanna pokohiwi etahi o koutou hei utu
I wanna hurt with you
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te mamae ki a koe
Hurt with somebody who understands
– Ka whara ki tētahi e mārama ana
Have the strength to truly like myself
– Kia kaha ki te tino rite ahau
And have the love to take someone’s hand
– Me te aroha ki te tango i te ringa o tētahi
I wanna talk to you
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te kōrero ki a koe
I wanna talk to you
– E hiahia ana ahau ki te kōrero ki a koe
Oh, I just wanna talk to you
– Aue, e hiahia ana ahau ki te kōrero ki a koe
Only wanna talk to you
– Anake wanna kōrero ki a koutou
Only wanna talk to you
– Anake wanna kōrero ki a koutou
Only wanna talk to you, talk to you
– E hiahia ana anake ki te kōrero ki a koe, kōrero ki a koe
Seven years wrapped in youth’s great love
– E whitu tau i takai ki te aroha nui o te rangatahi
Picked me up and sucked the cancer from my bones
– I tangohia ahau, i hopu i te mate pukupuku i oku wheua
Your old man loved me like a son he never had
– I aroha mai tou koroheke ki ahau ano he tama kihai i whanau
And I ate him outta house and home
– A kai ana ahau i a ia i waho i te whare i te kāinga
I have learnt and I will never stop learning
– Kua ako ahau a e kore ahau e mutu te ako
My failures are my prized possessions
– Ko aku hapa ko aku taonga utu nui
I don’t deserve to talk to you
– Kaore au e pai ki te korero ki a koe
But I hope that I can root for you
– Ko te tumanako ka taea e au te pakiaka mo koe
Give ’em hell, darling
– Homai ki a rātou te reinga, e te aroha
[Instrumental Outro]
– [Tuhinga O Mua]
