Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰 , born February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture… Read Full Bio ↴Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰 , born February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture) is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. Hotei rose to prominence in the 1980s as the guitarist for BOØWY, one of Japan's most popular rock bands, before starting a solo career. In 2003, he was ranked number 70 on HMV Japan's list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts. He ranked second in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan after Tak Matsumoto.

Hotei is best known internationally for his song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" , which has been used in numerous films, commercials, and video games, most notably Quentin Tarantino's feature film Kill Bill.

Born to a Korean father and a Japanese/Russian mother, Hotei first began playing the guitar in junior high school. In high school, his band Blue Film finished runners up in a school contest to Death Penalty, a band led by Kyosuke Himuro. Hotei was expelled shortly before graduation. The reason was that, when warned about his long hair he replied “Jesus had long hair!” Shortly after, he went to Tokyo where one day he received a phone call from Himuro. The two had never really known each other but hit it off and went on to hold auditions for a new band, which in 1981 became the six-member BOØWY. The band became major stars in Japan, in 1985 played the Marquee in London, and in 1986 had their first million seller, Beat Emotion.

When the band broke up in 1988, Hotei established himself as a solo star, as did Himuro. Hotei also made two albums with Koji Kikkawa as Complex, both of which went to number one in the national charts. Hotei frequently records overseas and has collaborated with many foreign musicians, including playing on The Stranglers Hugh Cornwell’s 1993 solo album, on stage with David Bowie at Nippon Budokan in 1996, and at the closing ceremony of the Atlanta 1996 Centennial Olympic Games with Michael Kamen.

He later recorded “Guitar Concerto” with Kamen. He has also worked with Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, guitarist Chris Spedding and Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones. Hotei also sometimes plays in Europe, including a number of major festivals. His regular drummer in recent years, Zachary Alford, has previously played with Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie. Hotei's 1998 album Supersonic Generation, recorded in part with Apollo 440 and Ofra Haza, was released in 14 European countries.

In addition to many bestselling solo albums, Hotei composed and performed the score for Hiroyuki Nakano’s Samurai Fiction, as well as starring in the film. He composed the score to Terry Gilliam’s feature film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas together with Ray Cooper. Hotei's song “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” was used in the Quentin Tarantino’s feature film Kill Bill, the PlayStation 2 version of Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA,and Michael Bay’s feature film Transformers. Hotei recorded a cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” for Merry Axemas, an instrumental guitar Christmas album featuring tracks from guitarists including Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai and Steve Morse.

The Nintendo DS game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan features his song "Thrill". The game's sequel, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii, features another Hotei song, "Bambina". (Both songs are cover versions.) Hotei is featured in “Grace” on the Apocalyptica album Worlds Collide. The song is featured in the game NHL 09.

Upside-Down
布袋寅泰 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

真っ赤なバイクは崖から海に落ちた
ブラック・スーツは
クラブの喧嘩で裂けた
愛した物はみんな壊れる
不吉な運命背負ってる
0h yeah!
Everything is upside-down.
イカれたアイツは

詐欺で監獄へ行った
浮気な女はサナトリウムヘ逃げた
愛した奴はみんな消えてく
俺を残して風になる
Oh yeah!
Everything is upside-down.
月に濡れた夜更けのベッド
抑えきれずおまえを抱いた
だけどこれは遊びにしよう
おまえだけは壊したくない

星の鈴が震え乙夜更けのベッド
好きと言わず抱きしめあおう
傷つけてしまうほどの愛を
そっと胸に隠し...

子供の頃に恋した街は消えた
眩しく光る R＆Rも錆びた
愛した物はみんな壊れる
だからCOOLでいたいのさ
Oh yeah!
Everylhing is upside-down.
愛した奴はみんな消えてく
だからCOOLでいたいのさ

Oh yeah!
Everything is upside-down.

Overall Meaning

The song Upside-Down by 布袋寅泰 is a depiction of a world where everything is in turmoil. The first verse talks about a red motorbike falling from a cliff into the sea while a black suit is torn in a club fight, indicating that things are going wrong. The chorus of "Oh yeah! Everything is upside-down" reinforces the idea that everything has turned upside down. The second verse mentions someone going to prison for fraud, a woman who ran away to a sanatorium after cheating, and the people the singer loved disappearing, leaving only the wind. The bridge then warns about getting too attached and the need to stay "cool" in recognition of the destructive nature of what the singer has experienced.

The song expresses a disillusionment with love, life, and the world in general, where everything that is cherished crumbles and disappears. The imagery of the red motorbike, black suit, and disappearing people creates a bleak atmosphere, accentuated by the use of guitar-heavy rock music. The song's tone is resigned and even melancholic, cautioning against getting too attached and appreciating what we have before it disappears. Ultimately, it reminds us that everything may turn upside down, but we must keep going, staying "cool" despite life's twists and turns.

Line by Line Meaning

真っ赤なバイクは崖から海に落ちた
A red bike fell from a cliff into the sea

ブラック・スーツはクラブの喧嘩で裂けた
A black suit was torn in a club fight

愛した物はみんな壊れる
Everything I loved was destroyed

不吉な運命背負ってる
I carry an ominous fate

0h yeah!
Oh yeah!

Everything is upside-down.
Everything is flipped around.

イカれたアイツは詐欺で監獄へ行った
That crazy guy went to jail for fraud

浮気な女はサナトリウムヘ逃げた
That cheating woman fled to a sanatorium

俺を残して風になる
Leaving me behind, they disappear into the wind

月に濡れた夜更けのベッド
A bed soaked in moonlight

抑えきれずおまえを抱いた
I couldn't control myself and held you