Formed in 1988, B’z are guitarist 松本孝弘 and vocalist, 稲葉浩志. Over the span of… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1988, B’z are guitarist 松本孝弘 and vocalist, 稲葉浩志. Over the span of twenty-five years, B’z have released 19 albums, 6 EPs (including a Korea-only release) and 51 singles, with 16 of the albums and 47 of the singles consecutively debuting #1 on Japan’s Oricon Chart. B’z have sold over 80 million CDs in Japan alone, making them the best-selling artist in Japan’s history.
Under the recommendation of Steve Vai, B’z were inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk in 2007 as the first Asian artist. As a world acclaimed six-string virtuoso, Tak Matsumoto joined legendary guitarists Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Ace Frehley and Slash, to become the fifth guitarist in the world to have his own Gibson USA signature model, the ‘Tak Matsumoto Les Paul.’ In 2010, Matsumoto released Take Your Pick with jazz guitarist, Larry Carlton, and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards last February. Koshi Inaba’s solo efforts include the studio album, Hadou, which was also released in 2010 and debuted number one on the Oricon album charts. Inaba also appeared as a guest vocalist on Slash’s solo album last year.
Besides releasing a long line of number one singles and albums in Japan, B’z are known for their dynamic live shows. They began 2010 with a sold-out dome tour in Japan, including 4 nights at the famed Tokyo Dome with 600,000 fans in attendance.
B’z had North American tour visiting Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles in July 2011. After providing a song to “Download to Donate Tsunami Relief” organized by Music For Relief, B’z was asked to join the intimate private show with Linkin Park to raise money for Japan earthquake/Tsunami relief. The show took place on 8/31 with great success raising more than $35,000. They will start the Japan tour with 2 shows in Sendai which will benefit the affected area. Their tour “B’z LIVE-GYM 2011 –C’mon-“ includes 17 arena shows and 9 dome shows and continues till the last show on 12/25 at Tokyo Dome.

Black and White
B'z Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

グラスを割ったホシを探すんだろ?
捕まえてごらんよ
ママのミルクをこぼしたのは誰なの?
それを知りたいんだろ?

あいまいさを許せないそれは時として不幸

「白黒つけたいんだ灰色はいらない

勝ち負けを知りたいんだ引き分けもいらん」
永遠に続く悩みのリングさ哀しい Black and white

磨いたばかりの愛車に傷をつけられ
夜も眠れない
空に穴をあけるのは誰か考えりゃ
眠くなるのに

何かが欠けた正義感今に行き詰まるの?

「善悪に分けるんだはっきり線を引け
なんもかんも All or nothing でも全部欲しいな」
永遠に続く争いのタネさ世界中 Black or white

アナタハナニイロ?

「白黒つけたいんだ灰色はいらない
勝ち負けを知りたいんだ引き分けもいらん
善悪に分けるんだはっきり線を引け

なんもかんも All or nothing でも全部欲しいな」
永遠に続く憂いの理由は自分自身だと最期まで気づかないまま

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to B'z's song "Black and White" speak to the human tendency to seek clarity and simplicity in our lives, especially when it comes to matters of right and wrong. The first verse poses a series of questions about broken objects and spilled milk, suggesting a desire to find the culprit and assign blame. The chorus expresses a desire to make clear distinctions between black and white, with no room for gray areas or ambiguity.

The second verse brings up the concept of justice, with the singer lamenting a sense of moral uncertainty and wondering if it will eventually lead to a dead end. However, the chorus repeats the same desire for clear-cut answers and resolution, regardless of the possible consequences.

The song's overall message is one that acknowledges the complexity and nuance of life, yet speaks to the human need for certainty and control. It serves as a reminder that while it is often tempting to simplify our experiences and categorize them into neat boxes, reality is rarely so straightforward.

Line by Line Meaning

グラスを割ったホシを探すんだろ?
Are you looking for the stars that broke the glass? Come catch them. You want to know who spilled Mama's milk?

ママのミルクをこぼしたのは誰なの?
Do you want to know who spilled Mama's milk?

あいまいさを許せないそれは時として不幸
Sometimes ambiguity is unfortunate because you can't tolerate it.

「白黒つけたいんだ灰色はいらない
"I want to distinguish black and white. I don't need gray.

勝ち負けを知りたいんだ引き分けもいらん」
I want to know the winner and the loser. I don't need a tie.

永遠に続く悩みのリングさ哀しい Black and white
The endless ring of sorrow continues. It's sad, black and white.

磨いたばかりの愛車に傷をつけられ
If you scratch a car that you've just polished,

夜も眠れない
you can't sleep at night.

空に穴をあけるのは誰か考えりゃ
Who do you think makes holes in the sky?

眠くなるのに
Even though you feel sleepy.

何かが欠けた正義感今に行き詰まるの?
Is your sense of justice lacking something? Will you hit a deadlock soon?