BEAT CRUSADERS was a Japanese rock/punk/pop group who were first formed in … Read Full Bio ↴BEAT CRUSADERS was a Japanese rock/punk/pop group who were first formed in late 1997 by ヒダカトオル (Hidaka Tooru), primarily as an experimental lo-fi indie pop group. The first line-up of the group was originally a result of constant experimental shows performed in various locations around Tokyo. Their use of both old and new technology, combined with influences from various bands such as Weezer and Rentals, had transformed them into a melodic guitar-driven band. By late 1998, the group had started to settle into things and were rapidly gaining a reputation for being an energetic live band with catchy and fun songs that weren't to be missed within the independent music scene.

The momentum from this carried on with the single "NEVER POP ENOUGH e.p." which quickly climbed up the independent CD charts of various shops in Japan. Around a month later, they released their first mini-album "HOWLING SYMPHONY OF..." which both rapidly climbed the charts and received critical acclaim from the music press. After this, the band started to tour more extensively, thanks to various offers from bands within the Japanese alternative music scene. They then released their second single "FIRESTARTER" which was released in 2000 and then followed it up with the full-length album "ALL YOU CAN EAT" along with involvement in various compilation albums and split mini-albums with various independent groups while still releasing their own albums and singles.

In August 2003, three of the four original members of BEAT CRUSADERS left the band, leaving behind only Hidaka. He quickly recruited four new members, who form the current line-up of the group. The three members that left went on to form ANITA CHILI PEPPERS. The current line-up of the band is: ヒダカトオル (Hidaka Tooru) - Vocal & Guitar, クボタマサヒコ (Kubota Masahiko) - Bass, カトウタロウ (Kato Taro) - Guitar, マシータ (Mashiita, Maseeta) - Drums and ケイタイモ (Keitaimo) - Keyboard.

In 2004, the group was finally catapulted into the major-label music scene, thanks to the release of the song "HIT IN THE USA" which was used as the opening theme for the anime "BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad" and also allowed a number of their songs to be covered in the same anime. They have also had the song "TONIGHT,TONIGHT,TONIGHT" used in the anime "BLEACH" and in 2006 they made their first American appearance, thanks to the song "Hey×2 Look×2" which was used as the opening theme song to the Nicktoons animated series "Kappa Mikey".

Confirmation from Toru Hidaka that Beat Crusaders Broke-up 4th September, 2010.

GYMNASIUM
BEAT CRUSADERS Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take me
Some place
Why don't you talk to me come out to play?

Someone feed me now
Mammy's a liar
Keeps me hungry
Don't know reason why

Daddy's on trial
Say no joke

Nobody's home
In the last of sunny day
How can I back to my school?
Cause nobody's home

In the last sunny day
But then I'd like to see you

Overall Meaning

The BEAT CRUSADERS' song "GYMNASIUM" is a melancholic piece that begs for attention and seeks solace in the company of others. The beginning of the song starts with a plea to take the singer someplace and a request for someone to talk to them and come out to play. This suggests that there is a sense of loneliness that the singer is feeling and possibly a need for some escapism from this loneliness. The lines "Someone feed me now, Mammy's a liar" seem to indicate a lack of trust in a maternal figure and a sense of hunger, perhaps not necessarily for food, but for something more intangible like love or attention. The following line "Keeps me hungry, don't know the reason why" further reinforces this.

The second half of the verse shifts the focus to the father figure who is on trial and the singer's plea that it is not a joke. This suggests a sense of instability, possibly due to some legal trouble or family issues, and the lack of someone to confide in. The chorus then brings home the sense of loneliness and abandonment in the last sunny day when nobody is home, making it impossible for the singer to go back to school. However, the final line "But then I'd like to see you" leaves a glimmer of hope that someone is still there for the singer, bringing a sense of relief amidst the despair.

Line by Line Meaning

Take me
I long to be taken somewhere

Some place
It does not matter where I am taken

Why don't you talk to me come out to play?
Can we spend some time together and have fun?

Someone feed me now
I am hungry and in need of nourishment

Mammy's a liar
My mother is dishonest or misleading

Keeps me hungry
She does not provide enough food for me

Don't know reason why
I do not understand why she does this

Daddy's on trial
My father is facing legal punishment

Say no joke
This is serious and not a laughing matter

Nobody's home
There is no one at home

In the last of sunny day
It is the end of a nice day