The band members are 櫻井敦司 (Sakurai Atsushi) (vocals), 今井寿 (Imai Hisashi) (guitars, noises, electronics, vocals), 星野英彦 (Hoshino Hidehiko) (guitars, chorus), 桶口豊 (Higuchi Yutaka) (bass) and ヤガミ・トール (Yagami Toll) (drums).
BUCK-TICK's music has changed and evolved hugely over the course of their career. Their early work is what the Japanese call "positive punk". It used simple rhythms and chords, with the songs mostly in major keys and using some English words in the lyrics. Starting with 1989's TABOO, they experimented with a darker sound, which grew more mature with 狂った太陽 in 1991. darker than darkness style 93 delved into a harsher industrial rock sound which continued all the way up through Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE in 2003. With 2005's 十三階は月光, they deliberately adopted a "goth" concept, which they combined with a retro straight rock sound for the albums 天使のリボルバー (2007) and Memento Mori (2009). Their next album, 2010's RAZZLE DAZZLE, then incorporated many instances of dance-rock.
Some elements that persist throughout their music are resounding, jangling guitar chords, throbbing, prominent bass lines, harsh roars of electronically distorted noise, and ambivalent melodies that wander between major and minor keys, as well as Sakurai's distinctive rich baritone voice. Jrockrevolution described the band's style as having gone "from the bubbly sounds of pop to the buzz of electronic cyberpunk to lustful velvety goth to the smooth style of hard rock and back again". Sakurai, who is the main lyricist of the band, is famous for the erotic decadence of his lyrics, but he also often addresses existential psychological themes. His lyrics is also described as "dance in a daydream about reality". Imai, the main composer, has written many songs that read like science fiction stories, involving genetic engineering and computer hackers, but more recently has branched out into love songs.
As Josephine Yun describes them, in 'A Concise Report on 40 of the Biggest Rock Acts in Japan', "BUCK-TICK's music is smashed-together nuances of everything from Depeche Mode and New Order to U2 and The Knack. While wry, it can float and be nebulously melodic. [...] Masked in eye makeup, Atsushi looks and sounds possessed. BUCK-TICK was (and continues to be) and anomaly in the Japanese music scene, a tangle of goth rock diluted with synth and electronica. It's unhappy, dirty music, the musical equivalent of exploded soot and smoke."
BUCK-TICK and their members have performed with, for example, KMFDM, Soft Ballet, Luna Sea, Sheena Ringo, and The Yellow Monkey. The band members have also participated in different side-projects, such as Schaft, Schwein (Sakurai and Imai with Raymond Watts (PIG) and Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM)), and The Mortal.
リリィ
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
リリィ 君が欲しがった
リリィ 羽はみつけたか
瞬き 風 永遠
愛のない話は嫌い 羽のために空はある
リリィ 君が見上げてる
不意に世界は二人さ
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君がスピード 午後の空
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君が鮮やか 午後の空
ここが永久
瞬き 風 永遠
不意に世界は二人さ
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君がスピード 午後の空
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君が鮮やか 午後の空
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君がスピード 午後の空
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君が鮮やか 午後の空
ここが永久
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君がスピード 午後の空
ここが永久
The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's "リリィ" convey a sense of longing and desire for love. The singer expresses their dislike for stories without love and wonders if they will ever find love themselves. They mention Lily, who they wanted, and ask if they were able to find the wings they desired. The mention of angels' wings adds a mythical and otherworldly dimension to the song.
There are also references to fleeting moments such as blinking and wind, as well as eternity. The singer almost seems to suggest that love can transcend time and space, and that even in the face of impermanence, there is a possibility for permanence. There is a sense of urgency and impulsivity, urging the listener to not look back and to fly into the afternoon sky with speed and color. The phrase "ここが永久" (koko ga towa) translates to "Here is eternity," emphasizing the importance of the present moment and the potential for finding something everlasting.
Overall, "リリィ" seems to be a song about seeking love and the possibility of finding it, even in the face of temporary moments and uncertainty. The reference to angels' wings and the idea of eternity add a mystical and ethereal dimension to the song, while the urgency and impulsive nature of the singer's words add a sense of excitement and adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
愛のない話は嫌い 天使の羽 生えるかな
I hate loveless stories, I wonder if angels grow wings?
リリィ 君が欲しがった
Lily, did you want them? (the wings)
リリィ 羽はみつけたか
Lily, did you find the wings?
瞬き 風 永遠
Blinking, wind, eternity
愛のない話は嫌い 羽のために空はある
I hate loveless stories, but the sky exists for the sake of wings
リリィ 君が見上げてる
Lily, are you looking up?
リリィ 空は水色か
Lily, is the sky blue?
不意に世界は二人さ
Suddenly the world is just the two of us
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君がスピード 午後の空
Don’t look back and fly through the afternoon sky at your speed
振り向くな 飛んで行ける 君が鮮やか 午後の空
Don’t look back and fly through the vivid afternoon sky at your speed
ここが永久
This is eternity
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.