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.
Love Me
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
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The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's song LOVE ME delve into the theme of love and the pain that it can bring. The first line, "hosoi tekubi wo kamikiru biyaku ga kizu ni shibireru Love me" can be translated to "The medicine that cuts into my thin wrists tingles in my wounds, love me." This line suggests that the singer is using self-harm as a way to cope with the pain of love, highlighting the unhealthy and destructive nature of their relationship. The next line, "namida mo Crying chi no iro" which translates to "Even tears are crying, the color of blood," further accentuates the pain and sorrow the singer feels.
As the lyrics progress, the singer seems to be coming to a realization of their solitary existence, revealed in the line "donna ni yume wo mitemo kizukeba itsumo hitori sa love me" which means "No matter what dreams I have, I always realize I am alone, love me." This line showcases the loneliness that can come with a relationship that is not healthy or fulfilling. The final lines "tsukiyo ni hane wo hirogete Kieru made Love me" which can be translated to "Spread your wings on this moonlit night until you disappear, love me" and "chigireta yume ni sayonara sasayaite Love me" which means "Whispering goodbye to shattered dreams, love me" suggest that the singer desires escape and is willing to let go of their fantasies and illusions to attain it.
Line by Line Meaning
hosoi tekubi wo kamikiru biyaku ga kizu ni shibireru Love me
A thin wrist is being cut by a liquid medicine causing pain. The person is asking to be loved.
namida mo Crying
Crying and shedding tears.
chi no iro donna ni yume wo mitemo kizukeba itsumo hitori sa love me
No matter what color the dream may be, there is always loneliness when the person wakes up. They want to be loved.
yume mite dreaming nemurou My Darling
While dreaming, the person is imagining being with their loved one and wants to continue sleeping.
tsukiyo ni hane wo hirogete Kieru made Love me la la la...... My Darling
The person asks their beloved to love them until they disappear like wings spreading out in the moonlight.
chigireta yume ni sayonara sasayaite Love me la la la......
They are saying goodbye to a torn dream while softly saying 'love me.'
Contributed by Adam J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.