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.
Memento mori
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
愛と死 出会いと別れ
LOVE AND DEATH
愛と死 忘れないさ
LOVE AND DEATH
愛と死 出会いと別れ
LOVE AND DEATH
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER
BOYS AND GIRLS
今宵 喰らい 踊り明かそう
人生は愛と死
BOYS AND GIRLS
Baby don't cry ダイジョーブさ
人生は Oh Yeah 愛と死
LOVE AND DEATH
愛と死 出会いと別れ
LOVE AND DEATH
愛と死 忘れないさ
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER
BOYS AND GIRLS
今宵 喰らい 踊り明かそう
人生は愛と死
BOYS AND GIRLS
Baby don't cry ダイジョーブさ
人生は Oh Yeah 愛と死
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE
HA! HA! REMEMBER
BOYS AND GIRLS
今宵 喰らい 踊り明かそう
人生は愛と死
BOYS AND GIRLS
Baby don't cry ダイジョーブさ
俺達は愛と死
Hey Baby
今は 喰らい 飲み 踊ろう
人生は愛と死
Hey Baby Baby don't cry
愛死合おう 俺達は愛と死
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
REMEMBER TO DIE
The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's "Memento mori" speak about the interconnectedness of love and death in life. The repeated phrases "Love and death, meeting and parting" and "Don't forget love and death" emphasize the idea that love and death are inextricably linked and that we must embrace both in our lives. The song makes a call to live fully in the present, encouraging the listener to dance and celebrate life in the face of death. The call to "Remember to die" further reinforces the idea that death is an undeniable aspect of life and that we must face it head-on. The song seems to suggest that living with an awareness of our mortality and the fragility of life can actually bring us closer to fully embracing and experiencing love.
Overall, "Memento mori" is a song that encourages the listener to live in the moment, fully embracing both love and death as essential parts of the human experience. The urgent, driving rhythm of the song creates a sense of energy and momentum, calling the listener to action.
Line by Line Meaning
LOVE AND DEATH
The constant companions of life.
愛と死 出会いと別れ
Encounters and separations of love and death.
LOVE AND DEATH
The constant companions of life.
愛と死 忘れないさ
We won't forget about love and death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER
Always remember.
BOYS AND GIRLS
People of all genders.
今宵 喰らい 踊り明かそう
Tonight, let's feast and dance until morning.
人生は愛と死
Life consists of love and death.
BOYS AND GIRLS
People of all genders.
Baby don't cry ダイジョーブさ
Baby, don't cry, it's all good.
人生は Oh Yeah 愛と死
Life is, oh yeah, love and death.
LOVE AND DEATH
The constant companions of life.
愛と死 出会いと別れ
Encounters and separations of love and death.
LOVE AND DEATH
The constant companions of life.
愛と死 忘れないさ
We won't forget about love and death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER
Always remember.
BOYS AND GIRLS
People of all genders.
今宵 喰らい 踊り明かそう
Tonight, let's feast and dance until morning.
人生は愛と死
Life consists of love and death.
BOYS AND GIRLS
People of all genders.
Baby don't cry ダイジョーブさ
Baby, don't cry, it's all good.
俺達は愛と死
We are love and death.
Hey Baby
Hey baby,
今は 喰らい 飲み 踊ろう
Let's eat, drink, and dance now.
人生は愛と死
Life consists of love and death.
Hey Baby Baby don't cry
Hey baby, baby, don't cry.
愛死合おう 俺達は愛と死
Let's unite love and death, we are love and death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
DANCE DANCE HA! HA!
Enjoy life with dancing and laughter.
REMEMBER TO DIE
Be mindful of the inevitability of death.
Contributed by Sydney R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-on2xg2ek8t
車の中で、この動画を流しながら、泥臭く声上げて、あっちゃんの名前を何度も呼んで泣いてしまいました。
ダイジョーブさ。
あっちゃんの命は、皆の『生』の中で生き続ける。
確かに三次元では触れられないけれど。
確かに寂しいけれど。
あっちゃんの命を、自分の『生』の中に生かせる、誇りと嬉しさよ。
ダイジョーブさ。
@user-jw2yj8mh4e
彼の死を悲しんでいる全ての人に届いて欲しい。
@user-do2qk7qy4w
この曲マジで好き
こんなに長い間活動してるのに現状に踏みとどまらず常に前へ前へ進み続けるその姿勢は本当に尊敬に値する
これからもずっと大好きです
@yukimaru-69-lefty
このMemento moriは琉球音階を用いていることから独特のメロディを紡ぎ出す。
コレを去年沖縄公演で聴けた時はマジで感動しました！。
@user-ur8qn1tn9y
この曲を沖縄で聴けたの、すっごい羨ましいです！
@playprey6567
Buck-Tickを聴いて衝撃を受けて音楽を作りはじめて、気付いたら30年近くもの年月が経ったけど今でもたくさんの感動をもらってる。これからのB-Tにも祝福を！そして、あっちゃん本当にありがとうございます！おれの人生で貴方は永遠です！感謝したい、心から！
@user-ex3sm9yq1g
今井はマジで天才やと思う
@arknoah4170
私にとってメメントモリと言えば流行りのゲームじゃなくBUCK-TICKなんだよなぁ。
今井さんがイントネーションはおべんと海苔って言ってたよね(笑)
これから先もずっと、BUCK-TICKの音楽が聞きたくなって、こうやって何回も聴くんだろうな。
@user-lo3wr9qe2g
コロナ禍を経験してから聴くと改めて凄い曲だなと勇気付けられました！
@greengreen9108
あっちゃんの声通るな～。曲も演奏も歌も神々しい。
@user-gq5pu9ow6j
BUCK-TICKさんのふぁんはみんなやさしいからファンさえも神。嫌なやつみたことない。メンバーがいやがることマナーが良いです。