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.
Mona Lisa
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Imai Hisashi
Sleep—don't you want tomorrow?
If you tremble you can't hold on till dawn
I hear nothing see nothing say nothing
Kraus Hyper Opera voice song resounds
Long long ago, we embraced, digging our fingers into the flesh*
You look like you’re going to freeze
Tell me, so you can stop shivering
You look like you’re going to freeze
Tell me about you, so you can stop shivering
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
On the hill overlooking the savanna
Son of a gun by oneself bursts into tears
Are you there? Please touch me
My body starts to tremble inside
I'm covered in goose bumps in the depths of the water
Convulsions are embraces, the buzzing in my ears speaks to me
Long long ago, lukewarm drops of water drew threads
You and I can never meet again
You look like you’re going to freeze
Tell me, so you can stop shivering
You look like you’re going to freeze
Tell me about you, so you can stop shivering
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
The song "Mona Lisa" by BUCK-TICK, composed by Imai Hisashi, features powerful and enigmatic lyrics that speak of a yearning for intimacy. The opening lines, "Sleep—don't you want tomorrow? If you tremble you can't hold on till dawn" indicate the desire to hold on to something that seems to slip away, and the fear of the unknown. The next line, "I hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing," reinforces the idea that the singer is feeling lost and alone.
The song also makes use of imagery, with the line, "Kraus Hyper Opera voice song resounds" evoking a sense of theatricality. The lines "Adios Amigo, an Alchemist looking for a pile of garbage / Long long ago, we embraced, digging our fingers into the flesh" speak of a longing for a lost connection, but also a recognition of the temporary nature of human relationships.
The repeated lines "You look like you’re going to freeze / Tell me, so you can stop shivering" suggest a desire to provide comfort and protection to the subject of the singer's affections. However, the lines "It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me" indicate a willingness to suffer for the sake of closeness.
Overall, "Mona Lisa" is a complex and emotionally charged song that speaks of the human need for connection and intimacy, even in the face of uncertainty and transience.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleep—don't you want tomorrow?
Don't you want to continue living for another day?
If you tremble you can't hold on till dawn
If you're scared, you won't make it through until morning.
I hear nothing see nothing say nothing
I'm not listening, looking, or speaking about anything.
Kraus Hyper Opera voice song resounds
The sound of Kraus Hyper Opera's voice echoes.
Adios Amigo, an Alchemist looking for a pile of garbage
Goodbye, my friend. I am searching for something worthless like an alchemist.
Long long ago, we embraced, digging our fingers into the flesh*
In the past, we hugged each other tightly, digging our fingers into each other's flesh.
You look like you’re going to freeze
Tell me, so you can stop shivering
You appear cold and scared. Confide in me so that you'll stop shaking.
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to educate me on what's wrong with me. It doesn't matter if I'm weird or unclean.
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
I want you to smile and look at me. You could even do me the favor of killing me.
On the hill overlooking the savanna
Son of a gun by oneself bursts into tears
Are you there? Please touch me
My body starts to tremble inside
At the hill looking out onto the savanna, a person is crying alone. Do you exist? Please touch me. My insides begin to quiver.
I'm covered in goose bumps in the depths of the water
Convulsions are embraces, the buzzing in my ears speaks to me
In the deep water, I'm covered in goosebumps. The shaking feels like a hug. The ringing in my ears talks to me.
Long long ago, lukewarm drops of water drew threads
You and I can never meet again
In the past, droplets of water intertwined. You and I can never reunite.
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
I want you to educate me on what's wrong with me. It doesn't matter if I'm weird or unclean. I want you to smile and look at me. You could even do me the favor of killing me.
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
I want you to teach me, I want you to tell me
If I’m dirty or strange, what does it matter?
I want you to laugh, I want you to look at me
It's fine if you do me the favor of shooting me*
I want you to educate me on what's wrong with me. It doesn't matter if I'm weird or unclean. I want you to smile and look at me. You could even do me the favor of killing me. Repeat.
Contributed by Jonathan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.