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.
Snow White
BUCK-TICK Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ああ 目覚めて 僕達は
殺しあうのか
さあ 眠って 僕達は 愛し合うのさ
零れ落ちる雨 雪に変わる頃
凍える指先 君の頬に
真白な世界 眠れる君の夢か 幻
たった一筋
抱き寄せたなら 息も出来ないほど
重ねた唇 君の匂い
真白な世界 眠れる君の夢か 幻
たった一筋
モノクロームの頬に紅差す
舞い踊りましょう
舞い踊りましょう
春を待つには遠過ぎて
舞い踊りましょう
舞い踊りましょう
夢を見ただけ そう それだけ
The lyrics to BUCK-TICK's "Snow White" describe a world of contrasts and opposing forces. The first verse describes a dream where two people are in love, but then transitions to the idea that upon waking, they will end up killing each other. The second verse depicts a white world with falling snow and frozen fingertips on the listener's cheeks, while simultaneously referencing a monochrome face with a touch of red, symbolizing the idea of the extremes of life and death.
The song's chorus suggests that even in the face of these contradictions, the two lovers should dance together, despite how far away spring may be or the fact that they may never realize their dreams. The song is a commentary on the power and beauty of love in the face of an uncertain and harsh world.
In summary, the lyrics to "Snow White" explore the idea of life and death, love and hate, and the extremes of human experience, bringing all these contrasts together to create a beautiful yet tragic image of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
ああ 夢見て 僕達は 愛し合うのさ
Oh, dreaming, we love each other.
ああ 目覚めて 僕達は 殺しあうのか
Oh, waking up, are we going to kill each other?
さあ 眠って 僕達は 愛し合うのさ
Come on, let's sleep and love each other.
零れ落ちる雨 雪に変わる頃
Around the time when the falling rain turns into snow.
凍える指先 君の頬に
My freezing fingertips against your cheeks.
真白な世界 眠れる君の夢か 幻
Is the pure white world you dream of just an illusion?
たった一筋
Just one line.
モノクロームの頬に紅差す
Red stands out on monochrome cheeks.
抱き寄せたなら 息も出来ないほど
I hold you so tightly that you can't breathe anymore.
重ねた唇 君の匂い
Our lips touch and I smell you.
舞い踊りましょう
Let's dance.
春を待つには遠過ぎて
It's too far away to wait for spring.
夢を見ただけ そう それだけ
I only had a dream, that's all.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: 櫻井敦司
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind