The band's former name, Planet, most likely came from a Supercar song of the same name. Their current name also derives partially from a song name. Koide thought of Japanese singer Chocolat's song "Base Ball and Elvis Presley", and suggested the name "Base Ball". Guitarist Yuasa thought it would be better if they added one more word to it, and the rest of the band agreed. They eventually settled on the word "bear".
Members
Yūsuke Koide (小出 祐介, Koide Yūsuke, born December 9, 1984 in Tokyo) - Vocalist & guitarist, primary songwriter and the leader of the band. He likes movies, music, and reading. He likes old school hip hop and his favorite artists include XTC, Happy End and Perfume. He is also a fan of drama actress and idol Meguru Ishii.
Shōhei Yuasa (湯浅 将平, Yuasa Shōhei, born April 16, 1984 in Chiba Prefecture) - Guitarist and unofficial dancer. Shōhei was on the swim team when he was in high school and worked as a lifeguard before the band became famous. He occasionally does yoga. He likes drinking and eating. His favorite artists are Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and Sly & the Family Stone.
Shiori Sekine (関根 史織, Sekine Shiori, born December 8, 1985 in Saitama Prefecture) - Bass guitarist and chorus. Shiori is the only female member of Base Ball Bear and had no experience playing bass guitar before joining the band. Shiori had a leading role as Nozomi in the movie Linda Linda Linda. She is a fan of Ultraman and likes cooking (especially desserts). She also likes manga and is a fan of Namie Odama. Her favorite artists include Jethro Tull, Caravan, Keiichi Suzuki, Yui and GO!GO!7188.
Daisuke Horinouchi (堀之内 大介, Horinouchi Daisuke, born January 17, 1985 in Tokyo) - Drummer and chorus. He has a younger sister. His favorite hobbies are lifting weights and watching pro wrestling and soccer. His favorite artists are The Police, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante, and Nile Rodgers.
History
Koide originally gathered the band members in 2001, with the purpose of performing at their high school's fall festival. The band's name at the time was "Planet" and they played covers of songs by the band Supercar. Afterwards, all of the band members decided to continue with the band as a hobby.
In April 2002, the band began sending demo tapes to record labels and were advised by Toshiba EMI to change their name, eventually choosing "Base Ball Bear," the name under which they performed their first gig at Shimokitazawa Garage that July. Throughout the rest of the year, they continued playing in the Shibuya and Shimokitazawa areas of Tokyo as their fan base began to grow.
In November 2003, Base Ball Bear signed with Blitz Pia Records, an indies label. They immediately release their first mini-album Yūgata Generation on November 26. The band released their first single, Yume is Vision, in April of the following year. It was the first of the band's songs to be accompanied by a music video and they colloborated with Yūki, a Japanese fashion magazine model and Base Ball Bear fan, to create it. The band spent the rest of 2004 practicing and writing new songs, some of where were featured on compilation CDs.
The band released their first full-length album, High Color Times, on March 16, 2005, and started playing concerts to sold-out crowds in larger venues. Also, Shiori Sekine was cast in one of the lead roles in the film Linda Linda Linda, which features some of the band's music.
Base Ball Bear signed with EMI Music Japan in January 2006, and immediately released an introductory album, Band B ni Tsuite, on January 12. (They had released another version of Band B ni Tsuite on October 14, 2005, but the new release included one new song and other remastering.) They played on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo (若若男女) Summer Tour with Chatmonchy and Snowkel and released their first major album, C, on October 29.
Their first solo tour "Live by the C" took place in the spring of 2007. Over the course of the year, they released four more singles, as well as their second major album, Jūnanasai. Their live performances included the Rock in Japan Festival, another round on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo Summer Tour, and the B-Pop High School Tour.
In 2008, the band went on a solo tour called "17-sai Kara Yattemasu Tour" (Starting from 17 Tour) that ran from the middle to the end of March. Their first single of the year, Changes, was released on May 8, 2008 and was the ending theme to the Production I.G anime series Toshokan Sensō. There are many live shows scheduled during the summer, including the the third round of the Nyakunyaku Nannyo Summer Tour and the Higher Ground 2008 festival in July, and the Rock in Japan Festival in August. Base Ball Bear is also planning a two-day show at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall in late September.
Tabibito In The Dark
Base Ball Bear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
暗いフロアーにひとり佇んでは 誰かがかける音楽を待ち望んでた
僕はこの街に必要ない存在だと 塞ぎ込むだけ塞ぎ込んだ日々を逃れ
何が苦痛で何が苦痛じゃないのかを 見定めながらも僕はただ歩いてた
悪い言葉でひとりまたひとりと 誰かを否定してなんとか穴を埋めた
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
笑え 笑え すべてを振り切るように 笑え いま dance and dance
踊れ 踊れ 何もかもを棄ててしまえ 音の海に
叫べ 叫べ 祈りも呪いも超えた声 いま twist and shout
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
歌え 歌え また光が射すまで 歌え 旅人 イン ザ ダーク
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
笑え 笑え すべてを振り切るように 笑え いま dance and dance
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
歌え 歌え また光が射すまで 歌え 旅人 イン ザ ダーク
The lyrics are from the song "Tabibito In The Dark" by the Japanese indie rock band Base Ball Bear. The song talks about a person who feels lost and out of place in the city. He walks alone and waiting for someone to play music on the dark floor. He tries to fill a void in his life by denying others and trying to find pleasure in pain. He also feels that he is not loved and is unnecessary in the city. The singer then encourages himself and others to dance, forget everything and enjoy the music. He asks people to laugh, sing and shout until the light returns. The singer refers to himself and others as "travelers in the dark," suggesting that we are all searching for something in the darkness.
This song is relatable for anyone who has felt lost, out of place, or trying to find meaning in a city. The lyrics are poetic and introspective, allowing the listener to reflect on their own life experiences. The uplifting chorus reminds us of the therapeutic power of music and how it can help us forget our worries, even for a brief moment.
Line by Line Meaning
何が普通で何が普通じゃないのかを 見失いながらも僕はまだ生きてた
Even though I had lost sight of what was normal and what was not, I was still alive.
暗いフロアーにひとり佇んでは 誰かがかける音楽を待ち望んでた
Standing alone on the dark dance floor, I was hoping for someone to play music.
僕はこの街に必要ない存在だと 塞ぎ込むだけ塞ぎ込んだ日々を逃れ
I escaped from the days of just shutting myself away, thinking I was an unnecessary existence in this town.
何が苦痛で何が苦痛じゃないのかを 見定めながらも僕はただ歩いてた
While figuring out what was painful and what was not, I was just walking.
悪い言葉でひとりまたひとりと 誰かを否定してなんとか穴を埋めた
I filled the void by denying people one by one with bad words.
僕はいつまでも愛されない存在だと 塞ぎ込むだけ塞ぎ込んだ僕と別れて
I parted ways with the me who just shut myself away, thinking I would never be loved.
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
Dance, forget everything and dance, in the sound.
笑え 笑え すべてを振り切るように 笑え いま dance and dance
Laugh, laugh like shaking off everything, now dance and dance.
歌え 歌え また光が射すまで 歌え 旅人 イン ザ ダーク
Sing, sing until the light shines again, traveler in the dark.
叫べ 叫べ 祈りも呪いも超えた声 いま twist and shout
Shout, shout with a voice that surpasses prayers and curses, now twist and shout.
踊れ 踊れ 何もかもを棄ててしまえ 音の海に
Dance, abandon everything to the sea of sound.
Contributed by Cameron E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Y T
何が普通で何が普通じゃないのかを 見失いながらも僕はまだ生きてた
暗いフロアーにひとり佇んでは 誰かがかける音楽を待ち望んでた
僕はこの街に必要ない存在だと 塞ぎ込むだけ塞ぎ込んだ日々を逃れ
何が苦痛で何が苦痛じゃないのかを 見定めながらも僕はただ歩いてた
悪い言葉でひとりまたひとりと 誰かを否定してなんとか穴を埋めた
僕はいつまでも愛されない存在だと 塞ぎ込むだけ塞ぎ込んだ僕と別れて
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
笑え 笑え すべてを振り切るように 笑え いま dance and dance
踊れ 踊れ 何もかもを棄ててしまえ 音の海に
叫べ 叫べ 祈りも呪いも超えた声 いま twist and shout
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
歌え 歌え また光が射すまで 歌え 旅人 イン ザ ダーク
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
笑え 笑え すべてを振り切るように 笑え いま dance and dance
踊れ 踊れ 何もかも忘れて 踊れ 音の中で
歌え 歌え また光が射すまで 歌え 旅人 イン ザ ダーク
ねいちゃんねこ
この曲はサビまで焦らされてる感じがたまらない
exactly
最近の、どこかしっとりした曲も凄くいい。でも、激しいリズムで心を揺さぶるこの曲が大好きです。
なゆ
サビに入る瞬間がホントにぶち上がる
自認猫
いつ聞いてもやる気というかなんというか、
心の底から湧いてくるものがある
花咲
前向きになれる名曲ですね。
自認猫
@花咲 ^_^
Angelo Oportus
I just love this band! Their music is so simple, beautiful, peaceful and happy, and Shiori is so cute! I can't stop listening :) I bought Shin Kokkyu and I hope to have all discs. And you know what? I am from as far as Chile, in South America. But despite there is a lot of japanese and korean music fans here, I believe I'm the only fan of Base Ball Bear here...
Akihiro Nakai
リリース時はサカナクションに似てると思ったけど、今はまったく思わない。むしろベボベ史上最強の名曲じゃないか。サビのぶち上がりが最高。
00- 00-
ベボベとサカナも変わっていったってことだね。
日傘さして
最近一郎先生がちょいちょいこいちゃんの名前出してて嬉しい、また二人の絡みがみたい