There are at least four bands named Complex: a British psychedelic rock gro… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four bands named Complex: a British psychedelic rock group, a Japanese rock super group, a Tanzanian band and a Finnish punk band.

1. Complex is a Japanese rock band formed in 1988 with Koji Kikkawa (吉川晃司) as lead singer and his long time friend Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰) from the legendary rock band BOØWY on guitar.
Making two albums both of which went to number one in the national charts, Complex remained as one of the most popular bands in Japan until their split in 1990.

2. Complex were an English psychedelic rock band from Blackpool, United Kingdom. Formed in 1968, the group initially consisted of Brian Lee (lead guitar), Tony Shakespeare (lead vocals, drums), Lance Fogg (bass) and Tony Fisher (rhythm guitar). After some early personnel changes, in early 1970 the line-up was Lee, Shakespeare and Fogg with the addition of Steve Coe (keyboards). In November 1970 they cut their first, self-titled album Complex, of which only 99 copies were released in May 1971. Originally devised as a demonstration record for bringing the band to the attention of major record companies, it went on to become quite famous among collectors of rare British psychedelia, fetching high prices.

In the Summer of 1971 they recorded a second album, which was released in August 1971, The Way I Feel, once again as a 'private press'. Original copies of their two albums are sought-after artefacts of British psychedelia today. They feature echo-laden and organ-driven garage psychedelia. Most of the songs were penned by Steve Coe, who left the group shortly after the 'release' of the second LP. Several years later he re-emerged in Monsoon. The remaining members recorded a five-track acetate for a third album, which remains unreleased, before disbanding. Cherry Red Records released the group's collected works on a CD called Live for the Minute: The Complex Anthology in early 2022.

3. Complex is a Bongo Flava (Swahili hiphop) artist from Tanzania.

4. Complex is a Finnish punk band that released a 7-inch EP entitled Tervetuloa Yhteiskuntaan... in the 1990s.

Imagine Heroes
Complex Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

甘ったれた夢をいだき
ポケットのコイン握り締め
都会にあふれ出る
無知な IMAGINE HEROES
人ゴミの中とけてゆく
無防備な後ろ姿
何のあてもなく
彷徨う IMAGINE HEROES

汚れた世界さ
愛も夢もない
悪い奴等か生き残る
WELCOME TO 哀しみの街へ
WELCOME TO もうもどれない
浴びるほどに酒をくらい
すりきれたレザーをまとい
Rock'n Roll をきどる
孤独な IMAGINE HEROES
もろいものさすべてをかけても
やさしさをすてきれない
WELCOME TO 憧れの街へ
WELCOME TO もうもどれない

誰もが胸に
願いを込めて
CHANCE をまっているのさ
もろいものさ
すべてをかけても
やさしさをすてきれない
WELCOME TO 憧れの街へ
WELCOME TO もうもどれない

WELCOME TO 哀しみの街へ
WELCOME TO もうもどれない

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Complex's song "Imagine Heroes" describe a group of naive and unassuming individuals, who are lost amid the chaos of an urban society that is running rampant with corruption, devoid of love or dreams where only the bad guys manage to survive. These individuals are known as the "Imagine Heroes" who are wandering aimlessly around the city, clutching tightly to their coin-filled pockets and treasuring their innocent dreams.

The song paints a bleak picture of a world where everything is worn-out and shattered, and the only hope that remains is the longing that resides in every human's heart. The lyrics speak of a desperate search for something meaningful, as these individuals cling to what little remains of their innocent past, refusing to give into the harsh realities of the world they inhabit. Despite their vulnerability and fragility, they are unwilling to succumb to the callousness of the world that surrounds them, and they continue to look for something pure and genuine, even though they are unable to find it.

Line by Line Meaning

甘ったれた夢をいだき
We hold onto naive dreams

ポケットのコイン握り締め
We tightly grip onto the coins in our pockets

都会にあふれ出る
Overflowing into the city

無知な IMAGINE HEROES
We are ignorant, imagining ourselves as heroes

人ゴミの中とけてゆく
Melting into the sea of people

無防備な後ろ姿
Defenseless backs turned

何のあてもなく
With no aim or direction

彷徨う IMAGINE HEROES
We wander aimlessly, still imagining ourselves as heroes

汚れた世界さ
It's a filthy world

愛も夢もない
There's no love or dreams

悪い奴等か生き残る
Only the bad guys survive