There are at least three bands/musicians using this name:

(1) Cornel… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands/musicians using this name:

(1) Cornelius (born Keigo Oyamada (小山田圭吾 Oyamada Keigo) 27 January 1969 in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese recording artist and producer. His name is a reference to the Planet of the Apes chimpanzee character of the same name played by Roddy MacDowall. Oyamada's first claim to fame was as a member of the pop duo, Flipper's Guitar, one of the key groups of the Tokyo Shibuya-kei scene. Following the disbandment of Flipper's Guitar in 1991, Oyamada donned the "Cornelius" moniker and embarked on a successful solo career, while also producing for Pizzicato Five.

Cornelius's musical style is often described as being similar to Beck's, whom he acknowledges influenced him along with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Primal Scream, among others.

The music of Cornelius could be described as experimental and exploratory, and often incorporates dissonant elements alongside more familiar harmonically "pleasing" sounds. This tension, plus his practice of bringing in sounds and samples from mass culture, pure electronic tones, and sounds from nature (see his Point album) lead him to being sometimes categorized as an "acquired taste."

He chose his pseudonym in tribute to the character of the same name from the movie Planet of the Apes. He commissioned a song, about himself, on Momus's 1999 album Stars Forever.

Oyamada married fellow musician and collaborator Takako Minekawa in 2000. The couple later divorced in 2012.

(2) Cornelius is also an emotional/blackmetal/hardcore band from Mainz, Germany.

(3) Cornelius was also a mid-90's hardcore / emo band from North Carolina. They released a Discography, "Sounds Like Summer," on Assorted Porkchops. Recorded 1994-1996, .

Thank You For the Music
Cornelius Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bye bye to my foolish
Bye bye dream travels

Thank you for giving me your valuable time

Wave your hand and turn around
Flash back to a scene from the past

Bye bye

Bye bye you and I will someday
Bye bye meet again somewhere

It would be nice if the next time we met we were smiley smile

Wave your hand and turn around
Flash back to a scene from the past

Bye bye thank you for the music
Bye bye thank you for the music

Adios

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cornelius's song Thank You For the Music seem to be about a farewell to a past love or relationship. The singer is saying goodbye to their foolish dreams and reminiscing on the good times that they shared with the other person. They acknowledge the value of the time that the other person gave to them, but it's time to say goodbye and move on.

The emphasis on waving goodbye and turning around, as well as the flashbacks to a scene from the past, suggest that the goodbye is not an easy one. However, the hope is that they will meet again in the future, perhaps under brighter circumstances, with smiles on their faces.

The lyrics of the chorus repeat the phrase "thank you for the music," which could be interpreted as a nod to the therapeutic power of music during breakups and heartache. The use of the Spanish word "adios" at the end of the song reinforces the idea of a final farewell.

Line by Line Meaning

Bye bye to my foolish
Farewell to my naive ways

Bye bye dream travels
Goodbye to my fantasies and aspirations

Thank you for giving me your valuable time
Expressing appreciation for the time spent together and experiences shared

Wave your hand and turn around
A visual gesture of parting ways

Flash back to a scene from the past
Recalling a memory or moment from the time spent together

Bye bye
A simple farewell

Bye bye you and I will someday
We may part ways for now, but may meet again in the future

Bye bye meet again somewhere
Hope for a future reunion in a different setting

It would be nice if the next time we met we were smiley smile
Expressing a wish for happiness and positivity at a future reunion

Bye bye thank you for the music
Expressing gratitude for the memories and experiences shared, especially those related to music

Adios
A Spanish farewell meaning 'goodbye'