(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, .
Tsunami
Cornelius Lyrics
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Holding onto me forever
Disco dancing with the rapists
Your only crime is silence
Can't work at this anymore
Can't move, I want to stay at home
Tied up to all these crutches
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Can't speak, can't think, won't talk, won't walk
Doctors tell me that I'm cynical
I tell them that it must be chemical
So what am I doing girl
Cry into my drink I disappear
Eyes for teeth waving over me
Bring down the shadows of my mind
Sleep and breathe under our sheets
Inhale the anxiety in between, in between, in between, in between
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Through September under the weather
In between, in between, in between, in between
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Take the GI's I will have the spies
The lyrics to Cornelius's song Tsunami convey a sense of fear and helplessness, as the singer addresses their sister and references trauma and assault. The lines "Holding onto me forever/Disco dancing with the rapists/Your only crime is silence" suggest that the sister may have been a victim of sexual assault, dancing with those who have harmed her and remaining silent about the abuse. The singer themselves also seems to be struggling with their own mental health, saying "Can't work at this anymore/Can't move, I want to stay at home" and discussing their encounters with doctors who believe their issues are merely cynical.
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Tsunami tsunami came washing over me" multiple times, adds to the sense of overwhelming and inescapable despair. The final line "Take the GI's I will have the spies" could suggest a desire for escape or for taking on a new identity, as GI's and spies are two very different types of people. Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of trauma, fear, and isolation, as the singer and their sister struggle with the aftermath of devastating events.
Line by Line Meaning
For you my dear sister
Addressing his sister, the singer commences the song.
Holding onto me forever
The sister seems clingy and attached to him in a never-ending manner.
Disco dancing with the rapists
She finds herself in threatening situations, possibly with perpetrators, but chooses to party on.
Your only crime is silence
He implies that her inability to speak up and confront the abusers is her only mistake.
Can't work at this anymore
The artist is exhausted and unwilling to continue fighting through his struggles.
Can't move, I want to stay at home
He feels stuck and immobile, preferring to remain in the safety of his own space.
Tied up to all these crutches
The singer is dependent on external things to cope with his issues and can't get rid of them.
Never far from your hands
Despite everything, he still feels connected to his sister and can't escape her influence.
Tsunami tsunami came washing over me
Like a tidal wave, his problems have hit him hard and forced everything to come crashing down.
Can't speak, can't think, won't talk, won't walk
The artist feels drained and incapacitated, unable to carry out basic functions.
Doctors tell me that I'm cynical
The medical professionals are accusing him of being negative and distrusting.
I tell them that it must be chemical
He believes that his issues are a result of a biological imbalance, rather than emotional or psychological factors.
So what am I doing girl
Addressing his sister, he questions what he should do or how to go about fixing his problems.
Cry into my drink I disappear
The singer turns to alcohol to numb his pain and escape his troubles.
Eyes for teeth waving over me
He's haunted by menacing visions and possibly going through hallucinations.
Bring down the shadows of my mind
The darkness in his head is consuming him and suffocating his thoughts.
Sleep and breathe under our sheets
Imagining himself with his sister, he seeks comfort or solace within their shared space.
Inhale the anxiety in between, in between, in between, in between
Despite seeking relief, he's still overwhelmed by anxiety, unable to escape it.
Through September under the weather
Set during the autumn season, he feels downbeat and under the influence of the weather.
Take the GI's I will have the spies
The artist is discussing espionage or intrigue and how he prefers it to war or military action.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Bradfield, Nicholas Jones, Sean Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind