Dragon Ash started out from humble punk beginnings to become one of the bri… Read Full Bio ↴Dragon Ash started out from humble punk beginnings to become one of the brightest groups in the growing New Japanese Rock movement in the late '90s, blending pop sensibilities with a hard-edged sound, producing albums and singles that play like a tour of Western rock of the '90s. Lead singer and guitarist Kenji Furuya, son of actor Ikko Furuya, met drummer Makoto Sakurai when they were junior high students in a Tokyo suburb, and the two started playing together. Though temporarily sidetracked into following in his father's footsteps, Furuya gave up the few acting gigs that he was getting on TV dramas to concentrate on music in high school. In 1996, knowing what they wanted but needing some sort of mentor, they took on bass player Ikuzo Baba, ten years their senior. Furuya and Sakurai had the talent and drive — Baba brought experience and a wealth of musical knowledge. Dragon Ash was born. The group debuted in 1997 with two EPs at the beginning of the year, The Day Dragged On and Public Garden, which showed their raw, punk hardcore style, influenced by another rock trio, Nirvana. By the end of the year and time of their release, Mustang!, the group had progressed from their simple punk roots to a blend of pop, funk, hardcore, rap, and metal. Through 1998 their popularity increased, and by the time of Buzz Songs, their sound had solidified to rock/rap, helped with the mixing skills of DJ Bots, who occasionally appeared on some songs. Two singles — "Let Yourself Go, Let Myself Go" and "Grateful Days," the latter featuring hardcore rapper Zeebra and soulstress ACO — sold so well that they cracked the Japanese Oricon charts, usually reserved for pop music, and went to number one. Now Dragon Ash had become a four-piece, with DJ Bots essential to the mix. Their third album, 1999's Viva la Revolution, not only signified the arrival of the band as a major group in Japan, but was one of the first volleys in the New Japanese Rock movement. In 2000, Dragon Ash undertook the Total Music Communication Tour, touring Japan with a lineup that included other rising rock acts, such as Missile Girl Scout, Penpals, and Skebou Kings. Meanwhile, Furuya and DJ Bots formed a duo of sorts, writing and producing songs for acts such as Sugar Soul under the name Steady & Co. Likewise, Baba and Sakurai sidelined as a remixing unit called Motor Headphone, popping up on various compilations. If anyone had any doubts that the group was softening around the edges, 2001's Lily of da Valley was as hard, funky, and uncompromising as their earliest work.

Freedom of Expression
Dragon Ash Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un, deux
Un, deux, trois, quatre

Rock'n' roll, it was my adolescence
Born in a fuckin' country
Hip hop music it's my everything to me it's like a hymn
When I suffer in mind, I'll keep on singin' maybe
'Cause I don't wanna lose freedom of expression

Rock'n' roll, it was my adolescence
Born in a fuckin' country
Hip hop music it's my everything to me it's like a hymn
When I fall in love, I'll keep on writtin' songs
'Cause I don't wanna stiff emotion

I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I'm winner so fuckin' what? What?

Rock'n' roll it was my adolescence
Born in a fuckin' country
Hip hop music it's my everything to me it's like a hymn
When I suffer in mind, I'll keep on singin' maybe
'Cause I don't wanna lose freedom of expression

I'm pinhead you right
But I don't wanna hide-face life
Give me some more time for thinkin' bout love and the music
Stand up people
Say something

I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I'm winner so fuckin' what?
I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I'm winner so fuckin' what? What?

So what?
So fuckin' what?

Overall Meaning

Dragon Ash's song Freedom is a powerful expression of the importance of music in the singer's life. The lyrics begin with the declaration that rock'n'roll was the singer's adolescence and that hip hop is everything to them, like a hymn even when they suffer in their mind. The singer explains that they sing because they do not want to lose their freedom of expression. The lyrics suggest that for the singer, their music is an essential means of expressing themselves and their emotions.

The chorus of the song repeats the opening lyrics, emphasizing the importance of music in the singer's life. The second verse says that the singer will keep writing songs even when they fall in love because they do not want to "stiff emotion." The lyrics suggest that the singer associates their music with a range of emotions that they want to keep expressing.

The song ends with the singer declaring that they are a loser, a smoker, and Japanese, but it does not matter because they are a winner. The song's lyrics suggest that they have found something that makes them feel powerful and capable of expressing themselves in a way that brings them joy and meaning.

Line by Line Meaning

Un, deux
Counting off (in French) to begin the song

Un, deux, trois, quatre
Counting off (in French) to begin the song

Rock'n' roll, it was my adolescence
Rock n' roll was a huge part of my teenage years

Born in a fuckin' country
I was born in a country that doesn't fully accept me for who I am

Hip hop music it's my everything to me it's like a hymn
Hip hop music means everything to me and it feels like a religious hymn

When I suffer in mind, I'll keep on singin' maybe
Even when my mind is suffering, I will continue to sing because it brings me comfort

'Cause I don't wanna lose freedom of expression
I don't want to lose my right to express myself

When I fall in love, I'll keep on writtin' songs
Even when I fall in love, I will continue to write songs

'Cause I don't wanna stiff emotion
I don't want my emotions to be suppressed or repressed

I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I may be a loser, but I don't care

I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I may smoke, but I don't care what others think about it

I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I may be Japanese, but I don't care what others think about it

I'm winner so fuckin' what? What?
I may be a winner, but it doesn't define me

I'm pinhead you right
I may not be the brightest, but that's okay

But I don't wanna hide-face life
But I don't want to hide from life

Give me some more time for thinkin' bout love and the music
I need more time to think about love and music

Stand up people
I urge people to stand up for what they believe in

Say something
I urge people to speak out

So what?
So what if I don't fit in with society's standards

So fuckin' what?
I don't care what others think about me

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Furuya Kenji

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

No Related Genres

More Genres

No Artists Found

More Artists Load All

No Albums Found

More Albums Load All

No Tracks Found

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

ジャイアン

2y↑1

作詞：降谷建志
作曲：降谷建志

Rock'n' Roll it was my adolescence
Born in fuckin'country
Hip Hop music it's my everything
to me it's like a hymn
When I suffer in mind,
I'll keep on singin' maybe
'Cause I don't wanna lose
Freedom of Expression

Rock'n' Roll it was my adolescence
Born in fuckin' country
Hip Hop music it's my everything
to me it's like a hymn
When I fall in love
I'll keep on writin' songs
'cause I don't wanna stiff emotion

I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I'm winner so fuckin' what?

What?

Rock'n' Roll it was my adolescence
Born in fuckin'country
Hip Hop music it's my everything
to me it's like a hymn
When I suffer in mind,
I'll keep on singin' maybe
'Cause I don't wanna lose
Freedom of Expression

I'm pinhead you right
But I don't wanna hide-face life
Give me some more time for thinkin'
bout love and the music
Stand up people
Say something

I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I'm winner so fuckin' what?

I'm loser so fuckin' what?
I'm smoker so fuckin' what?
I'm Japanese so fuckin' what?
I'm winner so fuckin' what?

What?
So what?
So fuckin' what?

All comments from YouTube:

haru yasumi

12y↑6

"rock and roll it was my everything... hip hop music is my life". it's a shame they ended up insisting on making salsa all the time! but i loved them for this album and "lily of da valley".

L morrow

7y↑1

haru yasumi me too lily of da valley and viva la revolution are the best albums of dragon ash.🙂

Manish Koirala

11y↑6

Heard this song back in 2003 from my Japanese friend since then I've been listening to Dragon Ash but Now like "haru yasumi" said they are venturing new genre and i dont like it but respect to Dragon Ash and thanks for sharing this song

haru yasumi

they got back the old feel lately. and did collabs again with rappagariya. i think people who knew this stuff back in the day, still have love for it though. to me this makes me think of my college times ('grateful days' is even more nostalgic!)