ELLEGARDEN is a punk rock group that formed in December of 1998 in Chiba, J… Read Full Bio ↴ELLEGARDEN is a punk rock group that formed in December of 1998 in Chiba, Japan. It includes drummer Hirotaka Takahashi, vocalist Takeshi Hosomi, guitarist Shinichi Ubakata, and bassist Yuichi Takada. As of May 2, 2008, Ellegarden's leader Ubukata Shinichi announced an indefinite hiatus of the band. All previously decided shows (including shows not yet announced) up until early September 2008 will still be performed. Though they are on hiatus, the vocalist, Hosomi, has repeatedly stated that they will not be breaking up anytime soon, and will be back on the stage performing again in the future.

Soon after the hiatus began, an official announcement was made on the website declaring that all activities of the band had been indefinitely suspended

They are also referred to as ELLE.

ELLEGARDEN has a sound strikingly similar to some American Pop Punk bands, and sings in both Japanese and English. Their English lyrics (mostly written by Hosomi) are usually grammatically correct and generally very well pronounced. In the Summer 2006 issue of American J-rock magazine purple SKY (p.24), Takeshi was quoted as saying his English skills were improved by the time he spent working as a computer engineer in first Oakland, California, and later in Japan where he had English speaking co-workers.

ELLEGARDEN has been compared to famous artists of similar style, most notably Sum 41 (ELLEGARDEN was the band's opening act on February 2005 during the Sum 41 Japan Tour 2005), Blink 182 and Good Charlotte. Their popularity comes from the sounds that they bring and the strong emotions they express. Despite these similarities however, they have a wide range of sounds that don't quite fit into a single style, but encompass a decent range of rock sounds.

In 2006 ELLEGARDEN performed in numerous Japanese Summer Music Festivals, such as FUJI ROCK, SUMMER SONIC, NANO MUGEN FES and RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL.

Their final tour of 2006 features the American band Allister - the bands became friends during SXSW 2006.

It is difficult to get their tour and live tickets because they become sold out in a very short amount of time.

With the international release of their newest album "Eleven Fire Crackers", Ellegarden is quickly growing in popularity - no doubt aided by their recent U.S. gigs.

In 2018, Ellegarden announced their first tour in 10 years, ending their hiatus. The tour, titled "THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN", is to begin in August at Shinkiba Studio Coast, the same venue as their send-off concert.

New Year's Day
ELLEGARDEN Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Seven years have passed so quickly
And it seems like yesterday
I remember your phone call
It was the last day of that year
We bought a cheap wine
Girls at the backseat
Car stereo was playing so loud
My stupid songs

My stupid words never change
I don't forget the promise we made
Still the same star shines above us
Driving 45 to see fireworks on New Year's Day

I'm tired of being told to be someone I never wanted to be
I'm so sick to hear prigs talking about sociability
I've never forgotten why I started this rebellion myself
My stupid songs
My stupid words never change
I don't forget the promise we made
Still the same star shines above us
Driving 45 to see fireworks on New Year's Day

I just can't wait
Life is too short
Time is running too fast and I'm always left behind
I just can't wait
Until my turn
I never asked authority to do in my own way

Hell I don't forget the promise we made
Still the same star shines above us

Driving 45 to see fireworks on New Year's Day
Driving 45 to see fireworks on New Year's Day

Overall Meaning

ELLEGARDEN's song "New Year's Day" is an introspective ballad that reflects on personal growth and the desire for individuality. The lyrics describe a nostalgic memory of a New Year's Eve spent with friends, reminiscing about the past, and planning for the future. The singer is tired of being told to conform to societal norms and wants to rebel against the expectations placed on them.

The first verse sets the scene with a reminiscence of a past New Year's Eve party spent with friends. The lyrics suggest that the singer has changed and grown over the seven years since that night, but the memories of the promise made with their friends still shine. The second verse amplifies the singer's desire for individuality, breaking free from the societal expectations placed on them. The song's message is one of self-acceptance and determination not to conform to others' standards.

Line by Line Meaning

Seven years have passed so quickly
Time has flown by quickly, and the singer can hardly believe that seven years have already passed.

And it seems like yesterday
The memory of the past seems like it just happened yesterday and is still fresh in the singer's mind.

I remember your phone call
The singer vividly recalls a particular phone call from someone he/she knows.

It was the last day of that year
The phone call was made on the final day of a particular year, remembered by the artist specifically as the last day of that year.

We bought a cheap wine
The artist and others purchased an inexpensive bottle of wine.

Girls at the backseat
Female passengers were seated in the rear of a vehicle.

Car stereo was playing so loud
The music from the car's sound system was blaring loudly.

My stupid songs
The artist acknowledges that the songs he/she creates may be considered 'stupid' by others.

My stupid words never change
The content of the artist's lyrics does not evolve with time and continues to be repetitive.

I don't forget the promise we made
The artist remembers a promise that he/she and another person made to each other.

Still the same star shines above us
The night sky remains constant and familiar to the singer despite the passage of time.

Driving 45 to see fireworks on New Year's Day
The artist is driving at a slow speed to watch a New Year's celebration involving fireworks.

I'm tired of being told to be someone I never wanted to be
The singer is frustrated with being pressured to conform to society's standards and wishes he/she could be true to himself/herself.

I'm so sick to hear prigs talking about sociability
The singer is annoyed by individuals who preach about being sociable and fitting in with others.

I've never forgotten why I started this rebellion myself
The singer is rebellious and has not lost sight of the reason why he/she began asserting independence in the first place.

I just can't wait
The artist is impatient and looking forward to something exciting in the near future.

Life is too short
The artist believes that time on this earth is limited and ought to be lived to the fullest.

Time is running too fast and I'm always left behind
The singer feels as though he/she cannot keep up with the fast pace of life and is always falling behind.

Until my turn
The singer is eagerly waiting for his/her opportunity or turn to do something.

I never asked authority to do in my own way
The artist has not sought permission from anyone to follow his/her own path in life and make his/her own decisions.

Writer(s): 細美武士, 細美　武士

Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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