The band was formed in 1987 by Sato (vocals, guitar, trumpet), Kin-Ichi Motegi (drums, vocals, sampler) and Kensuke Ojima (guitar and vocals). The addition of Yuzuru Kashiwabara (bass) and Hakase (keyboards) rounded up the original line-up. Their first recorded appearance is on the 1989 Captain Records' compilation Panic Paradise. Two years later, their first album Chappie, Don't Cry was released. The band’s easy-going sound (mainly influenced by reggae and dub, but also including elements of rock, pop, drum & bass, hip-hop, etc.), coupled with Sato’s androgynous vocals, gained them acceptance in Japan’s underground scene.
Fishmans released several albums on Pony Canyon records, slowly moving away from a strictly reggae sound, but always keeping a dub foundation, powered by Motegi and Kashiwabara’s rock-steady rhythm section. In 1995, they signed with Polydor Records. By then, both Kensuke Ojima and Hakase had left the band. Neither was replaced, and the resulting trio would work with a series of guest musicians on their next records, mainly Honzi (keyboards, violin, accordion and vocals) and Darts Sekiguchi (guitar). The addition of producer ZAK on sound mixing rounded out this second phase of the band, which further evolved its sound to incorporate space rock, ambient and shoegaze elements. Song length started to grow as well, as these new tendencies blended in with their dub foundation.
空中キャンプ (Kūchū Camp) was released in 1996, and included what is probably the band’s most famous song, Nightcruising. This was followed by LONG SEASON, a 35 minute song divided into 5 parts. Their final studio album, 宇宙 日本 世田谷 (Uchū Nippon Setagaya), was released in 1997.
Fishmans performed their final concert on December 28th, 1998, later released as the live album 98.12.28 男達の別れ (Otokotachi no Wakare). They played many of their best songs, and concluded with a full performance of Long Season. Sato left the stage immediately after a single "goodbye" with his eyes teary. This was to be Kashiwabara’s final performance with the band, though Sato and Motegi planned to continue working as Fishmans. However, Sato passed away March 15th, 1999 by unknown causes till this day.
After Sato’s death, Kin-Ichi Motegi began working as a stand-in drummer for Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra(東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ), whose own drummer passed away around the same time. He eventually became a full-fledged member of the band and plays drums and sings lead vocals with them to this day. Kashiwabara, who had planned to abandon the music industry, eventually joined forces with Ooya Yuusuke (ex. LaB LIFe) to form Polaris, whose spacey and dubby tracks bore some resemblance to Fishmans’ sound in the late 90’s.
The Fishmans story did not end there. Following Sato’s death, their popularity continued to grow. In 2004, a tribute album Sweet Dreams for Fishmans was released, and included covers by artists as diverse as OOIOO, Bonobos, and UA. This was followed by the albums Kuchu and Uchu in 2005, which included rare and unreleased tracks alongside their biggest hits.
On November 22, 2005 the remaining members of Fishmans paid tribute to their fans and Shinji Sato, by performing at the Rising Sun Rock Festival. The show lasted three and a half hours, and featured many guest singers, who performed the vocals. The following month, a tribute art exhibition The Long Season Rewind was held in Shibuya with contributions from various artists.
Most recently in 2006, The Long Season Revue was released on DVD. The live concert was originally only screened in theatres and it featured the original members of the band together with a cast of supporting musicians such as UA, Asa-Chang, ハナレグミ, Oki Yuichi (of 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ) and 原田郁子 of Clammbon (クラムボン). Following these concerts, Honzi, long-time contributor with the band, also passed away.
バックビートにのっかって
Fishmans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Backbeat
終わらない夜に Ready Go
バックビートにのっかって
他人の夢でも見てみたい
重いまぶたにのっかって
きっと誰かをだめにしてる
あの娘は今も愛を放って
子犬みたいに眠ってる
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you
Good night tomorrow
Good night tomorrow
Good night tomorrow
A ha-n
Good night tomorrow
Good night tomorrow
Good night tomorrow
A ha-n
世田谷の空はとても狭くて
弾け出すにはなにか足りない
あの娘は今も愛を放って
バックビートにゆられてく
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you
ふたりは今も秋晴れで Back Back
だらしないほど続いてく Beat Beat
明日の夢など何もなくて Back Back
バックビートにのっかって Backbeat
バックビートにのっかって
バックビートにのっかって
Backbeat, backbeat
Backbeat, backbeat
The lyrics of Fishmans's song バックビートにのっかって (Riding on the Backbeat) depict a desire to escape the endless night and explore unknown territories, even if they belong to others. The singer talks about floating on the heavy eyelids of the night and how anxiety hangs in the air like a dance, affecting someone's ability to be happy. However, he knows that somewhere out there, someone still radiates love and sleeps peacefully like a puppy.
The chorus emphasizes the idea of someone watching the person, and every day, they hear their call, indicating that the singer is searching for something or someone. The use of "Good night tomorrow" implies a sense of anticipation and hope for a better future.
In the second verse, the singer describes how the sky in Setagaya is narrow, hindering his ability to burst out. However, the girl he refers to continues to radiate love and is swaying into the backbeat. The last verse repeats the chorus and adds a new phrase, expressing that the two are dancing in the autumn sky, and the beat is continuing for so long. There is no dream of tomorrow, so they ride the backbeat and continue forward.
Overall, the song describes the desire to escape the never-ending night, explore new challenges, and indulge in the backbeat to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Backbeat, backbeat
The song kicks off with the repetition of the phrase 'backbeat' which refers to the rhythmic accent usually placed on the second and fourth beats of each measure in popular music.
終わらない夜に Ready Go
The night seems never-ending, so let's get ready and excited with 'Ready Go'. It's like a call to action amidst the stagnant feeling of the evening.
バックビートにのっかって
Let's ride on the backbeat, taking control of the rhythm and letting it lead us through the night into the morning.
他人の夢でも見てみたい
Even if the dreams belong to someone else, we want to be able to experience it too. It's a desire to see something grand and inspiring.
重いまぶたにのっかって
The weight of our eyelids feels heavy and oppressive, but let's ride on the backbeat anyway and overcome this feeling.
不安が夜の宙を舞って
Anxiety dances in the air of the night, probably causing harm to someone out there. It's like a call to acknowledge the negative energy in the world and work towards changing it.
きっと誰かをだめにしてる
The anxiety probably does more harm than we know, affecting someone who might be close to us. It's a call to be more empathetic and supportive to those we care about.
あの娘は今も愛を放って
There's a girl out there who is still spreading love wherever she goes, no matter how late it is. It's a reminder that there are still good things in the world, and we should work towards upholding them.
子犬みたいに眠ってる
The girl mentioned earlier is sleeping like a puppy, bringing a sense of warmth and peace to the night. It's a call to cherish the moments of refuge we find in life and pass them on.
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day keeps a watchful eye on you, reminding you that you are being held accountable for your actions, and you should mind the people you cross paths with.
きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
There's always someone trying to call out your name, wanting to connect with you or invite you to something significant. It's an exhortation that we should be open to such calls.
Good night tomorrow
This line seems like an oxymoron. For Fishmans, it means that the night is not over yet, and there's a lot to look forward to even in the darkness.
A ha-n
Might be just a vocalization expressing excitement and anticipation for what the night has in store.
世田谷の空はとても狭くて
The sky of Setagaya feels narrow, restricting the free expression and creativity of the people inhabiting the area. It's a call to break free from the status quo and create something inspiring.
弾け出すにはなにか足りない
Something is missing for the explosion of creativity to happen. It's a call to keep searching for that missing ingredient that will set everything into motion.
バックビートにゆられてく
Just like earlier, let's sway along with the backbeat, but this time, the mood is more relaxed and fluid, letting the rhythm guide us calmly through the night.
ふたりは今も秋晴れで Back Back
The two people mentioned in the song are enjoying each other's company, basking in each other's light, and feeling the warmth of the autumn sun. 'Back Back' might denote a sense of calm and contentment.
だらしないほど続いてく Beat Beat
The beats keep going, sometimes erratically or indifferently, but they keep going anyway. It's a reflection of life, sometimes messy and unpredictable, but still continuous.
明日の夢など何もなくて Back Back
The dreams of tomorrow don't hold much meaning or power over the people in the song right now. 'Back Back' again, might mean something like 'whatever' or 'it doesn't matter.'
バックビートにのっかって Backbeat
The song ends the same way it starts, on a hopeful note that if we stay in tune with the backbeat of life, we will make it through the night and beyond.
Writer(s): 佐藤 伸治, 佐藤 伸治
Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yee Cho
バックビートにのっかって
作詞:佐藤伸治
作曲:佐藤伸治
終わらない夜に Ready Go
バックビートにのっかって
他人の夢でも見てみたい
重いまぶたにのっかって
不安が夜の宙を舞って
きっと誰かをだめにしてる
あの娘は今も愛を放って
子犬みたいに眠ってる
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you
Good night tomorrow
...
世田谷の空はとても狭くて
弾け出すにはなにか足りない
あの娘は今も愛を放って
バックビートにゆられてく
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you
ふたりは今も秋晴れで Back Back
だらしないほど続いてく Beat Beat
明日の夢など何もなくて Back Back
バックビートにのっかって Backbeat
バックビートにのっかって
バックビートにのっかって
Backbeat, backbeat
Backbeat, backbeat
終わらない夜に Ready Go
バックビートにのっかって
他人の夢でも見てみたい
重いまぶたにのっかって
不安が夜の宙を舞って
きっと誰かをだめにしてる
あの娘は今も愛を放って
子犬みたいに眠ってる
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you
Good night tomorrow
...
世田谷の空はとても狭くて
弾け出すにはなにか足りない
あの娘は今も愛を放って
バックビートにゆられてく
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you きみを誰かがよんでるぜ
Oh, every day is watching you
Every day is watching you
ふたりは今も秋晴れで Back Back
だらしないほど続いてく Beat Beat
明日の夢など何もなくて Back Back
バックビートにのっかって Backbeat
バックビートにのっかって
バックビートにのっかって
Backbeat, backbeat
Backbeat, backbeat
-------------------------------
這完滿的境界,
唯有FISHMANS。
zanna
songs by fishmans really give you feelings no other songs can give. shinji sato also has one of the most beautiful singing voices, in my opinion.
Kansha (Odoroki)
Beautiful song!! Uchu Nippon Setagaya is not a compilation album, it was Fishmans' 7th studio album. Thank you so much for uploading!!
Mohamed Khiar
Oliver Eales ドン引きする!
m1sel
Oliver Eales Listens to Japanese music = weeb !!!
En la cabeza de Grey Lydon
@m1sel ????????
whoda
the climax at 6:40 is just perfection
Kavon Campbell
I love how the take elements of reggae and make their own unique sound
TheJ&A
this is just dub tho
Steal Something.
@TheJ&A do you know more bands thta sound like this?
TheJ&A
@Steal Something. like fishmans? Polaris, latter band that features the bassist