GLAY (グレイ) is a rock/pop band originally formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Jap… Read Full Bio ↴GLAY (グレイ) is a rock/pop band originally formed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan in 1988. They have since risen to become the 3rd best-selling artist of all time in the country. Primarily considered a classic rock band, they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres, including punk, electronic, R&B, folk, reggae, gospel, and ska. In 1999 they were awarded the Guinness Record for largest single concert attendance in Japan for their outdoor expo "Survival" which exceeded 200,000 participants. They are often compared to The Beatles in terms of their diverse musical style, broad appeal, band history, and cultural significance.

GLAY started in 1988, when they were in high school, with TAKURO as the guitarist, TERU as the drummer and a bassist who quit when they decided to head to Tokyo. They needed a vocalist, so TERU made a tape of his singing to give to TAKURO and was immediately recruited for the part. On the search for another guitarist, HISASHI was asked to join but turned down the offer, as he was already part of a locally well-known heavy punk/rock band called 蟻 (Ari), which better suited his taste in music. When Ari disbanded, HISASHI accepted TAKURO's offer and became the lead guitarist of GLAY. By the time of TAKURO and TERU's graduation, GLAY had become more popular in their hometown of Hakodate and were playing in full live houses. Following HISASHI's high school graduation in 1990, the three of them moved to Tokyo to try and further expand their musical career. However things did not seem to improve for them in Tokyo. Their gigs only attracted a few people, and sometimes none at all.

During this time, members (particularly drummers) were constantly joining and leaving the band. When their bassist quit, Takuro had heard that JIRO, who was also from Hakodate and had played with the indie band ピエロ (Pierrot) (different from the now disbanded Japanese rock band PIERROT, that enjoyed mainstream popularity), had moved to Tokyo and invited him to join GLAY. He, too, declined the offer, insisting that he was already heading in the right direction for himself. It wasn't until TAKURO asked him to play at just one show to fill in for their missing bassist that he decided to go. Following that show, JIRO continued to receive invitations to play with GLAY, and in 1991 he had become GLAY's official bass player, finalizing the official four member lineup

Takuro was heavily influenced by his favourite band, The Beatles, and took a great interest in composing original songs and lyrics. The band name "GLAY" is a deliberate misspelling of the word "gray", which represents the style of music they wanted to play; a mixture between rock (black) and pop (white). Although GLAY primarily composes songs in the rock genre, they have also composed songs in styles ranging from reggae to gospel. Due to their musical diversity, beautiful lyrics and wonderful melodies, they have become one of the most successful and well known bands in Japan, and most of Asia.

Official site: HAPPY SWING SPACE SITE (glay.co.jp)

Brothel Creepers
GLAY Lyrics

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爛れた煩悩が崇られたrangeで
メフィストフェレス気取り
家畜共に呪文唱える
「汝､主を敬い
危機に四肢をも生贄に
飢餓に魂を捧ぐ」
俺には確かにそう聞こえたんだ
だからただそばにある

ネックを両手で握りしめ
そのアルミの醒めた冷気を
不確かに感じ取る
決行を誓う半月のシグナル
単気筒の悲鳴
自我の何か証明される夜
だからただそばにある
ネックを両手で握りしめ
そのアルミの醒めた冷気を
不確かに感じ取る
だからただそばにある
ネックを両手で握りしめ
そのアルミの塊を
半月メガケ振り上げた
俺達はつまり言葉も無い
かよわき大人の代表者だ
君達はつまり理由も無い
終わりなき日常の王様だ
俺達はつまり言葉も無い
かよわき大人の代表者だ
君達はつまり理由も無い
終わりなき日常の王様だ
王様だ王様だ王様だ

広がる深紅の深海
放たれた魚の本能
息の詰まる紅海を
半月の夜が照らす
だからただそばにある
ネックを両手で握りしめ
そのアルミの醒めた冷気を
不確かに感じ取る
俺達はつまり言葉も無い
かよわき大人の代表者だ
君達はつまり理由も無い
終わりなき日常の王様だ
俺達はつまり言葉も無い
かよわき大人の代表者だ
君達はつまり理由も無い

終わりなき日常の王様だ
王様だ王様だ王様だ王様だ…

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of GLAY's song "Brothel Creepers" explore the theme of nihilism and the emptiness of modern life. The song starts off with the worship of earthly desires in the form of a reference to Mephistopheles, a demon from German folklore known for tempting humans into worldly pleasures. The line "The tattered desires are worshiped in ranges" implies that society cherishes material possessions and earthly attachments to the point of spiritual decay. The next verse appears to be an incantation spoken by a group of people, possibly in a cult-like manner, offering sacrifices of limbs and souls to prevent crisis and famine. This is juxtaposed with the singer's perspective of clutching the neck of an aluminum object, perhaps representing a weapon or a tool of some sort, feeling the coldness of the metal but also feeling uncertain and conflicted.

The chorus suggests that both the singer and the listeners are weak representatives of adults, with no words or reasons to justify their existence. The deep red sea and predatory instincts of fish symbolize the dangerous and overwhelming nature of life's struggles, while the half-moon shines a guiding light in the darkness. The repetition of "we are kings" at the end of the song indicates a sense of rebellion against the emptiness of daily life, finding empowerment in being independent from societal expectations.

Line by Line Meaning

爛れた煩悩が崇られたrangeで
Decadent desires praised in the range.

メフィストフェレス気取り
Pose as Mephistopheles.

家畜共に呪文唱える
Reciting incantations with livestock.

「汝､主を敬い
Thou shalt respect the Lord.

危機に四肢をも生贄に
Offer limbs as sacrifice in times of danger.

飢餓に魂を捧ぐ」
Offer soul to hunger.

俺には確かにそう聞こえたんだ
I definitely heard that.

決行を誓う半月のシグナル
Swear to execute the half-moon signal.

単気筒の悲鳴
The single-cylinder's scream.

自我の何か証明される夜
A night where something proves the ego.

そのアルミの塊を半月メガケ振り上げた
Lifted the lump of aluminum with a half-moon megage.