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)
Neverland
GLAY Lyrics
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furari dorato buwo shiyou yodou
kimiwa joshuseki de chizuwo
bokuwa sutekina fuukeiwo sagasu
itsumo dattara iyagaru kimimo ureshisou
sono egaoni horetanda
byouki gachi imajiya kosei kyouwa choushi ga iimatai
natsuno nagorini yoishi rete
hidoku mukashiwo katatteta
bokuno omoi dewa tsumari
sono mama kimiga atewa maru
kurushii tokida nayameru tokida
kenka motabun hitono baiwa arukamone
nando bokura sono yubino ringu hazushite hako no oku
demo suguni tori deshitewa
yoru naka aini itta
"Neverland" by GLAY is a song that explores the ideas of nostalgia, escapism, and finding comfort in one's own thoughts. The opening lines describe the singer being lured in by signs of fall ("akino kehai"), and imagining a world where they can leisurely live as they please ("furari dorato buwo shiyou yodou"). Meanwhile, the person they're singing to is busy exploring maps for their journey, while the singer is content to see the world as an ongoing beautiful view.
The next verse is about the power of imagination, how it can make us feel alive and how it can soothe us in darker times. The imagery here can be interpreted as dreaming or hallucinating – seeing such vivid images that it's like a fever dream. The singer is recognizing the toll this kind of thought process can take ("byouki gachi imajiya kosei kyouwa choushi ga iimatai"), but they are still drawn to it even when it is painful – they just wish everybody else could see the beauty in it.
The chorus reflects on the memories and feelings that are brought to mind by the changing of the seasons, and how sometimes those feelings can feel overwhelming. The singer acknowledges that they sometimes face a great deal of hardship ("kurushii tokida nayameru tokida"), but they're determined to persevere and keep moving forward, through both the good times and the not-so-good ones.
Line by Line Meaning
akino kehai ni saso warete
I'm being lured in by the scent of autumn
furari dorato buwo shiyou yodou
Let's spend some leisurely time together
kimiwa joshuseki de chizuwo
You're mapping out the seats in the best spot
bokuwa sutekina fuukeiwo sagasu
I'm searching for an amazing view
itsumo dattara iyagaru kimimo ureshisou
When I tease you like always, you seem happy
sono egaoni horetanda
You fell for my drawings
byouki gachi imajiya kosei kyouwa choushi ga iimatai
Even if it's sick, an image or composition can have good energy
konna higa tsudzuku toii no ni naa
Even though this slope continues to be steep
natsuno nagorini yoishi rete
Being intoxicated by the summer's lingering warmth
hidoku mukashiwo katatteta
I was talking about a very old story
bokuno omoi dewa tsumari
In the end, it's only my thoughts
sono mama kimiga atewa maru
But if you stand there like that, your silhouette is perfect
kurushii tokida nayameru tokida
Sometimes it hurts, sometimes I'm tormented
kenka motabun hitono baiwa arukamone
We'll walk down the street, pretending not to fight with each other
nando bokura sono yubino ringu hazushite hako no oku
How many times have we taken off our wedding rings and put them in a box?
demo suguni tori deshitewa
But we couldn't last long without them
yoru naka aini itta
We met up in the middle of the night
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.