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)
Super Ball 425
GLAY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ダイナミックに夢から夢ヘ
ボリュームアップ 立ち止まらずに
パワーエナジー吐き出せ We Are Super Ball
激しく Shake Up 女神と Let Me Fly
最高の Just Now! Hold Me Tight. Please Again!
リアルに交わせ 心情熱
ハートで繋げ 血が乾くまで
誰もかれも巻き込んで We Are Super Ball
全身で Shake Up 未来へ Let Me Fly
最高の Just Now! Hold Me Tight, Please Again!
Do You Feel Brand New Future?
激しく Shake Up 女神と Let Me Fly
最高の Just Now! Hold Me Tight. Please Again!
全身で Shake Up 未来へ Let Me Fly
最高の Just Now! Hold Me Tight, Please Again!
Do You Feel Brand New Future?
The lyrics to GLAY's song Super Ball 425 are a call to action and a celebration of living life fully and against the norm. The opening lines, "スタンダードに背いて生きる Super Ball" roughly translate to "Living against the standards, Super Ball". The song urges the listener to pursue their dreams dynamically and with full volume, not allowing any setbacks or obstacles to deter them. "ボリュームアップ 立ち止まらずに パワーエナジー吐き出せ We Are Super Ball" translates to "Volume up, without stopping, spit out power energy - We Are Super Ball". The lyrics encourage shaking things up and flying with the goddess, which seems to represent a metaphor for living life to the fullest and experiencing new and exciting things. The repetition of "Let Me Fly" and "Hold Me Tight" in the chorus convey a sense of urgency and desire to experience new things.
The bridge of the song asks the listener if they feel a brand new future, which speaks to the idea that living life fully and against the norm can lead to a new, exciting, and fulfilling future. The final repetition of "全身で Shake Up 未来へ Let Me Fly 最高の Just Now! Hold Me Tight, Please Again!" further emphasizes the idea of living in the present moment and experiencing life to the fullest.
Overall, Super Ball 425 is a buoyant and optimistic song that urges the listener to embrace life fully, break free from societal norms, and pursue their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
スタンダードに背いて生きる Super Ball
Living against the norm and being unique, like a Super Ball.
ダイナミックに夢から夢ヘ
Going from dream to dream with a dynamic mindset.
ボリュームアップ 立ち止まらずに
Continuously increasing volume without stopping.
パワーエナジー吐き出せ We Are Super Ball
Releasing powerful energy as a team like a Super Ball.
激しく Shake Up 女神と Let Me Fly
Shaking things up and flying with a goddess-like figure.
最高の Just Now! Hold Me Tight. Please Again!
Holding on tight to the present moment, wanting to experience it again and again.
スピードに乗り 見知らぬ土地で Super Ball
Riding at high speeds on unfamiliar land, like a Super Ball.
リアルに交わせ 心情熱
Expressing real and intense emotions through connection.
ハートで繋げ 血が乾くまで
Connecting through the heart until the blood runs dry.
誰もかれも巻き込んで We Are Super Ball
Involving everyone as a team, like a Super Ball.
全身で Shake Up 未来へ Let Me Fly
Shaking up the whole body and flying into the future.
Do You Feel Brand New Future?
Asking if the listener feels the excitement and newness of the future.
Contributed by Cooper W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.