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)

THE FRUSTRATED
GLAY Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

X-RATED/HIT THE HEAVEN/
3 CHORDS/PLAY THE MUSIC/4 BEATS/
BACK TOBASIC/5 SENSE/
AROUND THE WORLD/
LOOKING FOR THE REAL ENEMIES/
X-RATED/GIVE ME A REASON/WHY?/
YOU ATTACK THE SYMBOLS/WHY?/
YOU?VE LOST HISTORY/

NOBODY CAN SAVE A TWISTED SOUL/
YOU SENT ALETTER TO THE WORNG ADDRESS/
FRUSTRATED/FRUSTRATED/I WILL GO/
I WILL FIGHT/I WILL DO, ROCK N? ROLL

BALLAD wa itsuka fukai nemuri wo sasou
Tobu yume wa mou minai
Hikari wo ubawareta soutou no tsuki no shita de...

YOU SENT A LETTER TO THE WORNG ADDRESS/
LOOKING FOR THE REAL ENEMIES/
FRUSTRATED/FRUSTRATED/

I WILL GO/I WILL FIGHT/
I WILL DO, ROCK N? ROLL

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of GLAY's song "The Frustrated" reflect the frustration and anger of the singer about the state of the world. The song's core theme seems to be the idea of returning to the basic values of rock and roll to combat the societal ills they perceive. The lyrics initiate with the lines "X-RATED/HIT THE HEAVEN/ 3 CHORDS/PLAY THE MUSIC/4 BEATS/ BACK TOBASIC/5 SENSE/ AROUND THE WORLD/ LOOKING FOR THE REAL ENEMIES." Here, the singer suggests returning to the basics or fundamentals of rock and roll, such as the three chords and four beats. They sing about looking for the real enemies, indicating that there are false enemies, half-truths, and deceptions around the world that have led to confusion and chaos, which they seek to challenge.

In the next lines, "YOU ATTACK THE SYMBOLS/ WHY?/ YOU'VE LOST HISTORY/ NOBODY CAN SAVE A TWISTED SOUL/ YOU SENT A LETTER TO THE WRONG ADDRESS," there is a call out for people who have lost touch with their history and moral values. There is frustration about the general sense of world affairs where people attack meaningless symbols and have lost touch with the real issues. The singer expresses their feeling that nobody can save a twisted or corrupted soul, which is vividly illustrated by the sending of a letter to the wrong address. The chorus, "FRUSTRATED/ FRUSTRATED/ I WILL GO/ I WILL FIGHT/ I WILL DO, ROCK N’ ROLL," expresses their determination to make a change and not give up.

Line by Line Meaning

X-RATED/HIT THE HEAVEN/
We bring our raw and unapologetic sound to challenge the conventions of society and reach for greatness.

3 CHORDS/PLAY THE MUSIC/4 BEATS/
Our music is simple and accessible, and meant for everyone to enjoy with ease.

BACK TOBASIC/5 SENSE/
We strip away the distractions and complexities of modern music to create a raw and authentic experience that engages all five senses.

AROUND THE WORLD/
We search beyond our borders for inspiration and audiences to share our message with.

LOOKING FOR THE REAL ENEMIES/
Rather than attacking symbols or scapegoats, we seek to identify and confront true societal challenges.

X-RATED/GIVE ME A REASON/WHY?/
We challenge the status quo and traditional expectations of artistry, asking what reason there is to conform and limit ourselves.

YOU ATTACK THE SYMBOLS/WHY?/
We question why people lash out against the symbols of societal issues rather than addressing the root problems they represent.

YOU?VE LOST HISTORY/
By ignoring the lessons of the past and repeating mistakes, we risk losing our historical understanding and progress.

NOBODY CAN SAVE A TWISTED SOUL/
Despite our best intentions, some people cannot be saved from their own inner conflicts and struggles.

YOU SENT ALETTER TO THE WORNG ADDRESS/
Sometimes we fail to communicate our message effectively, resulting in a lack of impact or misunderstanding.

FRUSTRATED/FRUSTRATED/I WILL GO/
Despite setbacks and obstacles, we refuse to give up or lose sight of our goals.

I WILL FIGHT/I WILL DO, ROCK N? ROLL
Through our music, we will continue to challenge and inspire others to fight for their own beliefs and passions.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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