Time goes on
LˇŻArc~en~Ciel Lyrics
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Ima kono mama kono toki wo tometakute
Yawaraka na hibi tsutsumarete subete ga mabushisugita
Hajime kara wakatteta hazu na no ni
Toritome no nai kotoba dake ga munashiku hibiku
Mada nemutte kono yumemi-tsuzuketai
Ano kaze ni mau kareha-tachi kokoro ni furitsumotte
Itsu made mo anata ga kienakute
Kitto kimi ga erabu michi no saki ni wa mabayui hikari ga afureteiru
Kimi no tame nara doukeshi ni natte aruiteyuku yo
Sono egao kesenaide
Hajime kara wakatteta hazu na no ni
Tomadoi wa kisetsu wo tozasu kara
Yumemiteta no wa boku no hou sa
Subete wa shiroi awa no you ni ukande kieta
The lyrics to L'Arc~en~Ciel's "Time goes on" express the singer's lament for the passage of time and his desire to freeze the moment he is currently living in. The opening line asks if the sounds of the past can still be heard, indicating a nostalgia for a time long gone. The singer then expresses his wish to stop time and remain in the present moment, surrounded by the gentle days he has experienced until now, which have become too dazzling for him to handle. He reflects on the fact that he should have known from the beginning that only the meaningless words would resonate within him. Despite this realization, he still wants to keep dreaming this dream.
The second verse speaks of the autumn leaves dancing in the wind, accumulating and taking root in the singer's heart. He pleads with the person he is singing to, not to disappear and change everything from this point on. He envisions a bright light overflowing beyond the path that the person he is singing to will choose to take and swears to walk by their side to protect their smile. The final lines suggest that what he imagined had been his own dream and everything has disappeared like white bubbles.
Overall, "Time goes on" is a melancholic reflection on the fleeting nature of time and the singer's desire to preserve a moment of his life forever. The nostalgia and longing for that moment is conveyed through the use of the autumn leaves symbolizing change and the plea not to disappear and create change.
Line by Line Meaning
Ano zawameki mada kikoeru?
Can you still hear that commotion?
Ima kono mama kono toki wo tometakute
I wish to freeze this moment right now
Yawaraka na hibi tsutsumarete subete ga mabushisugita
Soft days wrapped everything, making it too bright
Hajime kara wakatteta hazu na no ni
I should have known it from the beginning
Toritome no nai kotoba dake ga munashiku hibiku
Only meaningless words echo aimlessly
Mada nemutte kono yumemi-tsuzuketai
I still want to sleep and continue this dream
Ano kaze ni mau kareha-tachi kokoro ni furitsumotte
The fluttering fall leaves are settling in my heart
Itsu made mo anata ga kienakute
I hope you will never disappear
Hikitomenai yo ima koko kara subete ga kawaru
I won't hold back, everything will change from here
Kitto kimi ga erabu michi no saki ni wa mabayui hikari ga afureteiru
Surely, there is a bright light overflowing at the end of the path you choose
Kimi no tame nara doukeshi ni natte aruiteyuku yo
I will become a clown and walk for you
Sono egao kesenaide
Please don't erase that smile
Hajime kara wakatteta hazu na no ni
I should have known it from the beginning
Tomadoi wa kisetsu wo tozasu kara
Because confusion will close the season
Yumemiteta no wa boku no hou sa
I was the one who was dreaming
Subete wa shiroi awa no you ni ukande kieta
Everything disappeared like white bubbles floating
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.