Their debut single Blurry Eyes released in 1994 was used as the opening theme for the animated TV show DNA². In late 1996, L'Arc~en~Ciel gained worldwide attention for the first time after the release of their fourth album, True. This album includes the single the Fourth Avenue Cafe, which was used as an ending theme for the popular animated TV show Rurouni Kenshin. However, drummer sakura was arrested for drug possession and consequently all L'Arc~en~Ciel merchandise was removed from store shelves. The release of their single the Fourth Avenue Cafe was canceled and the song was immediately removed from the TV series.
sakura left the band in 1997, and former DIE IN CRIES drummer yukihiro replaced him for the REINCARNATION tour that year, subsequently serving as a support member for their first single after the incident, 虹 (Niji). Eventually, yukihiro officially joined the band and released the album HEART in 1998.
After the release of their eighth album REAL in 2000, L'Arc~en~Ciel went on a hiatus, releasing only compilation albums aside from their 2001 single, Spirit dreams inside -another dream-, the theme for the CG-animated Final Fantasy movie. During this time, each member engaged in solo projects: yukihiro with the band acid android, ken and former L'Arc~en~Ciel drummer sakura with SONS OF ALL PUSSYS, HYDE as a solo artist, and tetsu as TETSU69. On March 31st, 2004, L'Arc~en~Ciel released SMILE, their first album in four years.
On July 31st, 2004, L'Arc~en~Ciel performed their first concert in the United States at Otakon, a Japanese animation convention. They performed for an audience of more than 12,000 in Baltimore, Maryland.
They are best known outside of Japan for the song READY STEADY GO, which served as the second opening theme for the animated series Fullmetal Alchemist, and Link for the show's respective theatrical film. These songs earned them substantial Western popularity and attention to their album, SMILE, which was released in the United States by American label Tofu Records.
After more than a year since SMILE, the band released AWAKE on June 22nd, 2005, which was accompanied by ASIALIVE, L'Arc~en~Ciel's first tour to take them to South Korea and China, as well as the Japanese AWAKE tour.
The year 2006 marked the band's 15th anniversary since their debut. It was celebrated with the release of a box set of books titled L'Arc~en~Ciel BOX, re-releases of their first 15 singles along with the albums ark and ray, and the L'Anniversary live concerts held on November 25th and 26th. They also finally released the Fourth Avenue Cafe, the single canceled nearly 10 years prior, as part of their 15th anniversary celebrations.
The year 2007 saw increased activity for the band, with the release of four new singles, four DVD releases, the new album KISS, and the beginning of two back-to-back tours. The first was TOUR 2007-2008 THEATER OF KISS in Japan, followed by L'7 ～trans ASIA via PARIS～. The latter tour took them through Shanghai, Taiwan, Paris, Seoul, Hong Kong, and a return to Japan for shows in Tokyo and Osaka. At the end of this tour it was announced that the band would not tour again until their 20th anniversary in 2011. The band, however, says they're not on hiatus.
2008 saw the release of two new single from the band, DRINK IT DOWN released in April, and the double A-side NEXUS 4 / SHINE in August. Since then, HYDE has begun a new solo project with former OBLIVION DUST guitarist K.A.Z as VAMPS, with the release of a self-titled album and successful tours in Japan and the United States. With the legacy of 11 albums and 35 singles, L'Arc~en~Ciel continue to gather more and more fans throughout the world who eagerly await their return to renewed band activities.
Anata No Tame Ni
L'Arc~en~Ciel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rom=lorraine
Anata ga sukoshizutsu ubatta jiyuu
Mou itami o kanjinai ushinatta koto nimo
Just the way you want it
Boku o suki ni sureba ii sa
Ima wa michibiku mama ni aruiteyuku dake
Keredo sakendeita yo wazuka na sora e to
Just the way you want it
Anata no tame ni warau itsumo
How can I leave you
Anata no tame ni kieta just one truth
Dou sureba ii? ah nani o sureba mitasareru no ka?
Just the way you want it
Anata no tame ni utau ima mo
How can I leave you
Anata no tame ni suteta one last wish
...... sobietatsu kigi ni kakomarenagara
...... boku wa soredemo nani ka o shinjiteiru
The lyrics to L'Arc~en~Ciel's song Anata No Tame Ni convey a sense of freedom and selflessness in a relationship. The opening lines describe how the singer willingly gave up some of their freedom for their partner and how they no longer feel any pain, even in moments of loss. The words "just the way you want it" suggest that the singer is content to let their partner lead and make decisions in the relationship, while continuing to walk alongside them. They acknowledge that their partner brings laughter into their life and that they cannot bear the thought of leaving them, so they stay and continue to follow their lead. The final lines reveal that even as the singer feels trapped and surrounded by overwhelming circumstances, they still believe in something, perhaps their own love, and hold onto it.
Overall, the song seems to express the idea of giving oneself up to someone completely, of finding joy and purpose in another person's happiness, and of holding onto love in difficult times. It highlights both the beauty and the challenge of such a relationship, where one partner takes the lead and the other follows.
Line by Line Meaning
Anata ga sukoshizutsu ubatta jiyuu
You took away my freedom little by little
Mou itami o kanjinai ushinatta koto nimo
I don't feel pain anymore, even though I lost something
Just the way you want it
I'll do things the way you want me to
Boku o suki ni sureba ii sa
It's okay if you like me
Ima wa michibiku mama ni aruiteyuku dake
I'm just walking the path you set for me
Keredo sakendeita yo wazuka na sora e to
But I screamed, to the small sky
Anata no tame ni warau itsumo
I always smile for you
How can I leave you
I can't leave you
Anata no tame ni kieta just one truth
I disappeared for just one truth (for you)
Dou sureba ii? ah nani o sureba mitasareru no ka?
What should I do? Ah, what can I do to fulfill myself?
Anata no tame ni utau ima mo
I sing for you even now
Anata no tame ni suteta one last wish
I gave up my one last wish for you
...... sobietatsu kigi ni kakomarenagara
... while surrounded by trees growing so thickly
...... boku wa soredemo nani ka o shinjiteiru
... I still believe in something
Contributed by Ian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.