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.
Heaven's Drive 2005
L'Arc~en~Ciel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
罪の意識のない飢えた口元に
骨まで食われそうさ leave me alone!
傷口をなぞって 喘ぐ声が好きなんだ
そんなレンズ越しの蛇に遊ばれて 囚われた気分さ
壊れそうな スピードあげて連れ去ってくれ
Ride on heaven's drive
明日をうばって笑いあかそうぜ
新しいその箱舟にのって
体は毒されてゆく あぁ 死神のとりこさ
生まれすぎた悪夢が膨張して 誰も手に負えない
眩しいくらいの 日差しに恋焦がれてるんだ
全てを吹きとばして
Ride on heaven's drive
道づれに罰を受ける前に
新しいその箱舟で君と 何処までも光を探して (anyway the world is born again)
そう思うままに向かって行って (anyway the world is born again)
壊れそうな スピードあげて連れ去ってくれ
世界に火をつけるのさ
Ride on heaven's drive
明日をうばって笑いあかそうぜ
新しいその箱舟にのって
Ride on heaven
さあカギを手にして駆け出すのさ
その箱舟にのって のって
The song Heaven's Drive 2005 by L'Arc~en~Ciel features lyrics that speak of a yearning for adventure and excitement in life, even as the world around us continues to change. The opening lines express a desire for something new, even as we may not know what it is we are looking for. The lyrics then describe a feeling of being trapped, or "captured," by the thrill of seeking out new experiences, as represented by the metaphor of a snake playing with its prey.
The verses continue with an urgency and a sense of danger, as the singer asks to be taken away to a world where everything is on fire, and to "ride on heaven's drive." The chorus encourages us to embrace this new world boldly, and to "laugh away the tomorrow." The lyrics suggest that this new world is necessary because the old world is poisonous and overwhelming, with "nightmares" taking over. However, through the power of seeking new experiences and embracing the unknown, we can find a path forward.
Overall, the lyrics of Heaven's Drive 2005 are a call to action, urging us to embrace change and to venture into the unknown, even if it is scary or uncertain. The song's themes speak to the human experience of feeling trapped, of longing for something more, and of the power of imagination and exploration to break free of those constraints.
Line by Line Meaning
飽きたりないんだね 次は何が欲しい?
Don't you ever get tired of this? What do you want next?
罪の意識のない飢えた口元に
My guilty conscience is absent as I hunger for more.
骨まで食われそうさ leave me alone!
I feel like I'm being consumed down to my bones. Leave me alone!
傷口をなぞって 喘ぐ声が好きなんだ
I enjoy listening to the sound of my own voice as I trace my wounds.
そんなレンズ越しの蛇に遊ばれて 囚われた気分さ
I feel trapped as I'm entertained by what I see through the lens of a snake.
壊れそうな スピードあげて連れ去ってくれ
Please take me away at breakneck speed before I break down.
世界に火をつけるのさ Ride on heaven's drive
Let's light a fire in the world and ride on heaven's drive.
明日をうばって笑いあかそうぜ
Let's steal tomorrow and laugh our hearts out.
新しいその箱舟にのって
Let's get on the new ark.
体は毒されてゆく あぁ 死神のとりこさ
My body is being poisoned. Oh, I'm a captive of death.
生まれすぎた悪夢が膨張して 誰も手に負えない
An abundant nightmare is expanding beyond control for anyone to handle.
眩しいくらいの 日差しに恋焦がれてるんだ
I yearn for the dazzling sunshine.
全てを吹きとばして Ride on heaven's drive
Let's blow everything away and ride on heaven's drive.
道づれに罰を受ける前に
Before we're punished together,
新しいその箱舟で君と 何処までも光を探して
Let's search for light with you on that new ark, wherever it takes us.
(anyway the world is born again) そう思うままに向かって行って (anyway the world is born again)
(anyway the world is born again) Let's head towards wherever we want to go with that belief. (anyway the world is born again)
さあカギを手にして駆け出すのさ
Come on, let's grab the key and run.
その箱舟にのってのって
Let's get on that ark, get on that ark.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Hyde
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind