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.
Natsu no Yuutsu
L'Arc~en~Ciel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
揺れる波打ちぎわに瞳うばわれほおづえをつく
君が微笑みかける そよぐ風に吹かれて
そんな過ぎ去った日の幻を追いかけていた
僕を浮かびあげる太陽が余りにまぶしすぎて...
夏の憂鬱は君を見失った僕にふりつもる
君は素足のままで残りわずかな夏に消えた
轉載來自 魔鏡歌詞網
僕を浮かびあげる太陽も黄昏はじめている
夏の憂鬱...
あヽもう行かなくちゃ 秋が来るから
...そして眠りをなくした
...そしてあなたをなくした
あヽ何を信じて歩けばいいの?
僕にふりつもる夏の憂鬱
The lyrics of L'Arc~en~Ciel's song 夏の憂鬱 (Natsu no Yuuutsu, or "Summer melancholy") depict a sense of nostalgia for a summer that has passed, and a longing for a person who has been lost. The singer describes feeling unable to sleep because of the weight of the summer melancholy, and finding his gaze captured by the hypnotic waves. The summer winds blow and the person he longs for appears in his mind as a memory he tries to chase after. The sun shines too brightly in his eyes and it makes it difficult to see clearly.
The chorus talks about how the summer melancholy has overwhelmed the singer, causing him to lose sight of the person he loves. He then describes the person as disappearing like a bird swimming in the unreachable sky. The final verses talk about the sunset heralding the end of summer and the coming of autumn. The singer laments the loss of sleep and the loss of his love, and questions what he should believe in in order to move forward.
Overall, the lyrics create a dreamlike and bittersweet atmosphere, evoking the ephemeral nature of summer and the pain of loss. The use of natural imagery, such as the waves, the wind, and the sun, helps to create a sensory and immersive experience for the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
夏の憂鬱に抱かれ眠りを忘れた僕は
I, held by the melancholy of summer, forgot about sleep
揺れる波打ちぎわに瞳うばわれほおづえをつく
My eyes are stolen by the swaying shore, as I rest my chin on my hand
君が微笑みかける そよぐ風に吹かれて
Blown by the breeze that you smile upon
そんな過ぎ去った日の幻を追いかけていた
I was chasing after the illusion of days that have gone by
僕を浮かびあげる太陽が余りにまぶしすぎて...
The sun that lifts me up is simply too bright
夏の憂鬱は君を見失った僕にふりつもる
The melancholy of summer falls upon me, who has lost sight of you
誰も届かない空を泳ぐあの鳥のように
Like that bird swimming in the sky that no one can reach
君は素足のままで残りわずかな夏に消えた
You disappeared, in the few remaining days of summer, barefooted
僕を浮かびあげる太陽も黄昏はじめている
The sun that lifts me up is beginning to set
夏の憂鬱...
The melancholy of summer
あヽもう行かなくちゃ 秋が来るから
I have to go, because autumn is coming
...そして眠りをなくした
...And I lost my sleep
...そしてあなたをなくした
...And I lost you
あヽ何を信じて歩けばいいの?
What should I believe in while I walk?
僕にふりつもる夏の憂鬱
The melancholy of summer falls upon me
Contributed by Callie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.