Formed in 1991, L'Arc~en~Ciel is one of the most popular rock bands from Ja… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1991, L'Arc~en~Ciel is one of the most popular rock bands from Japan. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist hyde, leader and bassist tetsuya, guitarist ken, and drummer yukihiro, who replaced drummer sakura in 1997. From their beginnings in Osaka, Japan, they previously included guitarist hiro and drummer pero. All four members are established composers which adds variety to their catalog of songs. Their music ranges from ballads, to hard rock, to light pop-rock tunes.

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.

Sayonara
L'Arc~en~Ciel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sayounara
Habataku tsubasa o hirogeteku chiisa na sora e
Shizuka ni jidai wa ugoite
Kono asa ni wakare o tsuretekita yo
Kaze ni nosete
Bokura wa kizukanu furi o shiteitanda ne tabun
Mujaki ni hashaideita kedo
Kono toki o dokoka de mitsumeteita

Mou ichido waratte misete komaranaide
Kyou wa otonashiinda ne
Ano koro e kaeritaikedo......
Mata aeru ne arigatou
Soremade...... Sayounara
Maichiru hanabira ga waratteru
Kazari ni saigo no kuchizuke o!
Damatteitara namida ga koboreteshimaisou dakara
Onegai
Mou ichido waratte misete furuenaide
Kao o agete goran
Atarashii kisetsu ga kitara

Mata aeru ne arigatou
Aishite...... Sayounara

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Sayonara" express the sadness of saying goodbye to a loved one. The first verse describes spreading one's wings and flying toward the small sky, suggesting a feeling of freedom and hope. However, the world continues to move quietly and the morning brings separation. The second verse expresses regret for not noticing the moments of innocence and playfulness they shared. Despite this, the singer wants to smile one more time before saying goodbye.

The chorus begins with a scene of falling petals and laughter, with a final kiss as a decoration. The singer asks the other person not to stay silent because they feel like they will cry if they don't. The last two lines offer a bittersweet farewell and hope for seeing each other again. The bridge contains a plea to smile once more, to raise the face and look forward to a new season, expressing a desire for reunion but ultimately concluding with a final goodbye.

* Interesting facts about "Sayonara":
1. The song was released in 1998 as part of the album "Heart".
2. "Sayonara" became one of L'Arc~en~Ciel's most popular songs, winning the "Song of the Year" award in the 13th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1999.
3. The music video features the band playing in a monochrome background, with falling petals and a woman's silhouette.
4. The song was used in the anime series "Great Teacher Onizuka" as an ending theme.
5. "Sayonara" was also included in the soundtrack for the movie "Pyrokinesis" in 2000.
6. The song was performed live at the 2017 "L'Arc-en-Ciel LIVE 2017" concert in Tokyo Dome.
7. It has also been covered by various artists, including Kato Miliyah and Tomoya Nagase.
8. The song was composed by the band's guitarist, Kenichi "Ken" Kitamura, with lyrics by the lead vocalist, Hyde.
9. The title "Sayonara" means "goodbye" in Japanese.
10. Despite its popularity, the band has not played the song frequently in recent years, making its occasional performances a special treat for fans.

Chords (as provided by UltimateGuitar.com):
Verse:
D - Bm - G - A

Chorus:
D - G - Bm - A

Bridge:
Em - A - D - G - Bm - A - G - A

Line by Line Meaning

Sayounara
Farewell

Habataku tsubasa o hirogeteku chiisa na sora e
We spread our wings and fly towards the small sky

Shizuka ni jidai wa ugoite
The world moves quietly

Kono asa ni wakare o tsuretekita yo
We parted in this morning

Kaze ni nosete
Riding on the wind

Bokura wa kizukanu furi o shiteitanda ne tabun
We pretended not to notice, perhaps

Mujaki ni hashaideita kedo
We were laughing innocently, but

Kono toki o dokoka de mitsumeteita
We were looking at this moment from somewhere