Mr.Children is one of the most popular bands in Japan. They made their major debut in 1992 with the release of their first album, "EVERYTHING", but it wasn't until one of their singles was used as a drama theme song, like their fourth single "Cross Road", that they started getting noticed. They got their big break in 1994 with the release of their fifth single, "innocent world", which made record sales and earned the Japan Record Award in 1994. Their fourth album, "Atomic Heart", which was released in the same year, is still their top selling album to date. Since then, all their singles have been number one hits in the Oricon charts like "Tomorrow never knows" and "Namonaki-uta", and many of them became million sellers, and they've produced other noteworthy albums.
In 1997, they took a long vacation, and came back to the Japanese music scene the next year with the single "Owari-naki-tabi."
Their sound is essentially a blend of light pop and classic rock. But due to the band's inclination to experiment with various music styles, their sound is constantly evolving. They have delved into various types of rock as well as jazz, blues, folk, country, and dance. Despite this constant change, however, their music has progressed successfully, proving them to be a versatile band that can last.
The main force behind the band is their singer and songwriter, Kazutoshi Sakurai, who composes almost all of their songs. The rest of the band include Kenichi Tahara on guitar, Keisuke Nakagawa on bass, and Hideya Suzuki (Jen) on drums and backing vocals. They also have supporting musicians on keyboards, guitar, brass instruments (trumpet and saxophone), and computer programming for their tours because they usually embellish their recordings.
It must be noted that a good part of what makes Mr.Children's songs unique is Sakurai's remarkable vocal ability. His vocal range is higher than the typical male range, and he sings with a noticeable Western style. Also, it is because he is influenced by the great classic rock artists of the '60s and '70s (in particular, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) that the band's music usually has a classic rock feel. But being the vocalist of the band doesn't prevent him from sometimes sharing guitar solos with Tahara, or playing them by himself. He also plays the piano and harmonica proficiently.
Tahara and Nakagawa are the quietest members of the group, often choosing to remain in the background when the band appears on TV shows. Jen seems to be the most extroverted member who takes his top off onstage at any opportunity. He also always matches Sakurai's sense of humor. They are all very talented musicians who make vital contributions to the band.
On December 31, 2004, their song "Sign," was again awarded the Japan Record Award, ten years after the first.
Mr. Children has a long-time association with the Toys Factory record label.
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Mr.Children Lyrics
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ねぇ どうでしょう!? 君 だってそう思うでしょ!?
散々 好き勝手 生きてきて
まだ何を欲しがってるんだい? 天国かい?
こんな風に日々は続いてくのでしょう
処方された薬にすがりつく「I」
「誰も悪くないの」とか 言い出すんでしょ!?
自分を責めるふりして許しを請え ah
イメージは ドロップアウトした 世界
さぁ どうでしょう!? 誰も見ない ワンマンショー
泣いて傷ついたふりして
気を引いてみようかなぁ ah
そんな風に自分を甘やかすのでしょう
支持してくれるスポンサーに媚を売る「I」
挙句には「死にたい」とか 言い出すんでしょう!?
思いどおりいかないときの一発芸 どう?
散々 周りを振り回して
結局 何をしたいんだか 自分にもさっぱり分からないんだ
こんな風に日々は続いてくのでしょう
奪いも捨てもせず命を燃やそうか
自分が一番可愛い? ほら当たってるでしょう!?
でもそれを責めたり 誰ができるの? Ah
The lyrics of Mr. Children's song depict a girl who meets a guy from Knoxville, Tennessee, but things don't go well between them. The girl seems to be interested in the guy, as she throws him a ball and asks him to call her, but he doesn't reciprocate. She then states that she doesn't care if the guy doesn't want to bother with her, as there are better guys out there. The girl regrets missing the chance to kiss him but feels that the guy isn't a knockout, implying that he isn't worth her time.
The song's message is one of empowerment and self-love. The girl refuses to be hurt or affected by the guy's lack of interest and reminds herself that there are better guys out there. She stands up for herself and doesn't apologize for kissing the guy or for trying to pursue him. The chorus is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the girl's confidence and dismissiveness of the guy's rejection.
Overall, the song encourages listeners to prioritize their own self-worth and not let others bring them down. It is a relatable message to anyone who has felt rejected or unimportant to someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
Met a shy guy from Knoxville, Tennessee
I met a reserved person from Knoxville, Tennessee
High School Yum Yum, gimme some Henessey
He was a teenage inexperienced person, but I wanted to drink with him
I threw him a ball but he didn't hit it
I made an effort to initiate a relationship, but he didn't reciprocate
Said gimme a call but he never did it
I asked him to contact me, but he didn't do it
I-I-I-I don't care, I don't care
If you don't wanna bother with me baby,
'Cause I-I-I-I don't care, I don't care
There's better guys everywhere, so there!
I don't mind if you aren't interested in me, because there are plenty of other men out there.
Never gonna say that I'm sorry I kissed him
I won't apologize for trying to make a move on him
Guess it's not my day, he turned and I missed him
I tried to approach him when the time wasn't right, and I missed my opportunity
I was workin' overtime, now I just wanna walk out.
I was working hard to try and win him over, but now I'm ready to give up
I just tried to make him mine, it's not like he's a knockout.
I attempted to pursue a romantic relationship with him, even though he's not particularly attractive
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kazutoshi Sakurai
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ko-ow9vo
綺麗なピュアなワクワクするエソラとかも好きだけど
Pink 奇妙な夢
I
REM
過去と未来と交信する男
このミスチルも好き。
全曲が人間ってこんなに彩りある生き物なんだと思わせてくれる
@nao5160
確かに人生に行き詰まったときってこんなこと思うよな。
問題を越えられない自分が一番悪くて、だからって償えない自分がいて、そんな自分が恨めしくて死にたくなる…そんな都合よく死にたいとか思う弱い自分が一番悪いって延々ループだなって、いくら乗り越えても生きてる限りは避けられない。じゃぁ要は乗り越えたいんだし生きるしかないじゃん。あぁけどやっぱ辛い…やっぱ俺って弱いな…
そのくせ他人には散々文句も言えるし、不満を沢山抱ける。
まーたそんな自分が恨めしくて…
そんな心境を取り繕って美化しない辺りがさすがミスチルだなって思う。
@naokotsujimoto595
伊藤直也 同感。いいね100くらい押したいです。
@junsan900
こういう香辛料みたいな曲があるから
他の明るい曲、前向きな曲、優しい曲が生きてくるの
@user-ey3dd9be6g
エディ あ、わかりやすい
@TangenRudolf
HEROやな
@strawberry-tb3dh
香辛料！
素晴らしい例えだ…
@shosei240
Trippp ミスチルが用意してくれたスパイス
@2110haste
とびっきりスパイスが効いたやつ好きです！
@childrentaisuke
[死にたい]という言葉を[一発芸]という言葉に置き換えられる桜井さんのセンスがたまらなく好き
@user-nt7si3bg2h
へーそういう意味だったんだ