Plastic Tree is an alternative rock band from Chiba, Japan that was forme… Read Full Bio ↴Plastic Tree is an alternative rock band from Chiba, Japan that was formed in December 1993 by 有村竜太朗 (Arimura Ryutaro) and Hasegawa Tadashi. Since then, the line-up has changed a few times before settling on Ryutaro on vocals, Tadashi on bass, Nakayama Akira on guitar and Satou Kenken on drums. Tadashi is the leader but most decisions are made as a group.

Ryutaro and Tadashi wanted to combine two words to form the band name; something artificial and something natural. After trying a few combinations, they decided on ‘Plastic Tree’. Formerly, there were rumours floating around the web about the band’s name coming from Fake Plastic Trees but this was always disputed due to timing inconsistencies.

In the beginning, Plastic Tree were influenced greatly by The Cure. There was also a large britrock influence. Plastic Tree played a mix of indie rock, punk, and heavier grunge, characterized by Ryutaro’s generic Visual Kei voice and gloomy lyrics. They went through a period where they played more pop-rock and radio-style rock music, although they have recently returned from lighter music to their original roots.

In July 2006, Plastic Tree embarked on their first world tour that took them to Germany, France and Finland.

On the 23rd of February 2009, Sasabuchi Hiroshi left the band and was later replaced by Satou Kenken..

Ame Ni Utaeba
Plastic Tree Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Itsumo yori hikui sora. Sukoshi samishiku naru.
Utsumuite boku wa aruiteru.
Amatsubu ga ochite kita. Marui ato ni naru.
Hai-iro no michi ni nokotteku.
Kasa no naka de boku wa hohoemu, mienai you ni kakurete.

Taemanaku furi-sosoide.
Boku ga "ame NI utaEBA"

Hashaideru me no mae ga zenbu boyakete iku.

Ame no ito. Namida-iro.
(Naiteiru no wa dare?)
Nureteiru hidari-gawa no kata.
Te de tsukuru fureemu ni toji-komete miru yo,
Mukashi mita eiga mitai na kyou.
Kasa no naka de kiiteru ama-oto, hitotsu-hitotsu ga yasashii.

Taemanaku furi-sosoide.
Boku ga "ame NI utaEBA"
Hashaideru me no mae ga zenbu boyakete iku.

Taemanaku furi-sosoide.
Boku ga "ame NI utaEBA"
Hashaideru me no mae ga zenbu boyakete iku.
Amatsubu ga nokoshite iku marui chiisa na hana ga,
Michi no ue, ippai ni saite hirogatte iku.

Saite hirogatte iku.

Saite hirogatte iku.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Plastic Tree's "Ame Ni Utaeba" evoke a sense of melancholy as the singer walks under a low sky, feeling lonely and letting the raindrops fall on them. The imagery is vivid, with raindrops turning into circles on the ground, creating a pattern on the grey surface. The singer is walking with their head down and hiding behind the umbrella, their smile invisible. However, as they start singing in the rain, their perspective changes, and everything seems to blur around them, as if the outside world ceases to exist. They transform into a carefree child, forgetting about worries and responsibilities, and become lost in the moment.

The song's lyrics suggest that singing in the rain turns sadness into joy, despite the rain-heavy circumstance. It is a testament that the weather doesn't dictate one's experience; singing through the storm can brighten the dark days, and it might even lead one to experience the innocent moments of life again. The song's ultimate goal is not to shield oneself from the rain, wallowing in sadness. Instead, it inspires one to embrace the beauty and rediscover the happiness that can be found even amidst the most trying times.

Line by Line Meaning

Itsumo yori hikui sora. Sukoshi samishiku naru.
The sky is lower than usual and I feel a little lonely.

Utsumuite boku wa aruiteru.
I walk with my head down.

Amatsubu ga ochite kita. Marui ato ni naru.
Raindrops fall and form circular ripples.

Hai-iro no michi ni nokotteku.
The street is left with a gray color.

Kasa no naka de boku wa hohoemu, mienai you ni kakurete.
I smile while hiding inside the umbrella, unseen.

Taemanaku furi-sosoide.
Rain falls without stopping.

Boku ga "ame NI utaEBA"
If I sing in the rain.

Hashaideru me no mae ga zenbu boyakete iku.
Everything in front of my lively eyes becomes blurry.

Ame no ito. Namida-iro.
Raindrops are like threads of tears.

(Naiteiru no wa dare?)
(Who is crying?)

Nureteiru hidari-gawa no kata.
The left side of my body is soaking wet.

Te de tsukuru fureemu ni toji-komete miru yo, Mukashi mita eiga mitai na kyou.
I try to capture today in a frame made with my hands, just like a movie from the past.

Kasa no naka de kiiteru ama-oto, hitotsu-hitotsu ga yasashii.
The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella is gentle, one by one.

Amatsubu ga nokoshite iku marui chiisa na hana ga, Michi no ue, ippai ni saite hirogatte iku.
Small round flowers are left behind by the raindrops and bloom all over the road.

Saite hirogatte iku.
They bloom and spread out.

Taemanaku furi-sosoide.
Rain falls without stopping.

Boku ga "ame NI utaEBA"
If I sing in the rain.

Hashaideru me no mae ga zenbu boyakete iku.
Everything in front of my lively eyes becomes blurry.

Taemanaku furi-sosoide.
Rain falls without stopping.

Boku ga "ame NI utaEBA"
If I sing in the rain.

Hashaideru me no mae ga zenbu boyakete iku.
Everything in front of my lively eyes becomes blurry.

Saite hirogatte iku.
They bloom and spread out.

Contributed by Jonathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS