Raphael were a visual kei band from Japan. Forming in 1997, the members wer… Read Full Bio ↴Raphael were a visual kei band from Japan. Forming in 1997, the members were only 15 when the band was formed. They were signed to a major label in 1999, and their major debut single, "Hanasaku Inochi Aru Kagiri", was a moderate success, reaching number 25 on the Oricon charts. They were known for their impressive style, which had an aggressive, progressive tone, with angelic melodies by frontman Yuki. By the summer of 2000, they were at their career peak, and their albums were selling pretty well for such a young band. However, on Halloween 2000, the guitarist and main songwriter of the band, Kazuki, died at the young age of 19. Soon after that, the band decided it was time to split. The vocalist (Yuki) and the drummer (Kazuhiro) formed Rice later that year, while the bassist (Yukito) embarked on a solo project. The band was resurrected for a short time in 2012 with all remaining members to celebrate Kazuki's 13th memorial.

Mariachi Blues
Raphael Lyrics

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Je rentre chez moi,
Vitres noires fumées,
Dans le G7 envie de pleurer sur les fantômes d'Edith Piaf, d'Elvis Presley,
L'âge d'Or du passé.
Quand la voiture du tueur en folie arrivera, avec les Mariachi, ce qui arrivera, cette musique me trouble le coeur d'une vie de rêve.
Certains l'aiment à 200 à l'heure, dans les murs dans les ravins, d'autres révolvérisé les poumons, calaminé par le cow boy général malboro, fenêtres et gaz à tout les étages, la Seine coule gelée les Champs Elysées, tombés au champ d'honneur Jim, Vincent, Amy pour la vie.

Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ?

Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ?
Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Sur le chemin de l'école, certains ont construit cette ville. Certains ont construit cette ville.

Je rentre chez moi,
Vitres noires fumées,
Dans le G7 envie de pleurer et mon chien hurle à la lune sur la banquette arrière.
Quand la voiture du tueur en folie arrivera, avec les Mariachi, ce qui arrivera, cette musique me trouble le coeur d'une vie de rêve.

Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ?
Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ?
Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Et toi tu viens de loin.
Sur le chemin de l'école, certains ont construit cette ville.

Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ?
Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ?

Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Sur le chemin de l'école, certains ont construit cette ville.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Raphaël's Mariachi Blues are a reflection on the passing of time and the nostalgia for a bygone era of music and culture. The song opens with the singer driving home in his car with tinted windows and feeling overwhelmed by the ghosts of Edith Piaf and Elvis Presley, icons of the past. He reminisces about the golden age gone by and how this music troubles his heart with memories of a life of dreams. The mention of the killer car with the Mariachi music adds to the sense of foreboding and danger looming over the present.

The chorus line "Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ? Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll" (Did we have to love it? Your good old rock and roll) serves as a refrain that is repeated throughout the song. The question asked is one of intense nostalgia, a love for the music of the past that was once so beloved and now feels like a distant memory. The lyrics capture the sense of loss and mourning for a time and culture that has since passed. The song ends as it began, with a reference to the construction of the city and the impact of the past on the present.

Overall, Mariachi Blues is a melancholic and introspective reflection on the passing of time, the weight of nostalgia, and the longing for a simpler time. It is a poignant reminder that everything must end, and what remains is but a memory, a ghost of what once was.

Line by Line Meaning

Je rentre chez moi, Vitres noires fumées,
I come back home with tinted black windows,

Dans le G7 envie de pleurer sur les fantômes d'Edith Piaf, d'Elvis Presley, L'âge d'Or du passé.
I feel like crying in the G7 car while thinking of the ghosts of Edith Piaf and Elvis Presley, the golden age of the past.

Quand la voiture du tueur en folie arrivera, avec les Mariachi, ce qui arrivera, cette musique me trouble le coeur d'une vie de rêve.
When the car of the crazy killer arrives with the Mariachi, this music troubles my heart of a dreamful life.

Certains l'aiment à 200 à l'heure, dans les murs dans les ravins, d'autres révolvérisé les poumons, calaminé par le cow boy général malboro, fenêtres et gaz à tout les étages, la Seine coule gelée les Champs Elysées, tombés au champ d'honneur Jim, Vincent, Amy pour la vie.
Some people love it at 200mph, others get their lungs filled with gunpowder and car grime, with windows and gas on every floor, while the Seine river flows frozen on Champs Elysées, fallen in the battle like Jim, Vincent, and Amy for life.

Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ? Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Did we have to love your good old rock'n'roll?

Sur le chemin de l'école, certains ont construit cette ville. Certains ont construit cette ville.
On the road to school, some have built this city. Some have built this city.

Et toi tu viens de loin.
And you come from far away.

Je rentre chez moi, Vitres noires fumées, Dans le G7 envie de pleurer et mon chien hurle à la lune sur la banquette arrière.
I come back home with tinted black windows, in the G7 car, wanting to cry and my dog howling at the moon on the back seat.

Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ? Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Did we have to love your good old rock'n'roll?

Sur le chemin de l'école, certains ont construit cette ville.
On the road to school, some have built this city.

Fallait-il qu'on l'aime ? Ton bon vieux rock'n'roll.
Did we have to love your good old rock'n'roll?

Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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