THE ALFEE is a popular Japanese musical group comprised of Masaru Sakurai (… Read Full Bio ↴THE ALFEE is a popular Japanese musical group comprised of Masaru Sakurai (桜井賢 Sakurai Masaru) (voice, bass guitar, born January 20, 1955), Kōnosuke Sakazaki (坂崎幸之助 Sakazaki Kōnosuke) (voice, acoustic guitar, percussion, born April 15, 1954) and Toshihiko Takamizawa (高見沢俊彦 Takamizawa Toshihiko) (voice, electric guitar, born April 17, 1954). The group was formed with four members in 1973 after they met on the campus of Meiji Gakuin University. The fourth member, Yasuo Miyake (三宅康夫 Miyake Yasuo), left the band shortly after it formed (sometime between 1975 and 1979 based on the album covers and information on THE ALFEE's official site).

They released their debut single on August 25, 1974. In 2003, HMV Records Japan rated them #92 in their "Top 100 Japanese pops Artists".

Arcadia
THE ALFEE Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

静寂の大地を彷徨う
地平線が赤く燃えてる
聞こえるかい? 僕らのララバイ
悲しみに風が泣くのさ

Wow Wow Wow 砂漠に消えた街
この星の全てが砂に変わる

Oh 国境を越えろ自由を求めて
争いも憎しみもない聖地 Arcadia

君との愛も今は遠く
廃虚の中立ち尽くしている
見えたのさ滅亡の夢
過ちに人は気づいた

Wow Wow Wow 欲望は限りなく
この星の全てを奪い尽くす

Oh 国境を越えろやすらぎ求めて
争いも憎しみもない聖地 Arcadia

夜空に光る流れ星は
嘆く大空の涙なのか

Wow Wow Wow 砂漠に還って行く
生命の全ての記憶だけ残して

Oh 国境を越えろ自由を求めて
争いも憎しみもない聖地 Arcadia

傷だらけの愛も失くした夢も
欲望のその果ての蜃気楼

Oh 国境を越えろやすらぎを求めて
誰もが探し続ける聖地 Arcadia

Can't You See, Can't You See... Arcadia

Overall Meaning

The Alfee's song Arcadia is a powerful ballad that speaks to the human yearning for a peaceful existence without strife and conflict. The lyrics describe a desolate landscape where the horizon blazes with red fire, while the wind howls mournfully in response to the pain and sorrow in the hearts of people. Despite this desolation, the song offers a hope of escaping to a place of peace and harmony, where borders and conflicts don't exist. This desire for a better life is expressed through the repeated refrain of "Oh 国境を越えろ自由を求めて争いも憎しみもない聖地 Arcadia," which means "Oh, cross the borders in search of freedom, the land of Arcadia without fights or hatred."

The song has a powerful message of resilience and hope. It speaks to people who feel lost, alone, and disillusioned and inspires them to keep searching for a better future. The lyrics suggest that even in the midst of destruction and despair, people can still hold onto ideals of love, peace, and freedom, and work towards building a better world.

Line by Line Meaning

静寂の大地を彷徨う
We walk through the silent land.

地平線が赤く燃えてる
The horizon burns red.

聞こえるかい? 僕らのララバイ
Can you hear it? Our lullaby.

悲しみに風が泣くのさ
The wind cries with sadness.

Wow Wow Wow 砂漠に消えた街
Wow Wow Wow, the city that disappeared into the desert.

この星の全てが砂に変わる
This entire planet turns to sand.

Oh 国境を越えろ自由を求めて
Oh, go beyond the border in search of freedom.

争いも憎しみもない聖地 Arcadia
A land of peace without conflict or hatred: Arcadia.

君との愛も今は遠く
Our love is distant now.

廃虚の中立ち尽くしている
We stand still amidst ruins.

見えたのさ滅亡の夢
We saw the dream of destruction.