The Brilliant Green take much of their influence from Western music, most predominantly The Beatles with over half their songs including English lyrics. They released their first single "Bye Bye Mr.Mug" in 1997 with little success, but their break came in 1998 when their third single "There Will Be Love There" was chosen as the theme song for popular the Japanese drama Love Again, and as a result went straight to the top of the charts. After another number one hit with "Tsumetai Hana" they released their self-titled debut album which sold over one million copies in just two days. On the back of this success their first national tour, There Will Be Live There, sold out across Japan in only three minutes. The Brilliant Green were suddenly one of the biggest bands in Japan.
In the following years, the band was prolific, releasing two more album, "Terra 2001" and "Los Angeles", along with severn more singles, and two clips DVD's and a superb live DVD entitled "Super Terra 2000".
In 2001,on the back of the "Los Angeles" album, Time magazine chose The Brilliant Green as one of the top ten contemporary acts outside the U.S.alongside such bands as Radiohead and Sigur Ros.
In 2002 Tommy embarked on her first solo project, Tommy february6. She released three singles, and a very successful self titled album, but this did not spell the end for The Brilliant Green.
The band returned with "The Winter Album", which was quite experimental, using samples and drum machines, but still retaining the core values of the band. Three very different singles also were spawned from this album, but the release of the final single, "I'M SO SORRY BABY" was the last we would hear from the band for almost five years,
The band members moved on to solo thier projects and producing songs for other artists. Despite rumours to the contary the group never officially broke up. Tommy resumed her career as a solo artist as Tommy February6 and now also Tommy Heavenly6, her rockier alter ego. Under these two names she released a total of sixteen singles and four studio albums in the period between 2002-2007.
Ryo Matsui also started a new band named Meister, which saw him working with musical heroes from his past, both from the U.K and Scandanavia.
On November 22, 2003, band members Tommy and Shunsaku Okuda announced their marriage.
On June 1st it was announced that after 5 years of inactivity, the brilliant green would be returning with a new single to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The song, titled "Stand by me", is the ending theme for the new series of TV drama "Tantei GakuenQ" which began on July 3rd 2007. The single itself was released on August 22nd, 2007, and the band embarked on a hectic promotional tour, which included many TV appearances and live shows.
The second single release of their comeback, "Enemy", was given a Christmas release, on December 12th, 2007 and the bands activity continued un-abated in 2008, when they provided the opening theme for the anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 with yet another new single, called "Ash Like Snow", which was released on February 6th that year. This was closely followed by a greatest hits CD & clips DVD, which was released on February 20th 2008. The summer of 2008 saw brief appearances at two live events, Re-Style LIVE Volume 5 for two dates in June, and at the GUNDAM00 X CODE GEASS festival in August.
The band also announced that fans should expect more activity in the future, and that a new album is planned that will consist of songs that have already been written by the band over the 10 years they have been together, but never been recorded.
The return of the band seems to have been put on hold, at least for a while as Tommy has recently returned to solo project duty, with a contribution to the 'We Love Cyndi' Cyndi Lauper tribute album as Tommy february6, and a new single, 'PAPERMOON' as Tommy heavenly6 , and also she released "Best of" albums for both february and heavenly, both of which included a new song made especially for these albums. It was in the sleeve for this album that Tommy finally confirmed what we all suspected, that it was infact members of The Brilliant Green, Shunsaku and Ryo that had contributed music and production for Tommys solo projects under various pseudonyms all along. Tommy heavenly6 quickly followed this up with a brand new studio album called I KILL MY HEART which was also made by the members of The Brilliant Green. Alot of fans even commented that this could have very easily been a Buriguri album..
Whether the new Buriguri studio album will ever happen or not is only known by the band themselves, but signs are that the band are still happily working together on Tommys solo projects, but we can never second guess Tommy on what she or the band is wanting to do next, for now we'll just have to wait and see.
Promising signs of a return appeared on 20th May in Japan when it was announced that the band would be splitting from their agency KEN-ON aswell as Sony Music Japan and DefSTAR. From 1st June 2009 onwards they will be going it alone with a new official website and blog, plus they promised "To power up The Brilliant Green again soon".
Finally on December 1st 2009 the official site changed to the simple message "The Brilliant Green - Coming soon", signalling the beginning of a new dawn. It was also soon discovered that the band had signed a deal with Warner Music Japan, and on January 5th 2010, it was announced that the first song from the new regime "Like Yesterday" would be released on February 24th and that a new temporary Myspace page featuring a demo of the new song would begin on January 12th.
Another new single "Blue Daisy" is to be released on June 30th 2010 with hopefuly a long awaited new studio album to follow. But this news was quickly followed by the devastating news that Ryo Matsui had left the band! Indeed, Ryo did not appear in the music video for BLUE DAISY, and was replaced by what appeared to be two fake band members and Tim Jensen, Tommy's long time friend and English lyric advisor. The same theme was used for the next single "I Just Can't Breathe" which was released shortly afterwards.
Finally after almost eight long years, it was announced that the band would be releasing their fifth studio album on 15th September 2010. The album would contain eight brand news songs, a cover version of the Blur track, "Song 2" along with the three previously released singles and two of the B-sides from those releases.
The Brilliant Green will playing as part of Warner Music Japan's 40th anniversary celebrations at the Budokan on October 31st 2010. It was also confirmed that the two aforementioned "fake" band members, were indeed not fake. James (JJ) De Barrado (drums) and James MacWhyte (bass) would in fact be appearing as support musicians for the Budokan show.
Enemy
The Brilliant Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
悲哀の手 群がる影
すすり泣く声
報われない涙は 虚しい
月に輝く 天使の梯子
その先に 期待をしては
嘆くばかり
いつまでも そうしていたいの?
奇跡なんか起こらない
The enemy lives inside myself
Yeah I know
閉ざされた空の下で
震えている
I stand alone
甘いだけの自分に気づいてた
揺れる水面に 零した涙
隠せない 不安の棘
戻るなら 今
手を伸ばし 誰かが泣いてた
感傷には浸らない
何の役にも立たない
The enemy lives inside myself
Yeah I know
今はまだ超えられない壁でもいい
見てみたいの
向こう側に広がる 青空を
今は小さな星だけど
輝ける日を描いて
ここにいるの
I stand alone
胸を突く 夜風が 虚しさが
愚かだと 嘲るなら それでもいい
見てみたいの
その向こうに広がる 青い空
The lyrics of The Brilliant Green's song "Enemy" depict a sense of loneliness and internal struggle. The opening lines describe a pale sky and a line of black birds, symbolizing a somber and oppressive atmosphere. The presence of sorrowful hands and gathering shadows convey a feeling of sadness and despair. The singer hears the sound of sobbing voices and describes tears that are in vain and empty.
The lyrics then continue to talk about a ladder of angels shining in the moonlight, hinting at the possibility of hope and expectations beyond. However, the singer questions if they can continue to grieve and lament indefinitely. They wonder if anything will truly change and if miracles even happen. The chorus then asserts that the enemy resides within oneself, acknowledging that the struggle and obstacles lie from within.
The second verse further explores the personal realization of the singer, stating that they were aware of their own naivety. The tears shed on the trembling water's surface and the unavoidable thorns of anxiety cannot be concealed. The lyrics express a desire to reach out and help someone who is crying, but emphasize that they will not be absorbed in sentimentality that ultimately serves no purpose.
The chorus repeats, affirming the existence of the enemy within, but also acknowledging that it is okay to have a wall that cannot yet be overcome. The desire to see what lies beyond that wall and the expansive blue sky on the other side persists. The final lines express a sense of determination, as the singer asserts that even though they may currently be a small star, they still envision a day when they can shine and remain present.
Line by Line Meaning
蒼ざめた空 黒鳥の列
Pale sky, a line of black birds
悲哀の手 群がる影
Hands of sorrow, gathering shadows
すすり泣く声
Sobbing voice
報われない涙は 虚しい
The tears of unrequited love are empty
月に輝く 天使の梯子
A ladder of angels shining in the moonlight
その先に 期待をしては
Yet, expecting it to lead to something
嘆くばかり
It's just lamenting
いつまでも そうしていたいの?
Do you want to keep doing this forever?
何か変わるわけじゃない
It's not like anything will change
奇跡なんか起こらない
Miracles won't happen
The enemy lives inside myself
The enemy resides within me
Yeah I know
Yes, I know
閉ざされた空の下で
Underneath the closed-off sky
震えている
Trembling
I stand alone
I stand alone
甘いだけの自分に気づいてた
Realized that I was just being naive
揺れる水面に 零した涙
Tears fell on the rippling water's surface
隠せない 不安の棘
Unhideable thorns of anxiety
戻るなら 今
If I were to go back, it would be now
手を伸ばし 誰かが泣いてた
Reach out, someone was crying
感傷には浸らない
I won't indulge in sentimentality
何の役にも立たない
It doesn't serve any purpose
今はまだ超えられない壁でもいい
It's okay if I can't overcome this wall yet
見てみたいの
I want to see it
向こう側に広がる 青空を
The blue sky that stretches beyond
今は小さな星だけど
Right now, it's just a small star
輝ける日を描いて
I imagine a day when it will shine
ここにいるの
I am here
胸を突く 夜風が 虚しさが
The piercing night wind, the hollowness in my heart
愚かだと 嘲るなら それでもいい
If you want to mock me for being foolish, that's fine
その向こうに広がる 青い空
The blue sky that expands beyond that
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kawase Tomoko, Shunsaku Okuda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EnerGeekTeam
Una línea de cisne negro en un cielo pálido
una mano de dolor y una reunión de sombras
una voz sollozando
sin efecto, mi lágrimas son en vano
Brillando en la luna están las escaleras de los ángeles
delante de ellos, todas mis esperanzas son
sólo lamentos
¿Quiero ser así siempre?
No es que algo tiene que cambiar
o que un milagro tiene que ocurrir
El Enemigo vive dentro de mí
Sí, lo sé...
bajo el cielo cerrado
estoy temblando
estoy sola
Soy ingenua pero me he dado cuenta
En la superficie del agua se derraman lágrimas
no se puede ocultar la inestabilidad
si vuelvo ahora,
alcanzaré mi mano para alguien que ha estado llorando,
no estoy abrumada con sentimientos,
pero eso de ninguna manera puede permanecer
El Enemigo vive dentro de mí
Sí, lo sé...
todavía, no más allá de la pared
es estupendo
yo quiero ver
a través
el cielo azul
Una pequeña estrella
representa el sol que brilla
no estoy aquí
estoy sola
El viento de la noche golpeó en el vacío en el pecho
aceptarlo es estúpido
al igual que para ver
más allá de el extendido
cielo
@user-fd7un6hk3z
蒼ざめた空 黒鳥の列
悲哀の手 群がる影
すすり泣く声
報われない涙は 虚しい
月に輝く 天使の梯子
その先に 期待をしては
嘆くばかり
いつまでも そうしていたいの?
何か変わるわけじゃない
奇跡なんか起こらない
the Enemy lives inside myself
yeah I know...
閉ざされた空の下で
震えている
I stand alone
甘いだけの自分に気づいてた
揺れる水面に 零した涙
隠せない 不安の棘
戻るなら 今
手を伸ばし 誰かが泣いてた
感傷には浸らない
何の役にも立たない
The Enemy lives inside myself
yeah I know...
今はまだ超えられない壁でもいい
見てみたいの
向こう側に広がる
青空を
今は小さな星だけど
輝ける日を描いて
ここにいるの
I stand alone
胸を突く 夜風が 虚しさが
愚かだと 嘲るなら それでもいい
見てみたいの
その向こうに広がる
青い空
@minminmintochan
皆が歳取っても外見変わらないとか見えない圧かけるから余計出にくくなるんだよ🥲
どんなtommyも大好きだよ！！
またその歌声がききたい
@Murtagh708
ブリグリで1番好きな曲！このちょっぴりダークな雰囲気がめっちゃ好きで、トミーの歌声とマッチしてると思ってます！
@White-Shiro
CDで聴くのは自分と重なりすぎて心がちょっと重くなっちゃうなぁと思ってたんだけど、MVを初めて見てみたらTommyの可愛さにびっくり！！
神MVでした🥲🥲
これからもっと聴こう〜
@hirano-satoshi
おっしゃるとおりです🐭
@DanielAspajo9930
I love her voice and style
@EnerGeekTeam
Una línea de cisne negro en un cielo pálido
una mano de dolor y una reunión de sombras
una voz sollozando
sin efecto, mi lágrimas son en vano
Brillando en la luna están las escaleras de los ángeles
delante de ellos, todas mis esperanzas son
sólo lamentos
¿Quiero ser así siempre?
No es que algo tiene que cambiar
o que un milagro tiene que ocurrir
El Enemigo vive dentro de mí
Sí, lo sé...
bajo el cielo cerrado
estoy temblando
estoy sola
Soy ingenua pero me he dado cuenta
En la superficie del agua se derraman lágrimas
no se puede ocultar la inestabilidad
si vuelvo ahora,
alcanzaré mi mano para alguien que ha estado llorando,
no estoy abrumada con sentimientos,
pero eso de ninguna manera puede permanecer
El Enemigo vive dentro de mí
Sí, lo sé...
todavía, no más allá de la pared
es estupendo
yo quiero ver
a través
el cielo azul
Una pequeña estrella
representa el sol que brilla
no estoy aquí
estoy sola
El viento de la noche golpeó en el vacío en el pecho
aceptarlo es estúpido
al igual que para ver
más allá de el extendido
cielo
@oscarmontealegre392
Hermosa canción :)
@rain_ch557
唯一無二の歌声が本当に大好き。
@arinarahmawati2428
I remember the first time hearing this song, so dark yet so good, 懐かしい
@meiko.i5515
川瀬さんの魅力的な歌声を、演奏が優しく支えて、盛り上げていて素敵だと感じます。歌詞も曲も秀逸で、心に響き、共感できる大好きな曲です🙂。