In 2001, 川瀬智子 (Tomoko Kawase) launched her solo career under the name of Tommy february6, a character named from a combination of her nickname and birthdate. Vastly different from the japanese rock/japanese pop sound of The Brilliant Green for whom she is also lead singer of, Tommy february6's persona and sound are that of a generic American 1980s pop icon. Her eponymous debut album was released on the day of her 27th birthday.
川瀬智子's original intention with Tommy february6 was to create a character who was far from innocent, though she appeared that cute in both sound and appearance; Tommy february6 was designed to be someone who was true to her feelings despite the cutesy nature of her outward character, do as she wanted (and as such, Tommy february6 is seen repeatedly in music videos drinking alcohol from flasks, bars, etc.) Unfortunately, the original concept started to disappoint her, and 川瀬智子 began to feel that the character could no longer maintain its purity.
After a performance as Tommy february6 in 2003, 川瀬智子 took off her glasses and donned a much more alternative look to create Tommy heavenly6, a brand new character with a modern rock sound. 川瀬智子 would later explain that Tommy heavenly6 was born from a dream that Tommy february6 had, in which she extrovertly embraces all the elements of her personality she had previously been repressing. This is reflected in the promotional video for Tommy heavenly6's first single, Wait Till I Can Dream, wherein Tommy february6 drinks from a hip flask and falls asleep, only to be woken by Tommy heavenly6. Musically, she's the polar opposite of Tommy february6, and possesses an image most people would consider more dangerous, but 川瀬智子 claims that Tommy heavenly6 is far more pure and true to her heart than Tommy february6 is.
川瀬智子 claims that the invention of Tommy heavenly6 occurred due of her disappointment in Tommy february6's character, but far from being a replacement, 川瀬智子 chose to keep the two characters' careers separate. During 2003 and 2004, Tommy heavenly6 released only two singles, whilst Tommy february6 went on to release her second full album, Tommy Airline. It would be in August 2005 (nearly exactly two years after her first single) that Tommy heavenly6 would finally release her third single, which was shortly followed by her own long awaited eponymous debut album.
In 2006/2007 Kawase has had a very busy period, releasing five new singles and a new album, Heavy Starry Heavenly as Tommy heavenly6. She finished this productive phase with the Heavy Starry Tour, four live performances as Tommy heavenly6 during March 2007. She incorporated most of her songs into this live format, pleasing her army of fans with an hour and a half show, complete with her now regular backing band.
Tommy heavenly6 created a new single for the SOUL EATER anime entitled PAPERMOON which was released December 10th, 2008 and was used as the opening for the show this fall as well as a new song entitled 'Unlimited Sky' which was used as an insert song for the GUNDAM 00 anime, this song was included on the soon to follow 'best of' release "Gothic Melting Ice Cream Gothic Nightmare" which was a collection of all her singles to date, plus some album tracks and b-sides.
Soon to follow was the controversial release of a new concept album, "I KILL MY HEART" on April 29th 2009. This saw Tommy move away from the Pop/Rock sound to a more Grunge/Alternative Rock sound. The album was to include no singles, but did include two promotional videos. This album split Tommy fans right down the middle, with some condeming it as boring and stale, while others raved about it being brilliant and a work of genius.
At the moment Tommy's future is uncertain after she ended her relationship with Sony Music Japan and DefSTAR , along with the other members of The Brilliant Green.
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In addition to her own solo singing career, Kawase has produced and written songs for the idol group Tommy☆angels, as well as making a protege of former soloist Asuka Hinoi.
Kawase has also made an appearance as the voice of Pikki in the anime series Piroppo, briefly modelled for Italian fashion house Fiorucci and for a period of time hosted Break Down, an MTV show.
She also worked as a producer on the Takashi Fujii single, entitled OH MY JULIET.
Tommy heavenly6's official website is http://www.tommyheavenly6.jp.
GOING 2 MY WAY
Tommy heavenly6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not the good girl I know
I'm going to my way
I don't wanna live kiss someone's ass
Because I lose myself you know
I'm going to my way
Garasu no namida wo kakiatsume
Mou mayowanai to chikau, oh
Yes
Sou yuu'utsu na hi mo aru
Dakedo nee
Anata to iu hikari ga terasu
Makkura na yozora mo
Dakara ikite ikeru, I'll be okay
Jibun wo koroseta nara
Raku na no kamo demo, no
I don't break my style
Kusatte shimau
Iki mo dekizu ni
Umoretaku nanka nai, oh
Yes
Shiranai ashita wa kowai kedo
Mou obieru no wa yameta no
Yes
Demo jishin nante nai dakedo
Tada hohoende hoshii
Yes
Nee saikou no kotoba de
Kono ai wo uketomete
Honey Always
I don't wanna live with someone's speed
Yeah you know I am not the good girl I know
I don't wanna live kiss someone's ass!
Yeah I'm going to my way
Yes
Garasu no namida wo kakiatsume
Mou mayowanai
Donna no kurai yozora demo
Soko ni anata ga iru kagiri
Yes
Aruite yukeru kitto
Yes
Demo yuu'utsu na hi mo aru
Dakedo nee
Anata to iu hikari ga terasu
Makkura na yozora mo
Homey please
Kono ai wo uketomete
Always la, la, la, la
In "GOING 2 MY WAY," Tommy heavenly6 appears to be rejecting social pressures to conform to societal expectations or to seek validation from others. She declares in the chorus that she does not want to live with someone else's speed, nor does she want to kiss someone's ass to lose her identity. Instead, she is committed to living life on her own terms and staying authentic to her true self. She acknowledges that life is not always easy and that there are gloomy days, but she suggests that as long as she has her own light in the form of someone special, she can make it through the dark.
Tommy heavenly6 seems to be addressing her fears of being misunderstood, rejected or judged for her choices in life. She suggests that she would rather take her own path, even if it's challenging, than to live a life that is not her own. Through the lyrics, she portrays a sense of independence, strength, and determination towards self-discovery and personal freedom. It's as if she's saying that in a world that tells you how to live, it's okay to go your own way, and it's okay to be who you truly are.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't wanna live with someone's speed
I don't want to conform to someone else's pace of life
I'm not the good girl I know
I don't always follow the rules or expectations of others
I'm going to my way
I'm going to live life on my own terms
I don't wanna live kiss someone's ass
I don't want to do things that compromise my values or make me feel fake
Because I lose myself you know
Compromising who I am leads to feeling lost or disconnected from myself
Yes
Affirming a belief or decision
Garasu no namida wo kakiatsume
Collecting glass tears (signifying fragility or vulnerability)
Mou mayowanai to chikau, oh
I swear not to get lost again
Sou yuu'utsu na hi mo aru
There are still days of melancholy
Dakedo nee
However
Anata to iu hikari ga terasu
Your light (presence or influence) shines
Makkura na yozora mo
Even in the pitch-black night sky
Dakara ikite ikeru, I'll be okay
So I can keep living, I'll be okay
Jibun wo koroseta nara
If I had killed myself (symbolically or literally)
Raku na no kamo demo, no
Maybe it would have been easier, but
I don't break my style
I won't abandon who I am or my personal style
Kusatte shimau
Rot away
Iki mo dekizu ni
Unable to breathe
Umoretaku nanka nai, oh
I don't want to be buried alive
Shiranai ashita wa kowai kedo
The unknown future may be scary, but
Mou obieru no wa yameta no
I've stopped being scared
Demo jishin nante nai dakedo
But I don't have confidence, however
Tada hohoende hoshii
I just want to smile
Nee saikou no kotoba de
Hey, with the best words
Kono ai wo uketomete
Accept this love
Honey Always
Darling, always
Donna no kurai yozora demo
No matter how dark the night sky may be
Soko ni anata ga iru kagiri
As long as you are there
Aruite yukeru kitto
I can surely keep walking
Homey please
Darling, please
Always la, la, la, la
Always (repeated in song's refrain)
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.