The original members of Y&T were Dave Meniketti (lead vocals and lead guitar), Leonard Haze (drums), Phil Kennemore (bass), and Joey Alves (rhythm guitar). Haze was replaced by Jimmy DeGrasso in 1986. Alves was replaced by Stef Burns in 1989. The band officially disbanded in 1991, although they continued to perform sporadically. They officially reunited in 2001 with a lineup of Meniketti, Kennemore, and Burns alongside Leonard Haze. Burns eventually went on to join the pop rock outfit Huey Lewis & The News and was replaced by John Nymann. Nymann was an old friend of the band who had sung backup for the group before. In 2006, Haze was asked to step down, and he was replaced by Mike Vanderhule.
The band's signature hits include "Summertime Girls", a Van Halen like piece of cheeky arena rock that reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985, and ""Mean Streak." That latter track hiked up to #25 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart due to its aggressive, heavy style. Y&T's 1984 album, 'In Rock We Trust', has been their highest selling release, reaching #46 on the Billboard Album Charts and selling over 450,000 copies; the spirited album came very close to Gold status.
Main Website: http://www.yandtrocks.com/
Midnight In Tokyo
Y&T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
’Cause you called to me
A guitar was the sound that you heard
Like a song on a wave
From across the sea
Like a vaguely familiar word
The ring of fire won’t discourage me
Though the earth moved under my feet
And now, I’m here with you
But now, I’m wanting to
Get back to my home and the ones
I miss so much
Midnight, midnight in Tokyo
Where the neon lights the land of the rising sun
Midnight, oh midnight I must go
But one day I’ll return if you’ll only wait for me
In each place I can feel the warmth of you
In your face I can see that you’re strong
And respect is what I’ve learned from you
When I’m gone, it won’t be for long
I ride the bullet through the heart of you
Though the winds will blow
And the rain will fall when I’m gone
But now, I’m here with you
And now, I’m wanting to get back to my home
And the ones who miss me so much
Midnight, midnight in Tokyo
Where the neon lights the land of the rising sun
Midnight, oh midnight I must go
But one day I’ll return if you’ll only wait for me
The lyrics of Y&T's song Midnight In Tokyo tell the story of a man who has traveled from afar to be with someone he loves but also misses his home and those he left behind. The opening lines reveal that he came because the other person called to him, and the sound of a guitar drew him like a song on a wave. The song's lyrics use the symbol of a ring of fire that won’t discourage the singer from being with the person he loves. The lyrics suggest that there were many obstacles and perhaps some kind of danger involved in the journey to be together, but the two ultimately end up touching, and he is here with her.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses his admiration for the person he has come to see, talking about feeling her warmth and seeing her strength in her face. He expresses that he has learned respect from her and that he won't be gone for long when he returns home. The song suggests that while the singer loves Tokyo and everything it represents - the neon lights and the land of the rising sun - he is still homesick and longing to be with the people he loves back home. The song ends with the singer promising to return to Tokyo if the other person waits for him, suggesting that their love is strong enough to withstand distance and time apart.
Line by Line Meaning
From afar I have come
I traveled a great distance to be with you
’Cause you called to me
You enticed me to come with the sound of your guitar
A guitar was the sound that you heard
The sound of your playing reached me across the sea
Like a song on a wave
Your music traveled to me like a message on the ocean's currents
From across the sea
I came from a far-off place to be with you
Like a vaguely familiar word
Your playing was a sound that I recognized from somewhere in my past
The ring of fire won’t discourage me
I won't let any obstacles keep me from being with you
Though the earth moved under my feet
The journey to be with you was tumultuous
The day that we touched
The day we finally met in person
And now, I’m here with you
I have made it to your side
But now, I’m wanting to
I am feeling a desire to
Get back to my home and the ones
Return to my own home and the people I miss
I miss so much
Whom I am longing for deeply
Midnight, midnight in Tokyo
It is midnight in Tokyo
Where the neon lights the land of the rising sun
City lights illuminate Tokyo, the capital of Japan
Midnight, oh midnight I must go
I must leave at this time
But one day I’ll return if you’ll only wait for me
I promise to come back to you if you are willing to wait
In each place I can feel the warmth of you
I feel your presence everywhere I go
In your face I can see that you’re strong
Your strength is visible in your face
And respect is what I’ve learned from you
Being with you has taught me to have respect
When I’m gone, it won’t be for long
My absence won't be permanent
I ride the bullet through the heart of you
I ride the bullet train, piercing the heart of Japan
Though the winds will blow
The weather may be rough
And the rain will fall when I’m gone
It may rain while I'm away
And now, I’m here with you
I am with you, in your presence right now
And now, I’m wanting to get back to my home
I am feeling a pull to return to my own home
And the ones who miss me so much
And the people who are eagerly waiting for my return
Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
OGP
From afar I have come 'cause you called to me
A guitar was the sound that you heard
Like a song on a wave from across the sea
Like a vaguely familiar word
The ring of fire won't discourage me
Though the earth moved under my feet
The day that we touched
And now I'm here with you
But now I'm wanting to
Get back to my home and the ones
I miss so much
Midnight, midnight in Tokyo
Where the neon lights the Land of the Rising Sun
Midnight, oh midnight, I must go
But one day I'll return if you'll only wait for me
In each place I can feel the warmth of you
In your face I can see that you're strong
And respect is what I've learned from you
When I'm gone, it won't be for long
I ride the bullet through the heart of you
Though the winds will blow
And the rain will fall when I'm gone
But now I'm here with you
And now I'm wanting to get back to my home
And the ones who miss me so much
Midnight, midnight in Tokyo
Where the neon lights the Land of the Rising Sun
Midnight, oh midnight, I must go
But one day I'll return if you'll only wait for me
Midnight, oh midnight in Tokyo
Where the neon lights the Land of the Rising Sun
Midnight, oh midnight, I must go
But one day I'll return if you'll only wait
Only wait for me
Andy Cano
I saw them in 1983 and was blown away. They deserved a greater recognition in the U.S.
tired comet
Great show much better live in person
dariobava
So ridiculous so underrated it's crazy!!
Fantastic band amazing!!
Harry Callahan
Most underrated Song or the World
circleeh
You know properly. Thank you. 🎉
allyourbeats arebelongtome
My mum put this on a mixtape for me way back in the day with a bunch of other stuff, when people still made mixtapes! I would always fast forward to this tune as it was my favourite. I had a friend called Matthew who loved it too and we would rewind this over and over and sing along in my room. In the words of Bob Dylan ‘I wish, I wish, I wish in vain, that we could sit simply in that room again. Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat, I’d give it all gladly if our lives could be like that.’ I miss that guy. Hope all you lovely youtubers are doing okay. Music connects us, never forget that.
Felix Lopez
Bay Area Boys!!!Way to represent... Dave IS THE MAN!!!HE PLAYS HIS GIBSON LIKE ITS HIS LAST DAY ON EARTH....ALL THE TIME/EVERY TIME!!!AND,BELT OUT AMAZING VOCALS ON TOP OF THAT!!!! GOD BLESS HIM
jeff rosenberg
i grew up watching them at the Keystone
Maxwell Mann
Without a doubt..the most underrated band of the 80s..I love Y&T
joe lynch
Y&T are an amazing talented band. Unfortunately they didn't get the top bill in the US. They were up against some really tough competition back then. The Iron Maiden rock machine, Def Leppard and.,..,....... They got missed. Let's not forget Bon Jovi. Love Yesterday and Today.