The band was originally conceived as a one-off studio project by Hosono, the other two members being recruited session musicians - the idea was to produce an album fusing orientalist exotica (cf their cover version of Martin Denny's Firecracker) with modern electronics. However , the first album (with its cutting-edge production) was very popular, and the studio project grew into a fully fledged touring band and career for its three members.
Making abundant use of new synthesizers, samplers, digital and computer recording technology as it became available, their popularity and influence extended beyond Japan. Generally, the band was highly regarded as electronic pioneer and continues to be remixed and sampled by modern artists. The members have also worked with European synth/new romantic artists, such as David Sylvian of the band Japan. The single Bamboo Houses is one such example (Sylvian/Sakamoto).
The band stopped working together by 1984, the three members returning to their solo careers. They released a one-off reuinion album, Technodon, in 1993.
The early 2000s saw Hosono & Takahashi reunited in a project called Sketch Show. On the occasions when Sakamoto joined them in concerts, they called themselves Human Audio Sponge (HAS). The band played Rydeen at the 2007 Live Earth concert in Kyoto, Japan. They released two new singles that summer under the band name of HASYMO, an updated version of Rydeen and the new song Rescue.
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INSOMNIA
Yellow Magic Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night in the heart
Hours are days
Just passed away
Just alive beneath these caffeine eyes
Void and black
Insomniac
Night after night
And from wall to wall in the brain
The sweet faced angels on their paper wings
In dreams they scream instead of softly sing
Nerves that break
Just kept awake
Ready to die
With open eyes
Sleeping on the blade of an axe
Ready to crack
Insomniac
Night after night
No end in sight
Damn eternal moon you never move
An alien invader of this room
The ticking of the clock that never stops
Oh God!
The lyrics of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s song “Insomnia” describe the plight of an insomniac who is unable to sleep night after night. The first stanza of the song sets the stage for the sleepless night that awaits - it is a "cage of dark" and the night is "in the heart". The hours seem never-ending and pass by slowly like "days". The singer of the song is just "alive beneath these caffeine eyes" and is void of energy as he tries to stay awake.
The second stanza of the song complements the first one and delves deeper into the mind of the insomniac. The nights never seem to end and there is no respite in sight. The insomniac is unable to sleep and keeps himself awake, "just kept awake, ready to die with open eyes". The imagery in the song is haunting, with the dreams portrayed as "sweet faced angels on their paper wings" who scream instead of singing softly. The nerves in the insomniac’s body are about to break, and he is "sleeping on the blade of an axe, ready to crack".
The final stanza in the song is a reflection of the singer's frustration at his inability to sleep. The eternal moon seems to be mocking him, as it refuses to move from the position it has been in all night, while the ticking of the clock provides a constant reminder of the time that is slipping away. The insomniac is crying out to God for relief, as he is overwhelmed by the endless cycle of sleepless nights.
Line by Line Meaning
Cage of dark
Trapped inside the darkness of the night
Night in the heart
Feeling the weight of the night inside the chest
Hours are days
Time feels stretched, as if hours are equivalent to days
Just passed away
Time flies and moments pass by quickly
Just alive beneath these caffeine eyes
Only able to stay awake through constant consumption of caffeine
Void and black
Feeling empty and engulfed in darkness
Insomniac
Unable to sleep despite exhaustion
Night after night
This insomnia is persistent and recurring
No end in sight
There seems to be no hope for a good night's sleep
And from wall to wall in the brain
Mental images and thoughts are bouncing inside the mind
The sweet faced angels on their paper wings
The dream world is filled with harmless and gentle beings
In dreams they scream instead of softly sing
Even the dream world is distorted and unsettling
Nerves that break
The anxiety is overwhelming and nerve-wracking
Just kept awake
Continuously staying awake in misery
Ready to die
The desperation for sleep can lead to suicidal thoughts
With open eyes
Unable to close the eyes even for a moment
Sleeping on the blade of an axe
Sleep feels dangerous and threatening
Ready to crack
On the brink of losing control mentally and emotionally
Damn eternal moon you never move
Feeling anger towards the moon that never sets and prolongs the night
An alien invader of this room
The insomnia feels like an unwelcome and foreign presence inside the room
The ticking of the clock that never stops
The sound of the clock only amplifies the feeling that time is dragging on
Oh God!
The desperation and hopelessness of the situation cannot be expressed in words
Contributed by London J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.