bonobos formed in 2001 by vocalist/guitarist Sai Chunho. Later that year Sai would be joined by bassist Morimoto Natsuko, guitarist Sasaki Yasuyuki, and drummer Tsuji Bondo. It was not until 2002 after a few live stints in Osaka that the band would release any demotapes. One of their demos, moujiki fuyu ga kuru, hit #1 on the Kansai (western Japan) area student geared CRJ-west charts. It was voted as the #1 song overall for the year as well on that chart.
bonobos joined on the label GALATIC and released their first mini-album, Headphone Magic. This album sold fairly well for the indie newcomers as it hit the Oricon chart. That same year brought the major debut of bonobos with the song that made them popular in the first place, moujiki fuyu ga kuru. It would be followed in January of 2004 with the single water.
In March of 2004 they released their first full major album, Hover Hover. This brought a lot of attention to the group as they would perform in the Rising Sun Rock Festival that summer.
bonobos are still going strong as they released their second major album, electlyric, in May of 2005.
Source:
http://www.circlewithadot.net/bands/bonobos/bio.html
On And On
bonobos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
調子を奮わせて 赤い河になり
強がる魂 引きづり出すのさ
灰色のまま
誰かが呼ぶまで
くすぶる心を
走っている走っている 知らない間に過ぎた
君がいない街は 広すぎたよ
君の匂い君の想い 流れているはず
遠い記憶の底 嗅ぎ取るのさ
すれ違う記憶の穴に 生まれた光りを見つけ出す
どこか迷いながら 気づき始めていた
一足の行方は 決まってたかもしれない
灰色のまま
誰かに呼ばれて
沸き立つ心を
燃やし始めてる
走っている走っている 知らない間に過ぎた
君がいない街は 広すぎたよ
君の匂い君の想い 流れているはず
遠い記憶の底 嗅ぎ取るのさ
走っている走っている 知らない間に過ぎた
君がいない街は 広すぎたよ
君の匂い君の想い 流れているはず
遠い記憶の底 嗅ぎ取るのさ
呼んでいる呼んでいる ボクに出来るのは
君からの合図 見逃さないことさ
歌っている歌っている ここへ来る足音
明日にはいいこと ありそうだ
The lyrics of "On And On" by Bonobo showcase the struggles of a person trying to move on from a past love. The opening lines talk about remembering a past light within the depths of distant memories. The next lines depict the need to pull the soul from the depths of suppression like a red river flowing. The person is trying to push through their pain and feeling weak while they await someone to call out to them, hoping to light that fire within their soul.
As the song progresses, the person finds themselves running through a city without their love, feeling that the city is too vast and empty without their presence. However, they can still sense the essence of their love within the city's air. They are trying to find their way through the memories, immerse themselves in them, and find a way to move forward.
The chorus repeats the same lines over and over, indicating that the person is still running, still searching for their purpose, but trying to listen to the signals of their past love and the opportunities that the future holds. The lyrics convey the struggle of attempting to move forward while still being haunted by the memories of what was left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
遠い記憶の底で いつかの光りを思い出す
Recalling the light of the past deep in one's distant memories
調子を奮わせて 赤い河になり
Vigorously stirring up one's spirit, becoming a red river
強がる魂 引きづり出すのさ
Dragging out the strong spirit that is pretending to be tough
灰色のまま 誰かが呼ぶまで くすぶる心を 燃やし続けてる
Continuing to burn a simmering heart, grey until someone calls out
走っている走っている 知らない間に過ぎた 君がいない街は 広すぎたよ 君の匂い君の想い 流れているはず 遠い記憶の底 嗅ぎ取るのさ
Running and running, unknowingly passing by a city without you--it was too wide. Your scent and thoughts should be flowing, and I can sniff them out deep in my distant memories
すれ違う記憶の穴に 生まれた光りを見つけ出す
Discovering the light born in the gaps between the memories that pass each other
どこか迷いながら 気づき始めていた 一足の行方は 決まってたかもしれない
While losing one's way, beginning to realize that the path was predetermined
灰色のまま 誰かに呼ばれて 沸き立つ心を 燃やし始めてる
Starting to burn an exuberant heart called out by someone, grey still
呼んでいる呼んでいる ボクに出来るのは 君からの合図 見逃さないことさ
Calling out, calling out--what I can do is not miss the signals from you
歌っている歌っている ここへ来る足音 明日にはいいこと ありそうだ
Singing, singing--the footsteps coming here. Tomorrow, good things seem likely
Contributed by Ava V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@juicewaffle4700
Thank you for uploading bonobos albums! In my country, legal music streaming corporates don't service old bonobos' albums. It is a great pleasure to listen here.
@cawa7229
this album is so good, thanks for uploading it. the resemblance to shinji sato voice is unsettling. it is a shame there is no much information about the band