In 1997 they hooked up again in Tokyo, and brought into their musical circle the Japanese-Colombian female singer Lisa, who attended Seisen International School, St. Mary's sister school. Lisa had already begun working in music, including serving as vocalist for the group Ram Jam World. The group released their first song Been So Long as a 12-inch single on an indie label, and were soon picked up by the Avex-affiliated Rhythm Zone label. From Avex they released a string of hit singles, and then their debut album Planet Shining, which went to #6 on the Oricon album chart. The group followed this success up with the re-mix album The Replacement Percussionists and a sold-out tour. The group also toured in Korea, where they were well received.
Their wide ranging popularity led to a number of side projects and collaborations, including Taku working on music by major stars like 宇多田ヒカル, Crystal Kay, 坂本龍一 and 松任谷由実, and Verbal working with the Korean superstar female idol group S.E.S. One S.E.S. member, Shoo, was actually born in Yokohama and speaks Japanese, which helped allow the group to attain some level of popularity in Japan in addition to their mega-success in Korea. Verbal has also worked with the pop duos Heartsdales and Halcali, and up and coming foreign idol Christina Milian. In 2001 the group released Expo Expo, and again released a remix album and toured.
In 2002 Lisa released the self-produced single Move On. The song it seems was an announcement of sorts, as soon after she announced that she was leaving m-flo to concentrate on a solo career, allegedly under acrimonious circumstances. After Lisa's departure m-flo have continued on as a duo, often recording with other artists. They developed a concept of sorts, the “m-flo loves **** ” series, with a guest artist’s name filling in the blank, such as “m-flo loves Akiko Wada”. In May 2004 they released the CD Astromantic and followed it with a related DVD. Astromantic was an album full of collaborations, including cuts with such major artists as BoA, 日之内エミ, Chemistry, Double, Kenji Furuya (of Dragon Ash), Ken Yokoyama (of Crazy Ken Band), and 野宮真貴 (of Pizzicato Five), and eventually released a remix album, Astromantic Charm School, where other composers and mixers would remix the songs from Astromantic. Two years later, m-flo released the album Beat Space Nine, which featured such artists as Yoshika, Emyli, Diggy Mo of SOUL'd OUT, Akiko Wada, and even a song with Lisa. A remix album, Dope Space nine was released much like Charm School.
Recently, an m-flo Inside WORKS BEST II has been released, bringing together some of their best tracks, and remixing them. As one can see, the group has done much, but will be going even further.
Since going solo Lisa has released Juicy Music in April 2003, Gratitude in June 2004, and an album of cover versions, mostly American 1980’s hits like Prince, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, called Melody Circus in April 2005.
March 30th 2007, m-flo releases their new album Cosmicolor which all the songs are collaborations(except the interludes), this time with artist such as melody., 安室奈美恵, DOPING PANDA, Bonnie Pink, Chara, or MINMI. A remix album featuring the songs from Cosmicolor was released(as expected) on September 26, 2007. With the end of the "loves" series m-flo's fans eagerly await their next move.
Verbal from m-flo has his own blog here: http://ameblo.jp/m-flo-verbal/page-1.html He usually writes almost every day.
been so long
m-flo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ねえ ホントにそれでいいの?
Broken promises
甘い言葉に誘われて Yeah
気にしない My periphery 'cause
邪魔者ばかり
噂に聞く Melody's 頭ん中に
搭載 スケールは壮大
I got 口内炎
The fly 住民 いつも troopin'
The 23区 with love 音の囚人
So throw up your hands
冗談抜きな Tech
Urbannite 流れm-flo dialect
You know it didn't
Have to be this way
もう何も言わないで
癒せない この痛みも
聞きたくない 慰め
With all my heart
With all my soul
もう過ぎたことは忘れよう
With all my mind
With all my strength
涙と流れて行くわ
I've been waiting for so long
時と共に消えて行くの
Broken promises
甘い言葉に誘われて Yeah
Strobelite 非常事態発生
Your nonsenseを
完全燃やすぜ It's tragic how
何千もの Rappers come and go
Call this the 番犬 flow
Mc's best look out 使う
Vocab's mental
Remember me
I'm the one you used to doubt
でもそこらの奴と訳が違う
今現在 過去の話しとは縁ない
Ya heard it's uni・ka
It's pay day 叫べ my 芸名
It's verbal I 整形
Designing this while they play
子供騙し Move over
'Cause スゲー
Unidentified 透明で
流れる光のようComin' your way
空掠る 数々と並ぶ
超高層ビル 囲む 音を提供
Let me rock your cradle
You'll never figure out this
迷路の様な
Rhyme schemeの色は 蛍光
I've been waiting for so long
ねえ ホントにそれでいいの?
Broken promises
甘い言葉に誘われて Yeah
心のキズ なぜいつまでも..
Sing it sing it girl
忘れられないのでしょう
Unlearn is the word
真実 Manifest
Why ask why Why?
Got no time for games
言い訳聞かない (That's right)
心の思い聞かせてくれよ
神様 想像以上叶えて下さい
'Cause you can light up
My world
どこからともなく
聞こえてくる音 Coming
From the underground to a scene
That is minus 10 degrees
寒い We heat it up
限りない この Flow
Unforgettable いつまでも
Yes yes on and on to the
これ文句なし
When I flush down your 歌詞
We doin' this
一足お先 We formulatin'
Touch with 名言
Yo what's your ステーション
I.d 聞け 最新 コンビネーション
With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my mind
With all my strength
With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my strength
I've been waiting for so long
ねえ ホントにそれでいいの?
Broken promises
甘い言葉に誘われて Yeah
I've been waiting for so long
時と共に消えて行くの
Broken promises
甘い言葉に誘われて Yeah
The song "Been So Long" by m-flo talks about waiting for a long time for something that may never come. The lyrics express feelings of disappointment and frustration about broken promises and being tempted by sweet words. The singer listens to music and tries to forget their pain but the memories still hurt. The lyrics also contain references to Japanese culture, with mentions of the 23 wards of Tokyo, and the use of words like "melody" and "scale" in the context of music.
The lyrics describe the singer's experience as a rapper, with lines like "Mc's best look out" and "Call this the 番犬 flow." The song touches on themes of perseverance and determination in the music industry. The singer seems confident in their skills as a rapper, challenging other MCs to keep up with their "vocab's mental" and "verbal I 整形" (meaning their rhymes are "surgically enhanced").
Line by Line Meaning
I've been waiting for so long
I have been waiting for a very long time.
ねえ ホントにそれでいいの?
Hey, is that really okay?
Broken promises
Promises that were made but never kept.
甘い言葉に誘われて Yeah
Yes, I was tempted by sweet words.
気にしない My periphery 'cause
I am not concerned with my surroundings because...
邪魔者ばかり
...there are only nuisances around me.
噂に聞く Melody's 頭ん中に
The melody that I heard in rumors is stuck in my head.
搭載 スケールは壮大
The scale of it all is huge.
美味しく Ate too many mc's
I enjoyed it, but I consumed too many MCs (rappers).
I got 口内炎
I have a mouth ulcer.
The fly 住民 いつも troopin'
The inhabitants of The Fly are always trooping around.
The 23区 with love 音の囚人
The prisoners of sound in Tokyo's 23 wards with love.
So throw up your hands
Raise your hands in the air.
冗談抜きな Tech
Serious technical skills.
Urbannite 流れm-flo dialect
Urbanite speaking in the flow of m-flo's dialect.
You know it didn't
You know it wasn't necessary.
Have to be this way
Things did not have to end up like this.
もう何も言わないで
Please don't say anything anymore.
癒せない この痛みも
This pain cannot be healed.
聞きたくない 慰め
I do not want to hear any comfort.
With all my heart
With all of my heart.
With all my soul
With all of my soul.
もう過ぎたことは忘れよう
Let's forget about what has already passed.
With all my mind
With all of my mind.
With all my strength
With all of my strength.
涙と流れて行くわ
Tears are flowing away.
時と共に消えて行くの
It disappears with time.
Strobelite 非常事態発生
Strobelite, we have an emergency.
Your nonsenseを
Your nonsense is going to be...
完全燃やすぜ
fully burned down.
It's tragic how
It's sad how...
何千もの Rappers come and go
Thousands of rappers come and go.
Call this the 番犬 flow
This is called the watchdog flow.
Mc's best look out 使う
MCs better watch out, I use...
Vocab's mental
my vocabulary is insane.
Remember me
Don't forget about me.
I'm the one you used to doubt
I am the person you used to doubt.
でもそこらの奴と訳が違う
But I am different from those around here.
今現在過去の話しとは縁ない
Currently, I have nothing to do with my past.
Ya heard it's uni・ka
You heard it's unique.
It's pay day 叫べ my 芸名
It's payday, call out my stage name.
It's verbal I 整形
It's verbal, I'm reconstructing...
Designing this while they play
Designing this while they play.
子供騙し Move over
Child's play, move over.
'Cause スゲー
Because it's amazing.
Unidentified 透明で
Unidentified, transparent.
流れる光のようComin' your way
Like flowing light, Comin' your way.
空掠る 数々と並ぶ
Alongside the countless that glide through the sky.
超高層ビル 囲む 音を提供
Providing the sound that surrounds the skyscrapers.
Let me rock your cradle
Let me rock your cradle.
You'll never figure out this
You will never figure this out.
迷路の様な
Like a maze...
Rhyme schemeの色は 蛍光
The color of the rhyme scheme is fluorescent.
Sing it sing it girl
Sing it, sing it girl.
心のキズ なぜいつまでも..
Why do the wounds in my heart linger...
Unlearn is the word
Unlearn is the word.
真実 Manifest
The truth manifests.
Why ask why Why?
Why ask why Why?
Got no time for games
I do not have time for games.
言い訳聞かない (That's right)
I will not listen to excuses (That's right).
心の思い聞かせてくれよ
Please listen to my heart's thoughts.
神様想像以上叶えて下さい
God, please grant more than I can imagine.
'Cause you can light up
Because you can light up...
My world
My world.
どこからともなく
From somewhere...
聞こえてくる音 Coming
I hear the sound coming.
From the underground to a scene
From the underground to a scene.
That is minus 10 degrees
That is negative 10 degrees.
寒い We heat it up
It is cold, but we heat it up.
限りない この Flow
This flow is endless.
Unforgettable いつまでも
Unforgettable forever.
Yes yes on and on to the
Yes yes, on and on to the...
これ文句なし
This is perfect.
When I flush down your 歌詞
When I flush down your lyrics...
We doin' this
We are doing this.
一足お先 We formulatin'
One step ahead, we are formulating.
Touch with 名言
Touched with famous sayings.
Yo what's your ステーション
Yo, what's your station?
I.d 聞け 最新 コンビネーション
I.D., listen to the latest combination.
Lyrics © TV Asahi Music Co., Ltd.
Written by: VERBAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mflo
Listen on streaming & download.
https://avex.lnk.to/m-flo
@user-cb7io1ck4s
何回聴いても何年聴いても色褪せない。m-flo最高！
@Rico-ry9mb
曲がオシャレ、声がオシャレ、MVがオシャレ。全部オシャレや
@kasba624
本当。。ｍ-floは時代関係なくいつ聞いても良い曲を作てくれるな
10年前にこの曲聞いた時、めっちゃオシャレだと思ったが今でも同じ感じｗｗ
@user-ib5lc2sz8k
ボストンでPV撮るセンスの良さ。本人達もインターナショナルやから何の違和感もない。かっこいい。
@user-vu7ex7ht6x
改めて言う事じゃないかもしれないけど、VERBALって単なるバイリンガルラッパーじゃないよね
素晴らしいフロー、スキルフルすぎる
@macbig73
これは神曲中の神曲でしょ。誰にも真似できなぃサウンド、ビジュアル、グルーブ感。私は彼らの信者かも知れません。
@subrime
エレクトリックピアノの旋律とLISAの声、VERBALのラップ...好きすぎて耳が幸せです。
@macbig73
名曲でしょ。とにかく究極の名曲中の名曲でしょう。当時の思い出が走馬灯のようによみがえる。
そして、また、この曲が一番似合う季節（秋＆冬）が巡ってきましたね。
@lemontree011
I like both versions, only because they grasp a different feel when you listen to each of them. In the end it's a matter of tastes and what you're in the mood for.