The Blog-Tick Phenomenon: Lucifer a Go Go

17.4.10

Lucifer a Go Go

If you're thinking that I only titled the last post the way I did so it would juxtapose well with this post, then you're absolutely right. And my apologies for taking so long to get around to translating Lucy's second album Rockarollica II! I can't promise the entire album any time soon, but for your enjoyment, here is my translation of "Lucifer a Go Go"...and as a bonus, you can sing these English lyrics with the original melody! Shock your family, shock your friends. Enjoy!

P.S. For those of you who don't know, Lucy is a super-group consisting of Imai Hisashi from Buck-Tick on guitar and vocals, Kiyoshi from Madbeavers and Media Youth on guitar and vocals, and Okazaki Katsuhige from Guniw Tools and Age of Punk on drums. Lucy got their start in 2003, playing raunchy rock-n-roll in a sort of tribute to Imai and Kiyoshi's late friend hide of X Japan. Imai's detour into working on Lucy meant that in 2004, Buck-Tick took a break from activities. In multiple interviews, when Sakurai was asked about his solo project, he said, "Well Imai was cheating on me with Lucy, so I had to do something." Lucy has released two albums so far, Rockarollica and Rockarollica II. Most recently, they played live alongside Awaji Yukuhiro's band Acid Android and Fujii Maki's band Suilen at Music & People, a rock event sponsored by magazine Ongaku to Hito in November 2008 at Yokohama Blitz.

As always, translation by Cayce. Credit me and link me if you repost, pretty please.

LUCIFER A GO GO
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Imai Hisashi
Album: Rockarollica II
2006.4.26 Victor Invitation

Angel of the Land of Depravity
His name is Lucifer Morningstar
He's the Angel of Hell, Baby
In Babylon Baby, Baby
On his favorite six-legged horse yeah
Running through the Forest of Confession
In the sky above the hill of misery
Angel's blowing, blowing on his trumpet yeah

Charismatic Prince Lucifer
Lilith & Paradise Lost, yeah
He's the Angel of Hell, Baby
In Babylon Baby, Baby
Great Dragon of the dawn incarnate¹
One jump off of his rebel tower
Playing his trump card, Sodom & Gomorrah²
One pair, he lines up boredom & ennui³

Pillars of fire piercing the sky
Pillars of ice, yeah, pointed sharp like frozen spears
It's an illusion
The sound of the breaking waves reaches my ears
We're here in the Country of Fools
I hear the heretics singing the forbidden songs
It's an illusion
The sound of the waves come to wash it away

Angel lord of the Abyss, yeah
That bastard, he's Almighty
He's the Angel of Hell, Baby
In Babylon Baby, Baby
My name is the Angel Lucifer
Shining brighter than anyone, anywhere
Crawling up to Valley of the Fall, yeah
In Eden, he's gonna eat the apple now

Pillars of fire piercing the sky
Pillars of ice, yeah, pointed sharp like frozen spears
It's an illusion
The sound of the breaking waves reaches my ears
We're here in the Country of Fools
I hear the heretics singing the forbidden songs
It's an illusion
The sound of the waves come to wash it away

He's gonna eat the apple now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now⁴
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now
He's gonna eat the apple now
He's feeling the renaissance now
He's gonna eat the apple now

Note: This song deals with the story of Lucifer Morningstar, who was once the brightest and most powerful angel in heaven. But when he started becoming power-hungry and "building his tower too high" God felt he was a threat and cast Lucifer and his angels out of Heaven. In some stories, Lucifer and his angels must forever fly above the Abyss, but in others, he went down into the Abyss and made it his kingdom, thus becoming the Devil, Lord of Hell. As the Devil, he went to the Garden of Eden in the form of a serpent and tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, often represented as an apple. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit they became as God, knowing good and evil. As punishment for disobeying his orders and eating the fruit, God cast them out of Eden to make their way in the cold, hard world...but he couldn't take their knowledge away.

In any case, I'm no Biblical scholar, so if you want more detailed information, I highly recommend you do some research on your own. Also for the record, this song is not intended to offend the religious beliefs of anyone out there. Japan is a largely secular country with only a very, very small population of Christians, so Christian imagery tends to get tossed around freely in Japanese culture, often without any deep meaning intended.

1) "Great Dragon" is an antiquated name for the Devil.

2) Sodom & Gomorrah were two cities destroyed by God in the Old Testament of the bible because of the supposed moral depravity of their residents.

3) "One Pair" is a poker reference.

4) The word here that I translated as "renaissance" is "rinne," the Japanese word for the Buddhist cycle of death and rebirth. Though "Renaissance" with a capital "R" usually refers to the period in European history between the 14th and 17th centuries, its original, literal meaning is "rebirth." I used the word here because I think Imai's talking about a stronger concept than just simple rebirth--he's talking about how the fall from Eden started a revolution.

LUCIFER A GO GO

Lyrics:今井寿

Music:今井寿

Album: Rockarollica II

2006.4.26 Victor Invitation

堕落の国のAngel

名は明けの明星　ルシファー

地獄の天使さ　BABY

Babylonで　BABY BABY

六本足の愛馬で　懺悔の森を駆け抜ける

嘆きの丘の上空　天使がラッパを吹いている

カリスマ　プリンス　ルシファー

リリスとパラダイスロスト

地獄の天使さ　BABY

Babylonで　BABY BABY

夜明けのドラゴンは化身　反逆の塔を一飛び

切札　ソドムとゴモラ　そそるワンペア無駄と怠惰

天を突く火柱か　凍てつく氷柱の槍か

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音が聞こえる

ここは愚かの地　禁断の歌も聞こえる

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音がかき消す

奈落のそこのAngel

ヤツはオールマイティー

地獄の天使さ　BABY

Babylonで　BABY BABY

我が名はエンジェル・ルシファー　誰より強く輝く者

堕天の谷を這い上がり　エデンでリンゴをかじっている

天を突く火柱か　凍てつく氷柱の槍か

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音が聞こえる

ここは愚かの地　禁断の歌も聞こえる

そうか　イリュージョン　波の音がかき消す

リンゴをかじっている

リンゴをかじっている　リンネをかんじている

リンゴをかじっている

LUCIFER A GO GO
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Imai Hisashi
Album: Rockarollica II
2006.4.26 Victor Invitation

Daraku no kuni no Angel
Na wa ake no myoujou Rushifaa
Jigoku no tenshi sa BABY
Babylon de BABY BABY
Roppon ashi no aiba de zange no mori wo kakenukeru
Nageki no oka no joukuu tenshi ga rappa wo fuiteiru

Karisuma Purinsu Rushifaa
Ririrsu no Paradaisu Rosuto
Jigoku no tenshi sa BABY
Babylon de BABY BABY
Yoake no doragon wa keshin hangyaku no tou wo hitotobi
Kirifuda Sodomu to Gomorrah sosoru wanpea muda to taida

Ten wo tsuku hibashira ka itetsuku tsurara no yari ka
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kikoeru
Koko wa oroka no chi kindan no uta mo kikoeru
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kakikesu

Naraku no soko no Angel
Yatsu wa oorumaitii
Jigoku no tenshi sa BABY
Babylon de BABY BABY
Wa ga na wa Enjeru Rushifaa dare yori tsuyoku kagayaku mono
Daten no tani wo haiagari Eden de ringo wo kajitteiru

Ten wo tsuku hibashira ka itetsuku tsurara no yari ka
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kikoeru
Koko wa oroka no chi kindan no uta mo kikoeru
Sou ka iryuujon nami no oto ga kakikesu

Ringo wo kajitteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru Rinne wo kanjiteiru
Ringo wo kajitteiru

1 comment:

AnonymousApril 17, 2010 at 11:34 AM
So they view it more or less the same as the Greek religion, like mythology? They often have Greek,gods mentioned too,(in Buck-Tick songs, that is) that's why I'm asking, but, great post. Thank you!
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How have you been heart feeling?

B-Tホームページの英語版について

Buck-Tickのホームページに新しく英語版を立ち上げるのは素晴らしいですが、英語版の文章は明らかにネイティヴではないので、誠に勝手ですが、よりスムーズな文章として、以下の修正を提案します。

まず、「バクチク現象」というフレーズには「The Buck-Tick Phenomenon」という訳の方が合っています。なぜかというと、「Syndrome」は「症状群」の意味をして、病気のニュアンスを表現するため、響きはあんまりポジチブではありません。一方、Picture Product Iに録画されている「Sen-Sor」のシナリオにて、「バクチク現象」は「The Buck-Tick Phenomenon」として訳されていますので、訳を統一する観点からも、「Phenomenon」の方がいいと思います。

プロフィールの文章を全体的に自然な英語に修正させていただきましたので、どうぞご参照ください。英語は文章・単語・表現だけではなく、句読点やフォーマットも日本語と異なりますので、英語のプロフェショナルな基準に合わせて修正しました。

One-of-a-kind rock band Buck-Tick got their start in the mid 1980's as an iconic product of Japan's "band boom." Maintaining the same lineup of members for the entirety of their 30-year career, Buck-Tick have had an enormous influence on the subsequent development of Japanese rock and rock-n-roll culture.

In 1989, the band scored their first chart-topping hit with their third album, Taboo. Just two years after their debut, they joined the ranks of Japan's top artists, playing to sold-out crowds at the Nippon Budoukan and the Tokyo Dome.

Never content to rest on their laurels, the band followed their initial success by deepening their pop sensibilities with a darker worldview, and expanding into more experimental territory, taking chances on radical new performance styles and technology in a process of continuing evolution.

In 2012, the band established their own new label, Lingua Sounda, in conjunction with their 25th anniversary. To celebrate the anniversary, the band held a festival on September 22nd and 23rd entitled "Buck-Tick Fest 2012 on Parade" in Chiba Port Park at an outdoor venue designed specially for the occasion. In addition to two hour-long headlining performances by Buck-Tick, the festival also featured a complete roster of artists who contributed tracks to Buck-Tick's second tribute cover album, Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick.

In 2013, a double-feature documentary film about the 25th anniversary, The Buck-Tick Phenomenon, was released in cinemas throughout Japan to great acclaim.

In 2016, the band returned to their original label, Victor Entertainment, after 20 years of work with other labels. New World, the band's first single since rejoining Victor, was released on September 21st, followed by a new album, Atom Miraiha No. 9 on September 28th.

In 2017, Buck-Tick celebrated their 30th anniversary, and were awarded the Inspiration Award Japan, a special prize given to music artists who have had an outsize influence on the development of pop music in Japan. The band accepted their award on September 27th at MTV Japan's live music video awards show Video Music Awards Japan 2017 -The Live-,” where they also gave a special live performance.

On September 20th, the band released a 30th anniversary best album entitled Catalogue 1987-2016. Following this, on September 23rd and 24th, the band performed a pair of concerts, Buck-Tick 2017 The Parade -30th Anniversary, "Fly Side" and "High Side," at Tokyo's Odaiba Special Outdoor Event Area J, attracting a crowd of more than 20,000 people over two days. Then on November 15th, the band released its first 30th anniversary single, Babel.

Before releasing Babel, the band embarked on an 18-stop national tour, The Day in Question 2017, opening at Omiya Sonic City on October 21st and featuring a stadium performance at Takasaki Arena in their home prefecture of Gunma, before concluding with a pair of finale concerts at the Nippon Budoukan on December 28th and 29th.

In 2018, the band released another single, Moon Tell Me Goodbye, on February 21st, followed by a new album, No. 0, on March 14th. The band are currently in the middle of a new tour, Buck-Tick 2018 Tour No. 0, to promote the new album.

しかし、これよりもっと格好いいプロフィールはいかがですか？既にファンになっている方々はこの情報を全部知っているはずなので、プロフィールは新しいファンにアピールした方が有効なプロモになると思います。履歴書をリストアップするよりは、なぜバクチクが唯一無二の日本ロック伝説ですか？バクチクはどんな音・歌詞・感情を表現しますか？バクチクの達成だけではなく、音楽性と格好良さを新しくファンになる方々にもっと深く知らせるために、以下の通り、少し書いてみました。マネジメントチームの英語が出来る方に是非呼んでいただいて、バクチクの愛を感じさせるより綺麗で国際的な英語をご検討下さい。

One-of-a-kind rock band Buck-Tick got their start in the mid 1980's as an iconic product of Japan's "band boom." All hailing from the small rural town of Fujioka, Gunma Prefecture, the five band members met while still in high school, bonding over a mutual love of records during informal gatherings at the home of band founder, lead guitarist and main songwriter, Hisashi Imai. Though the band's original lineup featured a different vocalist and Atsushi Sakurai on drums, after graduating high school and moving to Tokyo to pursue their dream of becoming professional musicians, the band soon switched Sakurai to vocals, and bassist Yutaka Higuchi recruited his older brother Toll Yagami to play drums instead. The band have maintained the same five members since that time.

After being signed to the indie label Taiyo Records, the band rocketed to stardom, making their major label debut on Victor Entertainment within a year, and taking the Japanese music scene by storm with their infectious punk melodies, spiky bleached hair, bold costumes, and theatrical stage shows. Within two years, they topped the charts with their third album, Taboo. Recorded in London, Taboo marked a turning point for the band, from a teenage pop sensation into something darker. Buck-Tick continued into darker territory with their next album, Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil), named for the poetry of Charles Baudelaire.

Never content to rest on their laurels, Buck-Tick followed their initial runaway success with a push into more experimental territory, spending many more hours in the studio to create ever deeper, more layered records. Koroshi no Shirabe -This is NOT Greatest Hits- (The Song of Murder), a self-cover album featuring heavily reworked versions of the band's earlier material, was followed by another album, Kurutta Taiyou (Crazy Sun), now regarded as a classic of Japanese rock and roll. From this album forward, vocalist Sakurai took a greater role in the band's creative output, penning darker, more introspective lyrics based on personal experience rather than the romantic fantasies of the band's previous works. While lead guitarist Imai remained the band's main composer and creative director, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino also began to contribute more to the songwriting, cementing the band's mature sound.

Over the next two decades, Buck-Tick continued to evolve, exploring a diversity of genres ranging from new wave to industrial, shoegaze, punk, electronica, dreampop, surf rock, rap, Latin dance, goth, and symphonic metal. Drawing on both Western and Eastern influences, the band developed a unique style instantly recognizable despite their continuous genre-hopping. Layers of minimalist riffs, melodies, and electronic tracks synergize into an immersive, kaleidoscopic sonic experience far more than the sum of its parts. Tied together with the tight grooves of the Higuchi brothers' bass and drums and the bold simplicity of Hoshino's rhythm guitar, Buck-Tick's songs feature Imai's instantly memorable guitar licks like a second vocalist, even as Imai often adds eccentric backing vocals to Sakurai's rich baritone lead vocals. Cosmic themes of love and death abound in the piquant, poetic lyrics, which traverse as many genres as the music, overflowing with inspiration from art, literature, and philosophy.

The result is something utterly original, which continues to exert a tremendous influence on the progress of Japanese rock music to this day. Maintaining a large and wildly devoted cult following, the band continue to perform for sold-out crowds at Japan's most well-respected music venues, and are regularly cited as an influence by younger Japanese artists. A number of Buck-Tick's songs were also used as themes for popular anime series, expanding the band's fame internationally among fans of Japanese pop culture in dozens of countries around the world.

The band's recent achievements include establishment of their own new record label, Lingua Sounda, in 2012, and a 25th anniversary festival held in September 2012 at a special outdoor venue in Chiba Port Park, featuring an all-star roster of artists who contributed tracks to Buck-Tick's second tribute cover album, Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-. In 2013, a double-feature documentary film, The Buck-Tick Phenomenon, was released to great acclaim in theaters across Japan.

In 2016, Buck-Tick returned to their original label, Victor Entertainment, after 20 years of separation, releasing a single, New World, followed by Atom Miraiha No. 9, their first new studio album since 2014.

In September 2017, the band cemented their legacy as Japanese rock legends by celebrating their 30th anniversary with a two-day outdoor concert series, Buck-Tick 2017 The Parade -30th Anniversary, "Fly Side" and "High Side," held on Tokyo's Odaiba Island before a crowd of more than 20,000 people. The next week, the band took to the stage again at MTV Japan's Video Music Japan awards to accept the Inspiration Award Japan, a special prize given to music artists who have had an outsize influence on the development of pop music in Japan.

In October 2017, the band embarked on a national tour, The Day in Question 2017, performing a selection of hits from their back catalog to celebrate their anniversary, and featuring a stadium performance at Takasaki Arena, near the band's home town.

Entering their 31st year of major label activities, the band show no sign of slowing down. Two new singles, Babel and Moon Sayonara wo Oshiete (Moon Tell Me Goodbye), preceded the band's 21st studio album, No. 0, and the band are currently in the middle of a new tour, Buck-Tick 2018 Tour No. 0, to promote the new album.

Fish Tank様へ～

世界諸国にB-Tファンが増え続けています。どうやってB-Tを知ったかというと、ウエブでB-Tの写真やYouTubeでB-TのPVを見たり、海外ファンサイトでバンドの英訳された情報を調べたり、ファンになります。海外のB-Tファンは基本的に日本語出来ないため、ファンサイトがなければ、B-Tのファンにはなっていないのは事実です。ウエブ上でコンテンツをシェアする目的は著作権侵害ではなく、単純にB-Tの情報、CD、グッズ等は海外で手に入らないからです。B-Tをもっと知りたい、もっと楽しみたいと思ってるから、シェアします。

日本でライブを見に来る海外ファンはいますが、海外から日本に来るには非常にお金かかるし、お金だけではなく、学校・仕事・家族等の都合などで、いくらでも「日本に行ってB-Tのライブに行きたい！」と思っても、海外旅行行けそうもないファンの方が遥かに多いです。特に、日本のファンと違って、海外では年齢の若いB-Tファンが多いし、まだ学生なので海外に行く余裕はありません。

こんなファン達はB-Tを応援したいと思っていますが、海外ではB-TのCDやDVDはほとんど売っていないし、売ったとしても、送料や関税で日本の値段より高い場合が多いです。しかも、海外ファンにとってFish Tank会員になるには、会報は日本語のみで読めないし、日本にいないからライブにも行けないので、会員になるメリットが極めて少ないため、会員にならない海外ファンは少なくありません。ただ、もしBUCK-TICK様がiTunes等の海外でもダウンロード可能のデジタルアルバムや会報の英語版などの海外ファン向けサービスを開始したら、私達海外ファンが喜んで購入しますので、是非ご検討下さい。

海外ファン達はBUCK-TICKを愛しているから、B-Tの事務所に敵として思われたくないです。でも、例え敵になっても、愛を込め歌おう　汝の敵を　愛する事が　君に出来るか？

17.4.10

Lucifer a Go Go

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B-Tホームページの英語版について

Fish Tank様へ～

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