submissions

Japan – Talking Drum Lyrics	15 years ago
the only thing i know about this is that a "talking drum" is an african (i think) drum which can be squeezed under the players arm to change the pitch it creates, which can give the sound a vocal quality. i dont know what these lyrics are about though!

submissions

Japan – Swing Lyrics

15 years ago

to me its always been about detachment, isolating yourself from everybody, the song "taking islands in africa" ( which is referenced in this song ) to me also means being alone, or at least away from everyone whos on dry land! "I'm someone you'll neither know nor care, But I'll sit here and watch from afar" to me the lyric "whisper in the wind" is how he seems to other people, like a ghost who is almost not there at all. if i had to pick 1 favourite japan song, it would have to be this one, ive heard it hundreds of times, and have never got tired of it.

submissions

Japan – Nightporter Lyrics

15 years ago

if you like this song, try getting some music by a french composer called "eric satie", he was a reclusive eccentric who wrote for solo piano, youll allready know some of his stuff when you hear it, some of it is eccentric and kind of "quirky", but other pieces are minimal, elegant, beautifull and very haunting, like "nightporter" im sure this japan track is referencing satie as a mark of respect, i know that david sylvian is quite reclusive aswel. by the way, does any one know what the film "the nightporter" is about?

submissions

Japan – In Vogue Lyrics	15 years ago
this is such a beautifull song, as soon as it starts im captivated by it, its so full of longing and regret, it always makes me think of an ex-girlfiend that i missed for years after we split up! i love playing along to this song on my bass guitar, it hypnotises me!

submissions

Japan – Ghosts Lyrics

15 years ago

i read on a website that the bass player from japan ( mick karn ) recently published a painfully honest autobiography, from what i can gather ( i havent read it, but i read a few comments about it on a website ) he speaks of a violent and scary childhood, depression, and the sad fact that the singer from japan was a crazy control freak who was moody and unpredictable ( maybe high on drugs? i dont want to slander anyone! ) to me this song has always been about having a self destructive streak, almost like sabotaging anything good that comes along, i think i was like that when i was younger, its a way of staying in control of your situation, but this is obviously my personal interperation.

submissions

Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids Lyrics	15 years ago
i saw a man doing a nice version of this on youtube, hes just singing and playing an acoustic guitar, i thought it would sound bad! but he did a nice job, heres a link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJV_s4QpcvA&feature=related

submissions

Japan – Despair Lyrics	15 years ago
hello, thanks. i knew and liked this song for years and always wondered what the lyrics meant, once i got a limited edition version of a compilation called "exorcising ghost" which had a lyric sheet in it, i thought "thats good, ill be able to read the lyrics now" but they were printed in french!

submissions

Japan – Burning Bridges Lyrics

15 years ago

to me this song has always created images in my minds eye, the introduction sounds to me like dread, like something bad is going to happen, the droning sound about 1 minute in sounds like an approaching aircraft, the synths sound plaintive, the saxophone remorseful, like the lyrics/vocals, and the ending reminds me of the sinking feeling i get when i realise ive done something im going to regret, maybe im over analysing it! ive got a rare version of this album on vinyl which has the title of this song mistakenly replaced with the title "some kind of fool" ( a song which didnt make the album ) although the singer finished off this song 20 years after japan started it! and included it on a compilation called "everything and nothing"

submissions

Japan – Burning Bridges Lyrics	15 years ago
a long, long time ago i read that some members of the band read a book about (or written by) one of the usaf airmen who carried and dropped one of the nuclear bombs on japan (hiroshima or negasaki) the book described the terrible guilt the crew felt about the mission. this song (or at least the lyrics) was inspired by that book.

submissions

Joy Division – Twenty Four Hours Lyrics

15 years ago

badgerboy; to me this song seems to be about the collapse of ian curtis marriage and ambitions and hopes for his future. (although the last 4 lines show some spirit or desire to find new goals to achieve!) i read that the second album (closer) was released 6 weeks before curtis commited suicide, (its strange that the album cover showed someone on their knees grieving for a dead person lying on a big stone slab, i read that the artwork was chosen by a man called peter saville, who handled all the artwork for factory records) so maybe he did write some lyrics the night before he died (but i doubt it), im sure it wasnt the lyrics in this song. i can remember that at the start of the film control, it showed ian curtis writing some lyrics from a song that was on closer called "heart and soul", the lyrics i think are "existence, well what does it matter? i exist on the best terms i can, the past is now part of my future, the present is well out of hand"

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