Tora! Tora! Tora! Lyrics
Exploding in my heart
Is this a love in disguise
Or just a form of modern art
Tora Tora Tora
In the town they were going down
Tora Tora Tora
You played a skeleton
You took my love then died that day
I played an American
Tora! Tora! Tora!
In the town they were going down
Tora! Tora! Tora!
"Tora" = "Tiger" in Japanese. "Tora! Tora! Tora!" was the code signal for the Japanese bombers of Pearl Harbor, during World War II.
In my opinion this song is about deception. I think it is specifically about the potentials and suspicions around Pearl Harbour.(Tora,tora,tora - anonymous attack).
It is not clear who was the intended benefactor, at Pearl Harbour. There is still controversy about the why of Pearl Harbour.
Was the Emperor attempting to tip the balance (all leaders hate war, they just want victory, or failur), or was America looking for a way in?
I believe that this song is about japanese attack on Perl Harbor "From the skies you could almost hear them cry Tora Tora Tora In the town they were going down Tora Tora Tora" I think it's valid proof
great song !
Martin's first work recorded with Depeche Mode. It's a very interesting introduction that paved the way to a very brilliant career indeed.
AgenOren paints a very interesting picture of it...
"I played an American..."
Tora also means 'now' in Greek....
@interpolarity that’s true, add an “h” and it’s also the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah.
@interpolarity that’s true, add an “h” and it’s also the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah.
But, they are definitely talking about the Japanese Tora Tora Tora! (meaning, Tiger Tiger Tiger!) which was the code/war cry to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the name of the 1970 Japanese film about the bombing. Exactly three “Tora!” in a row. As the lyrics say “from the sky you can almost hear them cry Tora Tora Tora”. Never mind the illusions towards dead Americans. The doomy sound of the music works towards war, rather than seizing of the...
But, they are definitely talking about the Japanese Tora Tora Tora! (meaning, Tiger Tiger Tiger!) which was the code/war cry to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the name of the 1970 Japanese film about the bombing. Exactly three “Tora!” in a row. As the lyrics say “from the sky you can almost hear them cry Tora Tora Tora”. Never mind the illusions towards dead Americans. The doomy sound of the music works towards war, rather than seizing of the day “now“. And, last, the industrial techno sound of their music implies an industrial techno event
I believe budofmay if correct is in interpretation. Tora! Tora! Tora! was the title of a 1970 film that was a dramatic retelling of the Pearl Harbor attack details including everything in the days that led up to that tragic moment in American history.
After "Speak and Spell", Vince Clarke left the band to pursue other musical avenues (Yazoo, Erasure), leaving Martin Gore to handle most of the songwriting duties on DM's album #2, "A Broken Frame"--including this cleverly seductive tune about the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, of course, with that hooky chant, "I played an American" at the end...very cool!
Whoops, my bad...this was on "Speak and Spell"!
(Please tell me this slip was not one of those "senior moments"--I maybe over 40 now; plus the "midlife crises" are enough to cope with at the moment!! :P )
It seems so strange that Martin would write a song about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. For some odd reason or other this song really reminds me of an UFO encounter-being analogized to the Pearl Harbor bombing.