To "Die" and Beyond - Interpretation

Lyrical Interpretation

Disclaimer: Before I am going to discuss the song meaning, I would like to remind the readers that the text that would be written in this section is completely my interpretation from Cayce’s translation of the lyrics. I may have mistakes or inaccurate interpretation (since I wasn't the one who translated the lyrics) that you may want to point out and if there is, please do leave a comment below. If you have other ideas on the song, please do leave a comment below. The song “die” is open for discussion. 

BT is very direct on this song. The song “die” simply means “(to) die” and it is clearly very blunt that it is a song about dying. At the start of the song, the singer (Sakurai) was still alive and when it ends, he dies. It is rather a fantasy-like process of death and going beyond.

“I spread out both my hands

When I pray to forgive it all”

The first lines of the song reflect that the singer is alive and is in prayer. The spreading of both arms is like an imagery of the Cross which somehow signifies the burden you carry in your life. The prayer is like the imagery of the Christ’s Prayer in Gethsemane, where Christ prays to forgive it all before his crucifixion his death. These two scenarios are the introduction of the song, which means that the person who is the one who is spreading his arms in prayer is the one who will die, and knowing that, he is preparing for it.

“You'll fly down from the sky”

“You” is used quite vaguely in this song in terms of to whom the speaker is referring to. But this line was used before in the previous album Kurutta Taiyou (1991) in the single, Sakura. The line goes:

“Softly, fly down to me again”

Sakura was a song regarding Sakurai's parting with his mother, so, it is relative to assume that he was referring to his mother in this line. It’s an imagery of him being fetched by the spirit of his mother. A common scenario of those who are near to death, when loved ones who passed away appears to fetch them onto the other side. It means he is close to death.

“That thing called the truth—

There was none of it in me

I don’t even know the meaning of living 

Nothing.”

The next few lines show us his vulnerability and his humanity. The start of the song has the imagery of somewhat divine (the cross and Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane), the lines that followed states that he is human and ignorant. He is not all-knowing and he knows nothing of life and death. It also shows his thoughts on his life, as Sakurai always refers to himself as a lost child or as a defective guy with many flaws. Here, he is stating that he is completely human, full of lies and mistakes and not divine which gives a quite contrasting image from the intro of the song.

“Ah, it's like the stars are swimming in the sea;

Ah, like they’re inviting me smiling, into the gentle night;

Crossing the last clouds;

Until the night glitters”

The following lines delve more into the cosmic feeling of death and also the statement of his mortality. The stars refer to the sky which is used as a metaphor of what is beyond or what is in the other side. The stars here is a metaphor of what an Angel of Death is, inviting him onto the other side. The “crossing the last clouds” would mean the final moments in his life as he transcends from life to death. Clouds are quite a common symbol of what is beyond as it usually represents heaven and crossing is used as a metaphor of physically dying as the soul crosses the world of the dead. Sakurai uses the “night” quite often to represent something and in this song, he uses it poetically as a metaphor of death as the end of the day (life) will be night (death).

“I can still fly anywhere, my body exhausted;

Flapping my wings until I die”

Here, the lines portrays that he has not fully succumbed to death and he is using every ounce of his life left to look back and use it all up until he finally gives in. This is one of the glimpses of his “final moments” before crossing to the other side. He is near to death, but not quite, since he has yet to leave his last wishes.

“Let’s part here;

There's no need to be sad...

Just give me a light last kiss

And the sweet dreams end;

Closing my eyes, I feel eternity;

The warmth called death in my skin;

It's not a dream.”

Clearly, these lines mean a goodbye message. It is addressed to loved ones and the people he will leave behind once he will pass on. He just sealed his acceptance of death and these words are his final wishes. Although it’s a goodbye message, the lines where portrayed as if he was just going to sleep especially, using  the allusion of a “light kiss”  which gives off an image of mothers giving children a light kiss before they sleep. Here, death was portrayed in a positive light, like having a sleep. But this sleep would mean an eternal slumber, thus the end of sweet dreams, because death is real. This was also followed by the "closing of eyes", an allusion of physical death and "eternity", which refers to the eternal sleep he will be going through.  It might be contradicting that he used “warmth” to present “death”, but he clearly refers to his mortality as he slowly feels death creeping in as he loses his warmth; his vitality. This just made death more real than ever, because it is happening, right then and there.

“Ah, upon waking, far away and deep

Ah, where is this, who am I? I’ve broken through

My body about to break apart

With my voice, my love”

This would be the start of his “crossing” as he finally embraced death by physically dying and his spirit awakening. This awakening is not of any physical aspect as it is used as a contrast to the physical dying which refers to sleeping. His body is now lifeless together with his voice and his love; all these will be left behind. He is about to leave the mortal world.

“Looking down to gaze at my blue planet;

Vanishing far away;

To everything, goodbye…

I can never return again;

To that ocean where I was born;

Looking down to gaze at my blue planet

Vanishing far away

To everything, goodbye…”

From this point on, he implies that he has been completely released from his corporal vessel. As he went through his own death, he has been able to fly away from everything that is known to him:  his home, his land, his world, and his life. As he utters his final goodbyes, he confirms that what he was going through is something he can never turn back and that is because, death is a permanent and an irreversible reality.

Music Video

BUCK-TICK - Die PV by keyishaan

Perhaps, this is not the most flattering make-up the band has ever been on a PV. But hey, they are showing how to die, and that is not really flattering.

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Notes:

This is my interpretation and opinion about the song, so it is not official. If you have any ideas and suggestions you'd like to share, please do comment below. This post is open for discussion. ^^

Credits:

Video:  keyishaan

Translation: Cayce