'ENDLESS RAIN'

“Endless Rain” is one of my favorite songs from the band X Japan, along with “Longing”, “Say Anything” and “Without You”. This emotional live music video was recorded right before the breakup of the group. It was their last concert date entitled, "The Last Live". You may notice that the band members each had their moments, weeping. The audience sang along, also in a capella, towards the end of the tune. X Japan has done this a few times in the past, as a rest for accompaniment, playing a sober ballad to wrap up a night of music. But the audience kept on singing even after the band had finished performing and had already left the stage one by one, and even further after this particular video itself was cut.

In the full concert video, they had to start playing the intro of the next song to make them stop. It was as if they wanted their music to keep on playing, even without them together. With this kind of symbolic farewell from the fans, it was either some of them were forcing slightly stoic faces / blank expressions on themselves or trying hard not to burst and break down in tears. Yoshiki can be seen sadly bowing to the crowd after he played piano live, as a part of the complete roster of X Japan, one final time. Tragically, soon after the concert tour, their guitarist, Hideto Matsumoto or “Hide” to friends and fans (the one in the flamboyant neon suit and pink hair), died. This was his last live performance as a member of the band.

I don’t know if the Japanese characters would appear in the lyrics below, some software applications have difficulty showing them. But I also inscribed how they sound like, spelled in the English alphabet. As one fan put it: “You don't need to know the language. Music is the universal language.”

“ENDLESS RAIN” by X JAPAN

I'm walking in the rain

行くあてもなく　傷ついた身体濡らし

yuku ate mo naku kizutsuita karada nurashi

絡みつく凍りのざわめき

karamitsuku koori no zawameki

殺しつづけて　彷徨う　いつまでも

koroshi tsuzukete samayou itsu made mo

Until I can forget your love

眠りは麻藥

nemuri wa mayaku tohou ni kureta

途方にくた　心を靜かに溶かす

kokoro o shizuka ni tokasu

舞い上かる　愛を踊らせて

mai agaru ai o odorasete

ふるえる身体を記憶の薔薇いつつむ

furueru karada o kioku no bara-a ni tsutsumu

I keep my love for you to myself

Endless rain, fall on my heart

心の傷に

kokoro no kizu ni

Let me forget all of the hate, all of the sadness

(*Days of joy, days of sadness, slowly pass me by 
As I try to hold you, you are vanishing before me

You're just an illusion

When I awaken, my tears have dried in the sand of sleep

I'm a rose blooming in the desert*)

It's a dream, I'm in love with you

まどろみ抱きしぬて

madoromi dakishimete

Endless rain, fall on my heart

心の傷に

kokoro no kizu ni

Let me forget all of the hate, all of the sadness

I wake from my dream

I can't find my way without you

The dream is over

聲にならない　言葉を繰り返しても

koe ni naranai kotoba o kurikaeshite mo

高すぎる　灰色の壁は

takasugiru hai iro no kabe wasugi satta hi no

過ぎ去った日の思いを夢に寫す

omoi o yume-e ni utsusu

Until I can forget your love

Endless rain, fall on my heart

心の傷に

kokoro no kizu ni

Let me forget all of the hate, all of the sadness

Endless rain, let me stay

evermore in your heart

Let my heart take in your tears, take in your memories

Endless rain, fall on my heart

心の傷に

kokoro no kizu ni

Let me forget all of the hate, all of the sadness

Endless rain...