One listen.

A bit surprised I got so much out of the song. I don’t know why, it makes sense, but I’m surprised. I’m not sure how well what I wrote covers the song, however.

Ryuichi Sakimoto’s (坂本 龍一) “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” is from Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, the soundtrack for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. The previous song I wrote about, “Forbidden Colours”, is a vocal version of this song that Ryuichi Sakimoto recorded, and I think it’s interesting how – at least instrumentally – these two versions have a similar and different feel.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

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Floating, shimmering, and slight slides of sound. Brightness and sound forming in, forming onward, carrying a melancholy, a sadness. Or a beauty and appreciation for life, or all and nothing.

Suddenly it all comes into view. Into framing. Percussion strong, punchy, and more percussion creating a melody, stepping around whilst other sound there haunts, almost. Trying to come into reality. Trying to come into a tangible shape.

It plays out, plays out with a weight, with a lightness. With formality and acceptance, and then something rises and and starts wobbling underneath, pushing the sounds up, almost. Lifting them above itself.

Back to the main melody and it’s all sorts of spaced and angular, and perhaps ornate in a rather simple way, so to speak. It has elegance and weariness, and it has so many things happening in it. And it continues with its walk, and soon something gets up. It gets up and it moves slowly, steadily, and walks forward to a light. It pulses in a darkness, pulsing not quite rapidly, but nearly there.

A slight stumble here and there, but it keeps going. Defiant, moving forward, moving toward, moving closer, looking, feeling a joy in it all, almost. Or perhaps it is feeling an inevitability, unable to escape cycles, unable to escape continues pain, unwilling to deny, unwilling to reject. Unwilling to resist.

Everything moves toward a conclusion, either terrible or joyous, and then a strike. A strike, a movement, an action taken, and everything fades out before the conclusion is wholly revealed, and the song ends.