Alphaville » Tracks » Big In Japan

Alphaville – Big In Japan (4:32)

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About This Track

Background:

The title of the song is a kind of joke/proverb. For instance, many rock bands that are well past their prime continue to be “Big in Japan” long after they cannot draw a large audience in the UK or US.
However, this song is mostly about a couple, who tries to get off a heroin addiction. The lead signer Marian Gold explains this this way:

“I must admit the only ones who understood the meaning of the song correctly were Bernhard (Lloyd) and our then publisher Andy Budde. Bernhard recognized the quality of the song and Andy the ability of its marketing. ‘Big In Japan’ tells about a couple of lovers trying to get off Heroin. They both imagine how great it would be to love without the drug: no steal, no clients, no ice age in the pupil, real emotions, true worlds. Till nowadays Berlin station Zoo is an important meeting place for junkies. That’s why this place became a venue of the song. In 1977 I was quite regular in a club in Kreuzberg, the SO36. I hoped to meet David Bowie. There was the rumor he would be in Berlin for withdrawal treatment in that period. There was a fellow, who sold stuff of independent bands from US and UK. I bought the album of a British band named Big In Japan. “Big in Japan” meant so much as if you are nothing in your environs, you can be big somewhere else. You can be a king in another world. And if you aren’t that, you can tell it at home.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Forever Young
    Alphaville Play
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  • First Harvest 1984-92
    Alphaville Play
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  • SWR1 - Achtzig 80er
    Various Play
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  • Stark Naked and Absolutely Live
    Alphaville Play
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See all 52 albums

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  • Laurent-lafite

    Il s'agit de notre jeunesse...

    Tuesday evening

  • altkleider

    immer wieder klasse

    last week

  • humannaturegirl

    nice song ;-)

    12 days ago

  • odinthorn

    It's easy when your big in the pants!

    last month

  • kkam7

    Up there in my top 10 80`s tracks.The golden era for music.

    March 2012

  • junkal28

    Increíble!

    March 2012

  • TetrisRock

    OOOOH THE EASTERN SEA'S SO BLUUUUE

    March 2012

  • lukasz_pulawski

    everything can be big in Japan

    March 2012

  • stretch00

    love this band more than life itself...!

    February 2012

  • altkleider

    super

    February 2012

  • sirthorty

    remember graduation school trip towards Austria when this song released to the world....phantastic memories :-)

    February 2012

  • luisa20051972

    reminds me my childhood...so long ago!

    February 2012

  • Bee4Cee

    ;-)

    January 2012

  • divx111

    bardzo dobre wspomnienia

    January 2012

  • Kawabiker1958

    klasse top

    January 2012

  • crocy2

    a big song...

    January 2012

  • MILESOFTRANCE

    AWESOME::::::::::::

    January 2012

  • McHeir

    the beginning is so good! ;p

    December 2011

  • MJRocker1987

    Jam.

    November 2011

  • rikrijean

    ...with the best known.......very great song......love it.....

    November 2011
See all 460 shouts

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