Listen to or download the song.
Play this on the jukebox and listen to a lot of other versions too.
You can also download all the different musical versions, in the order they went up.
Check m.c.A.T’s website and anime songs page for more info.
Check these videos for more information:
“Oh! My Precious!” (Video by Spike Lee)
“Bomb A Head!”
CREDITS:
All vocals arranged & performed by m.c.A.T
Guitar performed by KB
Mixed by Koji Morimoto
Music video directed, written & edited by So-ichiro Komatsu
Cinematographer: Kazuhiko Tanaka
Cast: Fujiu Maari / Joey Tee / Tony GOGO (THE LOCKERS)
Production manager: Yoshika Komatsu (spintokyo)
m.c.A.T Agent: Takako Shioya (Prism)
Special Thanks: JYUNNNA YOSHIDA / KOKO / MAZRI.inc. / spintokyo.inc. / aquio wonder
From Janis: Known professionally as m.c.A.T., Akio Togashi is a well-known Japanese rap artist. (In case you wondered, the acronym stands for “Microphone Controller Akio Togashi”). His career as producer, songwriter, and performer has been pretty astounding – in 1993 he released his solo debut single, “Bomb A Head!”, which sold over 2 million and became one of the best-selling Japanese singles of that decade. His “Oh! My Precious!” was promoted with a music video directed by Oscar-winner Spike Lee and likewise broke records. Not content with his own success, “A.T.” also produced Japanese vocal group “DA PUMP”, releasing 17 singles and six albums, selling more than 5 million copies.
Thanks to Japanese executive producer Takahiro Maeda, m.c.A.T. has joined the Better Times Project with a really interesting video. The slow development of the characters, the way director So-ichiro Komatsu builds from one to multitude as we progress, never explaining but always showing those ubiquitous earbuds make it feel more like a film than a single song.
The end blew me away sonically. I’d never have thought to put that kind of “button” on the whole concept. Make sure you listen through!
For those interested in the technical aspect of his vocal, I’d deliberately sent out my own “first take”, which is a capella. No chords, no instruments, just a voice. I also gave no guidance to anyone about the underlying structure of the song as I heard it in my head. Because of that, artists were free to add their own chord structures, bend notes, create minors out of majors, and so on down the line. Some have used that freedom to create wonderful dissonance, highlighting the conflict and discord the pandemic has wrought – as he does here.
BETTER TIMES WILL COME
(Janis Ian)
Better times, better times will come.
Better times, better times will come.
When this world learns to live as one,
oh, better times will come
When we greet each dawn without fear
knowing loved ones soon will be near
When the winds of war
cannot blow any more
Oh, better times will come
CHORUS
Though we live each day as our last
we know someday soon it will pass
We will dance, we will sing
in that never-ending spring
Oh, better times will come
CHORUS
“Better Times Will Come” words & music by Janis Ian; © Janis Ian 2020. All rights reserved; international copyrights secured. Used by permission