Paradise
Buck-Tick
Dancing in the Midnight Sun: The Ecstasy of Buck-Tick's 'Paradise'
Buck-Tick's 'Paradise' is a vivid, surreal journey into a world of ecstasy and madness. The song invites listeners to a fantastical realm, described as a 'brightly painted world called Paradise,' where the boundaries of reality blur into a carnival of sensations. The imagery of a 'merry-go-round' and 'glittering eyes' evokes a sense of childlike wonder and unrestrained joy, urging us to dance until we 'melt.' This metaphorical melting suggests a complete surrender to the moment, losing oneself in the euphoria of the experience.
The recurring motif of the 'midnight sun' raining down on Paradise adds a layer of paradoxical beauty to the song. The midnight sun, an unusual phenomenon where the sun is visible at midnight, symbolizes a time when the ordinary rules of nature are suspended. This aligns with the song's theme of transcending normalcy and diving into a state of ecstatic madness. The lyrics also mention a 'carnival from before the birth of the illusions of love,' hinting at a primordial, pure form of joy that predates the complexities of human emotions.
The repeated desire to 'go mad' with a companion underscores the song's exploration of shared ecstasy and collective euphoria. The 'screaming wind' and 'glorifying rain' are natural elements that amplify the intensity of this shared experience, making it both overwhelming and liberating. The song's closing lines, 'A dream of love, Whirl---this is Paradise,' encapsulate the essence of the journey: a dreamlike state where love and madness intertwine, creating a paradise that is as chaotic as it is beautiful.