The Circle [With Lyrics] (Bedman? Theme) - Guilty Gear Strive OST

[@augustomegalindo]

The last "I'm here, i'm here" is so fucking sad, you can feel Bedman's sorrow for not being able to be there for his sister.

[@jetsetdizzy9433]

The way the vocals just end there mid sentence instead of finishing like before with "on the border of the circle" while the instrumental continues a bit makes it feel as though the singer has simply vanished. It's like a noticable emptiness that feels kind of profound.

[@Raidon484]

​​@@jetsetdizzy9433or like he's left the circle of rebirth and now he really is there

[@Arcavi0us]

The entire song is giga sad, but God those choruses hurt man

[@BuhBaBiBeBo]

​@@Raidon484 The bed became real *run*

[@stefschouwenaars9562]

@@jetsetdizzy9433 I think it's more him consoling his sister. Without the "on the border of the circle" the message goes from what happened to him after death to what is important to him now: he's there, by his sisters side. nothing else needs to be said.

[@Tilde_Shii]

Naoki has confirmed that it's not "Come to me ten billion years in an instant" but "*Consuming* ten billion years in an instant" which makes more sense to me.

[@mania1916]

Where are the official lyrics

[@Tilde_Shii]

@@mania1916 you can look through the wiki :)

[@k.w.pillsbury4070]

Eh? That makes more sense? I always interpreted “Come to me, ten billion years in an instant.” As all the shock of the knowledge of the backyard and what that entails.

[@Tilde_Shii]

@@k.w.pillsbury4070 idk, to me I feel like it's weird that Delilah comes to Bedman first. The next line says he'll come to her in an instant, question is why would he come to her if she already comes to him? The consuming part I think can be interpreted as him not waiting in the afterlife and just consuming those years to come to her in an instant. Idk if that makes sense, everyone has different ways to interpret the song. What I care the most is the fact that this song slaps as hell and Naoki and Daisuke did a great job once again.

[@nexuszero2683]

​@@Tilde_ShiiThe personal way I interpret it is that "Consuming Ten Billion years in an instant" is Romeo's life flashing before his eyes. Obviously life isn't 10 billion years long, but it seems that way a lot of the time, doesn't it?

[@smithbabies7886]

When Bedman saw the Abyss, he shuddered in fear and tethered himself to his humanity. When Happy Chaos saw the Abyss, he said "well shit." It screamed back. He screamed back. This went on for several hours before "fuck you get out of my house" was uttered and Happy Chaos got the bright idea to make on omelette.

[@That_One_Sunshine_Knight]

No no no. That sounds entirely like Happy Chaos.

[@MagikalKrabical]

Some guy gets the world's knowledge slammed into his head and finds that shit funny. Absolutely happy chaos.

[@Icelord259]

@@MagikalKrabicalnot just the worlds knowledge, the entire universes

[@ZstackZip]

Real

[@Жнец-у6д]

Making the mother of all omelettes here, Jack. Cant fret over every egg!

[@jaydub9587]

Aint no way they turned the last living thoughts of a dying man into a requiem for his character theme

[@MagikalKrabical]

*REQUIEM GUILTY GEA-*

[@gratefulgamer7907]

@@MagikalKrabical OH MY GOD THEY’RE FUCKING DEAD!?

[@somegoodsoup7008]

​@gratefulgamer7907 it's a...long story. I reccomend watching a video on it.

[@gratefulgamer7907]

@@somegoodsoup7008 Oh, I know about bedmans death. I was referring to the cutoff of their reply. It is often joked about how something happens before they could finish their sentence, this something usually being death.

[@Roman_the_black_cat]

​@@gratefulgamer7907sorry thats on me, I misunderstoof when arc system tolf me to take the "garbage" out Turns out there were no air qoutes 😅

[@theblankking1966]

We all know somewhere, deep down in that battered, broken down bed… Bedman is still writing a paragraph on why you’re inferior and reading it at Mach 8.

[@wangwang2211]

Do you hear the beautiful chant?

[@neverseemstoAsh]

​@@wangwang2211 "what the fuck did you just fucking say about me you little bitch, I'll have you know-" -the beautiful chant

[@Vee_Sheep]

"We talk about 'survival of the fittest' a lot but all that really means is the skilled live and the unskilled die. Since you're clearly in that second group, maybe pick your fights a bit more carefully? Do you understand what I'm saying? It's never going to matter how much you 'want it' when you're up against someone who can kill you with a sneeze."

[@sauss712]

Because of Bedman’s current situation, I thinks it’s appropriate to say that nothing is more dangerous that a broken death machine that knows how to maneuver it’s malfunctions into more deadly weapons to add to its arsenal

[@taktika4764]

Bedman?

[@dankspiderman579]

The "No, you can't see the radiant light" section is genuinely beautiful. Bedman(?) is actively refuting *God* from giving him an afterlife. It's worth *nothing* to him, because it doesn't have what he really wants, and that's his sister's safety. Because it's not there, he argues that God HIMSELF doesn't understand it, that God doesn't understand how much devotion and resolve it takes to let your soul remain in a battered husk if it meant protecting the people you love. That God doesn't understand the connection that he had to his sister. Bedman sacrificed everything he ever was, his voice, his flesh, his mind, his chance for peace, and maybe even his soul to protect Delilah. The best part? He thinks that any other option is stupid.

[@nexuszero2683]

I love hearing other people's interpretations of this song. I personally think that beyond the circle there's nothing - just an infinite void of nothingness beyond the circle, which is why Bedman asks god if he can see the radiant light and all that, to which the song responds with no, there isn't any heaven, any god or anything beyond the circle, just an infinite void of nothingness, so Bedman decides he's going to cheat death just to protect Delilah. This man would rather put himself in a hell of his own creation to protect his sister and atone for the sins he committed rather than die.

[@arconreef]

Damn. I liked my interpretation better, even though yours is probably correct. I thought that section was talking about his love for Delilah, and him being able to feel their connection as siblings on a deeper level now that he has lost his corporeal form. But because she's still alive, she can't feel it. The lyrics at the end "I'm here, I'm here" is what he wishes he could tell her, but because he has no corporeal form, he won't be able to tell her anything ever again.

[@thewallsspeaktome3507]

@@nexuszero2683 Here I interpreted it as the bedframe asking his creator (Bedman) if there was anything more and Bedman responding That there's nothing.

[@Nzargnalphabet]

(Read at bedman xrd speeds) Is this why we like the song? To debate the meaning and meaning alone? I like going on long rants, but I don’t get why everyone here is so defensive of the excellence of this song, it feels honestly kind of one note, figuratively obviously not literally because a one note song would not even be a song anymore by most definitions, no, I instead mean the lack of key changes and how little of a range the singer goes through, maybe it is the fact that one of my favorite songs and characters are Faust and alone infection respectively, but if that biases this argument then so be it as this was always a subjective take anyway, but I grew up on carry on my wayward son and need some amount of pace or key change, or at least a good chord progression to keep me hooked on a song, but this song feels like a slip ‘n slide with how smooth it feels, and not in the cool jazz way, but in the elevator music kind of way, and yet you lure me in, not because of this song, but how much I sometimes get where bedman is coming from with the xrd monologues and the lyrics of the song, and it annoys me just enough that I have to come here because I’ve had random ggst songs stuck in my head for the past three weeks because that’s when I first got into it and now I have to talk about it because of one random comment I saw on a teirlist ranking the songs back then feeling betrayed it wasn’t in like the top three, and while I do have some abnormal opinions, like liking requiem more than most, but frankly, in the end, I am seriously just curious and confused about why someone would like this specific song so much, even with better existential pieces like the gravity and drift, and better chill songs that you can just throw on in the background like trigger, which literally has vibe in the song, what I’m basically saying is just please explain why someone would genuinely think this is deserving of a place in like the top 4 songs

[@thewallsspeaktome3507]

@@Nzargnalphabet Because I see the circle

[@CyberneticHype]

Strive’s soundtrack really emphasizes the advantage of using lyrical tracks for character themes as a way to convey their stories. Naoki and Aisha keep killing it every single time!

[@SgtFrogger]

Just like metal gear rising

[@amazing-medo3883]

@@SgtFrogger better than metal gear rising imo but that is just me still metal gear rising soundtrack is amazing

[@taterthepenguin]

Guilty Gear Strive and Metal Gear Rising are both musicals

[@FilthyCasualty]

@@taterthepenguin I know you don't mean musicals traditionally, but now I'm just imagining Metal Gear Rising as a low budget stage musical akin to a high school play and Raiden and Sam are belting while just slowly "running" (more like slow walking to simulate slow motion) to clash at each other.

[@remixsolo]

​@@taterthepenguin That's such an awesome revelation you just dropped on us. Can't seem to stop smiling about that. Thank you!

[@kirby6925]

this is a funeral song for a brother who has a determination to protect his sister so strong that death itself won’t stop him

[@ignaciojohnjoy]

The Irony that the Universal Will who eradicated Bedman is now locked up with no purpose. While Bedman's Will still exist in the form of his Bed.

[@clayxros576]

Some return with the will to succeed their final wish. What of those whose will is the life of another? To take that life, they lose all. To save that life, they ascend.

[@blackheartzerotheundergrou3225]

You mean a Requiem? I think the word you're looking for is "Requiem."

[@LeFisheboi]

​@Mr. JvGravy Universal will was being puppeted by chaos who is still free cuz he's the strongest character in the setting (-God I'no)

[@regalblade8171]

Romeo (Bedman's name, Delilah mentions it at the end of her Arcade mode with Ram) knows he died and is actively ignoring it just to protect Delilah

[@sigmundschwartz6434]

This feels like the flipside of Drift and it's great for it. Chaos saw both sides of existence and said "screw it, I'm gonna enjoy myself." Bedman saw it and found pure empty terror.

[@ToiLanhLIVE]

At the same time one gave up on caring about anything and the other still holds onto a shred if their humanity, I think bedman won in the end

[@InfernalEnby]

that's a really interesting point. Both come face to face with the sense of nihilism that comes with the realization of the inconsequentiality of their actions, but they try to break free from that nihilism in different ways. Happy Chaos seeks out personal pleasure as well as he attempts to enlighten others, he wants to stop humanity from discarding what makes them human, as he feels that the desires that make us up are all that matters. In terms of morality his approach is one of everyone following their desires as they know what they want better than anyone. Bedman and Bedman? regardless as to whether they are the same or if they are deeply connected yet distinct entities chose a philosophy that's a bit closer to feminist ethics, which is that they valued relationships and personal connections over some supposed duty to humanity. And this sense of relation sticks with them even as nothing more than a lingering sense of will

[@16Vessel]

"Fuck it we ball" - Happy Chaos

[@nobodyxiii3792]

"Fuck it we ball." (Positive) - Happy Chaos "Fuck it we ball." (Negative) - Bedman?

[@Jason_Altea]

​@@ToiLanhLIVE Not really. Happy Chaos still wants to see humanity succeed and grow, and especially hold on to what makes them human. He doesn't hold anything specific close, but to quote the man himself in his song, "I don't have anything that's really important to me, that's why everything is beautiful" Because he doesn't have any material connections, he sees everything with the same sense of wonder and beauty with fresh, unclouded eyes. He just loves existence.

[@Toxic-Pyro]

I noticed that in Guilty Gear whenever a character dies and gets brought back, they usually are only have strong emotions for one specific person. Zato can only feel around Millia, S-Ko is STILL haunting Zappa, and now Bedman literally can’t do anything else but protect Delilah. Bedman spent all of Xrd trying to create a perfect world, but when he actually got a chance to go to Heaven, he chose to stick around in a broken busted up bed to protect his sister.

[@Patcheresu]

I don't think he has a choice to go to Heaven, its more that he chose this path of eternal damnation and being a lingering bed ghost by the actions he made. But he has some consolation knowing Delilah is safe and happy for once in her life and if anyone threatens that he can still act to make sure she stays that way.

[@romosome]

He didn't give up a chance to go to Heaven. He died and realized there ISN'T any. No light, no chant, no warmth. Death is the end, there's nothing. That's why he's trying so hard to save Delilah from harm. She's not gonna join him at the end.

[@alpha-tomahawk532]

Aren't they so powerful they basically lived in the backyard? (wow that came out funny not including context) I always saw it as Badman just swapping places with Delilah in backyard, hence turning to stone and (probably), like a butterfly, releasing Delilah. Maybe for the reason of how powerful they both are they can't co-exist together physically, but since it's the "first" time for delilah outside backyard, she's not controlling her powers well enough (hence the DLC for strive where she almost goes "Justice and Japan 2.0"), while bedman already mastered magic while sleeping, prompting him to be able to influence things all the way from the backyard like how he controls his bed here, while Delilah was but a baby in using magic and couldn't do anything outside backyard but watch him/chat with him when he's at the backyard. Don't worry, i didn't understand what i said either, the beauty of guilty gear's lore...

[@crimsonpotemkin]

@@romosome this is the most accurate interpretation

[@raidenstokes1026]

Personally I could see that as those things being their last link to humanity, zato and Millia, bedman and Delilah, the thing that tethers them to the living world without them they’d be nothing more than walking corpses and angry ghosts

[@AychSkwaird]

“I do not understand humans who are motivated by love. a person is born, lives for a number of years, and interacts with up to eight billion people. What proof is there of something they can't even define?” -a boy who stopped at nothing, even death, to protect his sister. Peak fiction.

[@brunop.8745]

this song deadass makes me emotional fr especially the part near the end with "I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE YOU SMILE, BUT I'LL NEVER MAKE YOU CRY EVEN ONCE" hits especially hard if you also have a younger sibling

[@InemuriOkami]

That last bit about younger siblings is exactly why I tear up a little when listening to the song tbh. I'm a believer in the idea that Bedman gave up the chance to pass on and is possessing the bed, but the bed can only allocate so many resources before needing to "delete" him and bring him back, thus putting him in a death loop, all for Delilah. It's something I can look at and try to put myself in that situation and it genuinely makes me sad to think about.

[@brickpuncher1429]

Even if they're super annoying?

[@brunop.8745]

@@brickpuncher1429 especially when they're super annoying

[@TheActualMrLink]

Love is real.

[@hiimmistergay4247]

​@@brunop.8745 Real shit

[@wommpa]

3:13 This entire sequence is genuinely heartwrenching, and it puts the entire song together PERFECTLY. It fits the ordeal Bedman is going through, being too damn brotherly to die

[@Doktor_dooom]

Being too brothely to die is the realest shit i have seen a bed do

[@SinnermanZeke]

Gives me some Deftones vibes which is fitting for this sequence

[@nobleradical2158]

You're not going to heaven, bedboy

[@lemone630]

@@nobleradical2158 I can't help but read this in a southern accent

[@dabiga2315]

Radiant light: *Seen* Beautiful chant: *Heard* Tender warmth: *Felt* Ten billion years: *Consumed* (in an instant) Me: *By your side* Also me: *On the border of the CIRCLE*

[@ChewTheWires]

Copy : *That*

[@Memesoon309]

Eyes:Crying

[@Tufukins]

GOD

[@sonataavalon6017]

@@TufukinsDO YOU SEE THAT RADIANT LIGHT?

[@kR-qj7rw]

One after : the other

[@LuckyTheDoge117]

every Guilty Gear theme sounds weird when you first listen to it but they always grow on you overtime

[@brunop.8745]

speak for yourself, to me this was love at first listen babyyyyyyyyy

[@coldbacon4869]

I was shocked at first because it sounds a little different than the trailer, but now i can't stop listening to it.

[@mr.pretzel4036]

Litterally every song has done that, how do they make it happen every time

[@Milloons]

This is very accurate for me since the trailer had all the guitar parts but when the theme got released it sounded weird now it’s one of my favorites in the soundtrack

[@kirbywithaknife7199]

fr at start I only like the chorus or big bangers of the song but then I realize the whole song was a banger to begin with

[@ayepotamono3442]

heres some bedman lines that are now really damn funny in retrospect: -"The existence of your friends and family does not give you strength. Let me ask you this: Did you lose because they weren't enough? Sounds like an excuse to me." -"I do not understand humans who are motivated by love. a person is born, lives for a number of years, and interacts with up to eight billion people. What proof is there of something they can't even define?" -"Associating ghosts with 'death' is a very occult approach to observing reality. But if you consider for a moment that it might be alive, then it's hardly amusing. Now, what becomes problematic here is the definition of life and death. I'm not one for the abstract or romantics, but I do have an understanding of it."

[@Ramsey276one]

That last one... Q_Q

[@AriesZero]

Yep, ironic as hell

[@samuelbarros1563]

The first line has to be interpreted more as "The existence of YOUR family does not give you strength" than as "The existence of a family does not give strength to anyone" Second one he really didn't know how motivated he was. Third one is just a interpretation of the concept of ghost, if you think about it he is already foreshadowing that he himself will defies the concept of death

[@Russell-vq6ux]

"Copy that"

[@sedrie34]

@@samuelbarros1563 How I’m reading it, the first quote isn’t about whether families can give strength or not but specifically refuting the idea that the person in question has gotten their strength from there. If the rhetorical question “did you lose because they weren’t enough?” is presumed to have a negative answer then the “excuse” he’s referring to can be understood as either a denial of the presence of love or a denial of this person gaining power from love. In other words idea the quote was trying to get across could be phrased as “Someone who has family and the power of love cannot lose. You, who has family yet lost, must not have the power of love”. That makes sense to me anyway.

[@simplestickland3367]

Finally... I can sleep peacefully after knowing the lyrics.

[@Hadesnash777]

Kinda funny, you can sleep after knowing BEDman theme lyrics

[@svgaming263]

Except there's probably like one line that's wrong and we won't find out until they drop a second album

[@weckardo]

@@svgaming263 yeah especially the part at 1:36 feels like hes saying something else

[@omegadreemurr6271]

You can go to bed... man

[@SANS22418]

@@weckardo yea I keep thinking it says count instead of come

[@lemone630]

This song and its implications hurt infinitely more when you remember Bedman's immediate reaction to Elphelt's instant kill is "You cannot replace Delilah!"

[@Popirnot]

Also, a little Alabama

[@itsyasoph]

@@Popirnot please don't

[@Popirnot]

@@itsyasoph I will

[@lemone630]

@@Popirnot Don't you dare

[@mikeoxlong1395]

@@lemone630 SWEET HOOOME ALABAAAMA!

[@ryugaboumera4490]

the way Naoki pronounces "Copy That" near the end being different the two earlier Copy That's in the song to me makes it feel like Bedman himself made a personal statement, and not an order to his bed that he will be there to protect Her.

[@ModernAegis]

I interpreted the first two "copy that" lines as being spoken by the bedframe, accepting Bedman's program and operating thusly. The third, though, is Bedman accepting his circumstances and the hellish hardship he's up against. If it's for Delilah, he's ready to play.

[@xionic_3270]

I can agree with that. Because if you listen. The first two times he speaks that. There’s the sound of what sounds like the bed starting up. The third “Copy That” doesn’t have that robotic sound

[@chillmydudes]

there is a program booting noise on the first two 'copy that', almost like it is following bedman's orders, but the third one has the same voice as the rest of the song and no booting noise which i think implies it is now sentient

[@rotomfan63]

All I know is that reminds me of that one old gamestop ad with the most awkward performance in all of everything on the read of that same line

[@reineyweather9724]

so real….i love that detail, thank you for pointing it out!!

[@PsychPsychic]

I still can't help but interpret this theme as the thoughts Bedman was having in his final moments. The final "I'm here" abruptly ending the vocals comes off as the moment Bedman's life finally fades, leaving behind only the scattered programing in his Bedfame, and the resolve to protect his sister. These tracks do not miss.

[@ovi___]

glad to see im not the only one who had this thought. though it may be extra sad it makes so much sense.

[@Berd-Wasted.]

​@@ovi___ It does cut off abruptly. So yes.

[@SCP--rj8hm]

​@@Berd-Wasted. WAIT ARE YOU THE GUY FROM THE SUBREDDIT

[@LeFisheboi]

​@@SCP--rj8hm he is This fucker is everywhere

[@lumina3257]

That's a banger interpretation, but I'm not sure about it. The intro of the song feels like what Romeo would see *after* dying. A place where there's no beginning or end, no peace, and silence, it's Purgatory. Repeatedly it states that there's "A radiant light, a beautiful chance, a tender warmth" but there's "Nothing here", nothing in that Purgatory, like he's being called to Heaven, but he can't (or won't) go. There's another line which emphasizes "Pitch black, Pure white, all the same!" As though Romeo stopped caring about whether he goes to Heaven or Hell, either is awful because he's leaving Delilah behind. I think the rest of the song is about him fighting to try and get back to the world of the living, to leave the Circle of Purgatory. He spends the first 2 choruses "On the border of the Circle", but by the end he states that "I struggled to go outside the Circle!", like he's finally made it out, finally found some semblance of a way to escape Purgatory, even though he's not able to fully communicate through the Bed. He states in the final chorus that "I may not be able to make you smile, but I'll never make you cry, even once, never!" If you look back at the earlier choruses, the line is "I'm here, I'm here. On the border of the circle!" The reason why he says "I'm here, I'm here!" at the very end without following up is because he's finally *here*, in the real world with Delilah. He gave up his shot at going to heaven, at moving on and being able to just exist in a state of pure bliss, because his sister was finally awake, and he wanted to be back with her, to protect her. At least, that's my interpretation. Yours feels just as reasonable. Maybe the Bed is just running around because it was left with the subroutine to protect Delilah. The Arcade Mode seems to indicate that the Bed is just a Bed (given that everyone refers to it that way). The and Guilty Gear official website seems to indicate it's a Bed (hell, the link is literally "www.guiltygear.com/ggst/en/character/bed/", not /bedman?, not /bedman, just /bed). I still think there's something more here, because it feels (to me) like the Circle is literally calling back to the image of Purgatory and the circles of Heaven and Hell, and that the rest of the lyrics just don't quite sync up to the interpretation that this just Romeo's last moments.

[@Jairjax]

I love the idea of Bedman having so much willpower, that his spirit possessed the bedframe. It's so fucking badass and haunting.

[@TheActualMrLink]

4:23 “I may not be able to make you smile, but I’ll never make you cry even once.” That, my friends, is LOVE.

[@Iskolya.]

10 billion years in the joint made you a fucking bed

[@KingKalashnikov]

criminally underrated comment i cackled

[@noahrules7146]

10 billion years in the backyard i wanted to see my sister, i compromised. i got reincarnated into a bed

[@nisnast]

holy shit

[@clafoutis2222]

BRING THAT SHIT, BAIKEN!

[@genelearnsenglish4242]

I love almost every song in Strive, but The Circle combines awesome music with one of my favourite motives in fiction: (un)death. Clinging to a part of one's humanity, but not being exactly here, on the verge of madness and chained by something eldritch. And yet that piece of soul still driven by something precious in the mortal world, a task too important to abandon even despite the death itself.

[@luapark3068]

zatos theme must have hit something fierce then too huh?

[@awarmcomfybed]

Beautifully said.

[@SincereSneakyy]

Lingering Will from Kingdom Hearts is my other favorite example of this

[@vexzel5550]

Beautiful

[@-cams.]

So something like Strive's Faust?

[@mistah3687]

There are so many things this song does so well holy crap. Just to name a few: 1) The guitar imitating an engine revving up during the refrains and breakdown 2) Great use of call and response between the singer and guitars to represent the “soul” of the machine trying to speak through it. 3) The wild instrumentation, all representing different aspects of Bedman?’s character 4) The pure *ANGUISH* in the singer’s voice towards the end 5) The lyrics being just vague enough to have multiple interpretations, and pretty much all of them being valid That’s just a few things. What a masterpiece of a song.

[@Soldierofweeb]

How about the bass

[@pocket5783]

Can we talk about how perfectly the music and the moves sync at 1:30? incredible job, love these videos

[@ZachStarAttack]

yeah

[@DahnMS]

Even after listening other lyrics vídeos I had to come here to see that parts.

[@TheMaiztro]

Here too 4:17

[@decafleon]

cloud drop is sick like that, some of the other ones have similar syncs that make the video very nice

[@skellyslav]

Honestly, this is the 1 song that hits the hardest because of how much I relate to it, I'm the oldest amongst my siblings, and I had a good hand in basically raising them, I've done a lot of things for them because of personal reasons, I've given a lot of myself for their sake and I've gotten myself in a lot of situations for their sake, damn near dying a few times. And I'd do it all again. Hell, I'd fucking die for them.

[@trihexa7096]

I feel you, it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites

[@skellyslav]

@@trihexa7096 I can confidently say this is my nr 1 GG song. Feels are just too damn strong.

[@ireallycantthinkofaname4726]

This one is definitely up there

[@bytescientistreal]

as a sibling, i relate spiritually with this song, and I don't even play strive, it just fits the whole purpose of being a sibling in the first place.

[@brunop.8745]

Older sibling gang rise up

[@spectravian]

I shit you not, Delilah, he turned into a circle

[@Benito675]

Funniest shit I've ever seen

[@TheLinkandmarioshow]

the virgin "this song is bad because its not good to listen to in game" the chad "this song is good because its good"

[@Gentleman534]

It’s still good to listen into in game idk wtf these goobers been talking about

[@that1guyglitch947]

It makes me feel like a final boss ngl

[@Fitsz]

if you have a great battle then you will be able to hear all of it

[@LoraLoibu]

the first one is literally the reason most people hate Perfection Can't Please Me and honestly i think it's fucking stupid, it's far from a good battle theme, sure, but in other contexts it's a very good song

[@Gronalak]

That's definitly a GGS theme. "Yeah not to sure about this one" on the first listen, and then listening to it on repeat for hours

[@weebster-vo1zy]

LMAO SO TRUE

[@frosty_flakes0728]

"God! Do see the radiant LIGHT" gives me chills I love it.

[@SelkieGirl]

Everyone: "Surely, you can't keep making banger after banger." Daisuke:

[@nebbygetinthebag7263]

@@squek__ what country is that flag and why are all the hot women from it

[@jojogacha974]

You forgot “while also making them so dang emotional”

[@Sir_Bucket]

​@@nebbygetinthebag7263don't forget about the hot men too bro

[@kurocomics]

"surely you can't hear the beautiful chant"

[@queen4life676]

Bridget ahh

[@EripmavsDYraid]

So the lyrics to The Circle were updated on the Guilty Gear wiki. The changes are: "And if the words that won't go waste to rule my head" is actually "And if the words that won't go away still rule my head" "Comes to me ten billion years in an instant" is actually "consuming ten billion years in an instant" "I've watched a new pendulum" is actually "I've watched and you've been alone" "Where I'm left and can't reach" is actually "World I left and can't reach" "Where I can find with access to the back of my eye lens" is actually "What I can find with access to the back of my eyelids" "No" is actually "Go" Just wanted to list these.

[@flubberdubbert]

Is that the real Adachi from the hit video game "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4?"

[@EripmavsDYraid]

@@flubberdubbert yes.

[@Doc27901]

Shut up adachi

[@SincereSneakyy]

Wooow I love "I've watched and you've been alone" so much more

[@hollowori]

But now on the GG wiki: "And if the words that won't go West to ruin my head" (wtf what does the West have to do with it) "Where I can't find with access to the back of my eyelids" (What does its mean?) "No" is actually still "No"

[@moontheastroyaut7081]

Dont you guys love it when the man in the bed known as bedman in a bed frame dies and turns into the bedman in the bed, man?

[@Octobeann]

im too tired to read this shit, im just gonna go to bed, man

[@hmmmooops]

Man

[@stocktongonzalez8271]

This song gives me the determination to protect Delilah. On God, nobody is even TOUCHING her when I'm on the controller

[@doyourbest_uwu]

WHO TOUCHED THE CHILD? NOBODY!

[@LoraLoibu]

other character, in fact, cannot touch delilah. even in the bed mirror, they only grab their own delilah

[@Sukitta]

Strive's probably the first game I saw with both an beautiful orchestral song that makes you feel the pain inside the character's mind and a death metal that makes you shake your head and break your walls Truly a masterpiece of a game

[@brickpuncher1429]

I know the smell of the game, and it smells fucking beautiful

[@gratefulgamer7907]

@@brickpuncher1429 So how your brick punching been going?

[@Br1anwastaken]

​​@@brickpuncher1429so hows your brick punching been going?

[@NeonWasInUse]

@@brickpuncher1429 So how your brick punching been going?

[@electroboa]

​@@brickpuncher1429 So how's your brick punching been going?

[@doyourbest_uwu]

There's no character archetype that I love more, than the brave, staunch protector who does everything out of love. Whether that love is toward everyone of a people, or someone who is precious to the protector; they do it without relenting and without a care for anything else, for they know what is most important to them. I wish to be that protector for someone I love some day.

[@Smileface2144]

at 3:10-3:32 I imagine Bedman/Romeo (His human form) raising a careful hand and caressing Delilah's tearful face slowly, and Delilah grabbing onto it as she leans closer into her brother's hand. Then, right when the chorus says "No", Bedman blinks, and sees that his hand is replaced by the mechanical arm of his weapon. Then at 3:34 Delilah leans closer to his mechanical arm as the chorus reminds the listener that Bedman(?) is not truly Romeo himself. Just a shadow of what he once was. Once the line "If you can give someone something" a raindrop falls from the sky and acts as a tear for Bedman(?) to cry, and the POV shifts to the tear itself as it falls to the ground, and soon, transforms into Romeo himself, twirling in midair diving into the darkness of the unknown with his eyes closed. The POV would then shift ever closer to Romeo's face with these three lines "NO HOME" "NO REST" "NO HOPE" Romeo would then open his eyes and extend his arm as though to command his weapon, The Bed, to protect Delilah. *"Copy that"* Easily one of the best parts of the entire song. I love it.

[@KingKalashnikov]

oh dude, this rules

[@I9ndigo]

I don't get how this song has so much hate on Twitter. On top of being a great song, it's deep as ffffffffff dude. There's so many experiences of people dying saying they were going through a tunnel or a bright light... chanting or choir of angels... He can't pass on. Or rather, he refuses too to the point that's it's absurd. He found a way to exist separately from the circle of life and death that everyone else experiences. Struggling to deny his soul passing on and cling to the bed since his mortal body perished, to protect his sister... You won't here the chants, or exist in a higher plane, or feel the warmth and love of the creator. He's put himself in a purgatory of sorts and might be... stuck? He got what he wanted, but he may be doomed to remain this way? At least until the bed finally breaks for good. It's beautifully tragic and paints an incredible picture of what he's going through just to be there for her in ANY capacity. I don't care what anyone else says, this is ART.

[@Flinch9000]

It's Twitter, mate. They hate anything that isn't up to their standards. If they even had any.

[@idesxtop]

*twitter* Yeah, no surprises there mate

[@liquidhydration]

I'm glad I don't use Twitter... My standards must be kept safe

[@jashybro]

Its not fighting game music at all. Whether this is a good song or not doesnt matter because this is a fucking snore to fight to

[@PikaPenny17]

Its a good song to fight to, or at least it would be if you could here the full song during fighting. Thats a flaw a lot of these strive songs seem to have, theyre good as a whole but they dont take into account that since fights are so short you often dont get far past the intro.

[@ModernAegis]

Some things I feel need addressing with regards to the song's meaning. "Where there is no beginning and no end, will I be like that?" "World I left and can't reach" "Endless, finite" "Nothing here but" "You can't feel the tender warmth if you can give someone something" There IS an afterlife. These lyrics wouldn't make sense if there wasn't. Bedman has reached the afterlife, but there is nothing in it he recognizes, nothing of importance to him. He's trying to reach the mortal world, but he failed. He's stuck in a circle, a shape with no beginning and no end, yet finite in its volume. Something does exist, and he's actively trying to escape it, because none of it consists of Delilah. He can't let go. He can't move on and experience the radiant light, the beautiful chant, and the tender warmth, because he can still give someone something. He can still protect Delilah and give her the life he can no longer have. So long as that's true, he's not letting go. It's not that there's nothing, there's clearly something, it's that there's nothing that's so good he would give up Delilah for it.

[@esn_64]

That doesn't actually work out though, because his arcade mode is about him trying to get himself killed by a strong enough opponent

[@ModernAegis]

@@esn_64 Only because he sees himself as a threat to Delilah's happiness. The song is probably sung after arcade mode when he realizes Delilah wants to keep him around.

[@Cathywhales]

bedman loves his sister so much when he dies he mourns and doesn't let go

[@VengefulJay]

What I think in the first do you see/hear/feel line followed by nothing here was bedman starting to die but couldn't see heaven, instead getting a sort of rush of the crushing weight of reality coming to him in seconds. The second time though the nothing here is interrupted with a no you CAN'T see/hear/feel if you can give someone something I think is God directly telling bedman he can't go to heaven because he still has a duty to his sister.

[@ModernAegis]

@@VengefulJay Yeah, the part about duty is what I thought too. He has unfinished business, and we all know what that means.

[@AychSkwaird]

Bedman gameplay: Haha funny buzzsaw Bedman lore:

[@gaboswampert]

"Circle!" Man got me crying, those profound lyrics, its just so deep and tragic, truly a masterfully written song Nah but for real the song slaps damn hard

[@joeda900]

Damn, dude really said "⭕️"

[@Cattomic_Bomb]

According to a comment on a different video of this song, the circle is a referance to a theory that all of time is happening at once, but humans can only see one point of time. In the theory time is represented as a circle, and supposedly Bedman? Is able to see al of the circle, or all of time,at once which is backed up by the lyric "comes to me 10 billion years in an instant". So the song is about how he can see everything from the beginning of time to the end of time, and is choosing to focus on Delilah.

[@ratmessiah7223]

I legit could not stop laughing

[@gentlemandog4985]

I thought he said "TACO" fr

[@IceFlower22]

@@Cattomic_Bomb That... would actually make a lot of sense. Nice find

[@orangecrisis8568]

I’ve had this song stuck in my head since yesterday when they came out so I’m glad we have the lyric video already

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

Yup; i'm going to have this stuck in my head rent free for a very long long time..

[@Nikowo1610]

"ONE AFTER THE OTHER, OVER AND OVER AGAIN-"

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

@@Nikowo1610 CIRCLE!

[@creeps664]

I find it beautiful how this song has people giving it such interesting interpertations as to what the lyrics mean. One thing remains the same: "Bedman rejected death and what comes with it to protect Deliah". But the thing that is always different is the interpertation of the death itself. The lyrics are so vague about the death of Romeo, that you can see everything about wether or not the After Life exists as correct. Tons of lyrics that sound Nihilistic such as "Nothing Here" and "You can't see the Radiant Light", implying that Romeo found nothing, but also lyrics that simply don't make sense if that really were to be the case. The reason behind this? *"Pitch Black, Pure White, All the same"* . The reason the lyrics are so vague on the concept of the After Life is because Romeo doesn't know the answer to it, because he didn't stay there long enough to find out. The song talks in vague tongues as it symbolizes Romeo at the exact moment he dies. He asks god if he can feel the tender warmth of heaven, while having second thoughts and thinking that maybe there is *"Nothing here"* . But near the end, he says *"NO! You can't see the Radiant Light"* , and that's not because he realized that there is nothing, but because he realized Robo-Ky's words, the ones he spoke before he and Venom killed Romeo, how he is satisfied as long as he can help someone. At that moment, Romeo realizes that he doesn't want his question answered, so he puts words in God's mouth to piss him off and make sure no answer is provided. Then, Romeo predicts that God would ask him about how can he even DARE to put words in GOD's mouth of all people and not desire the answer he seeked all this time. So, he answers God's question before he can even ask it, by reciting Robo-Ky's own words, *"If you can give someone something"* . He basically tells God to go fuck himself, and that he won't be staying to find the answer. He rejects death and embraces a life of suffering. He comes into terms with the fact that there is *"No Home"* for him to go back to due to now being nothing but a nameless machine, there is *"No Rest"* for him because he will continue living as a broken husk that keeps itself awake by feeling nothing but pain, and that there is *"No Hope"* for the perfect world he tried to build to save everyone, but he can still give something to Deliah, he can still protect her. He could have embraced the eternal rest of peace, whether that would be within the Tender Warmth of Heaven, or the Dark Endless Void of Nothingness, but he'd rather stay with Deliah, because as long as he can help her, then he is satisfied.

[@Darenca]

This is a very nice interpretation of what the lyrics would possibly mean Rather than the pre-chrorus being just Romeo's own contemplation on whether there is an afterlife, you interpreted it as an actual conversation between him and god And rather than having God reject him going to the afterlife, have it be Romeo himself refusing the afterlife and God's answer to protect Delilah. Thank you for spending the time to share your view!

[@thefluffyaj4119]

exactly what I thought when listening to the theme!!!! its so powerful and emotional and I have so many thoughts on this but I gotta go to work in 10 minutes womp womp

[@lintecassidy206]

You cooked with this one

[@coffeebird2857]

Fun Fact: Delilah and Romeo (OG Bedman) is named after 2 of Freddy Mercury’s Cats

[@terrabranwen2492]

Because of course they are.

[@haikei888]

Tom, Jerry, Tiffany, Dorothy, Goliath, Lily, Miko and Oscar when

[@crppledizzle9374]

4:23 this whole section is absolutely beautiful

[@immoralboi3158]

The idea Bedman is going through literal hell just for his sister is both incredibly sad yet also unbelievably wholesome, guy just wants to see his sister stay safe even after his own demise.

[@Maxler5795]

a mechanical bed: "i may not be able to make you smile (but...) BUT ILL NEVER MAKE YOU CRY EVEN ONCE! *NEVER!* " me: *crying in a corner*

[@RemyRatio]

Naoki's scream & growl misses sometimes but he really nailed it in this song

[@morbidlyabeast1566]

Going to be honest his growls are good

[@RemyRatio]

My other comment is I wish there is part that he sings very fast like how Bedman speaks lol.

[@morbidlyabeast1566]

Am going to be honest he does not growl

[@Gloomdrake]

I can't think of a single Naoki miss

[@RemyRatio]

@@Gloomdrake Smell of the Game....

[@KarazolaX]

I just realized what the 'Radiant Light, Beautiful Chant, Tender Warmth' is supposed to be. Heaven, an afterlife to pass onto. This makes me think about the bed itself, if its truly the spirit of Bedman. What if it *isn't*, actually? Isn't that more tragic? The idea that this machine is clinging so desperately to this directive because without it, it has no purpose or will of its own to carry on. It has no afterlife to pass onto. There's probably a place afterwards for Bedman to pass onto, but not the machine. So, in order to continue, it channels the motivation of its creator and clings desperately to its final directive: Protect Dalilah, as long as it can. Otherwise, it must return to oblivion. That's what 'NO, YOU CAN'T FEEL THE RADIANT LIGHT, YOU CAN'T HEAR THE BEAUTIFUL CHANT, YOU CAN'T FEEL THE TENDER WARMTH' is. It's the bed recognizing that if it stops, there's nothing after this.

[@cerebralcloud92]

The sheer amount of ways this song can be interpreted is amazing, while still being a banger of a song too.

[@InfernalEnby]

I really like that interpretation actually, I never even thought about it. My general interpretation of this song is that it's a recording of Romeo's final moments that act as the basis for Bedman?'s core, but your interpretation could also work quite well. This is a machine who exists to serve the purpose of being a guardian, and nothing more, so when it can no longer fully perform it's task it becomes obsolete and has no meaning. This would also make their arcade mode story much more meaningful, as Delilah's pleading for Bedman? to stop fighting doesn't have to do with their status as a protector, but instead because she associates it with her brother and can't afford to lose it. She doesn't value it for its intended purpose, but instead as a source of strength and support. Bedman? the machine does not see life beyond it's own programming, and yet the person who they are supposed to protect is still desperately trying to give them a life to live

[@carltonisaweenie1859]

Great interpretation i like this more than if it's abit of bedmans soul feels like what ya said makes more sense and would be way cooler

[@nevrikx]

I honestly believe the Bed is it's own Being, it has the same Red Glow of Life as Reborn Faust, the two being in the story together to me feels intentional

[@InfernalEnby]

@@nevrikx I was thinking about this myself, or at least something somewhat similar. I don't think the bed is literally possessed by Romeo, but in some capacity is acts as a remnant of Romeo's will, or at least it did. In the arcade mode, Delilah manages to change the bed's behavior and change what their purpose is, and at that moment it ceases being a remnant of Romeo's will and instead becomes a culmination of both Romeo and Delilah's wills, thus giving form to something new and unique from either of the siblings

[@DahnMS]

That song breaks me... Its lyrics sounds more sad than others, describes suffering that a character is feeling right now, inside his bed, while Leo's theme is more about memories and I-no arc is over at end of game, Bedman(?)'s suffering continues...

[@Aazdremzul]

I just realized something, the Bridge ends with the reason why he can't find peace. "You can't see the radiant light, you can’t hear the beautiful chant, you can't feel the tender warmth, if you can give someone something." Its an answer to why he can't find peace, saying he won't experience any of that while he still has something left to give someone, in this case his sister.

[@zebnoorifji5597]

3:13 this feels like the moment Bedman first woke up after his fight with Venom and Robo-ky and met Ariels (and by proxy happy chaos) and realizing that she had absolutely no interest in saving humanity and that he was tricked. the way the song abruptly goes "NO" feels so heartbreaking as if Bedman finaly realize that he's been manipulated the whole time

[@thebirdprincess]

So I saw this somewhere else but this song might be the representation of Bedman's final moments. The more I thought about it, it made perfect sense. The song starts with Bedman seeing the "circle" (or the edge of death.) The chanting maybe being the last things Bedman can hear. He first assesses the situation before realizing something, there's silence everywhere. He then asks God if there's a heaven afterwards. He's starting to fear what's happening. But there's "nothing here". He starts to panic, black, white, infinite, finite, it all mixes up. That's when a voice says "Copy that", that voice likely being the bed but I'll get to that later. "Comes to me ten billion years in an instant." Is him starting to fade away as he sees it all. Everything that's happened comes to him in one instant. But in that instant of seeing everything, he remembers his sister. He says he'll come to her without a second thoughts, trying to cling on to something. He's now on the border of the circle, the border of death. As for the new pendulum comment... I have no clue, if someone has an idea then tell me. He truly is getting desperate at this point, there's nothing the further he gets past the circle, the instrumentals getting more frantic until he asks again. Is there a heaven, he know the answer but he's trying to cling onto anything. But he finally realizes there is absolutely nothing. No radiant light, no beautiful chant, no tender warmth, nothing. (The "if you can give someone something" I can not find the meaning of.) No hope, no rest, no home, he knows the he will finally be gone forever. The chorus plays one last time, but with a change. He knows he'll be gone with only the bed left, but he knows the bed is listing. He knows he won't be able to make Delilah smile but he promises to never make her cry and protect her. He let's put the final "I'm here" before cutting out abruptly before the instrumentals, him finally having gone past the border of the circle. EDIT: So after reading the replies I have to say that this song is really deep, and while I don't agree with some of the replies interpretation, I still acknowledge that they can be correct. This song is one of the deepest in strive and I think that there can multiple interpretations of it, honestly I'd like to hear more of them.

[@sonataavalon6017]

The pendulum thing could be that Bedman’s found a new goal? Something that he can focus on? I’m out of the ballpark there but maybe it’s some sort of thing to do.

[@gruntbunion]

Maybe that line about watching a "new pendulum" over and over has something to do with how he was stuck for a long time, just thinking of a way he can reach out to the world of the living? In the second verse, I hear "Where my left hand can't reach", which reflects his bed's broken left hand as well as his inability to impact the living world while in what is effectively purgatory. Also in the second verse, I hear "But I can find you with access to the back of my eye lids". In life: Bedman was at his strongest while he was dreaming, eyes closed, effectively looking at the back of his eye lids. If only he could close his eyes and dream, he would find the solution to his problem faster, but he's dead. I think "if you can give someone something" might be him contemplating how he can protect his sister and maybe redeem himself (because it kinda seems like he's going to hell if he doesn't). I think by the end of the song: he's finally pierced through the veil of purgatory so he can control the bed and help Delilah, while he struggles to do so throughout the rest of the track.

[@thelovelydragonleelee3273]

I like to think the line “If you can give someone something” means Bedman’s commanding the bed to give Delilah what he never had in life: A peaceful life without having to harm anyone for what she wants!

[@mr.pretzel4036]

For the pedulem comment, he says "*new* pendulem" maybe hes talking about life, in the way that it ticks away like a pedulem slowly slowing down, and he sees either the *new* pendulem as his life in deatb or delilah's life. Does that make sense, not really. But thats what i though of after 2 minutes

[@pixelbarti9507]

I have the same feelings when it comes to the circle meaning the circle of life and bedmam begin of the egde of it, but in my opinion the "Comes 10 billion Years in a instant and ill come to you without a second thought" is referning to bedmans ability to instantly processes information and the fact that even though he always talks about rationality and doing what's smart, he still acts according to his feelings when it comes to Delilah.

[@SomeoneWhoExistsMaybe]

yk now Bedman's intro became so much funnier because i thought of the idea that Delilah just ended up wandering into whatever the stage is and Bedman just drops in from fucking nowhere directly at Delilah's location

[@lavenkaser]

Even on deathbed and in verge of losing himself, he still trying to save his sister and when he success, he leave behind the guardian, a part of himself in form of his bed, to protect his sister. While he failed his sister by leaving her behind, he's make sure nothing will happen to his sister and fulfill his original goal, to releasing her from Dream World and live as normal girl

[@Nikowo1610]

God wouldn't it be cool if instead of Bedman he was named Deathbed

[@samthefaustmain4068]

​@@Nikowo1610 Sounds metal AF and i love it

[@notwhisp]

To save *her* sister? /Gen

[@lavenkaser]

@@notwhisp thanks

[@Shrimple468]

I don't listen to new guilty gear strive themes until CloudDrop drops it

[@C-Drasil]

Same here.

[@wyrmshogun5245]

Same and make a free download of the song

[@ren7a8ero]

Since the game in pc is in a unplayable state atm, I came here as the obvious next choice.

[@kR-qj7rw]

New elphelt dropped

[@hithere5553]

A common thread I’ve seen with a lot of GGS character themes is their relationship with attachments. Bedman’s attachment to his sister, Zato-1’s attachment to Millia, Potemkin’s attachment to the world preventing him from achieving nirvana , I-No’s attachment to her old love driving her insane, Axl letting go of his attachment to his old world, etc. I’m sure there’s more but it’s interesting that so many characters are focused on their earthly attachments that it gives some the will to literally defy death. Edit: Happy Chaos’ theme in particular is entirely focused of his lack of attachments, leaving him unanchored and adrift, while Bedman’s attachment to his sister has him desperately clinging to the world despite being dead.

[@dannyboi5887]

Unsurpisingly, this song hits INFINITELY harder if you've actually lost a sibling. As someone who's beloved older brother passed away earlier this year I'm not ashamed to admit this had me bawling like a fucking newborn when saw lyrics for the first time, especially "I'm here, I'm here".

[@remixsolo]

When you're a brother and you are are so ride or die to protect your siblings that not even death itself can stop you. There's something endlessly beautiful about that.

[@NeonWasInUse]

Ride or die minus the die.

[@thechosenone8332]

This song is growing on me scarily quickly, Daisuke keeps knocking it out of the park

[@randomhistorynerd1199]

As someone who is both an older sibling and who has experienced near death several times this song holds so many unique meanings to me. Having spent so much of my life skirting about the edge of the circle of life and death while sometimes holding on for the sole sake of not leaving my younger siblings alone in the world. The shear panic in realizing that death may be an incomprehensible mind shattering void as you are staring death in the face. The acceptance of your fate. And finally breaking out of the circle only to rejoin knowing that one day you will break out in the opposite direction and it will be all over. An absolute banger by Daisuke as always.

[@4skinShin]

I like how after the "Copy that." bit there is a robotic boot up sound, making it seem like Bedman is giving the bed orders from the after life instead of his soul controlling the bed, giving the "I'm here. On the border of the circle." lyric a pretty neat meaning.

[@notthatthenamematters6163]

I love the "cute little kid protected by this huge, scary guy" trope

[@BungaloFury]

Just thought i'd let you all know that the chorus has now been confirmed by naoki himself to be "consuming ten billion year's in an instant, and i'll come to you without a second thought", not "comes to me ten billion year's"

[@yamatoko219]

Bedman is such a undervalued character. he saw the infinite void that comes after death...stuck in a featureless space where he cannot do anything but feel time ticking by. But no matter how much time passes, he refuses to fade away....because he still has a job to do.... and that's how we got Bedman?.

[@cripplinganimedepression9902]

This came out when I was at my lowest. I think it deserves a praise from me, for this song introdused me to metal

[@coolio6855]

I love how this song goes directly from "comes to me 10 billion years in an instant" directly to "I'll come to you without a second thought." Because it shows that even though he's trapped in Hell, he doesn't care because he still has to protect Delilah.

[@ghostlypenguin4417]

This quickly became my favorite theme as far as the story it tells. Some of these lines hit hard man. The almost desperate yet determined "I'm here!", "I'll come to you without a second thought", and especially "I may not be able to make you smile, but I'll never make you cry even once. Never!" really communicate Bedman's mission to protect Delilah so beautifully.

[@Brawlmann165]

Seriously, this song is badass, sad, and touching!

[@Maxler5795]

The radiant light, beautiful chant and tender warmth parts are so beautiful vocally. I love it

[@KamiPain75]

The Lyrics always go so well with the lore of the character is insane.

[@mikerelf]

God, this guitar at the end just gives me life. The rest of the track is amazing and has been on the loop (heh) since the release, but that guitar part is just.. Nirvana

[@atalantafugiens0426]

1:05 this part is fucking INCREDIBLE

[@Yahoomst]

I love how this song makes it feel like the character is gaining more sentience as the song aligns itself more and more, and then the "copy that" that is normally like a low tone voice changes to a more natural voice as though the character gained sentience

[@Mas-cm6cy]

3:14 This part always just hit different to me. In my minds eye, I see Romeo, looking up at a single dot, surrounded by inconceivable land, simultaneously so bright it hurts to look at and dark as void. He asks, "Is there a radiant light? a beautiful chant? A tender warmth? Is there a heaven?" The dot simply responds. "Go, there is nothing here for you. But you can give someone something they need." Romeo feels horror, then determination, now doing everything in his power to reach the only thing he has left.

[@KiuhKobold]

Bedman might have been misguided in his actions to try and make the world a better place, but his dedication to the point of defying death in protecting his little sister is admirable. Those last two "I'm here" sounds a bit melancholic, but it also feels like he's trying to comfort Dellilah as well. He won't abandon her, he'll be there for her, he's "here".

[@atole7591]

I was listening to this on the bus and I almost cried It hits so fucking hard

[@yamiltahanduran7439]

I just realized I'm banging my head with a song about a killer bed-machine that protects a little girl. C O P Y T H A T

[@mr.midnightgamingYT]

4:24 This part speaks to me on an emotional level

[@GGSTLover-nj6ly]

I feel that... 😔

[@juasjuasi4750]

Guys there is a discovery i made around 3:34 After what is probably bedman asked god if he can feel the radiant light, God briefly interrupts the song and replies to bedman that bedman cannot hear the radiant light, nor the beautiful chant nor the tender warmth IF you can give someone something. Basically God is telling bedman he can't get his proper rest until he let's go of Delilah ;-;

[@makilikespies]

Woah that's awesome, but imo, it's when bedman realises there is no heaven but then remembers robo ky words hence the "if you can give someone something" quote. Then bedman makes peace with himself in purgatory as long as he can protect delilah.

[@MidWestWolf1985]

as a metalhead, i really like this song even though a lot of other strive players apparently dont. i also like that even though romeo is dead, the lyrics are telling a story from his point of view. even though hes gone, his will and final wishes were programmed into the bed, effectively suspending him outside the circle of life and death in a way, making it so that even if his body and soul have moved on, his will lingers in perpetual animation to protect deliliah. really cool little detail for a character no one really liked or cared about in xrd

[@freshboy3968]

"a character no one really liked ot cared about in xrd" U what mate?

[@Gloomdrake]

You were doing so well, but then you exploded at the finish line :(

[@AquaticNebula]

It's something about hearing the word "circle" pronounced with such energy

[@The_looker42]

Bedman: about to die Also bedman: lemme drop this banger real quick

[@benji-menji]

I'M HERE! I'M HERE!!! ... He's not here anymore is he.

[@heracrossz7701]

We don't know about that, but His indomitable will and love is here to protect Delilah at all cost

[@benji-menji]

@@heracrossz7701 playing Bedman XRD copypasta **BEEP**

[@mojojojox5043]

The "I'm here I'm here" at the very end makes me think of when you say that to comfort a kid when they are scared. Thinking of the final line like that while hearing the emotion put into it then dropping out because he no longer lives is very emotional. This song grew on me, I was mixed on it and didn't like some parts but it somehow started sounding good after listening to it a few times. Daisuke must use black magic or something to consistently do that with Strive songs.

[@Iz_zy2099]

I like the change of OST in guilty gear characters cause like You have characters like Bridget where it’s like “hello I am just a girl being happy” Then you have this where it’s just “THERES NO SUCH THING AS HEAVEN OR HELL, ONLY DARKNESS! THERES NO GOD, EVERYTHING IS A LIE AND SO I ESCAPED DEATH AND NOW I PROTECT MY SISTER”

[@Murmarine]

"Now I protect my sister as a haunted piece of furniture that I was strapped to for all my life"

[@mythcat1273]

Bridget's theme is definitely more than just that lol, I feel like may would fit more for an example of something like that

[@NeonWasInUse]

I think Goldlewis's "I FUCKING LOVE/HATE MY JOB DEPENDING HOW SARCASTIC YOU THINK MY LYRICS ARE GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" fits the first one more.

[@Smileface2144]

I love the editing decision you made at 0:11, fucking brilliant. I always look forward to your videos and this one's great again! Nice work!

[@romancae1036]

circle feels so: c̷̢̬̼͎̑̔͜ì̵̙͔̗̦̻ȑ̴̛͙͚̖̼͙̫̻͓͎͋̉̅̔̄́̈́͋̔̀͛̓̇͝ͅc̴̢̡͕̬̬͎̖̩̣̭̳̎̿͒͆̅͛̓̓͑́̀l̸̛̘̳̞̟̩̼̪͔̥̠͆̃̅̊̿̔̽̃̽͆̌̐́́͌͋̈́̾̈́͊͠e̷͈̱̰͈̮̺̤̪̗̘̲͊͗͋̒̅̈͘

[@Sgt_MajorProblem]

"Pitch black! Pure white!" Hit quite hard

[@ItsJust_Dave]

I've listened to a lot of sad music and beautiful music... But nothing has truly brought me to tears the way this has... This is a clear masterpiece.

[@namelesslang5909]

Y'know, I love how this theme is honestly so open to interpretation about what exactly it reflects, so I thought I'd share my own personal take. Going with the idea Happy Chaos suggested of Bedman having become a multidimensional being after his death, I was reminded of one of his reactions to his Xrd instakill "N-No...! I can be certain of NOTHING in this world...too many variables to solve the equations! This must be...HELL!" As such, I can imagine Bedman having entered a new world, confronting his worst fears by exisiting in a world where the reality he knew no longer applies and is beyond his comprehension ("Where there is no beginning and no end", "Pitch Black, Pure White, all the same" etc.). But in between trying to make sense of his situation and praying that a higher power can answer his questions ("God, Do you see the radiant light?") his mind always comes back to Delilah and keeping her safe. I like to imagine the titular circle of the song is the eye on Bedman's bed, acting like a window to the world he left behind and finds himself unable to return to ("I struggled to go beyond the circle"). Even so, Bedman realizes that all he really wants and needs is for Delilah to be safe, and even though he recognizes the possibility he might never be able to return to life and live with her in harmony like he knows they always want, he and his bed will be sure to protect her ("I might not be able to make you smile, but I'll never make you cry even once"), and if there's ever a possibility he could be with her again some day, no matter how long it takes, he'll be sure to be with her ("Come to me ten billion years in an instant, and I'll come to you without a second thought").

[@anonanon1004]

Okay bedman, what's your favorite shape? Bedman: 3:03

[@3Bitjoke]

i dont fear the machine i fear the strong will of a dead spirit that simply ignores that it is dead.

[@CosmicErrata]

Good quote m8.

[@Chalibay415]

I think I'm starting to see that "the circle" is life, and the cycle of life and death, and he's telling her he's not moving on until she's ready

[@bonkai09]

3:13 as an older brother I feel this completely

[@syxxcubes]

Kinda ironic how a character named BEDMAN can't get any rest.

[@flyingpiggles1034]

just realized that the footage at 1:26 to 1:35 syncs up with the music perfectly. this is why i love these music videos.

[@ela-811]

I'll absorb all my Guilty Gear knowledge the same way I got half of RWBY's character development. An egregious amount of the banging music thrown on repeat.

[@marysmile1603]

Bedman's fate is heartbreaking, so to make myself feel better, I like to imagine that even though the bed is busted, Bedman himself is still hanging around, shit-talking his opponents even as a ghost.

[@jaketheva]

Hey there, Delilah, what’s it like in New City. *sick ass guitar rift* I don’t know the full origins of Bedman as well as how his powers worked, but I do know he was really powerful and was asleep for most of the battles while the bed he was in fought for him, which he controlled. What I do know is that he was killed by the universal will in the last game and we think that his soul has possessed the bed and is now trying to protect his little sister, Delilah. Though, I really like the fact that Delilah is really powerful, like her big brother. When it comes to the them, I like that it’s very techno and weird, kinda like Bedman. I can’t really get a grasp on the small story the song is saying, so if anyone in the comments can tell me that as well as Bedman’s origin story and how his power works, I’d really appreciate it! Anyway, this song is amazing. I love the idea of a character looking like a reverse summon, and overall, this DLC is amazing with the map, character, and song. Certified bop.

[@xtty7644]

Bedman's backstory is kept mysterious, but it is implied that the original Bedman (revealed in Strive to be named Romeo F. Neumann) and his sister are the result of some kind of experiments to give them super psychic powers. The experiments worked, but they actually worked too well - both of them got godlike psychic powers, and IQs (at the very least) over 200 because their brains need to work at many times the speed of a regular human to generate their powers. The issue here is that their powers are so great that the siblings cannot control their powers while awake and might create nuclear blast-level destruction by accident, so they need to be kept asleep at all times. This is not an issue for Romeo, as he is able to retain full consciousness through lucid dreaming, and his bed can be controlled by him using his psychic capabilities while asleep. Delilah's powers are actually even greater than Romeo's, so she had to be kept in a near-comatose state. When we first meet Romeo in Xrd, he is a widely feared assassin despite his young age, because his powers allow him to infiltrate people's dreams and destroy their minds in their sleep, killing them without a chance of them fighting back. He also seems to be able to somehow just appear anywhere in the world, and to be following the grand designs of the (at that point unknown) villain of the story. From this point on, spoilers follow, so please do not read any further if you do not wish to be spoiled. We later learn that Romeo is working for Ariels, the main villain of Guilty Gear Strive and a pope-like figure revered throughout the world. While the whole world believes Ariels to be a saint-like religious leader that united the world after the destruction of the Crusades, she is actually the Universal Will - a magical AI that was created to make humanity happy, but went crazy as humans always wish for more and now wishes to replace all of humanity with beings that she can force to be happy forever. Romeo seems to share in her goal of creating a "perfect world" and therefore carry out her contract killings, but we eventually discover that it is not that simple - Romeo is actually doing all of this because he believes that, in Ariels' perfect world, he would be able to free Delilah from her powers so that she can be a normal kid. Ariels uses this to manipulate him, leading Romeo to believe that he would be able to actually bring the people he killed back. We learn that Romeo actually uses his immensely powerful brain to memorize every trait of every single person he kills, so that he can bring them back after Ariels has achieved her perfect world. When Romeo figures out that, in Ariels' perfect world, all humans (including him and Delilah) would be destroyed, he tries to rebel against Ariels, but she kills him by surprise. In his last moments, Romeo actually wakes up and uses his full, god-like powers for once in his life to seal Delilah's powers in a reduced state, so that she can actually be awake without causing destruction. This is the point where the story is at when Xrd ends and Strive begins. Ariels actually is killed by the end of Xrd, but Delilah seeks to avenge Romeo by killing the person who created Ariels and was ultimately responsible for Romeos death - namely, Happy Chaos, the first human to learn magic. In Strive's "Another Story", the implications of her seeking revenge are explored. Regarding Bedman's powers: While awake, Romeo is essentially a god and can do nearly anything. However, he has no control of his powers while awake and could cause massive destruction, so he is kept asleep and moves around by manipulating his bed-mech. Even while asleep, Romeo seems to somehow exist "outside" normal spacetime and can teleport nearly anywhere. He is also able to fight using his bed and his psychic powers, and his most feared power is the ability to enter dreams and kill people within them (which is represented by his Instant Kill in Xrd). Happy Chaos eventually reveals that Bedman's seeming ability to exist outside normal spacetime is not a part of his psychic powers. You see, in GG's lore, there is an alternate dimension made of pure information called the Backyard, which is essentially where the laws of nature are defined. Every single thing that exists has "identity tags" in the Backyard which define how it functions. Bedman was able to use his psychic powers to "delete" some of his "identity tags", which allows him to exist as what is described as a "multidimensional being", outside the regular laws of time and space, which is what allows him to appear anywhere. In GG's story, it has also been shown that people who mess with the Backyard tend to become untethered from a linear existence, such that even if they die, aspects of them can still remain. I believe this is how, even after his death, there still seems to be *something* imparting a will to the bed. However, it could also just be that he programmed the bed to protect Delilah before his death. The story keeps it intentionally ambiguous and no one really knows what's going on with it (hence the name "Bedman?"), but I believe that this song confirms that Bedman's "soul" has been consigned to some kind of liminal state ("on the border of the circle") where he can just barely interact with the physical world and still control his bed to keep protecting Delilah - even from beyond the grave.

[@Sheffield_DG]

@@xtty7644 Thank you for this write up!

[@jaketheva]

@@xtty7644 I read allat. That is the coolest shit I’ve ever heard. Thank you for the explanation, you’re a real one, man!

[@xtty7644]

@@jaketheva you're welcome :)

[@librarian5657]

​@@xtty7644 Thanks