Ups and Downs [With Lyrics] (Slayer Theme) - Guilty Gear Strive OST

Ups and Downs (Slayer's Theme)
Vocal: Naoki Hashimoto
Composer: Daisuke Ishiwatari
Lyrics:
The darkness is pierced
By the morning sun
The light is beautiful
I'm mesmerized by it
But soon I
Can't open my eyes
But eventually I get used to it
Surrounded, by precious things
The heart turns into stone
Hardly the stuff of bedtime stories
Happy ending is just a snapshot in time
Life is a journey, not a destination
Enjoy the ride, with ups and downs
My friend enjoys
Courage for the plate
Holding a platinum knife
With soft fire glow
But his eyes
Did not shine
What he missed is that he cannot be overthrown
Surrounded, by precious things
My heart turns into stone
Hardly the stuff of bedtime stories
Happy ending is just a snapshot in time
Life is a journey, not a destination
Enjoy the ride, with ups and downs
Hardly the stuff of bedtime stories
Sometimes you have to play supporting roles
But what that matters is that you're eyes shine
In the moment
Hardly the stuff of bedtime stories
Happy ending is just a snapshot in time
Life is a journey, not a destination
Enjoy the ride, with ups and downs

[@darkanayer5867]

If Sol's theme is "Sounds like a Bar fight and you are winning" then I declare Ups and Downs as "This sounds like you are in a bar fight and your date has given you permission to join in"

[@wght2.059]

Sounds more like there’s a bar fight and your watching from your café window

[@H3llra1ser]

@@wght2.059Oh shit I forgot to switch accounts

[@ianweckhorst3200]

@@H3llra1serwait why do you change accounts that often?

[@ianweckhorst3200]

@@wght2.059that’s a much better analogy, but what about I-No, what is she doing in the barfight?

[@djsharky3822]

Then I can't wait for the character theme that's your given promission and your date joins you in said barfight

[@Robomori]

I remember seeing a comment saying that this theme is too short to be a banger, but too long to keep a lovely wife waiting.

[@jackthatistheripper]

Fucking hell, that guy was SOO Dandy

[@sim4025]

@@jackthatistheripper Dandy.

[@xyriskalamax]

I pity their wife if they think 3 and a half minutes is too long.

[@WillGlacier]

@@xyriskalamax bro can not take a joke 😐

[@SumMelon]

Untrue, this absolutley is a banger

[@Goblin_Thing]

He's just so... 𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓭𝔂

[@nevrikx]

Dandy

[@frank8917]

Bro i read it like "Daddy"

[@pessoaaleatoria2586]

​@@frank8917 He is both, that would make Slayer: Danddy

[@frank8917]

@@pessoaaleatoria2586 or at least i would call him daddy if he wasnt married

[@pessoaaleatoria2586]

@@frank8917 Yeah fair enough

[@jackthatistheripper]

Slayer knew that he cannot change society, so instead of reflecting on themselves he lived happily, with ups and downs

[@pogfish4311]

Literally me

[@RetroEngi]

And his lovely wife

[@aienforge8391]

We should all "*STRIVE*" to be like slayer.

[@laLocura-hn5dv]

Litterally Absurdism

[@jackthatistheripper]

@@laLocura-hn5dv womp womp

[@lavenkaser]

Slayer : "The past left no reminiscence for me and i have nothing to look forward in my eternal future life. So by elimination, the present is likely the happiest time."

[@kaialone]

My memory is a bit foggy, when did he say that 🤔?

[@cyanariesdw04]

Slayer never says that, OP is saying that that’s the message of the song. **Post way longer than I intended incoming** The past having bo reminisce is brought up at the beginning of the song. “Darkness is pierced/By the morning sun/The light is beautiful/I’m mesmerized by it/But soon I/Can’t open my eyes/But eventually I get used to it” which effectively is him saying > the things that were once extremely beautiful to me lose their value or they are lost or destroyed at some point, but I’m ok with that Nothing to look forward for in his eternal future part of the chorus “Hardly the stuff of bedtime stories/Happy ending is just a snapshot in time/Life is a journey/Not a destination/Enjoy the ride/With Ups and Downs” in which he’s saying > the happy endings or “happily ever after” things you see in stories don’t actually exist and life is an experience that will always bring something crazy to you, he’s effectively speaking as someone who once tried to get to what he thought would be a “happy ending” but found out that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be The part about the present being the happiest is pretty much just mentioned throughout “Surrounded/By precious things/My heart turns into stone”, “Enjoy the ride/With Ups and Downs”, “What he missed is he cannot be overthrown”, “But what matters is that your eyes shine/In the moment” > all of which mainly point to how the most important thing to Slayer is the now and how he believes that others should embrace the moment fully, he talks about his friend in the second verse (who’s presumably Nagoriyuki) who wasn’t exactly happy about the present, even with the new supposed life of immortality that Slayer gave him, but what Nago didn’t realize is that the strength he had in the moment was unparalleled to anything he had prior and Slayer believes that that is something to enjoy Tl;dr “Ups and Downs” holds the message that OP is talking about throughout the verses and Slayer (in the song) is talking about how he’s fine with letting go of the past and believes that all that matters is that you are happy in your present moments.

[@jordanguelbert7754]

Also "it doesn't matter if your life isn't glamorous, it's still worth enjoying" (the "supporting role, have your eyes shine bits")

[@ronramen5827]

@@cyanariesdw04 Wouldn’t “Hardly the stuff of bedtime stories” mean literally the exact opposite? Happy endings are real, not contained to the fantasy of a bedtime story; they just exist as “snapshots” for Slayer and other immortal beings. They’re the ups in the ride.

[@cyanariesdw04]

@@ronramen5827 I think that may make a little more sense, but I’m sort of paring it with the following phrase in the chorus. “Life is a journey, not a destination,” at least to me, suggests that Slayer doesn’t see a true ending and that you can’t reach a “happy ending” with no additional continuation like the stories you read suggest. In my mind, the “hardly” in the line is saying it’s not as great as it’s made out to be and the “snapshot” part is saying that happiness will only be partial and will never equal the “happily ever after” endings that suggests that the characters live happily for the rest of their lives. Maybe it’s just how I interpret it, I could definitely have missed that or it could be more open-ended than I thought it would be.

[@coffeebird2857]

I love the fact that the message of the Song is to Enjoy life to the fullest, and it’s coming from an immortal vampire

[@jordanguelbert7754]

I actually 100% get this. You always hear people say shit like "death is what gives life meaning" or whatever but here's slayer rockin up like "no idiot, spending time with those you love and having fun is inherently worthwhile. Get last horizoned"

[@braedenmu5380]

“Enjoy life to the fullest” Slayers ToD on Chipp:

[@barmacidic2257]

And then he pilebunker loops you

[@TheKirBoi]

@@braedenmu5380 "Enjoy life to it's fullest, because you only have 5 seconds left to live!"

[@HeraldOfOpera]

@@braedenmu5380 To be fair, he can ToD EVERYONE if they blocked too often leading up to it. Chipp isn't special for it.

[@rattled6732]

The gigachad of gigachads. There is no deep reflection in his theme cause he has everything figured out. He’s literally HIM!

[@tommygilmore2570]

There's no deep reflection in his theme because he's a vampire. I'll be here all week.

[@ivanayala2715]

​@@tommygilmore2570took me a second lmao, that's a good one

[@TheKirBoi]

@@tommygilmore2570 +2

[@rattled6732]

@@ivanayala2715-1 I got it instantly, y’all are stupid

[@siegwardofcatarina100]

​@tommygilmore2570 my monkey brain doesnt understand, care to explain?

[@suonododici]

I'M NOT YOUR DADDY I'M YOUR GRANDPA

[@omayajones2364]

GRANDPA

[@trymtheriver5159]

I MADE THIS BEAT IN 15 MINUTES 🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥😭😭

[@polarbearwilliam]

REPLACEMENT HIP WHEN I DO THAT DIP

[@AfroMidwestern]

But I'm okay with whatever he wants me to call him.

[@ianweckhorst3200]

@@AfroMidwesternclearly didn’t get downrolled by epowga

[@MrShadowCollector]

Surrounded by precious things, the heart turns into stone. Daisuke. Stop cooking 😭 You're already peak D A N D Y

[@NimrodNadialous6002]

Nahnahnah, this isn't peak *D* *A* *N* *D* *Y*, he's barely using 1% of his *D* *A* *N* *D* *Y* *N* *E* *S* *S*, to make all of these songs m8

[@clam653]

I like whereas ever other character's themes are very reflective and are them making personal breakthroughs, Slayer's sounds like he already worked through this a few centuries ago and is giving others advice on their journeys.

[@Swagmaster1102]

Given his story mode, that honestly makes sense

[@TheArmyOfOne100]

Especially that line toward the end "Sometimes you have to play supporting roles"

[@nevrikx]

Some of the characters have already gone through their Arcs

[@bleepblock2177]

@@nevrikxSystem Works

[@benji-menji]

Really good choice for a Jack Frost pfp. Who's the artist of it anyway?

[@ModernAegis]

"A happy ending is just a snapshot in time" That makes WAY more sense than "a sad short detour". Thanks, Cloud!

[@ImCroozy]

Thought the exact same thing. I never heard it like that before, really cool.

[@PeskySpyCrab]

I always heard “sad short daytime” but snapshot makes more sense

[@ArcCaravan]

Both make sense, but this version seems more uplifting. Like instead of seeing happy endings as a detour from a miserable life, it's just another moment in the journey.

[@Max_G4]

Before I saw "snapshot in time" somewhere, I was convinced that it's not " *sad* short detour" , as that wouldn't make sense, but I thought it's "slight short detour"

[@JustAnotherGuy151]

I always heard ‘essential design’ but this fits, too.

[@midle652]

1:59 THIS SYNC OH MY FUCKING GOD

[@RandomHans]

oh my god its genuinely perfect

[@playery2684]

I can't get over the fact that Slayer canonically: - Haven't lost a single fight, being powerful enough to insta kill someone of the most powerful characters in GG. - A Vampire with over + 683 years - Helped founding the Assassin's Guild, where Zato-1 and Venom worked for - A Writer - A refined gentleman - Has a lovable Wife (that he likes) and somehow he looked like PeanutButterGamer when he was younger (Edit: I'm are about his encounter with Bedman, but it was more of a ambush than a fight, and once they actually fight one another, it ended on a drawn, since Millia wanted to Zato-1 to take his place and both teleported away)

[@oculusyes7837]

BRO FINALLY SOMEONE AGREES, HE SO DOES

[@darkanayer5867]

"A writer" My man, his Haikus suck and make even less sense than regular ones. I think that's an intentional design thing tho, kind of a "he is good at a bunch of things, but what he enjoys trying to improve at the one he sucks at". Like how in Megamind MetroMan becomes a musician literally because it's the one thing he isn't good at.

[@playery2684]

@@darkanayer5867 I said that he was a writter, not a good one.... yet.

[@tacomerchant]

​@@darkanayer5867 well, to be a writer doesn't mean your writing has to be GOOD. it just means it's an activity you continously partake in and enjoy

[@-rlmn]

he's scared to fight Gabriel iirc

[@Fletch_078]

The Goldlewis, The Badguy and The Dandy

[@rattled6732]

He is one of the most powerful characters in the verse, he is literally immortal, he has a beautiful immortal loving wife, he has deep connection to many characters and organizations, he takes life as it comes and simply strives for happiness, he is handsome, he is smart, but most of all HE IS DANDY!!

[@nevrikx]

Dandy!

[@toruusura4885]

Dandy!

[@delight9803]

Dandy!

[@TheKirBoi]

He also seems to be a great teacher of Dandyism, which helps me validate my head canon that he's just the personification of a tutorial NPC who has ABSOLUTELY PEAKED.

[@youssefbencheikh8637]

Dang i kinda hoped someone would misspell "dandy" as "daddy" in these replies

[@Oblivionblade25]

The shortest song in Strive but one of the best

[@ArcCaravan]

Huh, guess it is. A few seconds shorter than Sol's theme.

[@Axetale_Sans]

And its actually fitting for Slayer, he's like, one of the oldest Characters and overall an immortal vampire.

[@thatoneguy6318]

its fitting, as the saying goes : if i had more time, i would have written a shorter book

[@ali_altoxin]

I already said this somewhere, but I want to point out some interestng aspect of this song: did you noticed how light, common, classical and "normal" this sounds? Especially after "The Gravity", "Symphony" and "The Circle" (they are amazing, literally my favs) "Ups and Downs" dosnt have any cool strange instruments, special vocal techniques, strange harmony, multiple rhythms or smth else, it's just jazzy, classy masterpiece without any abnormal and untraditional music experiments. While lot of other character's themes telling a stories of hardship, loneliness, fear, PTSD (Leo moment) or smth, Slayer's theme tells just about his chill vibe and relaxed attitude to life. He doesn't have any hardships and problems with his life, he is just enjoying it, even if there will be some "Downs", not only " Ups" (same vibe with Axel's, HC's and Elphelt's themes) I absolutely adore this song. Daisuke's cooking is on a 5★ Michelin level 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🍝🧆🍲

[@fullmetalastro]

YES I noticed this too. Its actually a very subversive move after "Symphony" and "Extras" to release something so short, light-hearted and laid-back

[@TheKirBoi]

I like the idea that PTSD can always be referred to as a "Leo Moment".

[@frostwolf8994]

Does this include Johnny? Dude is just saying “Yeah I’m that guy.” With his theme.

[@Soleryth]

I'd say it fits the character very well. It's canon that Slayer is fond of haikus (short poems), but he's really mediocre at writing them, so his song reflects it, with no rhyming words

[@breadslise5659]

Although its the shortest character theme so far, the dandy man doesn’t need all those minutes to release a banger

[@EggsD_]

I mean his lovely wife is waiting

[@LukeLibra]

@@EggsD_He was gonna make it quick.

[@HeraldOfOpera]

I've seen a lot of people saying immortality is good or bad, but I haven't seen anything quite like this song ignoring the question entirely by praising the idea of living in the moment.

[@shiausagi8198]

Slayer has the 3 D´s: Dilf Dandy and he have an massive big Dictionary knowledge for his mad haikus.

[@moonsettler1623]

No wonder Sharon loves him (It should have been me not her!!)

[@Las3Ms_]

This man, is one of the very fundamental pillars of Overpowered Characters done perfectly. *And Dandily of course-*

[@UncleMerlin]

Exactly! Everything he does oozes confidence and power. He was designed to embody it while still being fair to fight and you *feel* it when you fight him or play as him.

[@bruced09]

@@UncleMerlinhe does not feel fair to fight lol

[@Soleryth]

​@@bruced09 It's fair lorewise. He holds up in the fights not using all of his strength. He could wipe the entire guilty gear cast, he's completely immortal, he literally doesn't care about Dizzy's nuke super, and just chills on the floor when defeated like "oh you beat me". He canonically never lost a fight. Maybe only Happy Chaos could snap him out of existence but he's probably the only one.

[@dddking9284]

Even then I still believe Chaos would have s challenge on his hands my own thoughts of course but Slayer didn't become one of the most powerful characters not fighting powerful beings that equal Godly abilities

[@UncleMerlin]

@@bruced09 he's fair to fight if you have a. 3F normal to punish Mappa with. Just go excited, strike back. Get them out of your way, man.

[@akgfilming]

He's TOO dandy

[@Andrekurzephimimus]

There's no such thing as TOO dandy, but he gets as close as you can by being INFINITLY dandy

[@sinsha24]

T♾️ dandy

[@ARandomNope]

Naoki just released the official lyrics through his usual place: Twitter almost all of these lyrics are correct here except for a single phrase: "My friend enjoyed Paradise for the Palate holding a platinum knife with sapphire gloves but his eyes did not shine What he needs is an economic overthrow" these are some weird-ass lyrics, but listening to them along with the song, they fit exactly.

[@user-sd6py4sr8t]

Weird even by Guilty Gear's standarts

[@vico1417]

I actually love this lyrics, they are talking about someone that has it all (paradise, platinum, sapphire) but isn't enjoying life. He needs the downs of life to fully enjoy it

[@ArcDemon74096]

works in line with the idea its talking about nago rather than slayer, his 'friend' has it all but he's not enjoying himself to the fullest with the gift he's been given

[@antiv4l3nt]

Just like what Squidward Tentacles said "Oh no he's hot"

[@akgfilming]

2:50 YOUR

[@firud468]

SPELLING MISTAKE DETECTED. OPINION, INVALID.

[@rattled6732]

🤓☝️

[@adblockon]

also "but what that matters" should be "but what matters". Otherwise the lyrics should be correct.

[@user-wg2pp1xj8t]

@@adblockon That is a lie. Some of the lyrics are incorrect.

[@adblockon]

@@user-wg2pp1xj8t Yea I agree now. Saw like a hundred more interpretations of the song just in the last week. Also the whole 2nd verse is gibberish. What I hear is "My friend enjoys carriage through the plate(?) [...] What he needs easily(?), cannot be overthrown" Honestly the whole song is a huge guessing game until Naoki/Daiskue/ArcSys release the official lyrics.

[@Youngbreadstlck]

FOREVER LIVING LIFE WITH UPS AND DOWNS WITH THIS ONE 🗣️🔥🔥🔥‼️‼️‼️⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️🦇🦇🦇🦇

[@retrostart8681]

Slayer : "I'm just a chilling vampire. Don't pay too much attention"

[@RukaDesu]

I love how the lyrics change with each video I watch/wiki I read... "sad short teatime" "sad short detour" "snapshot in time" "heart beat stopped" "hardly the stuff" "the faulty road" "supporting roles" I think yours is the most accurate to what's being sang...

[@shumjuna1]

I just LOVE the way you timed Slayer's combo to the beat at 1:59.

[@Ramsey276one]

"My beloved awaits, so struggle if you wish... it WILL be over quickly... "

[@dddking9284]

That's when he drops giving them a chance and annihilated them in two blows

[@enzoponce1881]

​@@dddking9284First one to stagger the opponent, second one to land last horizon

[@Xoe_1571]

0:34 😩almost made me bust

[@nebbygetinthebag7263]

thats not a safe place to bust, you disappoint potemkin

[@Xoe_1571]

@@nebbygetinthebag7263 jokes on you my jump button doesn't work

[@cmdrflfs]

​@@nebbygetinthebag7263 it's never an unsafe place to bust believe in the buster and the buster will believe in you

[@sophiebubbles07]

@@nebbygetinthebag7263you unironically sound like an MGR fan saying that I’m sorry that’s just the first thing that came to my mind

[@chatterfox9304]

this so dandy i could cry…

[@imarock.7662]

Finally, the actual lyrics. God they make so much more sense now.

[@Nascenting]

I don't know, it seems like even CloudDrop gave up on trying to understand the lyrics of this song. It's not that he never made a mistake when guessing lyrics, but what about this one? 1. As for me, "Sapphire glow" makes much more sense than "Soft fire glow". I'm not a native speaker, and I don't know if "soft fire" is some kind of a metaphore, let me know if it is. 2. As for me, again, I hear "The darkness hits the earth" rather than "the darkness is pierced". If you think about it, it might make more sense, because then, he says "But soon I can't open my eyes". "Soon" might mean the cycle of day and night, and after being mesmerized by the moonlight, he can't open his eyes because of the sunrise after, given he's a vampire. But that's just my opinion. 3. The whole "overthrown" part (second verse) is kinda messy. I, for example, hear "meaning" and "control" in this line, rather than "missed" and "overthrown". I still can’t understand either the words or their meaning in that part. But I should say thanks for the "Happy ending is just a snapshot in time", that really brought the light onto the meaning. P.S. nah, I guess "by the morning sun" ruins everything in my version.

[@nintendowonder]

@@Nascentinglisten to the isolated lyrics its a bit clearer

[@anghainguyen9951]

​@@Nascentingwell i think the friend in the song it Sol so it should be Fire glow

[@DouglasStewart99]

Hello, favorite Strive S3 theme! Thought that title would belong to ABA, but then Slayer came and dropped Jack-a-Dandy II with vocals! The sync at 0:34-0:36 & 1:59-2:02 was just 😩👌🏽! Gentleman vampire, founder of the Assassin's Guild, never retires, one of the most powerful characters in GG lore, and a loving husband. *Really* surprised he ain't a father yet after all this time.

[@user-dx1qv4yz5i]

Weirdly enough I've seen more syncs like these in other people's gameplay, so maybe it's just the song being really good at reflecting his gameplay

[@jjj7790]

Slayer is both eternal and exists at the peak of all living things. There are no highs for him to chase, nor death to anticipate. His only battle left is with his own apathy. His music theme, his ethos, and his hobby of writing haiku are all philosophically about living in the present, capturing a brief moment in time and finding meaning in it.

[@RanCossack]

This man will provide the most dapper beatdown you've ever experienced, and still be a polite, good sport about it by the end. Life goals, right there.

[@oculusyes7837]

As everyone in the guilty gear strive cast says: Dandy

[@nevrikx]

Dandy!

[@-StarDusk-]

"Silver fox!" -Elphelt Valentine

[@NargiKyrad]

The sync in 1:58 goes crazy

[@giloguy101]

Crazy? no no, it's not crazy its Dandy~

[@ImCroozy]

Oh holy shit... "a snapshot in time" I never heard it like that before. That's so good.

[@gomelo6787]

My heart isn't stone anymore!

[@enzoponce1881]

BUT SOMETHING ELSE IS

[@Nikowo1610]

NOOOOO WE GOT THE WRONG YOUR AT 2:49

[@dukeofkards]

NOOOOO

[@bitd1807]

yro'ue*

[@jaketheva]

A handsome man with much power An amazing game with great characters The strongest man around “Dandyism” I love Slayer. This has been a loooong time coming and I’m so happy that he’s finally here. Slayer is an old man who is a vampire and is considered the strongest man in the verse. Now, if he’s stronger than Happy Chaos, you guys can power scale that. But, this vampire has won in life. And I’m jealous that he had. He’s strong, immortal, has a loving wife that helps with his want of blood, and has great people surrounding him. And he did all of this while being over 683 years old. So, there you go. As for the theme, I love the fact it feels a bit more laid back like he’s just having a good time and he’s happy to be here. And I’m also happy to be here to say two things. One, Dandyism. And two, certified bop.

[@Raelycta]

Been a while since I commented on one of these. Another 10/10 from Daisuke, genuinely have no idea how he pulled off so many great songs for one season but he sure did. This one takes the cake for me though, it’s arguably one of the “simpler” strive songs but I still believe it has a powerful message. Other strive songs carry complex themes and messages, through journeys of self reflection, characters developing or mellowing out in regards to negative aspects of them, or even just characters acknowledging their flaws and learning how to live with them, in comparison, Slayer’s is relatively straightforward. It’s a song about life, from the perspective of a vampire that has lived through centuries, his lifespan being so big that most occurrences or characteristics of a “regular” person’s life seem trivial to him, and yet still he finds life to be absolutely fascinating, specifically what people do with the time they’re given. Life’s end result isn’t a destination, it’s a journey, one that everyone has to partake in, despite it’s highs and lows, you continue living, because in the end it’s an absolutely wonderful experience. Awesome song, fitting for how cool Slayer is too.

[@spartanhawk7637]

Are we just gonna ignore the implication that Slayer doesn’t use silverware, but platinumware?

[@Murmarine]

Of course, he is a vampire. Silver is usually used for vampire killing.

[@user-gw5qi5zu8i]

Im glad that after listening to Ups and Downs for few days constantly, i can actually understand the lyrics now (to some degree)

[@qgotem7286]

WE'RE BEING DANDY WITH THIS ONE

[@MagicalMaster]

This is the song of a man who has it figured out. I love it.

[@M-Trigger]

Sorry Daisuke, I know that you, Naoki and the rest of the music team put a lot of work into this song, but for me Epowga's hit "I'm not your daddy I'm your grandpa" will forever be Slayer's official theme

[@northsoutheastweest8991]

The other themes are about their character arcs. Slayer's theme is the music that plays as the credits roll on his character arc.

[@DonVito703]

CloudDrop never fails to spread me wide and fill me up with his content 🙏🏼

[@angelodavidmarabolivarela9505]

Dude, the hwat?

[@titantrum3352]

Ayo? 🤨

[@thewizard1]

That's kinda hot tbh

[@splungerino]

need

[@Thesamurai62735]

CloudDrop the goat always comes in clutch with the lyrics so I can actually sing along 🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯🦅🦅🦅

[@netapel2625]

148 views in 3 minutes? A lot of people are coming to see this video really early. Congrats 🎉

[@Ray-wz8sg]

the lyrics to the chorus are actually really profound, life keeps going even when so much in the world changes or ends, so you might as well keep moving along and enjoy life all you can, and this is for the character who punches you so hard his clothes fall off

[@the_real_boogeyman]

Huh, that's interesting. I thought it was saying "heart made of stone, bedtime stories" because they just talked about stone hearts earlier, but the real line makes sense too.

[@Jetstream_sam_loves_guiltygear]

YESSS I'VE BEEN WAITING! FASTER THAN A.B.A'S, WE'RE BACK BABY

[@limbobilbo8743]

The first verse is zato, someone who literally can’t see the sun and has had to grow accustomed to his new way of living (his strange relationship to emotions) The second verse is nagoriyuki, someone who fights with honour to survive but is trying to find himself after the events of strive and his time under happy chaos. The chorus and the rest of the song is slayer explaining to them the true mentality of dandyism and how he’s remained fulfilled and enjoying life despite his incredibly long life

[@enzogonzalez7140]

My man literally loves everything and is having a great time

[@ViashinoWizard]

The Dandyman Cometh

[@_imago]

Naoki dropped the full lyrics a few days ago: The darkness is pierced by the morning sun. The light is beautiful, and I'm mesmerized by it But soon I can't open my eyes. But eventually I get used to it Surrounded By precious things The heart turns into stone Hardly the stuff of bedtimestory A happy ending is just a snapshot in time Life is a journey, not a destination Enjoy the ride, with ups and downs My friend enjoyed Paradise for the Palate Holding a platinum knife with sapphire gloves But his eyes did not shine What he needs is an economic overthrow Surrounded By precious things My heart turns into stone Hardly the stuff of bedtimestory A happy ending is just a snapshot in time Life is a journey, not a destination Enjoy the ride, with ups and downs Hardly the stuff of bedtimestory Sometimes You have to play a supporting role But what matters is that your eyes shine In the moment Hardly the stuff of bedtimestory A happy ending is just a snapshot in time Life is a journey, not a destination Enjoy the ride, with ups and downs

[@user-sd6py4sr8t]

Economic overthrow is crazy

[@decopamala]

Does this come from the Spotify lyrics?

[@_imago]

@@decopamala Nope, NAOKI posted it on twitter

[@imarock.7662]

While I do miss his BDC from Xrd, i cant deny that hes fun as fuck in Strive. So glad hes back. Also, I like how this theme is all about helping someone else on their journy telling them to enjoy life through the good and bad. Slayers character is complete, and satisfied so he doesn't need a big introspective theme and lyrics, but rather one laid back, groovy, and complete.

[@FirithPanda]

So this song might just be a duet between immortals. Both Slayer and his wife singing about that while eternity is good, it's best to enjoy your life as a mortal.

[@jcplays5831]

You think this is a fight? How charming. This is merely a test to observe your strength.

[@pogfish4311]

«Life is a journey, not a destination - enjoy the ride, with ups and downs!» 🦇🦇🗣️🗣️🔥🔥

[@multi_arm]

this would be a banger is slayer didnt give me an aneurism every time i play

[@neinja66469]

Try singing it yourself You'll realize how much this song 🔥🔥🔥

[@darienb1127]

I like to think that the reason this song is so short is because Slayer doesn't have all that much to say. He's got all of his shit figured out and is just passing along his wisdom.

[@giovannamoretti4001]

“It’s not a sexual thing, it’s the power!” - Markiplier

[@misterpancake273]

trough the thousand of thousand of thousand of words in all the language in all region of the world in all planet in the universe there exist only one and unique word that could be capable of explaing the grandiose and insane beauty of this character and this word is no one other then *dandy*

[@georgewestfall7251]

The video matching the rhythm is a fantastic touch

[@ColleenWhateley]

Thank you for making this and all the others too.

[@RetroEngi]

Clouddrop released music video, now I feel complete

[@kevinwong3811]

1:32 Jack a dandy

[@uwot225]

WOOO

[@Goobergurl]

I really appreciate that the vampire character's theme is about how life is full of ups and downs, because he's soul old and experienced that it makes sense that he sees life as this one big journey with ups and downs like a roller coaster almost. He doesn't sound jaded necessarily, but rather it seems more like he's come to terms with the realities of life and isn't going to fight against the truth. Instead of resisting the tragedies and downsides of life, and only accepting the upsides, he embraces both the ups and downs. Because if you're an immortal being then eventually you'd learn too that resisting the cold harshness of life is futile. Great song! Loved the trumpets!

[@GiantRobotUppercut]

The timing of "enjoy the ride" with Last Horizon sending them offscreen is absolutely D A N D Y

[@QuazaPlaza]

Hooray, I was waiting for this video! Your versions of these are my favorite way to listen to the soundtrack!

[@nsgarci8047]

Daisuke has been dropping straight fire since The Hourglass and i feel like we're not giving him the full credit for that

[@Shinagi_]

another fire gmv thank you cloudrop

[@ryugoasakura3247]

Another great peice my man !!!

[@dumbsterdives]

love the music sync with the background footage at around 0:30

[@burzane]

When I was 15 this character inspired me so much, today 30+ we have so much in common even the origins. Lovely song.

[@f1shment]

THE GOAT HAS POSTED THE LYRICS 🗣️‼️ this song is blessing my ears rn

[@smokeandfire322]

We gettin dandy with this one 🗿🗿🗿

[@pflor6441]

the lines "Sometimes you have to play supporting roles But what that matters is that you're eyes shine In the moment" hit so fucking hard, sometimes you aren't the main character of the story but that doesn't matter what matters is that you appreciate every living moment you have

[@PB_pancake]

I’m a straight dude, but I’d definitely make an exception for slayer.

[@WhimWearsBlue]

i love how the video is matched to the song

[@limbobilbo8743]

Big props for syncing slayers attacks in the footage to the music

[@MagicalGirlFia]

2:51 I like this line. I agree that all that matters truly is that you are eyes shine. /lh

[@dylan_oby0284]

LETTSS GOOOOO

[@ML-kb7il]

The way the song and the visuals sync up at 1:59 is crazy good

[@OniYakamora]

I love syncing last horizon to the music. Pure **DANDYISM!!!**

[@user-xz6ow9te5r]

I was just waiting for this dandy

[@yamatoko219]

The man could literally solo the guilty gear universe and all he decides to do is be *DANDY*

[@angelicambyence]

I love how so many of these songs have such a positive and wonderful message. Season 3 themes in particular have been such uplifting messages that I am so glad this game exists

[@JortsBortly]

Those visuals syncing up with the music is just 😎🤌

[@sophiebubbles07]

Genuinely may be one of the most perfect songs ever produced from this franchise. The perfect length, the catchy melodies and lyrics, it all blends into a dandy smoothie and an instant S tier. Reminder that this came after Symphony, which is probably the best character theme in Strive. The fact I’m saying that about the theme immediately following Symphony is crazy.

[@jacktheripper9992]

OH HOW I HAVE LONGED FOR THIS MOMENT

[@DarkPriest2288]

I swear my autoplay can't go 5 videos without going through Ups and Downs once. Truly one of the journey's of all time. This isn't a bedtime story either

[@ZeroKinomore]

0:34 That's a really precious thing.

[@v.emiltheii-nd.8094]

Top 10 Most Badass Romanians in fiction. The only Top 10.

[@Outlaw_1777]

"ONE: Elimination of the target comes before all else: Even preserving one’s own life. TWO: One must hone their skills so that killing comes as naturally as breathing. THREE: It is not will, nor pride, nor victory, nor death that truly decides a battle. Nor is it the ability to manipulate or dominate others. The most important thing in life is, of course… *DANDYISM!"*

[@dabiga2315]

Jazz? In _my_ metal soundtrack? It's more likely than you think.