Ryuichi Sakamoto
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
- ComposerRyuichi Sakamoto
nouseskou Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence captures the fragile humanity that persists within conflict. The pauses and lingering notes feel like breaths between life and death. It reminds me how sound can hold both pain and peace at once.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1983 as the main theme for Nagisa Ōshima’s film of the same name, in which Sakamoto also starred alongside David Bowie. Blending delicate piano motifs with subtle electronic textures, the piece captures both restraint and emotional depth - a reflection of the film’s meditation on culture, conflict, and compassion. Its haunting melody bridges Japanese and Western musical traditions, evoking a sense of fragile humanity that transcends its cinematic origins.
Over the decades, the composition has become one of Sakamoto’s most celebrated works, covered and reinterpreted by artists across genres. Both intimate and expansive, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence stands as a defining example of Sakamoto’s ability to weave minimalism and melody into something timeless - a sound that continues to resonate with listeners more than forty years later.
Credit
“Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence”
by Ryuichi Sakamoto
From “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022
©1983 KAB Inc.
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International streaming link: https://ryuichisakamoto.lnk.to/opusID