The song is the vocal version of the theme from the Nagisa Oshima film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.

[citation needed] In 1984 the track was re-recorded and released as the B-side to "Red Guitar", the lead single to Sylvian's first solo album Brilliant Trees and was later also included as a bonus track on certain editions of his 1987 album Secrets of the Beehive.

Both Sakamoto and Sylvian have since recorded several interpretations of the song, both instrumental (under the title "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence") and vocal.

An orchestral version featuring vocals by Sylvian was included on Sakamoto's 1999 album Cinemage.

[4] Sylvian said in an interview 2012 about the track:[5] "I guess after the band had broken up, I wasn't sure what direction I was going to move in.