If you're with others, you might be that person that exclaims, "OH! THIS IS MY SONG RIGHT HERE!" If so, you might be my dad. He does that for practically every song that comes on the oldies R&B station. If you feel that the person or people that you are with maybe unfamiliar with the song or generally not enthusiastic enough, you can then follow up with "You don't know about this song here. This is the jam!"
I've got a song like that, but it's been more "my song" lately, for nearly no apparent reason. Nothing important, just figured it deserved a spot on my blog. (Note: after I finished the post, I noticed that it's hecka huge. So if you don't have a lot of time, but are one of those people that can't stop reading anything midway, TURN BA~CK!)
Some of my self-proclaimed "Japan-ophile" friends find out that I'm into Japanese comedy, we start playing this little game every week or so. The rules are fairly simple: They ask if I've heard the latest song by (insert popular Japanese artist here), and I say "No". Despite my love for Gaki, comedy, and Japan in general, I don't keep up with things like Japanese music, manga, anime, dramas, and things of that nature. There are very few Japanese artists that I listen to, and about 75% of the ones I do listen to have stopped making new music.
The Japanese artist that gets major playtime on my mp3 player is Eri Hiramatsu. Back in '93, I believe, Eri released a double platinum single that would become her signature song: "Heya to Y-shatsu to Watashi" (Rooms, Y shirts, and me). She wasn't a one-hit wonder or anything. She also release some other lesser hits like "Mou Waraushikanai" and "Girlfriend" as well some cover version of other songs. I listen to those some, but for me, HtYStW gets major play. Here's a recent snapshot from my iTunes library:
When you look at this keep in mind several things. I have switched computers around November/December '08, and did not export my iTunes library. I'm am sure that on my old library file, I had over 2500 plays for the song, but I believe the number when I erased that data was around 3300 plays. So add that that as well. Also take into consideration that I'm a "fidget-fingers" listener. I often rewind mid-song or will restart the song as it's fading out instead of waiting the extra 8 seconds for it to move on. ITunes only counts it as a play if the track ends completely, so I'm going to say add in about more 750 plays to that at the very least. And this is all in a span of probably less than a year.
I've also gone to great lengths to try and learn the melody, since I couldn't seem to find any sheet music for it. So after many toilsome months trying to play-by-ear, a skill that I suck at, on my violin (Oh yes, BlackGaki has musical talent... minus the talent) I have successfully managed to create my own score for the song. Well, the melody at least, since I'm fairly n00bish at my violin and can't manage chords along with the melody. It's a prized piece of my collection. \o/
As you can also see, I have not one, but THREE versions of the same song. The one with the 1000+ plays is the original version. The first one on the list is a version that has a different drum track and a lot of the . . . I don't know what instrument that is. . . the instrument that sounds like an accordion, removed. The third version of the song, along with "You Are Mine" may warrant some explanation into their importance.
A few years after the success of Heya to Y-Shatsu to Watashi, Eri got married and decided to put her solo career on hold to focus on her family. She had a daughter with her new husband somewhere around 1995/1996, and began a family. In March of 2002, Eri was diagnosed with breast cancer, and put her career on hold for medical reasons. Media seemed to swarm around her, and she pretty much withdrew from the public eye. After a few years hiatus, Eri jumped back onto the music scene incognito, writing songs for other musicians and participating in a small band called "Hi-Hats" which performed only a few times in small venues. When asked why she didn't go back to her solo career, she simply answered "I can't sing Eri Hiramatsu songs anymore". I believe Hi-Hats fell through in about Summer 2003 (fact check anyone?) and Eri took another short break from music. In 2004, Eri created the song "You Are Mine" for her husband and released as a single with a remake of her signature song. The chorus of the song translates to "You are mine\You are mine\Whether you or I should die\You are mine\You are mine\These memories will live on". Obviously what she was talking about, eh? Anyway, I bought the single. (Ya! I supported! Feels good.) "Heya to Y-Shatsu to Watashi 2004" doesn't change as far as the words go, but the whole track is re-arranged. The main track is mainly xylophones and glockenspiels, with some other instruments as well. It's a very "tropical" version of the song, probably to go with the Tropical version of "You Are Mine" that's also on the single.
I love all three and the one that I listen to usually depends on my mood, I guess. It's a song about basically wanting the simple life with her soon-to-be husband. (Note: It was revealed later, that she wrote the song to be singable from both the male and female viewpoint.) There's also a pun hidden in the wording too. The verb to polish/scrub something also means to improve. So when she's saying that she wants to be cleaning house, it also works in meaning that she wants to be a better person. I didn't know what would be the best way to express the wordplay in English, so I just told you here. I was just going to link to the music video, but I figured I might as well provide some translation too, since it gives me more excuses to listen to it several times. :P
Heya to Y-Shatsu to Watashi
お願いがあるのよ あなたの苗字になる私
I, who will have your last name, have a few requests.
大事に思うならば ちゃんと聞いてほしい
If there's something I think is important, I want you to listen.
飲みすぎて帰っても ３日酔いまでは許すけど
If you drink too much, I'll forgive a three-day hangover...
４日目つぶれた夜 恐れて実家に帰らないで
But the fourth wasted night, be afraid and don't come home.
部屋とYシャツと私 愛するあなたのため
Rooms, white shirts, and I. All for the sake of loving you
毎日磨いていたいから 時々服を買ってね
Because I want to be shining everyday. Like buying clothes from time to time,
愛するあなたのため きれいでいさせて
All for the sake of loving you, in order to be beautiful.
いつわらないでいて 女の勘は鋭いもの
And don't try to lie. A woman's intuition is sharp.
あなたは嘘つくとき 右の眉が上がる
Whenever you tell a lie, your right eyebrow raises.
あなた浮気したら うちでの食事に気をつけて
If you should ever cheat on me, be careful of the food at home.
私は知恵をしぼって 毒入りスープで一緒にいこう
I'll gather up all my knowledge and we'll both die by the poisoned soup.
部屋とＹシャツと私 愛するあなたのため
Rooms, white shirts, and I. All for the sake of loving you
毎日磨いていたいから
Because I want to be shining everyday.
友達の誘うパーティー 愛するあなたのため
At your friend's party, all for the sake of loving you,
おしゃれに行かせて
I want to go in fashion.
大地をはうような あなたのいびきも歯ぎしりも
Your snoring and teeth grinding sounds like you're scraping dirt
もう暗闇に独りじゃないと 安心できて好き
But I love how you can comfort me with "You're not alone in the darkness anymore"
だけどもし寝言で 他の娘の名を呼ばぬように
If while talking in your sleep, you should call me an other girl's name
気にいった女の子は 私と同じ名前で呼んで
Call me the same name as the girl you really love.
ロマンスグレーになって
Should you get all romantic
冒険の人生 突然選びたくなったら
And suddenly choose to live the adventurous life,
最初に相談してね 私はあなたとなら どこでも大丈夫
Talk to me first, okay? As long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine.
もし私が先立てば オレも死ぬと言ってね
Should I be the first to pass away, say "I'll die, too"
私はその言葉を胸に 天国へと旅立つわ
And I'll keep those words in my heart as I travel to heaven,
あなたの右の眉 看とどけたあとで
because I checked your eyebrow afterward.
部屋とＹシャツと私 愛するあなたのため
Rooms, white shirts, and I. All for the sake of loving you
毎日磨いていたいから
Because I want to be shining everyday.
人生の記念日には 君は綺麗といって
And the days when you remember my life, say "You are beautiful."
その気でいさせて
And just leave it like that.
Pretty sad, romantic, strange, and cute at the same time, isn't it? When the song came out, Eri never performed some of the odder parts, like the whole "poisoned soup" part. The part about the cat photo in the video just kills me, though. According to the comment, it's getting a lot of other people to tear up too.
This song also came back into the spotlight in recent years for several reasons. First, in a comeback, Eri on several music nostalgia TV programs. She still looks so pretty, but I think I liked her longer hair better.
And then we get into dangerous territory in my opinion: covers. I'm one of the people that believe that if you're going to cover a song, you should be as good as, if not better than the original. It just goes along with the word "cover". If the original song is an elephant, in order to cover said elephant you will need a sheet as big as, if not bigger than the elephant. I came across a video a while ago of the group MihimaruGT 'covering' the song. I knew about MihimaruGT because I did like one of their original songs, but was then turned off by their cover of Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky". Let's just say that when it comes to covers MihimaruGT is just throwing single sheets of toilet paper on an elephant's back. It seems like the singer forgets the words about 1:58 below, and scrambles things together that she things sounds nice. "Should you ever cheat, I want you to call my name. I'll wring your arm, and we'll die by the poison soup"? Srsly? I will admit that I do love the jazzy chords in this arrangement.
Then I find ANOTHER version of MihimaruGT with some others singing the song on their show. I really have nothing against the Mihimaru's singer's voice, and she got the words right so I'll forgive her. There was another singer who did a very nice job as well. However, they invited two "singers" who just sounded like cats on chalkboards. I'll spare you the agony.
Most recently, a singer named Reina Tanaka from a girl group that I used to care about, Morning Musume, would be covering the song. The song is being featured on a love song cover album for the big umbrella group that Morning Musume belongs to, called Hello! Project. I don't really care for the overdone drum sampling in the chorus.
I'd say it's an okay cover. She could have held some of the notes longer when it was called for. The music track sounds damn near exactly like the original version of the song mixed with some of 2004 version of the song, with a little R&B drum sampling and water droplets mixed in. You can still see the elephant's feet sticking out from under the sheet, but it's a good attempt. Good enough to make me buy the album, or make me care about Hello! Project or Morning Musume again? No, probably not. At least it didn't turn me off to the song. Good going Reina, you've come closer to my approval with a cover than most people ever will.
(UPDATE: 1/14/2010)
Well, it looks like through various circumstances, I have once again returned to this song again. I happened to be a complete idiot, spacing out on a project for a Japanese class where we had to translate a Japanese song into English, and didn't know that the project even existed until the day before it was due. Luckily, I had this translation and used it. I did translate by myself, just not for the sake of this project specifically. I hope the teacher doesn't mind. c.c
Anyway, in my searching and wanderings since I wrote this post, I've found a few more renditions worth note! Whoo!
I guess I left off with a good place using Reina Tanaka from Hello! Project to end it, because the next version is by Aya Matsuura, who is a graduate of Hello! Project. For those who don't know much about Hello! Project, saying someone "graduated" is a kind way of saying "getting kicked out for not being pedo-bait". They had a mass "graduation" for most of their founding and in my opinion, some of their greatest ever, talents a few months. Aya was one of them. This video was taken from a live performance of hers, with a nice guitar arrangement backing her.
I'm taken aback by the sheer cuteness that is her little vibrato flutters at the end of the high notes. :3
Next up is one of the more... interesting versions. Like I said earlier, the song was designed to be singable by both women and men. This time it's a male singing it at karaoke, where he recorded and uploaded it to YouTube. Apparently he's a little too embarrassed to enable embedding. I don't know why. It's pretty good! Although, he messed up a little on one line, he caught it quickly and gave a good performance! Better than I could have done it, I think. (Maybe I should try it. I've never actually sung it outside of my head. <_< ) Since he didn't enable embedding, here's a link:
Male HtYStW
And here's another from the lady herself. This time, a live version. This just goes to show why I respect her so much. First, she's plays her own instruments. She kinda makes me wish I had kept at the piano. Oh well, I still have a chance with the violin (which I haven't even picked up in about two months. Maybe tomorrow.) Second, She sings live without playback, and sounds comparable, if not the same or even better than the recorded version. Third, even sitting still behind that piano she still has stage presence, which I'd imagine is hard to do.
Next up to bat is this jazzy, upbeat version. It's really nice, in it's playful take on it. Enjoy!
While the playfulness is a strong-point, it's also a little weak point. It somewhat draws away from the solemn tone of the slow song. But, hey, if you're not looking for solemnity, then this has it going on!
And while we're on the topic of interesting takes, this is definitely a good one. The concept of "music-boxing" songs has long been a fascination of mine. This is the music-box version of the song, and it is damn wonderful. If you like that, the user also has several music-box versions of other classic Japanese songs on their page.
The little chiming in the harmonic chiming that starts in the background at about 2:11 has me hooked. Man, I wish I had the time to re-learn my instruments and such.
Now for the recap of points.
Ratings out of 10 points:
MihimaruGT with "Da Offkey Heffers": 4 points
MihimaruGT san queue cards: 5 points
Reina Tanaka: Hmm... 7.5 points (I had it at 8.3 before the update, but I changed my mind.
Aya Matsuura: 8.5 points
Male Version: 7 points
Upbeat Version: 7.5 points
Music-box version: 9 points
Eri Hiramatsu: 10 points (I had some mega huge number here before, but I'll be more reasonable)
We still have ourselves a winner, folks.
(Also, Eri later released a book called "My Name isn't Cancer" and it sold pretty well.)
That's a cute song indeed, a happy marriage or relationship, sure is a nice and long journey. I'm to be married this year, DV. This could be quite a good definition of what I expect and what I intend to be ...
ReplyDeleteDavid, many thanks as always :)
that song is so deep and meaningful and everything you said.
ReplyDelete