Sukiyaki (上を向いて歩こう) - Kyu Sakamoto( 坂本九)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
, Posted by SongBird at 9:12 AM
Sukiyaki is one the great oldies love songs of the 60s by Kyu Sakamoto.
In 1961 Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto released Ue O Muite Arukou (上を向いて歩こう ) which translate to "I Shall Walk Looking Up".
A British Record Company(Pye Records) executive heard it in Japan. He renamed it "Sukiyaki," after a Japanese food he enjoyed, and had an artist on his label record it. Sukiyaki was short and easy to say.
Disk jockey in Washington state heard the British version, and started playing the original by Kyu Sakamoto. The title remained "Sukiyaki," even though it had nothing to do with the song.
In 1963, the oldies love song, Sukiyaki, hit the top of the charts #1, in the United States, the only song sung in Japanese ever to do so.
The literal meaning of sukiyaki (すき焼き) is "grilling (yaki) on a plowshare (suki),” referring to the time when meat was grilled outdoors in deference to Buddhist customs.
The lyrics is written by Rokusuke Ei, who is said to have written this touching evocation of loneliness after his heart was broken by the actress Meiko Nakamura. The melody is composed by Hachidai Nakamura.
The lyrics and words, tell the story of a man who looks up while he is walking so that his tears won't fall.
The meaning behind the song relates to the moment he has just gives up and released something important where there is no affection anymore. A sort of dry feeling with tears for company. The verses of the love song describe him remembering the good times he shared with his lover from each season of the year but now, love has deserted him and he is alone and sad.
The song's earnestness and melodic beauty proved irresistible. Sound is very simple, up tempo and light. It is a lovely and catchy whistling song.
The Lyrics and Words - Sukiyaki
Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう
So the tears won't fall
Namida ga koborenai youni
涙がこぼれないように
Remebering those spring days
Omoidasu haru no hi
思い出す春の日
All alone at night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜
Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう
And counting the scattered stars
Nijinda hoshi wo kazoete
にじんだ星をかぞえて
Remembering those summer days
Omoidasu natsu no hi
思い出す夏の日
All alone at night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜
Happiness lies above the clouds
Shiawase wa kumo no ue ni
幸せは雲の上に
Happiness lies above the sky
Shiawase wa sora no ue ni
幸せは空の上に
Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう
So the tears won't fall
Namida ga koborenai youni
涙がこぼれないように
Keep walking on, while crying
Naki nagara aruku
泣きながら歩く
It's a lonely night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜
Omoidasu aki no hi
Remembering those autumn days
思い出す秋の日
Sadness is in the shadow of the stars
Kanashimi wa hoshi no kage ni
悲しみは星の影に
Sadness is in the shadow of the moon
Kanashimi wa tsuki no kage ni
悲しみは月の影に
Looking up while walking
Ue wo muite arukou
上を向いて歩こう
So the tears won't fall
Namida ga koborenai youni
涙がこぼれないように
Keep walking on, while crying
Naki nagara aruku
泣きながら歩く
It's a lonely night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜
It's a lonely night
Hitoribocchi no yoru
一人ぼっちの夜
Sadly and prematurely, 43-year-old Kyu Sakamoto was killed on 12 August 1985, when JAL Flight 123, a 747 bound from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Osaka, lost pieces of its tail sections and spiraled downward nightmarishly for 30 minutes . The plane crashed and burned on a thickly wooded mountain about 60 miles northwest of Tokyo, killing 520 and injuring four, in the worst single airplane disaster in aviation history.
The passengers on board knew the plane was going to crash and some, including Sakamoto, wrote farewell letters to their loved ones.
This beautifully sad oldies love song, will always be known as Kyu Sakamoto's signature song and many have commented on what a happy person he seemed to be. Another of life’s ironies. His nicknamed is Kyu-chan (an affectionate diminutive), for his sincerity and charming smile.
On March 16, 1999, Japan Post issued a stamp commemorating this song. The stamp is listed in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue as Japan number 2666 with a face value of 50 yen.
Sukiyaki is the first blog posting for this month, in honor of his birthday on December 10.
Enjoy this video from YouTube, where Kyu Sakamoto plays the part of a working young man who is stuck in a drudgery job, and has now lost his great love on top of it, hence a perfect setting for his song of despair with a smile to the world . . . . . .?
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