Something About Sukiyaki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvuO0BsEEss

"Ue o Muite Arukō" (上を向いて歩こう?, literally "[I] shall walk looking up") is a Japanese-language song that was performed by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, and written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura. It is best known under the alternative title "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking parts of the world. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the United States in 1963, and was the only Japanese-language song to do so. In total it sold over 13 million copies internationally. The original Kyu Sakamoto recording also went to number eighteen on the R&B chart. In addition, the single spent five weeks at number one on the Middle of the Road charts. The recording was originally released in Japan by Toshiba in 1961. It topped the Popular Music Selling Record chart in the Japanese magazine Music Life for three months, and was ranked as the number one song of 1961 in Japan.

Well-known English-language cover versions include a 1981 cover under the title "Sukiyaki" by A Taste of Honey and a 1995 cover by 4 P.M..

The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears won't fall. The verses of the song describe his memories and feelings. The English-language lyrics of the version recorded by A Taste of Honey are not a translation of the original Japanese lyrics but a completely different set of lyrics set to the same basic melody.


Kyu Sakamoto with his sister Yachiyo Endo in 1956

 Sukiyaki - 很有忧郁感 觉得特惆怅…

 


初听到首脍炎人口的日本歌曲Sukiyaki是很遥远的时代。

当然没有人会知道歌词在唱什么，但那歌名Sukiyaki是易记的，而旋律实在动人，主唱者的那把嗓子充满感性，唱的很有忧郁感。

这首日本流行曲竟能在1963年成为美国最受欢迎的冠军歌曲，不但写下了流行曲的历史一页，也是日本人的骄傲。

流行歌曲的魔力正在此，是经典之作，便不会有不同 语言的隔膜，能经得起时间的考验。

在夜里徘徊

但Sukiyaki这首歌名并不是从日本原曲名直接翻译，而是当年美国的唱片公司的主脑们爱上了这首歌曲，认为西方歌迷也会被它所动，为了歌 迷好记，取了那时代西方人最熟悉的日式料理“寿喜烧”的名字顶了上去，与日本歌曲原来的中文直译名《昂首前行》完全风马牛不相及，原来歌词内容是讲述一名孤独男人单身在夜里徘徊，必须借着抬头向上望使眼泪不致落下的情景，歌曲听起来 有伤感味的原因正在此。

这首歌曲还分别在80和90年代被美国女合唱团《蜜糖之味》及男性组合4PM填上英文歌词翻唱，也都流行一时。

最近在东京与音乐界前辈及川伸一先生吃饭时谈起这首歌曲，他和原唱者坂本九是私交，坂本九在1985年搭乘日本航空123号班机从东京往大坂 时遇上空难身亡，终年43岁，在飞机坠毁前的数分钟，曾写下了与妻柏木由纪子的诀别书。

那晚过后，再听Sukiyaki觉得特惆怅…