Crooked Letters, Straight Lines - Jottings from the other side of the pond
A lot has happened since 3.11. Japan has been on the road to recover and it is a matter of time before this date will live as a bad memory and a reminder to be prepared for anything.
The Youtube clip above seems to have been made a month after the earthquake and nuclear disaster. I thought it expresses well what people are trying to accomplish after such a terrible event.
The Japanese song is “Ue wo muite arukou” originally sung by the crooner Sakamoto Kyu who died tragically in a plane crash in his prime. The lyrics can be interpreted from several viewpoints but
the English translation below is the one I see most commonly.
It was a big hit in the early 1960s in the US and was the only Japanese song to hit number one. However, the original Japanese title was changed to “Sukiyaki” under the idea that Westerns would
better understand the song. But “sukiyaki” is the name of a Japanese dish which has nothing to do with the song. It would be as if you changed “Moon River” to “Beef Stew” so that the Japanese
could understand the title. Go figure!
Lyrics
I look up when I walk
So the tears won't fall
Remembering those happy spring days
But tonight I'm all alone
I look up when I walk
Counting the stars with tearful eyes
Remembering those happy summer days
But tonight I'm all alone
Happiness lies beyond the clouds
Happiness lies above the sky
I look up when I walk
So the tears won't fall
Though my heart is filled with sorrow
For tonight I'm all alone
Remembering those happy autumn days
But tonight I'm all alone
Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars
Sadness lurks in the shadow of the moon
I look up when I walk
So the tears won't fall
Though my heart is filled with sorrow
For tonight I'm all alone