Prime Minister

Shinzo Abe announced today that he's quitting, so I've revived this blog after an eight-year absence with a very hasty (and probably rougher than usual) translation of Kiyoshiro's song "Prime Minister", from when he played with The Timers. Recorded in London and Tokyo in October 1988 and July 1989.

A great album of angry, cynical songs, set to some good funk-rock. One of my favourites.

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Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

You just can't say anything clearly. Prime Minister!

You waffle and you deceive when you speak. Prime Minister!

We really can't rely on you, Prime Minister! 

Our country's Prime Minister! 

You look just like a celebrity from some production outfit,

Like a celebrity puppet having their strings pulled

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Our country's Prime Minister!    

Why don't you join us if you're a celeb?

We'll get along like old cronies

We could make a group, sing the blues,

We'll play the guitar, you can do the vocals

Lies, truth, fiction

Your bragging, all that hardship, the inside story

At the top of your voice, go ahead and sing! At the top of your voice, go ahead and yell!

We won't let anyone complain

You just leave it to us, Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

I'll get you singing something nice and clear

Something a young woman would make a scene about

The two of us will give them all a scare

You can always turn a scandal into something useful

Let's get the country dancing to the blues

Prime Minister! Our country's Prime Minister! 

Come on and play the blues with us

We can go on tour a make a fortune

Go all over and make a killing

Be so much more straightforward than right now

Come on and play the blues with us

We can go on tour and have a blast

Have a blast, have a total blast - oh, minister!

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! Our country's...

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

We'll get along like a pair of old cronies

I've got the guitar, you do the singing

Come on, sing something clearly 

Yeah, just sing something clearly 

So we can hear it - sing something clearly!

Come on, sing it clearly this time minister

Let's blow them all over

Come on minister, let's blow them right over

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Let's make the ground shake with the blues

Let's shake the whole country with the blues

Let's blast the ground away with the blues

Be so much simpler than right now

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Swing your hips, go ahead and dance

No-one's going to complain about it

We won't let them, we won't let anyone say a word

Leave it to us, minister, just sing nice and clearly, nice and clearly

Like the way you're not embarrassed when you go abroad

Like the way you're not ashamed when you to America

Like the way you don't laugh when you're on TV

I'll do the production for you

Come and join me, we'll make a good pair

I'll do the production

Just come in what you're wearing, that's cool

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

You'll find a lover in every town

Prime Minister! Prime Minister! Prime Minister! 

Beloved North Korea あこがれの北朝鮮

Let's go and play in North Korea, fun North Korea
North Korea is a good country, everyone's North Korea
Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim, Kim, Kim Hyon-hui
If you call out "Hey! Kim!" everyone turns around

Let's go and play in North Korea, beloved North Korea
North Korea is a good country, peaceful North Korea
Beloved North Korea

Some day for sure we can all be friends
Some day for sure we'll live in a world like that
Discrimination, prejudice and borders will disappear
Beloved...

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Sha-la-la-la-la... Bibimbap...

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This curious anti-North Korea ditty is from the 1995 Timers album Fushimi no Timers, which incidentally always costs a fortune when you find it in second-hand shops. I think this is the album Toshiba refused to issue saying, rather ridiculously, that "it's too good to release". Kiyoshiro and co went to another label, released it, and it promptly shot to No.1 in the charts.

I gather there is another version of the song out there about how you can get to North Korea for free: Just walk on the beach with your sweetheart and they'll kidnap you and take you there - if you don't get it, just look up "abductions" and you soon will.

FM Tokyo

FM Tokyo, rotten radio
FM Tokyo, the worst radio
They ban whatever they like

FM Tokyo, filthy radio
FM Tokyo, a tool for politicians
They ban whatever they like

FM Tokyo, stupid radio
FM Tokyo, stop acting slyly
Bunch of pussies, FM Tokyo!

FM Tokyo, rotten bastards
FM Tokyo, radio that makes you sick
They ban whatever they like

FM Tokyo, filthy radio
FM Tokyo, a tool for politicians
Bunch of pussies, FM Tokyo!

-- Stupid bastards, what did you do to that song? FM Sendai! --

Bunch of pussies, FM Tokyo!


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This protest song doesn't appear on any albums as far as I know.
The story behind it goes something like this: The band, The Timers, appeared at Budokan and sang their song "Beloved North Korea/あこがれの北朝鮮" and uptight Tokyo FM cut the live broadcast so as not to show it because it considered it offensive. So when The Timers later got a live TV performance they said they'd sing their song "Hypocrites/偽善者", which shows up on the screen in the YouTube clip below, but instead let rip with this pretty foul-mouthed song to blast Tokyo FM publicly. It was just the kind of stunt that kept Kiyoshiro off the TV quite a bit. This YouTube clip must have been a repeat because at the very end a message shows up reading: "Both sides have resolved the issue and are now on good terms!!" Hmmm, rather doubt that, but there you go.

Here's the recording on YouTube

A bit more explanation can be found here

Every day's a brand new day 毎日がブランニューデイ

In the middle of the night we talked about loads of stuff, but I've forgotten 75% of it
You and me, we've spent so much of our lives together, but more than 80% of it maybe I can't remember
Hey hey hey! But that's OK
Hey hey hey! It's no problem
You're always by my side so every day's a new day

Do you think you can you keep carrying on OK with me? Do you doubt it about 20%?
Hey hey hey! But that's OK
Hey hey hey! It's no problem
You're always by my side so every day's a new day

Hey hey hey! But that's OK
Hey hey hey! It's no problem
You're by my side so every day's a new day

Like today, when I wake up in the morning and see your smile
I feel more than 100% happy
I feel more than 100% happy
365% completely happy

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This love song for those of us with attention deficiency problems is on the 2006 album "Yume-suke"/「夢助」and the 2008 compilation "Nyuu-Mon Hen"/「入門編 」

Lunchbox お弁当箱

Spilling out of my pocket, spilling out of my smile
Tonight I'm going to eat up every bit of your past

You can hide it but you can't get rid of it, the shadow of mystery inside
If we're together till we die, the truth won't fade till we die

Even if you forget and forget, you remember
Your sad smile, that night
The dark shadow that hovers in the window, oh
You don't have to worry about a thing

Spilling out of my pocket, shining through my back
Tonight I'm going to eat up all of your past

Even if you forget and forget, you remember
Your sad smile, that night
The dark shadow that hovers in the window, oh
You don't have to worry about a thing

Kiss me lots more, and when the sun is right overhead
The dark shadows will all be gone, and you're mine
You seem embarrassed but happy and tonight together
I'm going to eat up every bit of your past for you
And in the early morning I'll pack a lunchbox full of me, for you

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This odd (maybe even a bit sinister?) love song comes from the 1993 album "Music From POWER HOUSE" by Imawano Kiyoshiro & 2.3's

Ageing society 高齢化社会

I've been right here since before you were born. Feel bad about that
Yeah I'm an oldie, a real meddler, sorry 'bout that. Hey hey!
Can't you introduce me to a young woman? Oh go on..
It's just I could really do with a back rub..

Treat me nice, look after me, take care of me. Sorry, eh?
Don't forget this oldie, I'm a right stubborn one, got that? Hey hey!
Young girls leave a lot to be desired, oh that's right
However good their bodies are they've got no class
Can't you introduce me to a different young woman? Oh go on..
I want someone to wash my back in the tub

For the ageing society in any society, what those government guys are doing
Just doesn't work, for me anyhow
Yeah I'm a real nagger, that's right, because I'm an old one

Oh the ageing society is on its way, the young women will end up all wrinkly
Just hurry up and lower my bloody pressure
I'm just aching for it, elderly me

Prioritise me, sympathise with me, hold me dear. Sorry, eh?
That's right, I'm old, I'm a bit of a character, sorry 'bout that. Hey hey!
Can't you introduce me to a compatible woman? Oh go on...
There must be a proper woman out there somewhere
Introduce me to a young woman - Oi! Go on..
I want to divvy up my worldly goods, right?

Introduce me to a sharp woman, because I'm just rotten with greed
Because I'm a right old potato, look just like a politician
Just introduce me to a cute girl, or introduce me to a sharp girl
Oh tighten up my loincloth one more time
Oh tighten it up and I won't rattle on
Rattle, rattle, rattle.... No I won't rattle on....

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This ranting impersonation of an old randy (?) git is on the 1992 album "Memphis". Great saxophone on this one, sort of Springsteen's Clarence Clemons-ish, provided (I believe) by Andrew Love.

Ishii-san 石井さん

Ishii-san, I really like you
Ishii-san, I won't forget you
No matter how busy I may be

Ishii-san, I want to see you
Ishii-san, whenever I can
though the seasons just fly by
Friends all look so busy
Passing by with troubled faces
Ah, but I want to hear the gossip on you
I want to know the words on the grapevine
And I want to ask a thousand questions

Ishii-san, I really like you
Ishii-san, but the seasons just keep flying by
All the time, all the time

Ishii-san, all the time (x3)
(Oo-i! Hightower-san!)
Nomura-san, Nomura-san
Oo-i! Ishii-saa-aan!...

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This odd "love call"(?) is from the 1992 solo album Memphis, recorded in Memphis itself with Booker T and the MGs as the backing band, including the more recently departed Donald "Duck" Dunn. I wish I knew who it was about - and who Nomura-san and "Hightower-san" are (That's my trans of the Katakana ハイタワさん) at the end of the tune.