Kyu Sakamoto singing Sukiyaki
| May 01, 2008

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The Japanese title is "Ue O Muite Aruko," which means "I look up when I walk." This is a vintage video of Kyu himself singing this international hit on a TV show in 1963 called "Shall We Meet At 7". Sung in Japan by Kyu in 1961, then retitled by an English Record Company "Sukiyaki" which is a Japanese food dish and nothing to do with the song itself, because a DJ couldn't pronounce the Japanese name, and became internationally famous from then on as "Sukiyaki". This is the only song by a Japanese artist to ever become a Number 1 music hit on the charts in America.

Kyu Sakamoto tragically died in a Japan Airlines plane crash in 1985 at age 43, one of 520 passengers, but his classic megahit will continue to live on for generations.

The song is about sadness and isolation in a post WW2 Japan. The Japanese lyrics and the English translation are below:

Ue o muite arukoo------------I look up when I walk
Namida ga kobore nai yoo ni----So the tears won't fall
Omoidasu haru no hi---------Remembering those happy spring days
Hitoribotchi no yoru----------But tonight I'm all alone
Ue o muite arukoo------------I look up when I walk
Nijinda hoshi o kazoete------Counting the stars with tearful eyes
Omoidasu natsu no hi--------Remembering those happy summer days
Hitoribotchi no yoru----------But tonight I'm all alone
Shiawase wa kumo no ue ni-Happiness lies beyond the clouds
Shiawase wa sora no ue ni--Happiness lies above the sky
Ue o muite arukoo------------I look up when I walk
Namida ga kobore nai yoo ni-So the tears won't fall
Nakinagara aruku-------------Though my heart is filled with sorrow
Hitoribotchi no yoru-----------For tonight I'm all alone
(whistling)----------------------(whistling)
Omoidasu aki no hi------------Remembering those happy autumn days
Hitoribotchi no yoru----------- But tonight I'm all alone
Kanashimi wa hoshi no kage ni-Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars
Kanashimi wa tsuki no kage ni--Sadness lurks in the shadow of the moon
Ue o muite arukoo--------------I look up when I walk
Namida ga kobore nai yoo ni--So the tears won't fall
Nakinagara aruku---------------Though my heart is filled with sorrow
Hitoribotchi no yoru-------------For tonight I'm all alone
Hitoribotchi no yoru-------------For tonight I'm all alone
(whistling)------------------------(whistling)

Tags:  japanese, kyu sakamoto, sukiyaki

Topic: Video