S U K I Y A K I 上を向いて歩こう - hommage a Kyu Sakamoto

"Ue o muite arukō" (上を向いて歩こう " shall walk looking up") is a Japanese song that was performed by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, and written by Rokusuke Ei and Hachidai Nakamura. It is best known under its alternative title "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking parts of the world. The song reached the top of the sales 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 lyrics start as follows:
上を向いて歩こう ue o muite arukō ([I] shall walk looking up)
涙がこぼれないように namida ga kobore nai yō ni (so [my] tears won't fall)
思い出す春の日 omoidasu haru no hi (remembering spring days)
一人ぼっちの夜 hitoribocchi no yoru ([on this] lonely night)

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. In 1963, the British record label Pye Records released a cover version of the song by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen. They were concerned that English-speaking audiences might find the original title too difficult to remember/pronounce, so they gave it the new title of "Sukiyaki'". This title was retained when Capitol Records in the United States, and His Master's Voice in the UK, released Kyu Sakamoto's original version a few months later.

The title, sukiyaki (which is a Japanese steamboat dish), has nothing to do with the lyrics or the meaning of the song; the word served the purpose only because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and more familiar to most English speakers (very few of whom could understand the Japanese lyrics anyway). A Newsweek columnist noted that the re-titling was like issuing "Moon River" in Japan under the title "Beef Stew."
After Sakamoto's follow-up to "Sukiyaki," "China Nights (Shina No Yoru)," charted in 1963 at number fifty-eight, it was the last song by an artist from Japan to reach the U.S. pop charts for sixteen years, until the female duo Pink Lady hit in 1979 with their top forty hit "Kiss In The Dark" (which was sung in English).

On March 16th 1999, Japan Post issued a stamp commemorating this song.

Kyu Sakamoto (pronounced "cue") was one of the 520 people who died in the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 near Gunma on August 12, 1985. He was 43.

Ue o muite arukoo
Namida ga kobore nai yoo ni
Omoidasu haru no hi
Hitoribotchi no yoru
Ue o muite arukoo
Nijinda hoshi o kazoete
Omoidasu natsu no hi
Hitoribotchi no yoru
Shiawase wa kumo no ue ni
Shiawase wa sora no ue ni
Ue o muite arukoo
Namida ga kobore nai yoo ni
Nakinagara aruku
Hitoribotchi no yoru
(whistling)
Omoidasu aki no hi
Hitoribotchi no yoru
Kanashimi wa hoshi no kage ni
Kanashimi wa tsuki no kage ni
Ue o muite arukoo
Namida ga kobore nai yoo ni
Nakinagara aruku
Hitoribotchi no yoru

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 上を向いて歩こう
• sukiyaki
• kyu
• sakamoto

[summyhos]

awsome! I like him.

[sethnori]

Mahalos!

[trafikuty]

Acceptable effort!

[tetsuwan81]

funny good song

[sonwamac]

This SUCKS...what about the original?

[sewitt60]

Just read that, I can't believe he died in that crash. Sad.

[gersing]

Jeeze Ben....that is so awesome... very nice version... =D perfect stars...

[balarat84]

I must say Promise Promise is better - I sing it everyday "bitches lie"

[ardenHK]

Mandy, I haven't replied to her at last ... lol

[ardenHK]

Yes Mandy, I remember that I was requested to send the song. *SMILE*