Before I even knew what the lyrics said, this one got me for roundabout reasons. It’s kind of twisted, but each time I hear this song I remember that Kyu Sakamoto was killed in a horrific plane crash. It’s a burdensome kind of sadness; the song itself sounds pretty and light, but knowing the story of the man singing it just casts a shadow over the whole thing and weighs it down.
But then I read that the song, actually titled “Ue wo Muite Arukō” (“I Look Up When I Walk”) actually is a sad one (“Sukiyaki” is just some random, generic Japanese word [the name of a dish, actually] that American pop audiences attached to it). According to Wikipedia:
“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.”
“Sukiyaki” / Kyu Sakamoto (1963)
For those who do not speak Japanese (like me, haha) a translation:
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
the sloppy copy 