Japan LOVES certain songs. LOVES.
When I first got here, it became readily apparent that Japan loved Frozen. JAPAN LOVES FROZEN. And if you think you've had enough of hearing "Let It Go"* everywhere you go in your country , then please, remember to never come to Japan. You see, Japan is a country of repeating songs until they're dead, then allowing them to rise from the dead in a zombie-like form and begin strangling you. Then waiting until you're dead by strangulation, and forcing you to reluctantly raise from the dead also in a zombie-like form and then it begins strangling you again. But you already died, so it just goes on forever like that. This is "Let It Go" in Japan. The song plays everywhere, and they don't mind if they understand the song. They play it in English and Japanese interchangeably. I suppose that's their idea of "variety." If you wear out a song, just listen to it in another language, until there are no more languages to listen to it in. By then Aliens are here and you can use their language, unless they've already given you the raybeam because they can't stand hearing "Let It Go" anymore.
Let me give you an example of how obsessed with this movie Japan is. When my friend was coming over to Japan on the airplane, he had a Japanese fellow sitting in front of him. Of course you don't have to be a snoop on a 12 hour flight to be bored enough to check out what movie everyone around you is watching, even accidentally. Well my friend saw the guy in front of him watch Frozen. Yeah yeah, you're thinking, of course that doesn't prove anything. Well after the movie was over, this guy watched Frozen AGAIN. Twice in a row. THEN, after it was over, he watched it AGAIN, but this time fast forwarding to all of his favorite parts. 3 times!!!
Just recently I went to a demonstration class at my school. Some big important people were there to watch, for instance representatives from other schools and the head of the prefectural school board. Well, often in classes we sing songs of course. So far we've sung some good ole Aladdin, Oasis, and Coldplay. Not bad taste huh? Well of course you already know for the example class the demonstration teacher played Frozen baby! Started the demonstration out right, and of course you know the important persons onlookers couldn't help but break the ranks of professionalism and sing along. If you wanna hear Let It Go in 40 years, please give an enthusiastic visit to Japan.
And this kind of behavior does not stop at Frozen actually, I don't know if I ever wanna hear "Day dream believer" ever again. In my whole life. That song plays every third time I walk into a freaking convenience store, it plays in the grocery store, it even plays at the train station. Trains here play songs at every station at the platform, perhaps to act as the "kick"(inception anyone?) to wake people up who are sleeping. They hear the music of the station they're supposed to stop at and wake up, perhaps. That's a theory floating around among the expats*. Theorizing is a common practice in Japan, for the lack of apparent sense made by everyday settings begs interesting questions akin to old time favorites like "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Pursuit of a solution is noble and futile, and that's daily life in Japan on the most mundane of objects.
So yes, I've even heard more than once, "Day dream believer"(DDB) as a "kick" at the train platforms. But you see, DDB is an old song, and I wasn't kidding about this zombie-like state. Let it go(LIG) is just in the preliminary stages. DDB has been though full cycle and stagnates in maturity.
How does this zombie-like state play out then? Well in the beginning there is the normal song, and in the songs poor unsuspecting infancy, it is quickly and ruthlessly played into the ground. Perhaps then some time passes and you think you are safe, but no, you're in Japan. It's back, and this zombie like state is but a hollow shell of its former self. Yup, you guessed it, this state is the song being played on the harpsichord. It is merely the tune of the song, with minor background accompaniment, being played without words on the harpsichord. And you might be used to, in your country, a song being overplayed then just hearing it from time to time after that, no such luck in Japan. Overplayed songs stay with youfor a loooong long time forever, and on the harpsichord. DDB is in this zombie form stage 5. I text my friend every time I hear it on the radio, usually at a convenience store, which generally makes for texting him 2-3 times a week for that purpose(or more!!!). Considering that I visit convenience stores maybe 5 times a week, that is simply staggering (and hilarious). DDB is not the only song in this state either, I've heard many songs, including but absolutely not limited to the rocky theme song on the harpsichord, Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke," "YMCA," oh and also "Girlfriend" seems have just made it on that list. That's almost as depressing as the "Fresh Prince" coming on Nick at Night. Except at least shows on Nick at Night don't foment ill will towards the human race. I suppose the equivalent harpsichord zombie-like version would be if the Fresh Prince were rebooted with the same dialogue but now One Direction plays all the main characters.
The incessant dead-horse-song-beating* in Japan works its way wonderfully into the beautiful, unbelievably odd picture Japan paints of itself. Would it be my own country I might go insane with the level of overplaying, but much like the inability of the soon setting Finnish sun during the winter to impart any mood decrescendo on me during my stay in Finland, such things as these generally just pique my curiosity. Instead of an epic eye roll everytime I hear these songs, I'm just struck by an internal chuckle and sometimes manage to udder "Yup, Japan," and crack a modest smile with the corner of my mouth. Sometimes I suppose this is exactly why I travel. PEACE AND LOVE.
*(and thus causing an inherent contradiction because nobody can let it go with that song playing everywhere)
*(And horse eating for that matter, I'll explain later. Maybe)
*(It's become readily apparent, mostly cause somebody told me, that the train "kicks" are actually just to let you know the train is about to leave or is leaving. Cool theory though, bro.)
When I first got here, it became readily apparent that Japan loved Frozen. JAPAN LOVES FROZEN. And if you think you've had enough of hearing "Let It Go"* everywhere you go in your country , then please, remember to never come to Japan. You see, Japan is a country of repeating songs until they're dead, then allowing them to rise from the dead in a zombie-like form and begin strangling you. Then waiting until you're dead by strangulation, and forcing you to reluctantly raise from the dead also in a zombie-like form and then it begins strangling you again. But you already died, so it just goes on forever like that. This is "Let It Go" in Japan. The song plays everywhere, and they don't mind if they understand the song. They play it in English and Japanese interchangeably. I suppose that's their idea of "variety." If you wear out a song, just listen to it in another language, until there are no more languages to listen to it in. By then Aliens are here and you can use their language, unless they've already given you the raybeam because they can't stand hearing "Let It Go" anymore.
Let me give you an example of how obsessed with this movie Japan is. When my friend was coming over to Japan on the airplane, he had a Japanese fellow sitting in front of him. Of course you don't have to be a snoop on a 12 hour flight to be bored enough to check out what movie everyone around you is watching, even accidentally. Well my friend saw the guy in front of him watch Frozen. Yeah yeah, you're thinking, of course that doesn't prove anything. Well after the movie was over, this guy watched Frozen AGAIN. Twice in a row. THEN, after it was over, he watched it AGAIN, but this time fast forwarding to all of his favorite parts. 3 times!!!
Just recently I went to a demonstration class at my school. Some big important people were there to watch, for instance representatives from other schools and the head of the prefectural school board. Well, often in classes we sing songs of course. So far we've sung some good ole Aladdin, Oasis, and Coldplay. Not bad taste huh? Well of course you already know for the example class the demonstration teacher played Frozen baby! Started the demonstration out right, and of course you know the important persons onlookers couldn't help but break the ranks of professionalism and sing along. If you wanna hear Let It Go in 40 years, please give an enthusiastic visit to Japan.
And this kind of behavior does not stop at Frozen actually, I don't know if I ever wanna hear "Day dream believer" ever again. In my whole life. That song plays every third time I walk into a freaking convenience store, it plays in the grocery store, it even plays at the train station. Trains here play songs at every station at the platform, perhaps to act as the "kick"(inception anyone?) to wake people up who are sleeping. They hear the music of the station they're supposed to stop at and wake up, perhaps. That's a theory floating around among the expats*. Theorizing is a common practice in Japan, for the lack of apparent sense made by everyday settings begs interesting questions akin to old time favorites like "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Pursuit of a solution is noble and futile, and that's daily life in Japan on the most mundane of objects.
Ddb at the train platform
So yes, I've even heard more than once, "Day dream believer"(DDB) as a "kick" at the train platforms. But you see, DDB is an old song, and I wasn't kidding about this zombie-like state. Let it go(LIG) is just in the preliminary stages. DDB has been though full cycle and stagnates in maturity.
How does this zombie-like state play out then? Well in the beginning there is the normal song, and in the songs poor unsuspecting infancy, it is quickly and ruthlessly played into the ground. Perhaps then some time passes and you think you are safe, but no, you're in Japan. It's back, and this zombie like state is but a hollow shell of its former self. Yup, you guessed it, this state is the song being played on the harpsichord. It is merely the tune of the song, with minor background accompaniment, being played without words on the harpsichord. And you might be used to, in your country, a song being overplayed then just hearing it from time to time after that, no such luck in Japan. Overplayed songs stay with you
Video of YMCA harpsichord
The incessant dead-horse-song-beating* in Japan works its way wonderfully into the beautiful, unbelievably odd picture Japan paints of itself. Would it be my own country I might go insane with the level of overplaying, but much like the inability of the soon setting Finnish sun during the winter to impart any mood decrescendo on me during my stay in Finland, such things as these generally just pique my curiosity. Instead of an epic eye roll everytime I hear these songs, I'm just struck by an internal chuckle and sometimes manage to udder "Yup, Japan," and crack a modest smile with the corner of my mouth. Sometimes I suppose this is exactly why I travel. PEACE AND LOVE.
*(and thus causing an inherent contradiction because nobody can let it go with that song playing everywhere)
*(And horse eating for that matter, I'll explain later. Maybe)
*(It's become readily apparent, mostly cause somebody told me, that the train "kicks" are actually just to let you know the train is about to leave or is leaving. Cool theory though, bro.)
Finally, to play us out and in the spirit of Japan, I give you.... DAY DREAM BELIEVER AGAIN!
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