Popularly known as Kyon-kyon, Koizumi made her breakthrough on the TV audition show Staa Tanjou (A Star is Born) in 1981 and her debut followed the next year. The usual string of slickly packaged pop singles, albums, TV dramas and movies followed. She first appeared on the annual New Year's Eve extravaganza Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red-White Song Battle) in 1984, just a week after her movie debut. In 1987, she won the award for the best-selling single in Japan. She was cast quite out of character as the villain in 1997's hit movie Odoru Daisosasen (Bayside Shakedown), which starred Oda Yuji.
Kyoko is one of the few idols from the early '80s to have survived with her image and popular appeal intact. She became less active in her acting career following her marriage to popular actor Nagase Masatoshi in 1995 (she met Nagase when he was taking photos for the magazine AnAn, to which she contributes). But she remained in the public eye through regular TV commercial appearances. While she's old enough to play the stereotypical CM mother, her image remains that of the perky girl next door. Her divorce from Nagase came in early 2004, around the time that she was receiving a lot of offers to get back into acting more. This difficulty in combining marriage and work seems to be a real hurdle for many women in Japanese show business and one of the two usually has to suffer.
Telephone
小泉今日子 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
言いなさい それからなんなの
テレフォン テレフォン
雨の街から テレフォン
あなたのラブ・コール
テレフォン!
こんな夜遅くにゴメンね
知ってたら かけなきゃいいでしョ
言わせるつもり?
テレフォン テレフォン
あなたの気持ち
それはナイでしょ ボーイフレンド
情けないほどナイーブ
軽い会話で 傷心(ハートブレイク)
ちらりハラリと かけたモーション
そのたび赤く なってた人
弱気なあなたには 意地悪がクスリよ!
てきとーに まぶしいだけなら
とっくにね だれかとランナウェイ
テレフォン テレフォン
じれったくて
テレフォン テレフォン
ひっぱたきたい
それはナイでしょ ボーイフレンド
冷たい雨に打たれて
たったひと言 Say Good Night
口がさけても 先に好きと
言ったりなんか しないからね
あなたわたしの事 全然わかってない
それはナイでしょ ボーイフレンド
やさしい彼の背中を
だれかつついて お願い
テレフォン!
The song Telephone by 小泉今日子 talks about the singer receiving a late-night phone call from someone who seems to be her boyfriend. She abruptly demands that he speak clearly and then asks what it is he wants from her. Throughout the song, the singer expresses her dissatisfaction with their relationship and her doubts about her boyfriend's feelings for her. She taunts him for being too sensitive and for making her feel like she has to be mean to him. She also suggests that he should have gone off with someone else already if all he wants is someone "dazzling."
The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and confusion that many people can relate to when thinking about their own relationships. 小泉今日子's voice and the energetic music add to the overall feeling of the song, making it a catchy pop hit that is still beloved today.
Line by Line Meaning
お願いよ テキパキはっきり 言いなさい それからなんなの
I'm asking you to be clear and quick. Say what you want and then what's next?
テレフォン テレフォン 雨の街から テレフォン あなたのラブ・コール テレフォン!
On the telephone, on the telephone, from a rainy street, it's your love call on the telephone!
こんな夜遅くにゴメンね 知ってたら かけなきゃいいでしョ
I'm sorry for calling so late at night. If you knew, you didn't have to pick up.
テレフォン テレフォン 言わせるつもり? テレフォン テレフォン あなたの気持ち
On the telephone, on the telephone, are you trying to make me say it? On the telephone, on the telephone, your feelings.
それはナイでしょ ボーイフレンド 情けないほどナイーブ 軽い会話で 傷心(ハートブレイク)
That's not it, boyfriend. You're pitifully sensitive. With casual conversation, my heart breaks.
ちらりハラリと かけたモーション そのたび赤く なってた人 弱気なあなたには 意地悪がクスリよ!
Shyly and cheerfully made a gesture. Every time, that person blushed. Teasing is medicine for your weakness.
てきとーに まぶしいだけなら とっくにね だれかとランナウェイ
If it's just for show, I would have already run away with someone else.
テレフォン テレフォン じれったくて テレフォン テレフォン ひっぱたきたい
On the telephone, on the telephone, I'm so frustrated. On the telephone, on the telephone, I want to slap you.
それはナイでしょ ボーイフレンド 冷たい雨に打たれて たったひと言 Say Good Night
That's not it, boyfriend. In the cold rain, with just one word, say good night.
口がさけても 先に好きと 言ったりなんか しないからね あなたわたしの事 全然わかってない
Even if I bite my tongue, I won't say something like 'I love you' first. You don't understand anything about me.
それはナイでしょ ボーイフレンド やさしい彼の背中を だれかつついて お願い
That's not it, boyfriend. Someone please poke the back of his gentle figure.
テレフォン!
On the telephone!
Writer(s): 都倉 俊一, 康 珍化, 都倉 俊一, 康 珍化
Contributed by Max W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.