tokyo blues
斉藤和義 Lyrics

The lyrics of 斉藤和義's song "tokyo blues" depict the daily struggles and monotony of life in Tokyo. The first verse describes the suffocating feeling of everyday life, comparing it to smoking too many cigarettes and feeling choked. The singer longs for a change, even fantasizing about finding a wad of money on the street to escape their current reality. However, they are already running late, crossing the Kandu overpass and facing a 10-minute delay.

The second verse introduces a cross-dressing individual with a tight waist who catches the singer's attention. The singer observes this person alongside a mustached man, both seemingly dissatisfied with their lives. The singer, always unsatisfied and full of desires, calls out to God and Buddha, asking them to appear and give them a kiss to fulfill their longings.

The chorus reflects on the swift passing of time since the singer arrived in Tokyo, with two and a half years feeling like a blink of an eye. They describe feeling filled with dreams that may burst like balloons, continuously deflating. The singer questions their existence, wondering if they are needed in this world and suggests the wind take them away somewhere else.

The following verse portrays the congested expressway, where the singer wonders how long it will take to arrive at their destination, but ultimately realizes it doesn't matter because they will just drink and sleep once they get home. The singer compares their state of being to overly chewed gum, lacking in both taste and enthusiasm. The clock keeps ticking, and the singer feels powerless to stop it, acknowledging this inability to control time as a recurring theme.