ショボクレ人生
植木等 Lyrics

In 植木等's song ショボクレ人生, the lyrics describe a life of mediocrity where the singer engages in petty theft, consumes leftover beer, and cheats on expenses while patronizing bars and cabarets. The singer also borrows train tickets and precariously rides on packed trains while peeking into other people's newspapers. In another scene, he polishes his shoes using someone else's pants while at the office. After work, he frequents a Pachinko parlor with empty pockets, and the only thing he brings with him is his anger at the machine. Throughout the song, the singer embraces his shabby and unimpressive lifestyle while urging his detractors to leave him alone.

The lyrics capture the essence of the life and times of the lower-middle-class people in Japan during the post-World War II period. The lyrics speak to the disillusionment and increasing materialism that characterized Japanese society at that time. The song vocalizes the sense of resignation and despair that permeates the lives of ordinary people struggling to get by in post-war Japan. The singer's acceptance of his mundane existence seems to be an ironic provocation to the hyper-consumption culture that was spreading at the time.