After quitting school to enter a musical contest, Shiina was quickly signed to EMI, then promptly left Japan to avoid the trappings of contract work. After returning, she quickly released a series of singles and albums, all self-penned (a relative rarity for Japanese pop artists), and all meeting with great success on the Japanese charts. A hiatus to start a family followed, itself followed (after a divorce) by both a new album and a new side project, the band 東京事変. (Tokyo Jihen - or Tokyo Incidents)
After more success with the band, Shiina returned to a solo career in 2006 as the Music Director for the film 「さくらん」(Sakuran), quickly taking the number one slot on the Oricon charts with the album Heisei Fuuzoku released in tandem with a major soundtrack project. Following was a B-sides album which peaked quickly at the number one Oricon slot. In the years proceeding this, she spent most of her time dedicated to Tokyo Jihen occasionally revisiting her solo work.
Despite being involved in the main Japanese pop scene, Shiina has created a niche for herself based on a much wider musical range than most artists. Where most pop singers develop a basic sound based on contemporary pop aesthetics and throwaway lyrical matter, Shiina builds on a base of jazz, rock, Motown, and even French chanson equally well (the chanson works especially well with her trademark nasal delivery), infusing her projects with a very different aesthetic, and gaining a fan base separate from the core constituents of the Japanese pop apparatus.
Despite the release of album 三毒史 (trivisa-itihasa) in 2019, released after a myriad of singles being majorly included in aforementioned work. In 2020, Ringo and band Tokyo Jihen turned their backs to their past, doing a major reunion, with the drop of a few projects, such as sixth studio album 音楽.
Discography
Singles
幸福論 (Koufukuron)（1998）
歌舞伎町の女王 （1998）
ここでキスして。 (Koko de kisu shite)（1999）
本能 （1999）
幸福論（1999）
ギブス (Gibs)（2000）
罪と罰 （2000）
真夜中は純潔 （2001）
絶頂集 （2000）
茎（STEM）～大名遊ビ編～ （2003）
りんごのうた (Ringo no Uta)（2003）
この世の限り (Kono Yo no Kagiri) (2007） (With Saitou Neko and her brother Shiina Junpei)
ありあまる富 (Ariamaru Tomi)（2009）
カーネーション (Carnation)（2011）
自由へ道連 (Traveling Companion to Freedom) (2012)
いろはにほへと (Les Couleurs Chantent) (2013)
孤独のあかつき (The Solitude of Dawn) (2013)
NIPPON (2014)
至上の人生 (A Life Supreme) (2015)
最果てが見たい (2015)
長く短い祭 (2015)
神様、仏様 (2015)
ジユーダム (2016)
目抜き通り (2017)
獣ゆく細道 (2018)
Albums
無罪モラトリアム (Muzai Moratorium) (1999)
勝訴ストリップ (Shouso Strip)（2000)
加爾基 精液 栗ノ花（Karuki Za-men Kuri no Hana）(2003)
平成風俗 (Heisei Fuuzoku) (2007) (with Neiko Sato)
三文ゴシップ (Sanmon Gossip) (2009)
日出処 (Hi Izuru Tokoro) (2014)
三毒史 (trivisa-itihasa) (2019)
Covers Album
唄ひ手冥利～其ノ壱～ (Utaitemyori Sonoichi)（2002）
逆輸入 ～港湾局～ (Reimports Vol.1) (2014)
逆輸入 〜航空局〜 (Reimport Vol.2 -Civil Bureau Aviation) (2017)
Compilations
私と放電 (Me & Electric Discharge) (2008) - (B-Sides)
ニュートンの林檎 (Apple of Universal Gravity) (2019) - (Overview)
おとなの掟
椎名林檎 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As soon as one dies, one is rising
With the night so dark and cold
The wishes I make are swallowed up and hidden away
Breath of the whitest white is
What I most wish to say down deep now inside
Can a voice so numb and cold have some song to sing?
It could be false, or reality
The things I like, or hate, or things I want to gain
Whatever's feeling good is what my lines would say
For setting off the black from white, it'd work perfectly
Though like a chant of ruination it'd be
Why did I think that since I'd studied
The latest schoolbook I'd know clearly
What's right from what's wrong, and which is which one
That I could choose, I could really know?
I live according to stage-right, stage-left, exit
Improvisation's not been in my bag of tricks
So much of what I want to say pours out noisily
But never when you're not here alone with me
What I know that I hold in my hands I want to set free
Think of how much lighter you and I would feel then
Every word, every wall, every curse and sparing nothing
Strip it, take it all away to once again see eye to eye
The things I like, or hate, or things I want, expect
Though if I let them out, I think, what happens next?
Well, setting off the white from black is fearful indeed
It's even more so when you live honestly
This life is long, so long, the world is wide, I say
And when we've freedom won, it all becomes one gray
Yes, happiness, unhappiness, it's only the heart
That knows no quietude that makes itself known
While an adult can keep a secret alone
These lyrics convey a sense of confusion and uncertainty about what is right and wrong in life, and a desire to express oneself honestly and openly. The imagery of black and white, night and day, and breaths of different colors all suggest opposing forces and the difficulty of finding balance between them. The singer seems to be grappling with the idea that there is no clear answer to what is right or wrong, and that expressing one's true feelings is fraught with risk and uncertainty.
The lyrics also express a longing for connection and understanding with another person, and a fear of being alone with one's thoughts and feelings. The singer suggests that true happiness and honesty are found by being open and vulnerable with another person, even if it means risking rejection or criticism. The reference to keeping secrets alone as an adult suggests that the singer has experienced the isolation that comes from not being able to share one's true self with others.
This song is a collaboration between two Japanese artists, Shiina Ringo and Matsumoto Naohito. It was released in 2003 and reached no. 2 on the Oricon charts in Japan. It is one of several collaborations between Shiina and Matsumoto, who also worked together on the film score for the movie Sakuran.
Shiina, who wrote the lyrics, is known for her poetic, often cryptic songwriting and her eclectic musical style, which incorporates elements of rock, jazz, and electronica.
The song's title, "Otona no Okite," can be translated as "The Rules of Adulthood."
The song was used as the closing theme for the TV drama "Manhattan Love Story" in Japan.
The music video for the song features an animated sequence directed by Shiina herself, as well as live-action footage of Shiina and Matsumoto performing.
The song's lyrics were inspired in part by the novel "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig.
The song has been covered by several other artists, including the Japanese singer Kaela Kimura.
The chord progression for the song is as follows: Dm7 - Bb - F - C7M - Dm7 - Bb - F - Am7.
Line by Line Meaning
Sighs in the blackest black abiding
Deep sorrow dwelling within the darkest abyss
As soon as one dies, one is rising
Upon death, new life arises
With the night so dark and cold
Emptiness within the cold, dark night
The wishes I make are swallowed up and hidden away
My desires are consumed and concealed
Breath of the whitest white is
A pure and honest confession lies
What I most wish to say down deep now inside
My true feelings, deep within me, I long to express
Can a voice so numb and cold have some song to sing?
Can I, who am so emotionally detached, find words to express myself?
It could be false, or reality
My words may be deceiving or genuine
The things I like, or hate, or things I want to gain
My desires and emotions influence the words I speak
Whatever's feeling good is what my lines would say
My words reflect my current state of mind
For setting off the black from white, it'd work perfectly
My words can create clear contrasts between good and evil
Though like a chant of ruination it'd be
But the tone of my words could be destructive
Why did I think that since I'd studied
Why did I believe that studying philosophy or morality would lead to clarity
The latest schoolbook I'd know clearly
That I would be able to discern right from wrong
What's right from what's wrong, and which is which one
And confidently choose the correct path
That I could choose, I could really know?
But can I truly know what is right and wrong?
I live according to stage-right, stage-left, exit
I live according to the rules of the stage, following predetermined paths
Improvisation's not been in my bag of tricks
Improvisation and spontaneity escape me
So much of what I want to say pours out noisily
My innermost desires are expressed in a loud clamor
But never when you're not here alone with me
But only in your presence am I able to reveal my true self
What I know that I hold in my hands I want to set free
I want to liberate what I know and hold dear
Think of how much lighter you and I would feel then
Imagine how much better we would feel if we were unburdened
Every word, every wall, every curse and sparing nothing
Removing all barriers and holding nothing back
Strip it, take it all away to once again see eye to eye
Remove everything in order to regain mutual understanding
Though if I let them out, I think, what happens next?
But if I reveal my true desires, what are the consequences?
Well, setting off the white from black is fearful indeed
Because making clear distinctions between good and evil is a daunting task
It's even more so when you live honestly
And it's even harder when you choose to be truthful
This life is long, so long, the world is wide, I say
Life is long and the world is vast
And when we've freedom won, it all becomes one gray
And when we are truly free, all distinctions lose their meaning
Yes, happiness, unhappiness, it's only the heart
Happiness and sadness are solely created by our own hearts
That knows no quietude that makes itself known
Our emotions never truly fade away and always make themselves known
While an adult can keep a secret alone
But an adult can keep a secret to themselves
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ringo Shiina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind