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)
ドツペルゲンガー
椎名林檎 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
愛してゐる 大嫌ひ
夕暮 泪雨
懇 赤の他人
見えてしまつたよ 慾を掌つた過去形
まう罷めるよ ほらすぐ此処に示して
樂にしてあげる
今日は 御休み
前のめり 淑
夕暮 波久礼雲
苗床 赤の他人
消えてしまつたよ 己を能く模した騒霊
まう決めたよ ほら災ひを起こして
取り憑いてあげる
見えてしまつたよ 美意識を孕むだ愛憎
まう辭めたよ ほら須く示して
其処は天國 其処は天國
The lyrics to 椎名林檎's song ドツペルゲンガー describe a complicated and conflicted state of mind when it comes to love. The singer refers to a particular day where they love someone but also hate them, feeling like they are strangers to each other. They mention a past where they had control over their desires but are now unable to resist them, and they offer to make the object of their affection happy despite these conflicting feelings.
Later in the song, the singer mentions a day off and feeling empowered, but still distant from others. They refer to a ghost-like figure that resembles themselves and has caused trouble before, seemingly deciding to let it take over and possess someone else. Lastly, they mention a love-hate relationship that had become overwhelming but they have decided to let go of it and reach a place that can be considered a heaven.
Overall, the lyrics seem to convey a sense of turmoil and inner conflict when it comes to love, with the singer struggling to reconcile their intense emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
今日は 然様なら
If it is today, then it is what it is
愛してゐる 大嫌ひ
Loving and hating at the same time
夕暮 泪雨
Twilight weeping rain
懇 赤の他人
Sincere but total strangers
見えてしまつたよ 慾を掌つた過去形
I saw it, the past tense that held desire
まう罷めるよ ほらすぐ此処に示して
I'll stop it now, look, right here, I'll show you
樂にしてあげる
I'll make you happy
今日は 御休み
Today is a day off
前のめり 淑
Charming but reckless
夕暮 波久礼雲
Twilight, a sky full of rippling clouds
苗床 赤の他人
Seedbed, total strangers
消えてしまつたよ 己を能く模した騒霊
It disappeared, the poltergeist that mimicked me well
まう決めたよ ほら災ひを起こして
I've already decided, look, let's cause a disaster
取り憑いてあげる
I'll possess you
見えてしまつたよ 美意識を孕むだ愛憎
I saw it, the love and hate that gave birth to aesthetic consciousness
まう辭めたよ ほら須く示して
I quit, look, show me how
其処は天國 其処は天國
There is paradise, there is paradise
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ringo Sheena
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind