椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo, also sometimes spelled "Sheena Ringo" or "Shéna Ringö")… Read Full Bio ↴椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo, also sometimes spelled "Sheena Ringo" or "Shéna Ringö"), born November 25, 1978 in Saitama and raised in Fukuoka, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. Her family name is Shiina (椎名) and she chose to perform as Ringo instead of her birth name Yumiko (裕美子) because - as a shy child - her cheeks would blush red like an apple (the fruit being 'ringo' in Japanese).

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)

ポルターガイスト
椎名林檎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

もつと澤山逢いにゐらして下さいさう口走つた君
僕は愛ほしく思ひ大層動じたので
前髪の成す造形に神経を奪はれて
鍵も持たず家を出たのです
斯くして麗しき君の許へ超へていく想ひ抑へました
「今日は電車で!」壱度乗り換へた頃高まつていく時めきに
負けさうになつてゐることに氣付き始めました

真実は最初で最後なのですさう口走つた君
僕は思ひ出しつつ聡明な生き方を
鳥渡真似たいと感じ颯爽と歩いては
キツと厳しい表情をしたのです
君を笑はす為に微笑むでゐやうと思ひ鍛へました
「扉の前にて!」若しも此の部屋も無く
連なつてゐる輝きがまやかしであらうとも
僕に恐れなどはないです

君はひと足先に微笑むで幻視を與へました
「こんな僕に!」徐ら見境も無く慾しくなるまぼろしは

孰れ衰へても僕には美しく見えます
君だけに是を唄ひます

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 椎名林檎's song ポルターガイスト describe a longing for love and a sense of confusion and longing for something more. The singer pleads for the other person to spend more time with them, expressing how much they desire love and how it has unsettled them. The singer is so enamored with the other person that they leave their home without even taking their keys, simply to be with them. Throughout the song, the singer has a sense of urgency and a feeling that time is running out to be with the other person, leading them to run towards their lover's house with a passion that they are afraid they cannot control.

As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges that the truth is a fleeting thing, and regrets not being able to hold onto it longer. They want to live intelligently like a bird and walk with a confident and stern expression, but also want to be able to smile for the other person, learning to hone that ability. In the end, the singer sees their lover's smile and sees a beautiful illusion, understanding that even though they may weaken, their love for the other person will never fade.

Overall, the lyrics express a sense of longing and desire for something more, as well as a confusion and uncertainty about how to achieve that. The singer wants to be loved, yet also wants to be strong and confident on their own, leading to a sense of inner conflict and struggle.

Line by Line Meaning

もつと澤山逢いにゐらして下さいさう口走つた君
You said to me to meet you more, and I desperately want your love, getting very nervous. Due to the way your bangs look, they stole my nerves and I left without a key.

僕は愛ほしく思ひ大層動じたので
I am deeply moved and in great need of love, which makes me nervous.

前髪の成す造形に神経を奪はれて
Your hairstyle has taken away my nerves due to its beautiful shape.

鍵も持たず家を出たのです
I left home without even taking the key.

斯くして麗しき君の許へ超へていく想ひ抑へました
However, I suppressed my desire to go to you who are so beautiful.

「今日は電車で!」壱度乗り換へた頃高まつていく時めきに
After changing trains once, I realized the excitement was building up with the thought of meeting you today.

負けさうになつてゐることに氣付き始めました
I started to realize that I might lose control of myself.

真実は最初で最後なのですさう口走つた君
You said that the truth will only happen once and never again.

僕は思ひ出しつつ聡明な生き方を
I reminisce while trying to live a wise life.

鳥渡真似たいと感じ颯爽と歩いては
I feel like imitating Tori to walk elegantly.

キツと厳しい表情をしたのです
I put on a tough and strict expression.

君を笑はす為に微笑むでゐやうと思ひ鍛へました
To make you laugh, I trained myself to smile like I do now.

「扉の前にて!」若しも此の部屋も無く
Even if there is no room in front of the door where You want me to wait.