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)

二人ぼっち時間
椎名林檎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

ラはラヂオのラ
おこしてよファッとにじむようなカンタータで
ラはランチのラ
たべたいよファッととけるようなたまごに

どうしようかな
ドならドルチェのドです
けれどもうあまいから

ランララララララン
ランチはこれにて
ごちそうさま
Buono!

ラララバイのラ
おどりたりないようたわないでテノールで
ラはソファミのラ
つかれていないよはずむようなきもちに

どうしようかな
ドならドラマのドです
けれどそうあまいから
ランララララララン
ランプだけけして

いただきます
Grazie!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "二人ぼっち時間" by 椎名林檎 ("Futari Bocchi Jikan" or "Time Alone Together") paint a whimsical picture of two people spending time alone together, trying to decide what to do. The use of the musical notes "ラ" and "ド" (La and Do) tie in with imagery associated with their respective syllables: "ラ" from "ラヂオ" (Radio) and "ランチ" (Lunch) creates a lively, upbeat image, while "ド" from "ドルチェ" (Dolce, meaning sweet or dessert in Italian) and "ドラマ" (Drama) adds a more somber or serious element.

The opening lines set the hopeful tone with the singer asking for the radio to be turned up with a "cántara" that makes blurs her vision. Then, she laments that she wants to eat a soft, melting egg but is not sure what to do. The song goes back and forth between these lighthearted musings, the weight of the "dolce" and "drama" elements creeping in each time, before ending with the simple act of turning off the lamp and going to bed.

Overall, "二人ぼっち時間" creates a picture of carefree days and contemplation, with the soft melody adding to the nostalgic atmosphere.

Line by Line Meaning

ラはラヂオのラ
The 'ra' sound is like that of a radio, wake me up with a cantata that feels like it's ringing through my ear.

おこしてよファッとにじむようなカンタータで
Wake me up with a powerful and emotional performance that brings tears to my eyes.

ラはランチのラ
The 'ra' sound is like that of a lunch, I want to eat a soft, melting egg dish.

たべたいよファッととけるようなたまごに
I want to eat an egg dish that melts in my mouth and gives me a good feeling.

どうしようかな
What should I do?

ドならドルチェのドです
If I had to choose, the 'do' sound would be like that of a dessert.

けれどもうあまいから
However, I'm already sweet enough.

ランララララララン
Lalalalala~

ランチはこれにて
Lunch ends here.

ごちそうさま
Thank you for the meal.