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)

余興
椎名林檎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

どんなに美味しく高価なお酒が有ったって
今日迄怠惰に過ごして居ちゃ味も判らない

どんなに要領良く硬貨を動かして居たって
対話が演技じゃ興味が湧かないってもんよ

女だって (yay yay yay) 男だって (hoo)
実直なほうが美しいわかっているくせに

眉根をひそめる人は誰もここには居ない

徒党を組んで居たり太って居る時は叱って
こと切れる瞬間まで何時も成長をしたいよ

芯だって (yay yay yay) 筋だって (hoo)
柔らかい事は難しいこたえているくせに
毎度根を詰める君の微笑んだ皺がキレイ

身体ごと使い切って孤独の極みを視よう
嫌われて御出でよ向かい風乾杯!

帰れない今日は帰れない
独りぼっち"同志"
きっと又逢えると笑ってよ

それを糧に生きるさ
君が生モノだから thank you

Overall Meaning

The song "余興" by 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) reflects on the idea of indulgence and laziness. The opening lines, "どんなに美味しく高価なお酒が有ったって今日迄怠惰に過ごして居ちゃ味も判らない" (No matter how delicious and expensive the alcohol is, if we spend our days lazily, we won't be able to appreciate its taste), suggest that indulging in luxury without actively engaging with it diminishes its value.

The lyrics also convey a message about the importance of genuine connection and dialogue. The lines "どんなに要領良く硬貨を動かして居たって対話が演技じゃ興味が湧かないってもんよ" (No matter how skillfully we move coins, if our conversations are just acting, they won't spark any interest) show that meaningful interaction requires honesty and authenticity.

The song further explores the concept of self-improvement. Lines like "徒党を組んで居たり太って居る時は叱ってこと切れる瞬間まで何時も成長をしたいよ" (When we gather in groups or indulge in excess, we should discipline ourselves until we reach our breaking point to constantly grow) emphasize the importance of striving for personal development and not becoming complacent.

Overall, "余興" encourages listeners to embrace honesty, engagement, and self-improvement, rejecting laziness and superficiality.

Line by Line Meaning

どんなに美味しく高価なお酒が有ったって
No matter how delicious and expensive the alcohol is

今日迄怠惰に過ごして居ちゃ味も判らない
If you live lazily until today, you won't appreciate its flavor

どんなに要領良く硬貨を動かして居たって
No matter how skillfully you handle coins

対話が演技じゃ興味が湧かないってもんよ
If the conversation feels like acting, it won't capture your interest

女だって (yay yay yay) 男だって (hoo)
Even if you're a woman or a man

実直なほうが美しいわかっているくせに
You know that honesty is more beautiful

眉根をひそめる人は誰もここには居ない
No one here is someone who frowns

徒党を組んで居たり太って居る時は叱って
When you form groups or become overweight, you should be scolded

こと切れる瞬間まで何時も成長をしたいよ
I always want to grow until the moment I die

芯だって (yay yay yay) 筋だって (hoo)
Even if it's about your core or muscles