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)
In a Whirlwind
椎名林檎 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A young girl is crying some
I know you don't think it so wrong or impolite
To say it more than twice
Repeat it every night
I know it must to you seem something I should know
It hasn't happened but
You talk and don't let go
The world is moving slow
You say it more than twice
Repeat it every night
I know it must to you seem something I should know
I don't, don't want to know
So so loud, so I say, oh and oh
That's enough for me
If you would chase a fly
Don't look at some girl's life
Don't swat beyond your eyes
Just turn and face your own
And you may find it flew
Into another room
So go and chase it down
And find yourself a home
They say to speak your mind
Or else get passed in line
I think it must to you seem something I should say
I won't, won't say a word
Everything is none of my concern
Absolutely
None of my concern
Relative to you
I'm hearing clear what is true
Trying in vain to say something
Wastes a lifetime, it's halfway to noise
Beautiful things must be something
They are the things that never can lie
Here in my heart, the answer is clear
It's always clear, and here I can fly
Beautiful things must be something
They are the things that never can lie
I don't, don't want to know
None of my concern
So oh and oh-oh, silently
The song 渦中の男 by 椎名林檎, translated as "Man in the Maelstrom," describes a person who is tired of another individual constantly venting about their problems. The song starts off by setting the scene of an evening where a young girl is crying, and the singer knows that the person they are speaking with will repeat their problems throughout the night, as well as every night. The singer acknowledges that the other person may feel like they need to share their problems, but they do not want to hear about it. However, the other person continues to talk, displaying a lack of awareness of the singer's disinterest.
As the song progresses, the singer advises the other person to focus on their own life instead of trying to solve everyone else's problems. They liken it to chasing a fly, where it is best to focus on what is within one's own eyesight and control. The singer acknowledges the societal pressure to speak up and give opinions, but ultimately decides to stay silent because they do not want to get involved. They believe that beautiful things in life are honest and do not need to be said out loud, as they are inherently truthful. The song concludes with the singer remaining silent, but finding peace within themselves by focusing on what truly matters to them.
One interesting aspect of the song 渦中の男 is that it contains a variety of musical styles, ranging from rock to jazz to pop. The instrumentation also includes unconventional instruments such as steel drum and organ. The song's title and chorus reference a short story by Japanese author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, where a man is caught in a whirlpool and faces a crisis of identity. The lyrics also contain a reference to the Latin phrase "sic transit gloria mundi," which translates to "thus passes the glory of the world," suggesting a commentary on the fleeting nature of life's problems. The song was included in 椎名林檎's album "Kyoiku," which translates to "Education," and was released in 2003.
Line by Line Meaning
And when the evening comes
At nightfall
A young girl is crying some
A young girl is crying nearby
I know you don't think it so wrong or impolite
I understand you don't think it's disrespectful or impolite
To say it more than twice
To repeat the same thing several times
Repeat it every night
To keep saying it every night
I know it must to you seem something I should know
I'm aware that you think I should know this
It may or may not come
It might happen or it might not
It hasn't happened but
It hasn't occurred yet
You talk and don't let go
You keep talking and don't stop
The world is moving slow
Time seems to be passing slowly
I don't, don't want to know
I don't want to know about it
So so loud, so I say, oh and oh
I try to ignore it with casual expressions like 'oh' and 'oh'
If you would chase a fly
If you were to try to catch a fly
Don't look at some girl's life
Don't bother with some girl's life
Don't swat beyond your eyes
Don't hit anything beyond what's in front of you
Just turn and face your own
Just focus on yourself
And you may find it flew
And you might find that it flew away
Into another room
Into another part of the house
So go and chase it down
So go and try to catch it
And find yourself a home
And find a place where you belong
They say to speak your mind
People say you should speak your mind
Or else get passed in line
Otherwise, you might be overlooked
I think it must to you seem something I should say
I suppose you think I should say something
I won't, won't say a word
I won't say anything
Everything is none of my concern
It's none of my business
Absolutely
Completely
None of my concern
I don't care about it
Relative to you
From your perspective
I'm hearing clear what is true
I clearly understand the truth
Trying in vain to say something
Trying to say something for no reason
Wastes a lifetime, it's halfway to noise
It's a waste of time and is just noise
Beautiful things must be something
Beautiful things must mean something
They are the things that never can lie
They are the things that never deceive
Here in my heart, the answer is clear
In my heart, I know the answer clearly
It's always clear, and here I can fly
It's always clear to me, and I feel free
I don't, don't want to know
I don't want to know about it
None of my concern
I don't care about it
So oh and oh-oh, silently
Silently, with casual expressions like 'oh' and 'oh-oh'
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ringo Shiina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind