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)

Onaji yoru
椎名林檎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

飛交う人の批評に自己実現を図り
戸惑うこれの根源に尋ねる行為を忘れ
此の日々が訪れた窓の外には
誤魔化しの無い夏描かれている

吹き荒れる風に涙することも
幸せな君を只願うことも同じ
空は明日を始めてしまう

例え君が此処に居なくても

彷徨う夢の天神に生温さを望み
行交う人の大半に素早く注目をさせ
其の欲が満たされたあたしの眼にも
果てることない夢映されるのか

泣き喚く海に立ち止まることも
触れられない君を只想うことも同じ
空は明日を始めてしまう
例えあたしが息を止めても

吹き荒れる風に涙することも
幸せな君を只願うことも
泣き喚く海に立ち止まることも
触れられない君を只想うことも同じ

空は明日を始めてしまう
例えあたしが息を止めても

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 椎名林檎's song "Onaji Yoru" speak to the challenges of finding oneself amidst the opinions and criticism of others. The songwriter describes trying to achieve self-realization in the midst of others' judgments and being confused about the true source of their struggle. Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges the emotional pain of being separated from someone they care about, even if it means standing still as life moves on. They describe tears streaming down their face, even as they wish happiness for the person they are missing. Ultimately, the song conveys a sense of resilience in the face of life's challenges, recognizing that while we cannot control everything, we can find meaning and purpose within our own struggle.

Line by Line Meaning

飛交う人の批評に自己実現を図り
Trying to achieve self-realization amongst the swirling criticism of others

戸惑うこれの根源に尋ねる行為を忘れ
Forgetting to seek out the root cause of this confusion

此の日々が訪れた窓の外には
Beyond the window when these days arrived

誤魔化しの無い夏描かれている
An unvarnished summer is depicted

吹き荒れる風に涙することも
Crying in the face of the raging wind

幸せな君を只願うことも同じ
Wishing for your happiness all the same

空は明日を始めてしまう
The sky starts a new day

例え君が此処に居なくても
Even if you're not here

彷徨う夢の天神に生温さを望み
Yearning for warmth from the wandering dreams of the Tenjin

行交う人の大半に素早く注目をさせ
Swiftly drawing attention from the majority of passersby

其の欲が満たされたあたしの眼にも
Even in my eyes, now satisfied with this desire