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)

Please Take Care
椎名林檎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

氣持ちは晴れ身体も未だ自由が利く
眼に映る良さ映らぬ善さ
隣の芝青く見えたら出来るだけ睡るのさ
肌を包むガーゼは白い嘘甘い羂
自ら裏切るなら楽をするに限るさ
大人だから小さく唄ふ位笑ふ位許してね
息が出来る頃迄

氣の果てまで同じ風が馨つたら善い
手にする貴さ出来ぬ尊さ
覚えた儘内緒の地圖で雨の中を出掛けやう
背中を湿らすのは赤い疑念辛い罰
憂き世に居た堪れない悲劇が溢れたとしやう

大人だから今日はまう唄ふ位笑う位許してね
守るものは護るさ

Overall Meaning

The song おだいじに by 椎名林檎 talks about the contrast between the visible and invisible aspects of life. The opening lines describe how the mind is clear and the body is still agile, but the goodness that is visible to the eyes is not always indicative of true goodness. The grass may look greener on the other side, but it is best to sleep as much as possible when it appears so. The gauze that covers the skin is a white lie and a sweet fetter. If one must betray oneself, it is better to take the easy way out.

The second verse talks about the importance of the intangible aspects of life. It is good if one's spirit is blown away by the same wind until the end. What one possesses may be valuable, but there is a value that cannot be obtained. We should go out into the rain with a secret map in our memories as if we have memorized it. The rain may be a symbol of doubt and hardship that can dampen the back, but it is a burden worth carrying in the face of an unbearable tragedy.

Overall, the song seems to be urging the listeners to find meaning in the less visible aspects of life beyond mere appearances and material possessions. It also encourages acceptance of the hardships that come with life while continuing to hold on to the things that need to be protected.

Line by Line Meaning

氣持ちは晴れ身体も未だ自由が利く
My mind is clear and my body still feels free.

眼に映る良さ映らぬ善さ
There is goodness that cannot be seen by the eyes.

隣の芝青く見えたら出来るだけ睡るのさ
When the grass looks greener on the other side, I sleep as much as I can.

肌を包むガーゼは白い嘘甘い羂
The gauze covering my skin is a sweet lie.

自ら裏切るなら楽をするに限るさ
If I'm going to betray myself, I might as well take the easy way out.

大人だから小さく唄ふ位笑ふ位許してね息が出来る頃迄
Since I am an adult, please allow me to sing and laugh a little until I can breathe again.

氣の果てまで同じ風が馨つたら善い
It's good if the same wind blows until the end of my breath.

手にする貴さ出来ぬ尊さ
What I can hold is valuable but what I cannot have is honorable.

覚えた儘内緒の地圖で雨の中を出掛けやう
I will go out into the rain with a secret map as it is.

背中を湿らすのは赤い疑念辛い罰
The red doubt wets my back with a painful punishment.

憂き世に居た堪れない悲劇が溢れたとしやう
Let's imagine that unbearable tragedies overflowed in this sorrowful world.