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)

The invaluable
椎名林檎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

僕らが手にしている富は見えないよ
彼らは奪えないし壊すこともない
世界はただ妬むばっかり

もしも彼らが君の何かを盗んだとして
それはくだらないものだよ
返して貰うまでもない筈
何故なら価値は生命に従って付いている

彼らが手にしている富は買えるんだ
僕らは数えないし失くすこともない
世界はまだ不幸だってさ

もしも君が彼らの言葉に嘆いたとして
それはつまらないことだよ
なみだ流すまでもない筈
何故ならいつも言葉は嘘を孕んでいる

君の影が揺れている
今日限り逢える日時計
何時もの夏がすぐそこにある証
君の喜ぶものはありあまるほどにある
すべて君のもの
笑顔を見せて

もしも彼らが君の何かを盗んだとして
それはくだらないものだよ
返して貰うまでもない筈
何故なら価値は生命に従って付いている

ほらね君には富が溢れている

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "ありあまる富" by 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) convey a message about the perception of wealth and the true value of possessions. The first verse states that the wealth we possess is invisible and cannot be stolen or destroyed. The world merely envies and harbors resentment. It suggests that the material possessions others may steal from us are ultimately insignificant and not worth reclaiming because true value is determined by life itself.

The second verse emphasizes that the wealth others possess can be bought and that we do not count or lose it. The world is still unhappy despite this material wealth. If one were to grieve over the words of others, it would be futile, as words often carry lies. The lyrics express the idea that the singer's shadow is shaking, symbolizing uncertainty, while a clock that can be met only for a day signifies that a familiar summer is just around the corner. The person being addressed is told that they have an abundance of things that bring them joy, and that all of it belongs to them. They are encouraged to show a smile.

Line by Line Meaning

僕らが手にしている富は見えないよ
The wealth that we possess cannot be seen

彼らは奪えないし壊すこともない
They cannot steal or destroy it

世界はただ妬むばっかり
The world is full of envy

もしも彼らが君の何かを盗んだとして
If they were to steal something from you

それはくだらないものだよ
It would be something trivial

返して貰うまでもない筈
There's no need to get it back

何故なら価値は生命に従って付いている
Because value is determined by life itself

彼らが手にしている富は買えるんだ
The wealth they possess can be bought

僕らは数えないし失くすこともない
We don't count or lose it

世界はまだ不幸だってさ
The world is still unhappy

もしも君が彼らの言葉に嘆いたとして
If you were to mourn their words