The band was formed in 1987 by Sato (vocals, guitar, trumpet), Kin-Ichi Motegi (drums, vocals, sampler) and Kensuke Ojima (guitar and vocals). The addition of Yuzuru Kashiwabara (bass) and Hakase (keyboards) rounded up the original line-up. Their first recorded appearance is on the 1989 Captain Records' compilation Panic Paradise. Two years later, their first album Chappie, Don't Cry was released. The band’s easy-going sound (mainly influenced by reggae and dub, but also including elements of rock, pop, drum & bass, hip-hop, etc.), coupled with Sato’s androgynous vocals, gained them acceptance in Japan’s underground scene.
Fishmans released several albums on Pony Canyon records, slowly moving away from a strictly reggae sound, but always keeping a dub foundation, powered by Motegi and Kashiwabara’s rock-steady rhythm section. In 1995, they signed with Polydor Records. By then, both Kensuke Ojima and Hakase had left the band. Neither was replaced, and the resulting trio would work with a series of guest musicians on their next records, mainly Honzi (keyboards, violin, accordion and vocals) and Darts Sekiguchi (guitar). The addition of producer ZAK on sound mixing rounded out this second phase of the band, which further evolved its sound to incorporate space rock, ambient and shoegaze elements. Song length started to grow as well, as these new tendencies blended in with their dub foundation.
空中キャンプ (Kūchū Camp) was released in 1996, and included what is probably the band’s most famous song, Nightcruising. This was followed by LONG SEASON, a 35 minute song divided into 5 parts. Their final studio album, 宇宙 日本 世田谷 (Uchū Nippon Setagaya), was released in 1997.
Fishmans performed their final concert on December 28th, 1998, later released as the live album 98.12.28 男達の別れ (Otokotachi no Wakare). They played many of their best songs, and concluded with a full performance of Long Season. Sato left the stage immediately after a single "goodbye" with his eyes teary. This was to be Kashiwabara’s final performance with the band, though Sato and Motegi planned to continue working as Fishmans. However, Sato passed away March 15th, 1999 by unknown causes till this day.
After Sato’s death, Kin-Ichi Motegi began working as a stand-in drummer for Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra(東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ), whose own drummer passed away around the same time. He eventually became a full-fledged member of the band and plays drums and sings lead vocals with them to this day. Kashiwabara, who had planned to abandon the music industry, eventually joined forces with Ooya Yuusuke (ex. LaB LIFe) to form Polaris, whose spacey and dubby tracks bore some resemblance to Fishmans’ sound in the late 90’s.
The Fishmans story did not end there. Following Sato’s death, their popularity continued to grow. In 2004, a tribute album Sweet Dreams for Fishmans was released, and included covers by artists as diverse as OOIOO, Bonobos, and UA. This was followed by the albums Kuchu and Uchu in 2005, which included rare and unreleased tracks alongside their biggest hits.
On November 22, 2005 the remaining members of Fishmans paid tribute to their fans and Shinji Sato, by performing at the Rising Sun Rock Festival. The show lasted three and a half hours, and featured many guest singers, who performed the vocals. The following month, a tribute art exhibition The Long Season Rewind was held in Shibuya with contributions from various artists.
Most recently in 2006, The Long Season Revue was released on DVD. The live concert was originally only screened in theatres and it featured the original members of the band together with a cast of supporting musicians such as UA, Asa-Chang, ハナレグミ, Oki Yuichi (of 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ) and 原田郁子 of Clammbon (クラムボン). Following these concerts, Honzi, long-time contributor with the band, also passed away.
Oh Slime
Fishmans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(The Fishman, the fishman, the fishman, the fishman!)
(The Fishman, the fishman, the fishman, fishman!)
The Fishmans!
(Fishman, fishman, fishman, fishman!)
(Fishman, the fish, the fish, the fish, the fish, the fish, the fish!)
メンバー紹介します。
ダーツ セキグチ
Feel good? Are you feel good?
Are you feel good? Feel good? (ダーツ)
Good! (ダーツ) Good! (ダーツ)
キーボード紹介しましょう。
キーボード
モンシ
The Fishmans, the fishmans, the fishmans, the fishmans
The Fishmans, the fishmans, the fishmans, the fishmans!
ドラムス
ドラムス
モテギ キンイチ!!!
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
ベース
ベース
カシワバラ ユズル!!!
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
そして
そして
ボーカル サトウ
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
The Fishmans!
(The Fishmans)
Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh
Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Oooooh, walking now!
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Oooooh, walking now!
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Oooooh, walking now!
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Oooooh, walking now!
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Oooooh, hey!
The song "Oh Slime" by The Fishmans contains mostly nonsensical lyrics that introduce the band members and their respective instruments. The repetition of "The Fishmans" and individual names creates a sense of camaraderie and unity among the band members. The lyrics are mostly in Japanese, but there are some lines in English that add to the chaotic feel of the song. The lines "I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough" and "walking now" seem to be the only phrases with a discernible meaning, perhaps expressing a feeling of being overwhelmed or overstimulated. Overall, "Oh Slime" is a high-energy, upbeat song that is less about conveying a story or message and more about creating a fun, lively atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
The Fishmans, the fishmans, the fishmans!
Introducing the members of the band, The Fishmans
(The Fishman, the fishman, the fishman, the fishman!)
Repeating the introduction of the band members, The Fishmans
(Fishman, fishman, fishman, fishman!)
Repeating the introduction of the band members, The Fishmans
(Fishman, the fish, the fish, the fish, the fish, the fish, the fish!)
Repeating the introduction of the band members, The Fishmans
Feel good? Are you feel good?
Enquiring if the audience feels good
Are you feel good? Feel good? (ダーツ)
Asking again if the audience feels good, and identifying a band member, Darts Sekiguchi
Good! (ダーツ) Good! (ダーツ)
Acknowledging the audience feels good, and highlighting Darts Sekiguchi
キーボード紹介しましょう。
Introducing the keyboard player
キーボード モンシ
Naming the keyboard player as Monshi
ドラムス
Identifying the drum kit
ドラムス
Acknowledging the drum kit again
モテギ キンイチ!!!
Identifying the drummer as Motegi Kinichi
モテギ キンイチ モテギ キンイチ
Repeating the drummer's name, Motegi Kinichi
そして
And then
そして
And then
ベース
Introducing the bass guitar
ベース
Acknowledging the bass guitar again
カシワバラ ユズル!!!
Identifying the bassist as Kashiwabara Yuzuru
カシワバラ ユズル カシワバラ ユズル
Repeating the bassist's name, Kashiwabara Yuzuru
そして
And then
そして
And then
ボーカル サトウ
Introducing the vocalist as Satou
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
シャト？ サト! シャト？ サト!
Asking again if the vocalist's name is Shato or Sato, and confirming that it is Sato
The Fishmans!
The band, The Fishmans
(The Fishmans)
Acknowledging the band, The Fishmans
Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh
Making a sound effect
Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh
Making a sound effect again
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Expressing that the singer is going crazy and wants to take action
Oooooh, walking now!
Making another sound effect and indicating the artist is walking
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Reiterating that the singer is going crazy and wants to take action
Oooooh, walking now!
Making another sound effect and indicating the singer is walking
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Reiterating that the singer is going crazy and wants to take action
Oooooh, walking now!
Making another sound effect and indicating the artist is walking
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Reiterating that the artist is going crazy and wants to take action
Oooooh, walking now!
Making another sound effect and indicating the singer is walking
I'm going nuts, to take it, know enough
Reiterating that the singer is going crazy and wants to take action
Oooooh, hey!
Making another sound effect to finish the song
Contributed by Jayden W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
healthcaredotgov
When Darts asks if you feel good, you start to feel good
Andrés Santillán Morales
Gracias! Escuché la canción cientos de veces desde hace media semana y quise siempre ver como había sido ese directo! Un fan desde Perú!
Luke Brennan
Possibly the coolest way to open a set, I always get chills in the last minute
janel beedle
this one time i may or may not have been on a trip and made my roommates blast this in the car on the way to sonic to get me some tator tots (later on in the trip) was amazing 10/10
ryū ً
You're an absolute chad for uploading these, thanks bro
Gustavo S.
i know
YogurtYard
the best member introduction ever
Yee
AMAZINGGGG 最高
O A H E A D
Legend
Rashotcake
Can someone help me pin down the strumming pattern for the opening chords? i can’t quite figure out how to count it