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.
Pokka Pokka
Fishmans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
真赤な眼で空を見上げて静かな顔をするんだ
眠ってる人を思い出すんだ
眠ってる人はみんな好きだから
眠ってる君を思い出すんだ
眠ってる顔が一番好きだから
Ah
Doo doo, doo, doo
Doo doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo, doo
Doo doo, doo, doo
ポッカリあいた心の穴を少しずつ埋めてゆくんだ
ぼんやりきまった空に君を大きく思い描いて
ぼんやりしてればいいことありそうな
気もするし気もしないわからないけど
さみしい時に泣けばいい
だれかにだけやさしけりゃいい
明日に頼らず暮らせればいい
だれかにだけしか見せない
そんな笑顔があればいいのさ
いいのさ
あればいいのさ
いいのさ
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Doo
Fishmans is a Japanese rock band known for their unique sound and blend of genres, including reggae, dub, and psychedelic rock. In their song, "Pokka Pokka," the lyrics describe the act of putting on a quiet face to calm one's emotions and find solace in the stillness of the night sky. The opening lines, "Shizuka na kao wo surun da, Maaka na me de sora wo miagete shizuka na kao wo surun da," directly translate to "I put on a quiet face to calm the turmoil in my heart, I look up at the sky with my bright red eyes and put on a peaceful face."
The following lines, "Nemutteru hito wo omoidasun da, Nemutteru hito wa minna suki da kara, Nemutteru kimi wo omoidasun da, Nemutteru kao ga ichiban suki da kara," translate to "I remember those who are sleeping because they are all dear to me, I remember you sleeping because your sleeping face is my favorite." These lyrics show the significance of finding comfort in thinking of loved ones, even if they are asleep, and the power of their presence in one's life.
Later in the song, the lyrics switch to the act of filling the hole in one's heart and the hope for a brighter future. The lines, "Pokkari aita kokoro no ana wo sukoshi zutsu umete yuku n da, Bonyari kimatta sora ni kimi wo ookiku omoi egai te, Ponyari shitereba ii koto arisou na, Ki mo suru shi ki mo shinai wakaranai kedo," translate to "I am gradually filling the hole in my heart that suddenly opened up, I picture you big in the loosely settled sky, It seems like something good might happen if I just stare blankly, I think and I don't think, I don't even know." The final lines of the song depict the importance of showing a smile, even if it's only to one person, and the hope that having such a smile will bring comfort.
Overall, "Pokka Pokka" is a deeply reflective song that acknowledges the importance of finding solace in stillness, thinking of loved ones, and showing a smile even in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
心の揺れを静めるために静かな顔をするんだ
To calm the turmoil in my heart, I put on a quiet face
真赤な眼で空を見上げて静かな顔をするんだ
With my bright red eyes, I look up at the sky and put on a quiet face
眠ってる人を思い出すんだ
I remember the person sleeping
眠ってる人はみんな好きだから
Because I love everyone who is sleeping
眠ってる君を思い出すんだ
I remember you sleeping
眠ってる顔が一番好きだから
Because I love your sleeping face the most
ポッカリあいた心の穴を少しずつ埋めてゆくんだ
I fill the hole in my empty heart little by little
ぼんやりきまった空に君を大きく思い描いて
I imagine you larger than life in the hazy sky
ぼんやりしてればいいことありそうな気もするし気もしないわからないけど
I don't know if there are good things that will happen if I keep spacing out or not
さみしい時に泣けばいい
When I feel lonely, it's okay to cry
だれかにだけやさしけりゃいい
It's enough to be kind to just one person
明日に頼らず暮らせればいい
It's good enough to live without relying on tomorrow
だれかにだけしか見せない そんな笑顔があればいいのさ
If I have a smile that I only show to one person, it's good enough
いいのさ あればいいのさ いいのさ
It's okay, it's good enough, it's okay
Writer(s): 佐藤 伸治, 佐藤 伸治
Contributed by Christian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.