Hi-Standard are a Japanese punk rock group who formed in 1991. Since then, … Read Full Bio ↴Hi-Standard are a Japanese punk rock group who formed in 1991. Since then, they have become a popular and influential part of Japanese underground music. The release of their hugely popular "Making the Road" sparked sold-out Japan shows and US/European tours with punk bands such as NOFX, WIZO, and No Use for a Name. Although Hi-Standard were Japanese born, all of their major releases were sung in English. Live footage of the band shows them talking to the crowd in their native Japanese and then immediately changing to English for the songs.

Style
Although classed as a 'punk rock' band, lyrically they were not angry or politically charged like many other punk bands. Many songs were about meeting a new girl, lost love, or the transition from teenage years to adulthood. The song "Teenagers are all assholes" from their final LP "Making the road" talks about how there is no justification for violence, with lyrics such as "Don't torment your friends and neighbors/Someday you'll see you are small/There is no good reason to assault somebody/If you wanna beat someone/Beat yourself". Musically they were very similar to many other popular punk-rock bands that were big in the 90's, such as NOFX, Millencolin and The Vandals; most of their songs were very fast and catchy, with a few slower songs scattered here and there. "Making the road" was probably their most musically diverse release, featuring some very fast, hard songs (Just Rock, Crows) mixed in with slower songs (Endless Trip, Dear my Friends) and even a gentle piccolo-driven instrumental (Tinkerbell Hates Goatees). The band was considered to be very talented musically, with the fast, tight, powerful drumming and creative guitar work often standing out.

Hiatus
After recording five albums, the band entered a hiatus in August of 2000, shortly after playing "Air Jam 2000". Ken Yokoyama began working on other projects, including BBQ Chickens and Ken Band, which is now simply known as Ken Yokoyama. Yokoyama revisited the bands original label Pizza of Death Records, which has since signed many punk and alternative rock bands. Akihiro Nanba's newest project is Ultra Brain. According to CDJapan, Nanba proclaims their debut album, Neo Punk, to be the birth of neo-punk [1]. Akira Tsuneoka now provides the drums for the group, Cubismo Grafico. Although the band has never officially called it quits, as time goes on it is looking more and more unlikely that they will play together again, especially now that each member has gone on to different projects. However, fans still hope to one day see a reunion show.

Discography
Growing Up (1996) Fat Wreck Chords
Angry Fist (1997) Fat Wreck Chords
Making the Road (1999) Fat Wreck Chords
Love Is a Battlefield (EP) (2001) Fat Wreck Chords
Last of Sunny Day (2000) Japan.
The full-length Last of Sunny Day contains songs from their prior releases and original songs. The band have an additional single "The Kids are Alright" available only in Japan
Hi-Standard perform punk covers of American songs "California Dreamin'", "Green Acres", Have you ever seen the rain?" and "Fools Rush In"

Green Acres
Hi-Standard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Green Acres is the place to be
Farm livin' is the life for me
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Shinjuku just give me that countryside

Tokyo is where I'd rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view

Darling I love you but give me Center Street

The chores, the stores
Fresh air, big egg
You are my wife

Good bye city life
Green Acres we are there

Overall Meaning

The song Green Acres, performed by Hi-Standard, is a playful representation of the city versus country lifestyle debate. As the song starts, it is clear that the singer prefers to live on a farm when saying "Green Acres is the place to be, farm livin' is the life for me". They go on to explain how they would rather live in the country and put distance between themselves and the noise and chaos of Tokyo. They mention the abundance of space in the country, saying "land spreadin' out so far and wide", which is something that is not possible in the city. The singer then concludes the verse, by confirming the sentiment that they prefer the country to the city, saying "keep Shinjuku just give me that countryside".

The chorus then goes on to highlight the differences between the city and the farm. The singer reveals that the smell of hay makes them allergic ("I get allergic smelling hay"), whereas they are more suited to the skyscraper views of the city. However, they conclude that ultimately, they would prefer to live on Center Street, which is located in the country, because the rustic lifestyle on a farm would be even better than city living.

Overall, the lyrics of Green Acres are a comedic take on the debate of city versus country living, and the way they are presented highlight the benefits and drawbacks of both types of lifestyles.

Line by Line Meaning

Green Acres is the place to be
The singer prefers living in Green Acres over any other place.

Farm livin' is the life for me
The singer prefers the lifestyle of living on a farm.

Land spreadin' out so far and wide
The land in Green Acres is vast and extensive.

Keep Shinjuku just give me that countryside
The singer would rather be in the countryside of Green Acres than in the city of Shinjuku.

Tokyo is where I'd rather stay
Although Tokyo is a great place, the singer would rather be in Green Acres.

I get allergic smelling hay
The singer is allergic to the smell of hay that is common in farms.

I just adore a penthouse view
Although the singer appreciates penthouse views, they would rather be in Green Acres.

Darling I love you but give me Center Street
The singer loves their partner but would prefer to live on Center Street in Green Acres over any other place.

The chores, the stores
Living in Green Acres includes doing chores and visiting local stores.

Fresh air, big egg
Living in Green Acres means breathing fresh air and having access to chickens that lay big eggs.

You are my wife
The singer addresses their partner as their wife.

Good bye city life
The singer is saying farewell to the city life they have known.

Green Acres we are there
The singer and their partner have finally made it to Green Acres and are ready to embrace the lifestyle it offers.

Lyrics © NEXT DECADE ENTERTAINMENT,INC.
Written by: VIC MIZZY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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