Turning Japanese
Incubus Lyrics
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Of me and you.
You wrote 'I love you',
I wrote 'me too'.
I sit and stare at it, there's nothing else to do
Oh it's in color,
Your hair is brown.
And soft as clouds.
I often kiss you when there's nothing else around
I've got your picture,
I've got your picture,
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I want a doctor,
To take your picture,
So I could look at you from inside as well.
Chorus
You've got me turning up,
I'm turning down,
I'm turning in,
I'm turnin out;
I'm turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
I'm turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
I'm turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
I'm turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
I've got your picture,
I've got your picture,
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I want a doctor,
To take your picture,
So I could look at you from inside as well.
CHORUS
No sex,
No drugs,
No wine,
No women,
No fun,
No sin,
No you-
No wonder it's dark.
Everyone around me is a total stranger,
Everyone avoids me like a psyched lone ranger.
Everyone.
That's why I'm turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so. (think so, think so, think so, think so)
Turning Japanese,
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so.
The lyrics of Incubus's song "Turning Japanese" tell the story of a person who is desperately in love with someone else. The song begins with the singer explaining that he has a picture of himself and his loved one, on which they have both expressed their love for one another. The singer stares at the picture, reminiscing about the past; about the times they have spent and the love they share. However, as time moves on, the singer finds himself isolated from society, and the only thing left to do is to look at his picture, which seems to be the only source of comfort he has.
As he sings "I'd like a million of you all around my cell," it becomes clear that his situation is one of solitary confinement. He wants to surround himself with her picture because it is the only thing he has left that makes him feel connected to the world. The chorus of the song reveals the most famous line, "I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so." This line is a metaphor for the singer's confusion and feeling out of place with society around him. The line is often misinterpreted as a reference to masturbation or sexual deviance.
The final lines of the song give insight into why he feels so distant from society - he has isolated himself from all the things that make life worth living, like sex, drugs, wine, and women. His life has become dull and empty, and he feels like a stranger to everyone around him. As a result, he feels like he is turning into something alien, hence the "I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so" line.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a picture,
I have a photograph
Of me and you.
It features us.
You wrote 'I love you',
A message of affection was written by you
I wrote 'me too'.
I responded with a matching sentiment.
I sit and stare at it, there's nothing else to do
I pass the time by gazing at it since there's nothing else to occupy me.
Oh it's in color,
It's not black and white, but has been printed in color.
Your hair is brown.
Your hair color is brown.
Your eyes are hazel,
You have hazel-colored eyes.
And soft as clouds.
Your eyes resemble the texture of clouds.
I often kiss you when there's nothing else around
When free and alone, I often imagine kissing you.
I've got your picture,
I keep a photo of you.
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I desire copies to surround me in my enclosure.
I want a doctor,
I wish for a physician
To take your picture,
To capture an image of yourself.
So I could look at you from inside as well.
For inside of me is where I'd look at it.
You've got me turning up,
You've unsettled me.
I'm turning down,
My mood has lowered.
I'm turning in,
I retire to myself.
I'm turning out;
I'm making an appearance in public.
I'm turning Japanese,
I'm trying to emulate Japanese customs and mannerisms.
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I believe that I'm succeeding in becoming Japanese.
I really think so.
I am confident in my beliefs.
No sex,
Abstaining from sexual activity.
No drugs,
No involvement with illicit narcotics.
No wine,
Not consuming alcoholic beverages.
No women,
No association with females.
No fun,
Abstaining from pleasurable activities.
No sin,
Avoiding immoral activities.
No you-
Without you.
No wonder it's dark.
It's unsurprising that my life lacks brightness.
Everyone around me is a total stranger,
The people I encounter are all unfamiliar.
Everyone avoids me like a psyched lone ranger.
I am shunned and feared like a wild-west cowboy.
That's why I'm turning Japanese,
I am trying to adapt to Japanese culture to escape my current predicament.
Turning Japanese,
Becoming Japanese in mannerisms and appearance.
I think I'm turning Japanese,
I believe I'm changing into a Japanese person.
I really think so.
I am certain of my transformation.
(think so, think so, think so, think so)
I continue to convince myself of this.
Contributed by Mila W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
muthajohn
Before You Were Punk: A Punk Rock Tribute to 80's New Wave is a compilation album released in 1997 by Vagrant Records. It consists of a number of mid-1990s punk rock bands (most of them from southern California) covering songs that were popularized during the 1980s "new wave"
musical movement. It was an ambitious release for the label, which was
still in its early stages, and proved to be a success by selling over
70,000 copies.[2] It was followed by an equally successful sequel, Before You Were Punk 2: Another Punk Rock Tribute to 80's New Wave, in 1999.
Because Vagrant Records did not yet have an extensive roster of
artists, the compilation relied mostly on contributions from bands on
other record labels. Only Face to Face and Automatic 7 had previously released records through Vagrant. By contrast, Before You Were Punk 2 would feature more bands that had signed to the label between 1997 and 1999.
Track listing
No.- Title - Original performers shown in parentheses
Writer(s)
Artist
1. "I Melt with You" (Modern English)
Robbie Grey, Gary McDowell, Stephen Walker, Michael Conroy, Richard Brown
Good Riddance
2. "Turning Japanese" (The Vapors)
David Fenton
No Use for a Name
So, as you can see it is 'No Use for a Name' that is doing the cover.
Frankie \0/
"Turning Japanese" is a song released by the English band The Vapors from their album New Clear Days, and the song for which they are known best.Written by Songwriter David Fenton it become "one-hit wonders"
Moon Man
3.4/10 too much wikipedia
ign
elvisburns
I had this downloaded from limewire back in the day, that also said this cover was by incubus. I'm learning new things today. Never thought it sounded like Incubus, but what's a 14 year old to argue with the gods of p2p file sharing.
Juan-Camilo Castillo
This is "No Use For A Name" from the compilation album "Before You Were Punk"
Albie Phukt
Definitely No use for a name's cover, not Incubus. You can't miss Tony Sly's vocals in it. RIP Tony . . . . .
UmbrellasSpy
Love the orginal but this a good cover.
lovesongsfornaruto
Can we all just agree that nobody knows who really did this song?
Moon Man
no narufag, no
Christopher Akerley
Sounds just like the original but faster.
maee
Originally by The Vapors. I think this cover is a superior version though.