Pizzicato Five (often nicknamed "P5") is a legendary Japanese group that fo… Read Full Bio ↴Pizzicato Five (often nicknamed "P5") is a legendary Japanese group that formed in 1984. Arguably the first group to popularize shibuya-kei from underground circles, they also later on began experimenting with the style, with what some called an innovative genre all their own, blending traditional Japanese pop, alternative, soul, funk, jazz, ye-ye, acoustic folk, and early electronic music, among others. They are also perhaps best known to audiences in the west in their later incarnation as a duo of Nomiya Maki (野宮真貴) and Konishi Yasuharu (小西康陽).

They are widely credited to have spearheaded the "Shibuya-kei" movement of Tokyo in the 90s, along with Flipper's Guitar.

They are known for their eclectic and energetic compositions, which often sound like "new" releases from the late 1960s hipster scene. Their catchphrase--"A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular"--captured the group's ironic stance but eager attitude. The group broke up in March 2001.

A hugely prolific group, Pizzicato Five would release at least an album-per-year along with various EPs and remix albums during their 16 year-career.

Both Nomiya Maki (野宮真貴) and Konishi Yasuharu(小西康陽) currently enjoy solo careers - with Konishi Yasuharu(小西康陽) producing other artists ranging from Puffy and SMAP to Cornelius and kahimi karie(カヒミ・カリィ) - alongside collaborative remix compilations - from Ella Fitzgerald and The Supremes to classic Disney and Thunderbirds (as in Super-Marionated) music on his Shibuya-based Readymade Records label.

On Thursday March 31st, 2011, exactly 10 years after Pizzicato Five disbanded, Konishi Yasuharu announced a new solo project called Pizzicato One. The first release, titled One and Ten Very Sad Songs, consists of covers of English songs, each featuring vocals by various internationally-known artists from around the world.

Bellissima '90
Pizzicato Five Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(konishi)
Translators: kirk cumming, miyuki igarashi

Asa, me wo samasu to
U2(yuutsuu)*-na kibun
Shawaa wo abitara
Wasurechau kedo ne

Jikan wo kakete
Nekutai wo erabu
Kagami no naka no
Arifureta otoko

Ofisu kara kanojo ni
Denwa wo kakeru
Kimi to wa dou shite
Sayonra dekiru kana

Yoru wa bokura wo
Kanashiku saseru
Tabun niji sugi ni wa
Wasurechau kedo ne

Tooi tengoku made
Doraibu shiyou yo

Tooi tengeoku
Hidoku tooi tengoku

------------------------------
In the morning when I wake
I get a melancholy feeling
But I take a shower
And forget

I pass the time
Choose a necktie
An everyday guy
In the mirror

From the office
I make a call to her
Why am I able
To say goodbye to you?

The night
Makes us sad
But probably, come 2 o'clock
We'll forget

Let's drive
To distant heaven

Distant heaven
Terribly distant heaven

Overall Meaning

The song Bellissima '90 by Pizzicato Five is a melancholy tune that paints a picture of a man who wakes up every morning with a melancholy feeling. However, the lyricist mentions that the feeling soon fades away after he takes a shower, and he moves on with his day. The opening line, "Asa, me wo samasu to U2(yuutsuu)-na kibun," can be translated to mean "In the morning when I wake up, I get a melancholy feeling." The next line, "Shawaa wo abitara Wasurechau kedo ne," means that he forgets about the feeling after taking a shower.

The man in the song chooses a necktie and dresses up for work. He is an ordinary guy who looks at himself in the mirror, trying to make himself presentable for his office job. He later makes a call to a woman and says goodbye. The lyrics show that he could be in a long-term relationship where he is used to saying goodbye, yet it still leaves him with a tinge of sadness. The night is also portrayed to make the man feel sad, but the singer implies that it will pass, and they will forget about it by 2 o'clock. The last two lines of the song, "Tooi tengoku, Hidoku tooi tengoku," which mean "distant heaven, terribly distant heaven," could connote the afterlife, where people go when they die.

Line by Line Meaning

In the morning when I wake
Upon awakening at dawn

I get a melancholy feeling
I experience a sense of sadness

But I take a shower
I cleanse myself

And forget
And put it out of mind

I pass the time
I occupy my time

Choose a necktie
Select a necktie to wear

An everyday guy
An unremarkable man

In the mirror
As reflected in the glass

From the office
At my workplace

I make a call to her
I communicate with my female companion via telephone

Why am I able
How am I capable