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.
Happy Birthday
Pizzicato Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trans. andrei cunha
Aru hi mezameru to
Senaka ni hane ga haete ta
Aoku sukitooru
Ooki na cho no hane ga
Totemo fushigi na yume
Aru hi mezameru to
Watashi wa cho ni kawatta
Mukashi yume wo mita no
Zutto oboete ita
Totemo fushigi na yume
Totemo utsukushii aoi cho no yume
Aru hi mezameru to
Watashi wa koi ni ochiteta
Yube yume wo mita no
Totemo fushigi na yume
Aru hi mezameru to
Watashi wa umarekawatta
Soshite mado wo akete
Awai haru no hizashi
Watashi wa mado kara dete yuku
-------------------------------
One day as I woke up
Wings had grown on my back
Almost transparent blue
Wings like a big butterfly's
Which I saw last night
In this strange dream
One day as I woke up
I had become a butterfly
Which I had seen long ago
And still could remember
In a strange dream
A beautiful dream with a blue butterfly
One day as I woke up
I had fallen in love
Like I had dreamt the night before
A strange dream
One day as I woke up
I had been reborn
Then I opened the window
The pale light of spring
And flew away through the window
Pizzicato Five's song "Happy Birthday" is a whimsical and dreamy ode to transformation, love and rebirth. In the first stanza, the singer wakes up to find wings growing on their back, almost translucent and blue, resembling a big butterfly's wings. The dream-like quality of the lyrics continues in the second and third stanzas, where the singer recounts becoming a butterfly and falling in love, respectively. In the final stanza, they describe being born again and opening a window to leave towards a new beginning as the pale light of Spring shines through.
The lyrics evoke a sense of childlike wonder and playfulness, highlighting the magic and beauty found in life's small moments. The theme of transformation is central to the song, with the imagery of wings symbolizing the power to change and grow into something new. The song also touches on the theme of love, showing how it can be a transformative force that leads to new beginnings.
Overall, "Happy Birthday" is a charming and imaginative song that captures the listener's attention with its enchanting lyrics and dreamy melody.
Line by Line Meaning
One day as I woke up
As I came to consciousness on a certain day
Wings had grown on my back
I noticed that I had wings on my back
Almost transparent blue
The wings were of a color that appeared almost transparent, blue
Wings like a big butterfly's
The wings were similar to those of a large butterfly
Which I saw last night
I had seen this kind of wings in my dream the night before
In this strange dream
This was a peculiar, unusual dream
I had become a butterfly
In the dream I became a butterfly
Which I had seen long ago
This butterfly was a creature I had seen in a dream a long time ago
And still could remember
I was able to remember this dream vividly
A beautiful dream with a blue butterfly
This dream was truly beautiful, and its main feature was a blue butterfly
I had fallen in love
On waking up, I realized that I was in love
Like I had dreamt the night before
This seemed to correspond to a dream I had the previous night
I had been reborn
I felt as though I had experienced a rebirth, or a new beginning
Then I opened the window
I went over to the window and opened it
The pale light of spring
The light that came in through the window had a light, almost white hue, typical of spring
And flew away through the window
I spread my wings and flew away through the open window
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: YASHUHARU KONISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mark bales
Great song. Reminds me of 1997.
From genius.com:
(Konishi)
Trans. Andrei Cunha
Aru hi mezameru to
Senaka ni hane ga haete ta
Aoku sukitooru
Ooki na cho no hane ga
Yube yume wo mita no
Totemo fushigi na yume
Aru hi mezameru to
Watashi wa cho ni kawatta
Mukashi yume wo mita no
Zutto oboete ita
Totemo fushigi na yume
Totemo utsukushii aoi cho no yume
Aru hi mezameru to
Watashi wa koi ni ochiteta
Yube yume wo mita no
Totemo fushigi na yume
Aru hi mezameru to
Watashi wa umarekawatta
Soshite mado wo akete
Awai haru no hizashi
Watashi wa mado kara dete yuku
-------------------------------
One day as i woke up
Wings had grown on my back
Almost transparent blue
Wings like a big butterfly's
Which i saw last night
In this strange dream
One day as i woke up
I had become a butterfly
Which i had seen long ago
And still could remember
In a strange dream
A beautiful dream with a blue butterfly
One day as i woke up
I had fallen in love
Like i had dreamt the night before
A strange dream
One day as i woke up
I had been reborn
Then i opened the window
The pale light of spring
And flew away through the window