The band was originally conceived as a one-off studio project by Hosono, the other two members being recruited session musicians - the idea was to produce an album fusing orientalist exotica (cf their cover version of Martin Denny's Firecracker) with modern electronics. However , the first album (with its cutting-edge production) was very popular, and the studio project grew into a fully fledged touring band and career for its three members.
Making abundant use of new synthesizers, samplers, digital and computer recording technology as it became available, their popularity and influence extended beyond Japan. Generally, the band was highly regarded as electronic pioneer and continues to be remixed and sampled by modern artists. The members have also worked with European synth/new romantic artists, such as David Sylvian of the band Japan. The single Bamboo Houses is one such example (Sylvian/Sakamoto).
The band stopped working together by 1984, the three members returning to their solo careers. They released a one-off reuinion album, Technodon, in 1993.
The early 2000s saw Hosono & Takahashi reunited in a project called Sketch Show. On the occasions when Sakamoto joined them in concerts, they called themselves Human Audio Sponge (HAS). The band played Rydeen at the 2007 Live Earth concert in Kyoto, Japan. They released two new singles that summer under the band name of HASYMO, an updated version of Rydeen and the new song Rescue.
Read more here.
中国女
Yellow Magic Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C′est un bras brillant de petits pieds laces
Des notes sans fin des visages identiques
La demarche saccadee avec des voix pincees
La discretion noiraude arrière-pensées, qui sait
C'est un bras brillant de petits pieds laces
Des notes sans fin des visages identiques
Fu Manchu and Suzie Q
And the girls of the Floating World
Junk sails on a yellow sea
For Suzie Wong and Shanghai dolls
Suzie can soothe
Away all your blues
She is the mistress
The scent of the Orient
Fu Manchu and Suzie Q
And the girls of the Floating World
Junk sails on a yellow sea
For Suzie Wong and Shanghai dolls
Suzie can soothe
Away all your blues
She is the mistress
The scent of the Orient
Orient
Des notes sans fin visages identiques
Comme tous les vieux insectes
Demarche saccadee, affiche criarde, voix pincees
Discretion noiraude bible rouge
Arrière-pensées, qui sait un monde finit
The lyrics to the Yellow Magic Orchestra song "中国女" (Chinese Girl) are a mixture of French and English, and describe a scene of repetitive, robotic movements and appearances. The verses are filled with descriptions of endless notes, identical faces, small laced feet, and clipped voices, creating a sense of sameness and monotony. The chorus brings in references to the exoticism of the Orient - Suzie Wong, Shanghai dolls, and the scent of the Orient - adding a layer of mystery and allure.
The song seems to be commenting on Western fascination with Asian culture, portraying it as both captivating and fetishizing. The repeated phrases and mechanical descriptions suggest a sense of objectification, while the references to Suzie Wong and other Orientalized figures depict an idealized and romanticized view of Asian women.
Overall, "中国女" is a complex and intriguing song that speaks to cultural dynamics and power relationships. It offers a commentary on the intersection of Western and Eastern cultures and the ways in which they can both blend and clash.
Line by Line Meaning
Des notes sans fin des visages identiques
Endless notes and identical faces
C′est un bras brillant de petits pieds laces
It is a shining arm of small, laced feet
Des notes sans fin des visages identiques
Endless notes and identical faces
La demarche saccadee avec des voix pincees
The jerky gait with pinched voices
La discretion noiraude arrière-pensées, qui sait
Blackened discretion with hidden thoughts, who knows
C'est un bras brillant de petits pieds laces
It is a shining arm of small, laced feet
Des notes sans fin des visages identiques
Endless notes and identical faces
La demarche saccadee avec des voix pincees
The jerky gait with pinched voices
Fu Manchu and Suzie Q
Reference to fictional characters from Chinese and American pop culture
And the girls of the Floating World
Reference to Japanese courtesans
Junk sails on a yellow sea
Reference to Chinese junks in the Yellow Sea
For Suzie Wong and Shanghai dolls
For the Asian women in the sex industry
Suzie can soothe
Suzie can calm
Away all your blues
Take away all your worries
She is the mistress
She is the dominant woman
The scent of the Orient
The fragrance of the East
Des notes sans fin visages identiques
Endless notes and identical faces
Comme tous les vieux insectes
Like all old insects
Demarche saccadee, affiche criarde, voix pincees
Jerky gait, loud poster, pinched voice
Discretion noiraude bible rouge
Blackened discretion, red bible
Arrière-pensées, qui sait un monde finit
Hidden thoughts, who knows when the world will end
Writer(s): Yukihiro Takahashi, Chris Mosdell
Contributed by Jackson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lamantrung
Des notes sans fin
Des visages identiques
C'eat un bras brillant
De petits pieds laces
Des notes sans fin
Des visages identiques
La demarche saccadee
Avec des voix pincees
La discretion noiraude
Arriere-pencees, qui sait
C'eat un bras brillant
De petits pieds laces
Des notes sans fin
Des visages identiques
La demarche saccadee
Avec des voix pincees
Fu Manchu and Susie Que
And the girls of the floating world
Junk sails on a yellow sea
For Susie Wong and Shanghai dolls
Susie can soothe
Away all your blues
She's the mistress
The scent of the orient
Notes sans fin visages identiques
@PixeloSaucisse
Ultimate correction :
Des notes sans fin
Des visages identiques
C'est un bras brillant
De petits pieds enlacés
Des notes sans fin
Des visages identiques
La demarche saccadée
Avec des voix pincées
La discrétion noiraude
Arrière-pensée qui sait
C'est un bras brillant
De petits pieds enlacés
Des notes sans fin
Des visages identiques
La demarche saccadée
Avec des voix pincées
Fu Manchu and Susie Que
And the girls of the floating world
Junk sails on a yellow sea
For Susie Wong and Shanghai dolls
Susie can soothe
Away all your blues
She's the mistress
The scent of the orient
Notes sans fin visages identiques
Comme tous les vieux ancêtres
Démarche saccadée, affiche criarde
Voix pincées, détritus sans mention
Discrétion noiraude
Confucius et livre rouge
Arrière-pensée qui sait
Amandes fines
@user-xs3zu2yh9n
幸宏さん、安らかに。今聞いてもカッコいい曲です。時代を超える
@amemiyashouichirou9103
教授も…
@aaaa-ij8hc
この曲をリアルタイムで聞いた僕は当時、中学生でした。当時はインターネットは無く、フランス語のセリフの意味は知る術もなく、後半からの英語の歌詞を必死で何とか聞き取って辞書で意味を調べて、この世界観を必死で理解しようとした記憶があります。
@bassseachannel6466
すばらしい曲ですよね
@user-xs5df6jc4v
懐かしいです(*^^*)僕もこの曲聴いたのは中学生です(*^^*)
@user-bs4kt3eu4l
小さい頃、母さんがエレクトーンでコレ弾いてるの見て、子供心にカッケーと思った
@maha-ka-ra-2902
今聞いても最高に素晴らしい
小学生の時の感動は今も変わりません
@user-cd5um5sy1p
高橋ユキヒロさんの真髄 YMOでは聞けば聴くほど深みがあり感動する作品 有難う
@amemiyashouichirou9103
教授も後を追うように旅立ちました。
@zeuhlglikowski3021
A Japanese band singing in English about a Chinese woman who speaks French. <3