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Subject: Response to Turning Japanese
For some reason my lame browser couldn't open the message I wanted to respond to, so I have to start an entirely new message . . .
Someone pointed out that the "turning Japanese" was supposedly British slang term for masturbation, but the British say it originated in American, as Americans say it's British. I'm thinking that probably after the song, it got spun into a slang term for it. I know quite a few other songs that, while not really being about that, it's title is spun into something sexual (i.e. The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" --- I've heard "So, are you going to rock her casbah?" for example).
Perhaps if you listen to the song (Turning Japanese), not paying full attention, you might get something sexual from it, but I still think it's non-sex oriented. I'm not great at translating meaning behind 80s lyrics (God knows there's enough nutty songs to have your brain shut down trying to figure out the meaning) but it still sounds as if though the singer is in a mental hospital, thinking about the woman in the picture. Maybe even a jail?
"I'd like a million more of you around my cell" --- could be nut house or jail really
"I want a doctor to take your picture so I can
look at you from inside as well" --- that's the statement of a lunatic.
"No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women..." could be either place.
"Everyone around me is a total stranger" --- again either place, but I think jail is more fitting for that lyric.
Then again, maybe I'm also wrong. Maybe The Vapors just threw together some lyrics to piss people off. Maybe it's the result of drugs, the culprit behind a lot of nutty 80s songs.
Subject: Re: Response to Turning Japanese
Rory, I agree with your interpretation.
Years ago, when I first started paying attention to the lyrics, I thought it sounded much like you describe it: a song from the point of a rather disturbed/obsessed guy who had been "put away," looking at a photograph of the girl he's obsessed with. Since he can't have her, he wants more pictures of her, even her X-Ray. Since he addresses "you", perhaps this song is the text of his derranged love letter to her.
I believe the "Japanese" thing is based on the stereotype of the Japanese being really into taking pictures. Someone else on this board noted this as well. Since he can't have her, he wants pictures, pictures, and more pictures . . . he's turning into a (stereotypical) Japanese tourist, he's so crazy about getting more pictures. Hence, he's "turning Japanese."
Now, might this wacko be masturbating while looking at this picture that he is obsessing over?
Perhaps. He very well may be. He's a crazy guy locked away some place with nothing but a picture of the girl he's infatuated with. He does say, "I often kiss you when there's no one else around." However, I doubt that what he does with the picuture when no one is looking (ahem) is the main point of the song.