First up...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPm0dcWoXH4

Be Bop Deluxe, "Japan"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPm0dcWoXH4

Be Bop Deluxe, "Japan"


I'll take a stab at it. The first verse is harder than the rest of the song, even after repeated listens.  Maybe someone starts listening at verse 2 and gets their voices right and has a better shot at the first verse than I did.  I used the following convention for this starter post is ? for "I have no idea, one ? per syllable", and ?word? for "I'm pretty sure I'm right but could be convinced otherwise."

?-?-? just past the clouds ? to the setting sun,
?-? racing, chasing heartbeats, pounding like a drum,
Underneath the blossom tree, we watch the petals fall,
On the airwaves, hear the voice of Hiroshima call...

CHORUS
Oh, I'm so in love with my Japan (Japan, Japan, Japan)
Oh, I'm so in love with my Japan (Japan, Japan, Japan)

Think of me each time you see the rain fall from the sky,
Element of ?passion?, like ?you said? it never dies,
I still dream of ?-? in your western hemisphere,
Maybe if I close my eyes my mind will take me there...

(chorus)

I would like to wander under oriental stars,
Playing ?modern? music on my Japanese guitar(s?)
You can hear me on your cheap transistor radio
Tuning into ?-?-? from downtown Tokyo
Tuning into ?-?-? from downtown Tokyo
Tuning into ?-?-? from downtown Tokyo

That last line, repeated three times, also confuses me. I get something like "endless stuff" out of it, but something tells me the lyricist was more talented than that.  Was there a radio station in Tokyo in the 80s whose name had three syllables and could have sounded like that?

I'll take a stab at it. The first verse is harder than the rest of the song, even after repeated listens.  Maybe someone starts listening at verse 2 and gets their voices right and has a better shot at the first verse than I did.  I used the following convention for this starter post is ? for "I have no idea, one ? per syllable", and ?word? for "I'm pretty sure I'm right but could be convinced otherwise."


well I'm embarrassed now. I had the lyrics to this one on my hard drive already and didn't see them... I think I typed them in from a lyrics sheet like five years ago, so maybe that's why I forgot I had them. 


Be Bop Deluxe - Japan

Thoughts of you just passed the clouds float through to the setting sun
Thoughts went racing chasing heartbeats pounding like a drum
Underneath a blossom tree we'll watch the petals fall
On the airwaves hear the voice of Hiroshima call

Oh I'm so in love with my Japan (Japan, Japan, Japan)
Oh I'm so in love with my Japan (Japan, Japan, Japan)

Think of me each time you see the rain fall from the sky
Elements of passion like I said it never dies
I still dream of lakes in your western hemisphere
Maybe if I close my eyes my mind will take me there

Oh I'm so in love with my Japan (Japan, Japan, Japan)
Oh I'm so in love with my Japan (Japan, Japan, Japan)

I would like to wander under Oriental stars
Playing of them music on my Japanese guitars
You can hear me on your cheap transistor radio
Tuning into endless stuff from downtown Tokyo
Tuning into endless stuff from downtown Tokyo
Tuning into endless stuff from downtown Tokyo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAdf8avZN-k

Flash Lightnin' - Dirty Penny

Flash Lightnin' - Dirty Penny


White trash.
Money don't last
Skin tight
and jack of ice (??)
Little crumbs
and little white lines
Follow me around
I think she's gonna cut me down

She told me if I can't have you, like I wanted to
if I can't have you, like I wanted to
if I can't have you, like I wanted to
if I can't have you, like I wanted to
Guess I'm gonna have to hunt you down

Front row
Is for sinners
dog's howl
feed me my dinner
God why,
does Dirty Penny lie?
Follow me around
I think she's gonna cut me down

She told me if I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
Guess I'm gonna have to hunt you down

If I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
She told me if I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
If I can't have you, like I wanted to
Guess I'm gonna have to hunt you down

White trash.
Money don't last
Skin tight
and jack of ice (??)


and Jack, off ice.

As in, Jack Daniels, served without ice in the glass ("off ice") as opposed to "on ice."  (Much like helping one's uncle return to two-legged transportation after having ridden a horse, punctuation is important!)

The term isn't used much, but it does exist: "3. Manhattan: on or off ice, your traditional drink has two ounces rye, one full ounce sweet vermouth, two dashes bitters, and topped with a cherry.

Also, cool track!  I hadn't heard that before, and liked it.

and Jack, off ice.

As in, Jack Daniels, served without ice in the glass ("off ice") as opposed to "on ice."  (Much like helping one's uncle return to two-legged transportation after having ridden a horse, punctuation is important!)

The term isn't used much, but it does exist: "3. Manhattan: on or off ice, your traditional drink has two ounces rye, one full ounce sweet vermouth, two dashes bitters, and topped with a cherry.

Also, cool track!  I hadn't heard that before, and liked it.


I thought it was that, but I had never heard it said that way before so I wasn't sure.  I think it I found that track when going through a Usenet collection of songs, What's New!!! and The Next Big Thing??? in ROCK MUSIC....  I've been listening to them in order for the past month, I'm up to mid-2008 or so right now.