Steel Blue Panic

These are an English translation of the lyrics of an amusing Japanese song. The translation is by me and Akemi, just because nobody else has. If you're looking for them, I found the original Japanese lyrics (not Romanized) at another site. If you've ever heard of it and wanted an English translation for some insane reason, enjoy.

"Ora Toukyou sa Iguda" ("I'm off to Tokyo")

Yoshi Ikuzo, 11/25/1986

Ain't no TV, ain't no radio, there ain't even that many cars.
Ain't no piano, ain't no bar, police strollin' around lookin' for nothin'.
Get up in the mornin', get my cow, spend a mite more than two hours walking down the road.

Ain't no phone, ain't no gas, bus only comes once a day.
I hate this town, I hate this town. I'm goin' to Tokyo.
When I get to Tokyo, I'm gonna save my money and get myself a cow.

Ain't no guitar, ain't no stereo, I ain't ever even seen one.
Ain't no coffee shop, ain't no hang out, I'm the only young one here.
Rubbin' beads and prayin' to the sky with old guys and old ladies.

Ain't no drugstore, ain't no movies, just a guy with pictures tellin' a story once in a while.
I hate this town, I hate this town. I'm goin' to Tokyo.
When I get to Tokyo, I'm gonna save my money and drive a horse cart.

Ain't no disco, ain't no peepshow, what the hell's a laser disc?
We got karaoke, but we don't got a machine for it.
Ain't no newspaper, ain't no magazines, just a notice on the door once in a while.

Ain't no traffic lights, of course there ain't, my town ain't got electricity.
I hate this town, I hate this town. I'm goin' to Tokyo.
When I get to Tokyo, I'm gonna save my money and buy myself a mountain in Ginza.

I hate this town, I hate this town. I'm goin' to Tokyo.
When I get to Tokyo, I'm gonna save my money and get myself a cow.

Pointless Notes

If you feel like you need some translation notes, here you go: The whole song is basically making fun of country bumpkins, done in an amusing accent and singing of lots of classic backwater Japanese town images with several misunderstandings about city life thrown in.

The line at the end of the third stanza refers to Buddhist prayer beads, which are rubbed between the hands while chanting scripture. The first line of the following section refers to a very old-fashioned sort of traveling Magic Lantern show. The line about Ginza toward the end, like the previous two simialr ones, are making fun of the singer since there aren't any mountains in the posh shopping district of Ginza.