Kyu Sakamoto

The title of this song has an odd history. Kyu Sakamoto had a hit in Japan with the bittersweet song “Ue O Muite Aruko” in 1961. Two years later a British group did an instrumental version of the song and called it “Sukiyaki” after one of the band member’s favorite Japanese dish. So when the original Japanese version caught on, they released it under the same name. There is no logic behind the name change, it has absolutely nothing to do with the actual song. Imagine if they renamed all Britney Spears’ songs after American foods in Japan, because the Japanese audience would remember it better. Ah, remember her first single “Sweet Potato Pie”? Good times …

My mom remembers learning the song when she was little from her Japanese friend and she can’t stand the cover versions. But just about everybody seems to have covered the song, in several languages and in several styles. From Bryan Adams to the nineties R&B group 4PM.

Anyway, here it is, the first Japanese song to climb the charts in the West. It even hit the number one spot in the US! The original title means ‘looking up as I walk’, I don’t know what the rest of the song is about, but I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with beef and noodle soup. Hey, whatever happened to whistling in songs? Someone should bring that back.

   Kyu Sakamoto - Ue O Muite Aruko (Sukiyaki)