Yattsuke Shigoto

My friend Matt introduced me to a Japanese singer/songwriter named Shiina Ringo a few years back. I've taken quite a liking to her music, but one of her songs has really grown on me since I've been in Tokyo. It is a song called 「やっつけ仕事」(Yattsuke Shigoto), which means a job done half-assed. For me, the lyrics reflect the general feeling of apathy and soullessness that Tokyo seems to emanate. I guess it may be different for natives, but this song speaks to me. It speaks to me every time I get on the train and stair blankly off into the distance or pretend to sleep like everyone around me.

Feeling down today, I thought I would check to see if there were any English translations of the lyrics. All I could find was one terrible almost-literal translation that killed the voice of the song. So I whipped up a translation of my own (below).

I'm pretty confident that this translation captures the spirit of the song, even if I did stray from the literal translation by a wide margin on a couple of lines. The only line I'm not happy with is the one about the high-speed traffic jam. In Japan, if there is a traffic jam on a highway (which is literally called a "high-speed road"), they just say high-speed (road) traffic-jam, omitting the word "road". Hence producing the contradictory, "high-speed" traffic jam.

The only other part I'm not satisfied with at the pronouns. Japanese doesn't have pronouns and it isn't clear who is saying what in the song. I just assumed that everything was being said from a first-person perspective, since that is normally the case in most songs.

In case you are interested, the original Japanese lyrics are here. There are a couple versions of the song on iTunes also.

Yattsuke Shigoto - Shiina Ringo

Every day I'm assaulted by the ring of phones
I just want some peace and quiet

You call it a "high-speed" traffic jam, but isn't it slow?
I'm indifferent to reasoning contrary to reality

I can't think of anything good
But I'm not indignant about anything either
What day was it today?
I guess it doesn't much matter
Ah, all I want is something memorable

This consistency wears down my individuality
Maybe I'll just get an arranged marriage

Please control me
I hate boredom
When's the last Ginza-line train?
I guess it's not a big deal
Ah, I wish I could be a machine

Hey, what was "love" again?
I can't remember
I can't remember

I can't think of anything good
But I'm not indignant about anything either
What day was it today?
I guess it doesn't much matter
Ah, all I want is something memorable

Please control me
I hate boredom
When's the last Ginza-line train?
I guess it's not a big deal

I can't think of anything good
I can't think of anything good
I can't think of anything good

Hey, what was "love" again?