KAPPA EXpress Report!



"Secrets of Riding On The Rocket!"



November 30, 2003
From: Mamiko Nakagawa

Shonen Knife Fans! The Shonen Knife song, "Riding on the Rocket" is now used in a TV commercial of Hewlett Packard Japan's color laser jet printers. Naoko wrote to the Japan bulletin board, "I did not know. Really??" So, I soon asked the customer information of HP, and they replied to me quickly: "The song which we are using for the CM (Commercial Message) of color laser jet printers is this:"

Artist: Shonen Knife
Title: RIDING ON THE ROCKET (English Version)
Album: GREATEST HISTORY

Some fans on the BBS wondered why Naoko didn't know it was used for CM? However, I understand. It is still retained by management of EMI (past Virgin). When the "Birds and the B-sides" was released, they did not know it. They cannot release a Live "History" CD also, as with this former label problem.


Shonen Knife have previously enjoyed notice in Japan with other songs used as "CM", including "Banana Chips" (closing theme for childrens cartoon series, "Mii Fa Pu"), "Hamigaki" (chosen as a "national recommendable song" & featured on NHK TV's "Minna-no Uta" program. "Hamigaki" means "brush your teeth"!) and "Yamacharou" - for a popular brand of chinese tea. There were videos for each of these 2 songs, too.


The famous Shonen Knife song, "Riding on the Rocket" is long a favorite with Shonen Knife Fans for many years. Many fans understand the early explanation for the song: there was a playground in Osaka where Naoko & Atsuko would go when they were very young. In the playground, were many "Concrete Animal" rides! (Cute animal shapes on springs for children to ride.) Some of these were Elephant, Raccoon, Tiger, Pony, Rabbit, Zebra. One of Naoko's favorites was a "Rocket Ship", and she says that she liked to get in the rocket, and "go to Pluto". She had heard that "Pluto was very far", so she "wanted to go there."


Rocket Girl Mamiko visits Pluto!


But, there is another story behind the words to this song, and it is very interesting! It is my consideration that the words to the song, are similar to the method that elementary school children use, when learning the names of the Planets in Japan.

Here are the names of the Planets in English & Japanese:

(English/Japanese)
Mercury / Sui-sei
Venus /Kin-sei
Earth /Chikyuu
Mars /Ka-sei
Jupiter /Moku-sei
Saturn /Do-sei
Uranus /Tennou-sei
Neptune /Kaiou-sei
Pluto /Meiou-sei

"sei" means star, but "hoshi" is normal pronunciation.

We know the actual order of the planetary arrangement in this way, and memorize it at the elementary school, with a more rhyming order:

"Sui, Kin, Chi, Ka, Moku, Do, Tenn, Kai, Mei"

This is a very famous way of memorizing the names of the planets, for Japanese children.

On the original version of "Riding on the Rocket" - the planets are written in the english notes, in this order:

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto."

If it is written as this, it cannot easily fit with the melody of the song! So, Naoko arranges the planets to fit the song in this way:

"Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Planet Earth".

I was knocked out by these funny and cute words when "Riding On The Rocket" was listened to my first time. "Riding On The Rocket" was the most impressive although I was knocked out by "Pretty Little Baka Guy", also!

Japanese is interesting, especially as a Chinese character can perform a wonderful and beautiful expression, here:

Marcury /Sui-sei. "sui" means the Water. Wednesday is expressed as water.
Venus /Kin-sei. "kin" mean the gold. Friday is as gold.
Earth /Chikyuu.
Mars /Ka-sei. "ka" means the fire. Tuesday is as fire.
Jupiter /Moku-sei. "moku" is the tree. Thursday is as tree.
Saturn /Do-sei. "do" is the earth or soil. Saturday is as soil.

Japanese calendar, the Chinese character is written as gold for Friday, and water on Wednesday, etc.
Incidentally, Monday is "moon" and Sunday is "sun". Each day of the week is a planet!

So, when you ride on the Shonen Knife Rocket, you sing in english: "Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Planet Earth"!

If I can go to other planets, I want to go to Mars or Moon!

Iko, Iko - Everybody, Let's Go!

More News soon!

jaa mata!

KAPPA EXpress report by:
Shonen Knife NeXus Japan Correspondent
PLKC Mamiko Nakagawa



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