Turning Japanese

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 17 Jan 2009, 15:10

Just heard this 80s song again on the radio (by The Vapours if I recall correctly).

How did they get away with it?

It's surely one of the most vulgar mainstream pop songs ever.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 17 Jan 2009, 15:15

i liked it.very catchy tune.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 17 Jan 2009, 15:17

It's cheesy, but catchy. Every decade/year has its cheese.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 17 Jan 2009, 15:28

Yeah, but LISTEN to the lyrics.

luckystars · Post by **luckystars** » 17 Jan 2009, 15:48

Yes Mark's trying to say it's about MASTURBATION.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 18 Jan 2009, 20:37

It's clearly about masturbation.

But check out the bolded lines for quite an explicit reference to gynological imagery.

Lyrics:

I've got your picture of me and you
You wrote "I love you" I wrote "me too"
I sit there staring and there's nothing else to do
Oh it's in color Your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel And soft as clouds
I often kiss you when there's no one else around

I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I want a doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
And turning in and turning 'round

I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 18 Jan 2009, 23:32

Loads of classic songs have very obvious sexual connotations, Turning Japanese wasn't the first. Just look at Dancing With Myself or Bohemian Rhapsody.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 18 Jan 2009, 23:36

The videos cracking :mrgreen:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qb5Ii0iIcXo

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Jan 2009, 00:04

Simple, you can get away with it when hidden inside a song. How many people listen to lyrics anyway? We do, most don't.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 19 Jan 2009, 19:00

Shingster wrote:look at Dancing With Myself or Bohemian Rhapsody.

Dancing with Myself? Who's that by? Bowie?

I've listened to Rhapsody a million times... I must've missed the sexual references... lol

Can't think of any other song that refers to a guy wanting a picture of his girl's insides to wank off to... can you??

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 19 Jan 2009, 19:14

Markgway wrote:
Shingster wrote:look at Dancing With Myself or Bohemian Rhapsody.
Dancing with Myself? Who's that by? Bowie?

I've listened to Rhapsody a million times... I must've missed the sexual references... lol

Can't think of any other song that refers to a guy wanting a picture of his girl's insides to wank off to... can you??

what about the hit "I Touch Myself" by the Devinyls

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Jan 2009, 19:45

Oh yeah theres that one

I missed the sex references in BR though?

I thought it was about a guy being killed ("Mama, I just killed a man" etc) and the Freddie Mercury character is put "on trial" for it.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 20 Jan 2009, 00:15

Markgway wrote:Dancing with Myself? Who's that by? Bowie?

Billy Idol.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 20 Jan 2009, 07:30

I've got a Billy Idol hits album too... guess I forgot that song.

So what are the BohRap sex references?

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 20 Jan 2009, 07:31

saltysam wrote:
Markgway wrote:Can't think of any other song that refers to a guy wanting a picture of his girl's insides to wank off to... can you??
what about the hit "I Touch Myself" by the Devinyls

I know that's obviously about female masturbation... but what lines are you referring to?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 20 Jan 2009, 09:42

I don't want anybody else
When I think about you I touch myself

is the main refrain if you mean The Devinyls

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 20 Jan 2009, 21:24

grim_tales wrote:I don't want anybody else
When I think about you I touch myself

is the main refrain if you mean The Devinyls

Grim, you remind me of a little puppy. Not the sharpest in the litter, but wide-eyed and eager to please.

I was asking Sam which lines in I TOUCH MYSELF are as explicit as those in TURNING JAPANESE (ie, the bit about wanting a picture of her kidneys - and I'm not talking about an X-ray!) I know lots of songs are about sex and/or masturbation - that wasn't the point I was making.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 20 Jan 2009, 23:53

Ahhhh I see

Sometimes I don't always think about what I post, I know

I TOUCH MYSELF doesnt seem AS explicit as TURNING JAPANESE anyway, what do you think? It's obviously saying this guy has a w*nk when he thinks about a girl he loves - who maybe doesnt love him? Maybe she's some mystery girl.

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I'm feelin' down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

Chorus:
I don't want anybody else
When I think about you
I touch myself
I don't want anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

You're the one who makes me happy honey
You're the sun who makes me shine
When you're around I'm always laughing
I want to make you mine

I close my eyes
And see you before me
Think I would die
If you were to ignore me
A fool could see
Just how much I adore you
I get down on my knees
I'd do anything for you

Chorus

I love myself
I want you to love me
When I'm feelin' down
I want you above me
I search myself
I want you to find me
I forget myself
I want you to remind me

Chorus

I want you
I don't want anybody else
And when I think about you
I touch myself
Ooh, oooh, oooooh, aaaaaah

Chorus

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 21 Jan 2009, 00:27

Mama just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh, Didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time

The above most likely describes an act of gay fellatio, the shivers/body aching statements refer to orgasm.

Roger Taylor pretty much confirmed this in an interview from a couple of years back, where he stated the meaning behind the lyrics was "pretty obvious, with just a bit of nonsense in the middle"

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 21 Jan 2009, 19:52

grim_tales wrote:It's obviously saying this guy has a w*nk

Who says it's about a guy?

It's sung by a woman.

She could be singing ABOUT a guy or maybe she's a lesbo?

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 21 Jan 2009, 19:54

Shingster wrote:Roger Taylor pretty much confirmed this in an interview from a couple of years back, where he stated the meaning behind the lyrics was "pretty obvious, with just a bit of nonsense in the middle"

Would you have known that otherwise?

Still doesn't make any sense to me or is that singer saying his mum wanked him off and his ejaclation killed someone else by hitting them in the head?

Or maybe his erect penis is "the gun" and his helmet is so powerful it's like a trigger SMASHING some gay bloke across the noggin - perhaps IN HIS EAR?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 21 Jan 2009, 21:42

Sorry Mark, I thought it was sung by a guy

Maybe I'm thinking of the version from Austin Powers

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 22 Jan 2009, 00:10

Markgway wrote:Would you have known that otherwise?

I did previously suspect, but it's definitely not something as obvious as Turning Japanese. You also need to know a little historical context about Mercury to further understand the lyrics (He was living with a woman but started a gay affair).

There are some articles online about Masturbation songs, worth a google at least: here's one.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 22 Jan 2009, 01:29

grim_tales wrote:Sorry Mark, I thought it was sung by a guy Maybe I'm thinking of the version from Austin Powers

...which is the original sung by a woman

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 22 Jan 2009, 01:34

"I'm a Wanker"
Ivor Biggun and the Winkers

I'm Britain's champion wanker,
Renowned throughout the land.
Everybody knows my name,
But nobody wants to shake my hand.

Subtle. 8)