Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: k-pop
Song Meaning of “東京Sickness” by 芳本美代子
The song Tokyo Sickness by Mio Yoshimoto is an ode to everyone trying to make it in Tokyo, Japan. It speaks to the loneliness and stagnation experienced by so many people in the city: the act of striving and hustling but never quite reaching the top and the dis-ease that comes with the physical and emotional emptiness of the lifestyle. Yoshimoto’s candid lyrics acknowledge that there’s something special about Tokyo that makes its inhabitants yearn for more, and while it can sometimes seem pointless to continue pushing when there’s so much darkness and loneliness, the beauty of the city’s lights and the potential of what could be among the skyscrapers keeps them going. This longing for something better is expressed in the song’s chorus with the repeated phrase ” Tokyo ni shitai”. The desperate sounding bridge captures the feeling of wanting to escape, but not being able to: “Tokyo ni sunahama ni / Dare mo tsukamerarenai Mokuren / Nani ka wo shinjitsu ni kaete miseru no”. While Yoshimoto’s dreamy vocals tell the story of Tokyo Sickness, the instrumentation does as well. The music transitions from airy synth layers in the background and melancholic piano chords, to heavy hitting basslines and grinding percussion, reflecting the duality of the Tokyo experience, the hope and heavy pressure that comes with it.