SOUNDTRACK: KISHI BASHI-“Honeybody” (2016).
I love Kishi Bashi and am always excited to see him live and to hear new music from him.
Much like the story, this song is remarkably cheerful and happy. It feels different and special in Kishi Bashi’s canon. All of the Kishi Bashi elements are there: strings, looping, soaring vocals, but there’s a few novel moments as well.
The chorus, for instance has an island feel. The way he sings “Maybe sipping a Coca-Cola with me, babe” you can feel your feet in the sand.
But first there’s an orchestral string opening, following by some manipulated pizzicato plucking and Kishi’s singing
Then the chorus
Cause everybody wants a Honeybody someday
Mama said they don’t grow on them trees easy
Hands down on the ground
I’m begging you to please, Honeybody, please me
Followed by some lovely soaring oooh oooh oohs in the post chorus.
The song seems like it could just end with another repeated chorus, but after the post chorus, the song shifts gears to a buzzy synth sound. The song turns vaguely electronic with a soaring violin as he sings the chorus to a new melody.
Delightful happy music. #stopasianhate (I mean, really, knock it off).
For a delightful twist on the song, check out this version with the Nu Deco Ensemble
[READ: March 13, 2021] “Honey Pie”
Most of Murakami’s stories are abstract or, at the very least, kind of puzzling There’s usually some vaguely supernatural element to them that you’re never sure exactly how to read (and it usually doesn’t matter because the story is good.) This story, which like most of the others was translated by Jay Rubin, is it only the most straightforward story of his that I’ve read, it is one of the most beautiful.
The story begins with a man telling a little girl a story. The story is about Masakichi the bear, the all time number one honey bear. The girl, Sala, asks many questions about the story–good, thoughtful questions (“Can bears count money?”). The storyteller, Junpei, loved the girl and the questions. The questions helped him to guide the story that he was making up.
Junpei was a professional writer, but these storytelling gigs were for his best friend Sayoko and her child Sala. Sala had been having some terrible nightmares ever since the earthquake hit Kobe. They don;t live near Kobe, but tit’s been on the news every day. Sala fears that the Earthquake Man is in the house and she can’t settle down until she checks every single possible place in their house. Finally Sayoko called Junpei because he stays up all night writing anyway.
Junpei was from Kobe. His parents wanted him to take over the family business. But Junpei only wanted to be a writer. He lied and said he was going to college for economics. But when he graduated with a degree in writing, they were so angry that unforgivable things were said and Junpei never spoke to them again.
But aside from the literature program, Junpei made two amazing friends. Sayoko (who was from Tokyo) and Takatsuki (a guy from the mountain town of Nagano). Junpei was always a solitary guy but one day Takatsuki approached him and said they should have lunch together. Takatsuki was so genial and confident that Junpei went along with it and they became fast friends. Takatsuki said the same thing a few days later to Sayoko. The three of them became inseparable.
After spending all of their time together, Junpei had fallen in love with Sayoko. But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Eventually Takatsuki pledged his love for Sayoko. Junpei was devastated, bu he of c course gave hims blessing. He imagined running away from them and giving them peace. But Sayoko convinced him to stay, telling him how much she loved him as well.
Junpei became a critically successful writer–selling books and getting great reviews, but he didn’t sell very much. This was okay because he lived a pretty austere life. Plus he spent a lot of his time with Takatsuki and Sayoko, even after they were married. The couple seemed to work better as a trio.
Takatsuki got a job as a news reporter–his dream job. But it took him away from home a lot. But Junpei and Sayoko were happy to fill the time together.
A few years later, Sayoko became pregnant. Sala was born healthy and on the night of her birth Takatsuki and Junpei got drunk together. Takatsuki told him that Sayoko always loved Junpei more. Junpei said that that was crazy, but Takatsuki said that Junpei knew about writing but he knew nothing about life–and that much was true. Junpei’s stories were often about unrequited love–he seemed incapable of writing a happy ending.
A few years later, Takatsuki divorced Sayoko. It was a shock to Junpei, because Takatsuki had also confessed that Sayoko was the best woman in the whole world. He just couldn’t help himself. They remained cordial and had a weekly dinner–the three of them like the old days. And of course, Junpei and Sayoko were still friends. And of course, Sala loved Junpei as much as anyone else.
Junpei and Sayoko took Sala to the zoo. They saw the bears and Sala wanted to know if one was Masakichi. But he said no, that bear was Tonkichi. They had been friends, but when something came between them, they were separated. Masakichi wanted to help but wasn’t sure how and so Tonkichi wound up in the zoo.
That night Sayoko was annoyed with Junpei. “Couldn’t you have come up with a better ending? Like, everybody lives happily ever after?”
“I haven’t thought of one yet,” he replied.
The question of whether Junpei can think of a happy ending resonates through the rest of the story and the ending was really satisfying.
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