In a Flu induced daze... Noo-noo-noo-noo ghee-la ghee-la
Sorry about the deadly virus attack, but *what* a nice upload – thanks!
I see J-lyrics as a translation exercise, hope you don't mind.
FISH PARADE (undated)Music by: dunnown
Lyrics by: dunnown
Performed by: Shonen Knife (Vo. Naoko)
Found on:
Pretty Little Baka Guy (1995 MCA JP re-issue, added bonus track No. 11)
Japanese from liner notes: おサカナ大行進
ぬるぬるぎらぎら 魚が泳ぐ
水族館へいこう こわい魚もいるよ
ぬるぬるぎらぎら それはたぶん
長細い深海魚 こわい魚なんだ
身の毛もよだつ 鳥肌も立つよ
もし水槽が割れて 魚たちが溢れたら
きっと気絶しちゃう
ぬるぬるぎらぎら ぬるぬるぎらぎら
ぬるぬるぎらぎら ぬるぬるぎらぎら
ぬるぬるぎらぎら ぬるぬるぎらぎら
ぬるぬるぎらぎら ぬるぬるぎらぎら
Romanized karaoke version: O-sakana dai koushin
A:Nuru-nuru gira-gira sakana ga oyogu
Suizokukan e ikou kowai sakana mo iru yo
Nuru-nuru gira-gira sore wa tabun
Nagabosoi shinkaigyo kowai sakana nanda
B:Minoke mo yodatsu torihada mo tatsu yo
Moshi suisou ga warete sakanatachi ga afuretara
Kitto kizetsu shichau
[A: INSTRUMENTAL]
A:
Nuru-nuru gira-gira nuru-nuru gira-gira
Nuru-nuru gira-gira nuru-nuru gira-gira
Nuru-nuru gira-gira nuru-nuru gira-gira
Nuru-nuru gira-gira nuru-nuru gira-gira
English translation: The Fish Grand March ("Fish Parade")
Slimy-slimy shiny-shiny the fish swim
Let's go to the aquarium some of the fish are scary
Slimy-slimy shiny-shiny that one, maybe
A long, thin deep-sea fish what a scary fish
It makes my hair stand up it gives me goosebumps
What if the tank broke and the fishes spilled out
I'd faint dead on the spot
Slimy-slimy shiny-shiny slimy-slimy shiny-shiny
Slimy-slimy shiny-shiny slimy-slimy shiny-shiny
Slimy-slimy shiny-shiny slimy-slimy shiny-shiny
Slimy-slimy shiny-shiny slimy-slimy shiny-shiny
The Loneliness of the Japanese Translator
You can't ever get a task like this right but you have your choice of wrongs. Although Naoko's got the lead on this tune, it belongs in the phobia series and the bass has a lot to do, so one wonders whom to credit with what.
I don't know what kind of fish Naoko is talking about. This precious armful from the deep northern Pacific would fit the bill. Can you even keep one alive in an aquarium?
Awful dead eel-like daggertooth fish thing, genus Anotopterus,
up to 4.8 feet long.
Photo from Wikipedia, courtesy of Peter Marriott - swfsc.noaa.gov, curid=3887104TITLE
It's quaintly pompous, because it refers to the fish respectfully and implies that their parade is something of great importance. In that way, it's like what you might see in a children's storybook.
NURU-NURU
Even though the singer is creeped out by the hideous fish, I'm not so sure
nuru-nuru is supposed to emphasize its slime coat all that much. The sense might be more like "slippery gleaming, slippery gleaming" but go ahead and try singing that.
Nuru-nuru things are definitely covered in something slick. Ice is slippery but not
nuru-nuru. Although maybe after a hockey game...
GIRA-GIRA
At various times, it sounds like Naoko's singing
nira-gila, nira-gira, gira-gila. nida-gira, nida-gida. That's the way it goes, initial "g" is nasal and how you spin "r" versus "l" is a matter of what came before or after, plus regional diffs, plus habit, plus the weather.
NURU-NURU GIRA-GIRA
When you say it over and over, it actually sounds like glittering fish going round and round in a tank of water. You can't turn that trick with the English (I don't think).
FAINT DEAD ON THE SPOT
She actually says, "utterly do a faint instantly" only it doesn't sound stilted like that.