Chodaimasemase

The singer-songwriter Masashi Sada has a song called "Amayadori" (Sheltering from the Rain). Although the title sounds mellow, it is a bright song that sings about a man and woman meeting in a comedic style. The lyrics are such that it would surely be a lot of fun to hear it live.

When I first heard it, I was captivated by the laughter of the audience included in the recording. Even though the content is somewhat silly, the singing is so good that it creates a certain atmosphere, and the scene unfolds beautifully... This is what you call Sada Magic. (There is no such term, though.)

There are several characteristic phrases used in the song, but what particularly invites laughter from the listener is the ending phrase, "chodaimasemase."

is how they ask God, or

is how they ask the family, but when written down, it is completely ridiculous. Because it is ridiculous, it is well-received by children.

The other day, when my family went to karaoke, I tried singing this song from my small repertoire. Even though it was a song they were hearing for the first time, the children laughed a lot. And they remembered the lyrics here and there (because they were funny).

They even asked for an encore just because it was so funny. Furthermore, after karaoke, they started asking me to confirm the lyrics, saying, "What comes after this?" in their daily lives.

However... I think those who know "Amayadori" in real-time are at least 20 years older than me. Since it was released in 1977, it is a song that was created before I was even born.

Looking back, when I was a young child, I often hummed "Momoiro Toiki" (Mariko Takahashi) and "Yukiguni" (Ikuzo Yoshi).

At the time, I was just listing words without understanding most of the meaning, but I have memories of singing them, and there is even a cassette tape left at my parents' house with my own voice recorded on it.

As I grew up and karaoke became popular, there were times when I could say "I know that!" while the adults were saying "How nostalgic!"

Now, my own children are humming "Amayadori." My oldest is seven, so that's fine, but even my three-year-old is humming it.

It is the same as I was back then.

They probably don't understand the meaning very well, and they might just be playing back the melody that they heard and stuck in their heads.

Since the adults who hear it are surprised or laugh, it looks like they are singing just to satisfy themselves. Sometimes, they add their own arrangements (usually adding "butt" or "panties" to make people laugh), and before you know it, it can turn into a completely different song (laughs).

Remembering things like that, when I looked at the lyrics of "Yukiguni" again, there were several parts that were not the words I thought I had been singing.

Moreover, there were phrases like "I want to get drunk" or "foolish woman," which were not appropriate vocabulary for a little boy (at the time) to use. I wonder if the adults listening to that thought, "How cute..."

Thinking of that, it makes me happy that my own children have learned the songs I like. Songs you sing every day tend to stick in your ears. If we go to karaoke, seeing their parents sing might look even more fresh to them.

Since that karaoke session, my child has started using phrases like "Please, may I have some milk" in a joking manner.

Conversely, even if I as a parent say, "Please, go take a bath, may I have," it doesn't resonate with them at all (laughs).

As a parent, although I don't say it out loud, this is what I think.

"Amayadori" is a good song, so you should definitely learn it.

#Amayadori #MasashiSada #Karaoke #Family #Memory