When I think of singer Mariko Tone（刀根麻理子）, I usually think of her as a 1980s artist but she was releasing singles into the 1990s. In fact, I encountered this single which is her third-last entry to date from November 1993.
"Setsunai Yoru" (Restless Nights) is a pretty sultry song which was written by Sakiko Masano（政野早希子）of the funk-rock band JAGATARA and composed by the late Hiroshi Narumi（鳴海寛）of the City Pop duo Tohoku Shinkansen（東北新幹線）. I probably would have preferred a real piano behind the bossa nova melody rather than the keyboard here, but I love the percussion and it's still a good nighttime listen. Plus, I'm assuming that it's Narumi behind the guitar noodling there.
I've often come across the word setsunai when it comes to Japanese song titles and strangely enough, the definitions that I've seen on Jisho.org include tough adjectives such as oppressive, miserable and painful as if the person in the song is going through one of the worst attacks of gastrointestinal gas in human history. I don't think the song with that title quite reflects anything that visceral which is why I've settled for restless. But we can see what people think.
Hey, J-Canuck！I asked my wife what she thought of the title「せつない夜」and for her 「せつない」might have the nuance of 'sentimental', whereas when I have usually encountered the word I felt it meant 'sad' or 'bitter sweat'. Now, at first I was surprised at your "Restless Nights" night translation, but after listening to the song I think that you are correct.
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out 「せつない」further. Maybe one reason that the word has been used in so many Japanese song titles and lyrics it that it seems to be so far-ranging in meaning. Considering how sentimental the Japanese can be, that very definition can also apply.
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