Rokyoku St. Louis Blues by KAWADA YoshioDecember 1939
English Explanation
August 17, 2020
OIKAWA Isako & NAKAYAMA EmikoInternational Friendship Association (IFA)
1. General Description
This is to dedicate to Prof. Carlos Handy, the grandson of W.C. Handy who produced thesong of “St. Louis Blues” in 1914. The Junior Ambassadors Friendship Mission (JAFM) 35th
Anniversary Group from Japan, led by Ms. Isako Oikawa, IFA met Prof. Handy at W. C. Handy
Home and Museum, Florence, Alabama, U.S.A on August 19, 2019. The JAFM was formedin 1985 and had been visited the museum every year until August 2014. Upon request ofProf. Handy, this English Explanation is made.

The record of “Rokyoku St. Louis Blues” wasdiscovered in one of the caves of Iwo Jima (Iwo-to), where was the battleground of the PacificWar. Prof. Handy says that this brings up painful memories, but transcending this is thecultural affinity of pre-War Japan with the Blues.
2. Lyrics of the Rokyoku St. Louis Blues
Part I〽Running water and someone are similar,
Falling to the same mountain stream and thenFlowing to the Pacific Ocean.
If you ask to a seagull flying in the offing about the tide,“I am just a leaving bird.”♪Yakkora ♪Sanosa, ♪Tokoyan, ♪Tokose.
“Ask the wave,” ♪Toko ♪Zu~i Zu~i
〽It is Virginia beyond the river. It is Kentucky here on this side of the river.
The blues of flowers likes the pieces of flowers over a raft on the Mississippi River.
Is it St. Louis blues?
〽The melody will remember forever.

Spring has come. This is a story of spring.
“Oh, Ishi-san, Ishimatsu-san, hoping your injured eye will be cured,
You went to Ise (the Grand Shrine of Ise) seven times to pray.
You went to Kumano (Kumano Jinja shrine) three times to pray.
Now a showboat on the Mississippi River,not the Kompira (Shrine) boat in Sanuki (town’s name)
The boat sent you to the hot-spring spot.
Take good care of your eye in the sento (public bathhouse) at St. Louis.
Even Ohan-chan (lovely Ohan, Ishimatsu’s wife) feels lonely.”

The showboat has gone. There is no smoke, Ah~ha, because of the anthracite coals.”
Part II

Winter has passed.

Spring has passed, spring has passed.

I have been waiting for him for a long time, but he has not come back.
While looking at the fairway sky…
Ah~~how frustrating!
〽Back to Ishimatsu, he has taken a bath from the morning to the evening.
He felt dizzy and his brain stopped working.
He sings, “Stupidity is not cured unless being dead.”“Aha, old man, it is a good song.
Should I also pass away? I don’t want to do so.”〽Songs change as the world changes. The world is also influenced by the songs.
Different places have different customs.
Countries in the world have different languages but the soul of songs are the same as one.
Bad news runs quickly, you say, whereas songs travel many places.
Some blues are sung here. Other blues are sung there.
There are a lot of blues here and there, but St. Louis Blues is the most fascinating.

3. Background of the Rokyoku St. Louis Blues
1) What is “Rokyoku?”“Rokyoku” is a Japanese word and a performance that began in the early Meiji era (1868-). It
is a narrative art in which the shamisen (Japanese string instrument) accompanies the story
with unique verses and narratives.

It was popular among common people until around earlyShowa era (1925-) and then became waning popularity possibly due to a flourishing radio andTV with the public and yet still now small number of Rokyoku players exist.
2) Story of Rokyoku St. Louis Blues
Ishimatsu (a famous character of early 1800 years, Edo period of Japan) traveled to St. Louis,U.S.A. for his healing of damaged his one eye.
3) About Ishimatsu
He is called “Mori no Ishimatsu.” “Mori” is the name of town, “no” is “of” and “Ishimatsu”
is his given name. He is easy to fight with people but is positively welcomed in town. He
became a minion of “Shimizu no Jirocho,” who was the boss of a big family, operating agambling in town of Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Jirocho’s policy was to punish the badpeople and help the weak. The Jirocho family was almost respected by town people.
4) Structure of the music and lyrics of Rokyoku St. Louis Blues
The music stars from the original "St. Louis Blues," then the Rokyoku begins.
Mr. Kawada picks some famous parts of Royoku songs and folk tunes time to time.
Part I

Running water and someone are similar,
Falling to the same mountain stream and thenFlowing to the Pacific Ocean.
This is a common usage.

If you ask to a seagull flying in the offing about the tide,“I am just a leaving bird.” “Ask the wave,”
One phrase from “Soran Bushi,” the famous folk tune of Hokkaido (Northern Island of Japan)♪Yakkora ♪Sanosa, ♪Tokoyan, ♪Tokose.

♪Toko ♪Zu~i Zu~iShouts and/or clapping that fits in with the singing and dancing.

It is Virginia beyond the river. It is Kentucky here on this side of the river.
The blues of flowers likes the pieces of flowers over a raft on the Mississippi River.
Is it St. Louis blues?
This part is Mr. Kawada’s original. Rokyoku talks and tune.

The melody will remember forever.
Spring has come. This is a story of spring.
With the original "St. Louis Blues" playing, Mr. Kawada talks.

“Oh, Ishi-san, Ishimatsu-san, hoping your injured eye will be cured,
You went to Ise (the Grand Shrine of Ise) seven times to pray.
You went to Kumano (Kumano Jinja shrine) three times to pray.
Now a showboat on the Mississippi River,not the Kompira (Shrine) boat in Sanuki (town’s name)
The boat sent you to the hot-spring spot.
Take good care of your eye in the sento (public bathhouse) at St. Louis.
Even Ohan-chan (lovely Ohan, Ishimatsu’s wife) feels lonely.”With the melody of the song, “O-edo Nihonbashi,” Mr. Kawada talks.

“O-edo Nihonbashi,”is the famous folk tune of Nihonbashi, Tokyo（before Meiji era, Tokyo was called “edo.” “O-”is honorific.

“The showboat has gone. There is no smoke, Ah~ha, because of the anthracite coals.”
Again, with the original "St. Louis Blues" playing, Mr. Kawada talks.
Part II
Soon after the beginning sign of Rokyoku, the talk starts with the Opera music, “Peer Gynt
Suite No.2, Op.23: IV. Solveig's Song,”

Winter has passed. Spring has passed, spring has passed.
I have been waiting for him for a long time, but he has not come back.
While looking at the fairway sky…
Ah~~how frustrating!
The wife, called “O-han-chan,” staying at home in Japan and longing for Ishimatsu.

“O-” ishonorific and “-chan” is used for a person close to and/or for a child.

Back to Ishimatsu, he has taken a bath from the morning to the evening.
He felt dizzy and his brain stopped working.
He sings, “Stupidity is not cured unless being dead.”
Mr. Kawada’s Rokyoku talks.

“Stupidity is not cured unless being dead” is one of the famousphrase still now.

“Aha, old man, it is a good song.
Should I also pass away? I don’t want to do so.”“Aha, old man?” is the popular saying of silent cinema at the time,Songs change as the world changes. The world is also influenced by the songs.
Different places have different customs.
Countries in the world have different languages but the soul of songs are the same as one.
Bad news runs quickly, you say, whereas songs travel many places.
These phrases are popular saying for Rokyoku and/or folk songs of Japan.

Some blues are sung here. Other blues are sung there.
There are a lot of blues here and there, but St. Louis Blues is the most fascinating.
Lastly, Mr. Kawada ended with the phrase that the “St. Louis Blues is the best in the world.”
References:1. 浪曲セントルイスブルース‐上‐（川田義雄）

Rokyoku St. Louis Bluse Part I by KAWADA Yoshio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DERYpj_W6X8
2. 浪曲セントルイスブルース‐下‐（川田義雄）

Rokyoku St. Louis Bluse Part Ⅱ by KAWADA Yoshio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX5rOAE9Htw
3. あきれちゃいるけどやめられない by KO-1 Since 2016.4.3
http://wwr8.ucom.ne.jp/hepcat/new1122.html
4. レコード喫茶盤だらけ
https://tokushima1010.blog.fc2.com/blog-date-202003.html

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