One day, our boss put on a cat costume and decided to write a song for the children of the world.

In 2016, Japanese songwriter Pikotaro’s “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” became a worldwide hit, and last year Kenshi Yonezu’s “Paprika” also won fans around the globe. Both of the P ditties are short, silly songs that are easy to sing along to, making them fun for adults and kids alike.

Noticing those characteristics, our boss, SoraNews24 founder Yoshio, got to thinking. Isn’t it just about time for lightning to strike thrice, with a new song from Japan that the whole world can sing along with? And if so, isn’t it up to him to produce it?

▼ Yoshio

It wouldn’t be the craziest thing Yoshio has done. After all, he’s got a musical background, and once upon a time was hoping to become a professional guitarist. He’s even kept up his singing voice with regular visits to his local branch of the Karaoke Manekineko chain, which his two young daughters love too because of its lucky cat mascot character.

As a matter of fact, his kids love that kitty so much that Yoshio decided to make it the muse for his musical creation, “Karaoke Neko-chan” (“Karaoke Kitty”), which he says is “a song that will surpass ‘Paprika,’” and of you want to sing along, you’ll find the lyrics below the video.

▼ “Karaoke Neko-chan”

Nen neko neko neko
Nen neko neko neko
Nen neko neko neko
Nande?

Nen neko neko neko
Nen neko neko neko
Nen neko neko neko
Nenne.

Nen neko neko neko
Nen neko neko neko
Nen neko neko neko
Neko jarashi!

Neko manma!
Neko panchi!

And what do those lyrics, aside from the meaningless “nen,” mean?

Nen cat cat cat
Nen cat cat cat
Nen cat cat cat
Why?

Nen cat cat cat
Nen cat cat cat
Nen cat cat cat
Nenne.

Nen cat cat cat
Nen cat cat cat
Nen cat cat cat
Cat teaser toy!

Just like a cat!
Cat punch!

▼ By the way, if you’re wondering who the woman playing the ukulele is, that’s Yoshio’s mom, proving that she either loves her son very much or is at lest numb to his weirdness.

Currently, “Karaoke Neko-chan” only has Japanese lyrics, but Yoshio says he’s hard at work on an English version of the song. “So many things in the in the world have changed so suddenly this year,” he says, “But I want children everywhere to be able to keep on smiling. I think there are a lot of kids, not just in Japan but in all countries, who feel bored and cooped up at home during the coronavirus pandemic, and nothing would make me happier than if they enjoyed this song.”

Hey, at least his heart’s in the right place, even if we’re not always so sure about his head.

Images ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]