I love Lene Lovich. Who doesn't? Well, back in the day, a lot of people didn't. They thought she was too weird. She wasn't, though. She was just ahead of her time. (Unlike Lady Gaga, who only seems weird to people over 80, and is therefore easily cashing in on ground previously broken by more risk-taking artists like Lovich and Nina Hagen.)
Apparently, thinking that Japanese audiences would love anything weird, Lovich chose to record both an English and nihongo cover version of Tommy James and the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now" in 1978. The Japanese version appeared as the b-side to Lovich's hit "Lucky Number," way before Tiffany's cover topped the charts in the 1980s.
Japanese pop idol Chika Nakamura covered the song again in 1989, but it was probably the success of teen pop-star Tiffany's version that inspired her. The lyrics for both songs, however, are completely different, with Lovich's being more of a literal translation.
Nearly two decades later, Lovich's song made it onto the soundtrack of Beverly Hills Ninja, a movie I will probably never watch (sorry, Chris Farley, RIP).
Compare the two versions here, via youtube:
Lene Lovich, (I Think We're) Alone Now (Japanese version)
Chika Nakamura, Hitori Bochi ni Kaeranai
If you want to sing along with Lene Lovich in Japanese, see her lyrics after the jump. . .
Lene Lovich, (I Think We're) Alone Now (Japanese lyrics thanks to Kathy, I'm lost)
Lyrics:
いけません ikemasen
からだはいつもいう karada wa itsumo iu
いけません ikemasen
からだはわからない dakara wakaranai
愛してる、愛してる、愛してる aishiteru, ashiteru, ashiteru
手に手をとって te ni te o totte
そっとなげだすように soto nageda you ni
あなたは私を抱いて anata wa watashi o daite
草に絡んだのでしょ kusa ni karanda no deshou
回りに誰もいない mawari ni dare mo inai
胸の音だけ聞こえる mune no oto dake kikoeru
嘘を uso o
つくのは悪いけれど tsuku no warui keredo
からだが知ったら karada ga shittara
何と言うでしょう、だから nani to iu deshou, dakara
愛してる、愛してる、愛してる aishiteru, ashiteru, ashiteru
手に手をとって te ni te o totte
そっとなげだすように soto nageda you ni
あなたは私を抱いて anata wa watashi o daite
草に絡んだのでしょ kusa ni karanda no deshou
回りに誰もいない mawari ni dare mo inai
胸の音だけ聞こえる mune no oto dake kikoeru
きっと二人きり kitto futari kiri
胸の音だけ聞こえる mune no oto dake kikoeru
やっと二人きり yatto futari kiri
回りに誰もいない mawari ni dare mo inai