Japanese Denim
The more you know, they said.
These past weeks I have been obsessing over one particular song from Daniel Caesar titled “Japanese Denim”. I cannot say it is an old song because it was released in 2016, just three years ago. I have listened to this before when “Best Part” was released (this is the song that introduced me to Daniel Caesar), but it did not get stuck in my head until recently.
In case you forget which song is this, here is a part of the lyrics to the beautiful song I was trying to tell you:
My blue jeans
Will last me all my life, oh yes
So should we
I’m spending all this time
You must be wondering the same thing, right? The first thing that comes to mind is “where is the part about Japanese denim?”, and maybe also “why Japanese denim?”.
So yeah, I did my own useless research and found this interesting article that might explain the context a little bit:
https://www.highsnobiety.com/2012/11/16/japanese-denim-a-history-of-the-worlds-best-denim/
https://hiconsumption.com/whats-the-difference-american-vs-japanese-denim/
Before we get into my interpretation of the song, please spend a little time to read those articles. It’s an unexpectedly nice-to-know knowledge.
I don’t stand in line, I don’t pay for clubs, fuck that
But I’ll wait for you
I don’t like to drink, I don’t like to think, fuck that
But I ponder you
These lines imply that he is the kind of person who does not like to do the unnecessary, things that do not matter to him. The fact that he “will wait” for another person, means that this particular someone is very special, very necessary. I also learn a new word from this song, which is “ponder”. I misheard it as “fond of” at first. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “ponder” means to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time. What a word. This is another strong word that I learn from a song besides “fathom”.
I’m bending it over
You’re my four-leaf clover
I’m so in love, so in love
There’s no one above up above
Forever’s a long time, yes
“Bending”, if you try to translate it literally, is ‘turning something into a curve or an angle’. It is something that is forced, you need to put in a special effort to do it. It is not something that is done naturally. In this context, he is bending himself over for another person. According to this site, if you bend over backward, you try very hard to help or please someone, even though it causes you trouble.
The “four-leaf clover” part is already pretty clear; it is a symbol of luck. He also said that there is “no one above up above” which means that this person is his number one priority, maybe even in a higher place than himself.
My blue jeans
Will last me all my life, oh yes
So should we
I’m spending all this time
Here it is, the part about the jeans. Japanese denim has been known as one of the best denim in the world because of its “perfected” technique. An article from Atwood also tried to decipher the meaning of these lines. It said “Caesar compares the amount of time and craftsmanship that goes into making the Japanese denim he’s wearing to the amount of time he is spending on his love. To him, both should last forever, but it seems only his denim is”.
I am totally hooked on this interpretation. He is trying to tell that other person about his dedication. He is already spending all his time, as much time as the denim-maker has spent on a particular high-quality Japanese denim.
Now, I am going to skip a bit of the song and jump to the last paragraph.
You don’t even know me
You don’t even know me
That other person does not even recognize all the hardships he has done, all the struggle to get noticed, all the obstacles he might have faced, just to be with the other person.
I’m hanging from the tree
I’m hanging from the tree
Now dead, the cacophony of noise suddenly cuts out leaving Caesar’s bittersweet falsetto lingering behind. Presumably, he is still wearing his blue jeans, the only relationship of his that truly lasted forever.
.
.
.
Shit, I will never be able to write a closing statement as good as James Meadows from Atwood Magazine. By the way, the paragraph above is written by him. I am going to write one on my own.
I’m hanging from the tree
I’m hanging from the tree
Hanging from the tree has a close meaning to suicide. However, in this context, I think it is more like he is trapped in something grey. He is not on top of the tree — closer to the sky — but not stepping on the ground as well. He is in-between imagination and reality. He is floating in his own world, where his love existed but was never reciprocated.
