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Café Couple: Theme song of the Shōchiku movie (Cafe shin-kouta, Shochiku eiga, Kafe no fufu, shudaika)


Movie Ditty: Cafe New Ditty, Cafe Couple" (Eiga kouta: Kafee shinkouta, Kafee no fȗfu) from the series Victor Harmonica Super Special Music Sheet (Bikutȃ jȃmonika chôtokusen gakufu), no. 3
Victor Harmonica Super Special Music Sheet (Vikutȃ hȃmonika chō tokusen gakufu) No.3
カフェー新小唄 松竹映画カフェーの夫婦 主題歌
Designer: Saitô Kazô (Japanese, 1887 – 1955)
Composer: Nakayama Shinpei (Japanese, 1887 – 1952)
Arranger: Saijô Yaso (Japanese, 1892 – 1970)
Arranger: Satō Tokitarō (Japanese, dates unknown)
Arranger: Matsuhara Chikashi (Japanese, born in 1905)
Publisher: Vikutȃ shuppansha (Japanese)
Japanese
Shôwa era
1930 (Shôwa 5), October 5

Medium/Technique Color lithograph; ink on paper
Dimensions Height x width: 26.4 × 37.5 cm (10 3/8 × 14 3/4 in.) (open)
Height x width: 26.4 × 19.4 cm (10 3/8 × 7 5/8 in.) (closed)
Credit Line Gift of Mary and Robert Levenson
Accession Number2023.1164.1-2
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsMusical scores

DescriptionTranslation of lyrics from Japanese, by Kuniko and Kendall Brown:
"Loneliness is the table where we met and parted,
The faint stains of sake still remain.
‘Tomorrow, even if it rains come. I’ll be waiting.’
As I fold the ‘napkins’ patiently waiting for you,
I count the exact number of your age.
‘Tomorrow, even if it rains, come. I’ll be waiting.’
That ‘jazz’ is the ‘jazz’ you always like,
It is tearful ‘jazz’ to listen to alone at night.
‘Tomorrow, even if it rains, come. I’ll be waiting.’
Being shameless, drinking, singing, crying alone,
Today too, listening for the time signal at twelve
‘Tomorrow, even if it rains, come. I’ll be waiting.’
I made you take off your rain-drenched overcoat,
From that night my love began to grow.
‘Tomorrow, even if it rains, come. I’ll be waiting.’
Forgive me please, for my thoughtless sob story
Even having drunk, you must have sobered up.
‘Tomorrow, even if it rains, come. I’ll be waiting."
Marks “S Kazō” at lower right
ProvenanceBy 2019, Mary and Robert Levenson, Belleair, FL; 2023, gift of Mary and Robert Levenson to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 13, 2023)