And it's really conflicting, because these places are pretty desolate in the winter — probably pretty miserable. But if you look at a lot of the average people on the ground, you know, citizens - white Americans - they probably were afraid. But if you look at a lot of the average people on the ground, citizens, white Americans, they probably were afraid. A Song for You Lyrics [Verse 1] ... Summer of ’42 7. Like, the camps wouldn't allow you to have Japanese material - written material. His parents immigrated to the U.S. from Japan after World War II. KELLY: So what resonated? It was open, I gather, from 1942 to 1944. BASHI: My daughter - we tried for a while, and it's really difficult, you know? KELLY: Now, his family was not sent to the camps. Kishi Bashi wrote to me to say, "this is a very important song for me in that it's the finale piece to the symphonic piece I premiered last year. (Laughter) He's probably listening to this. BASHI: (Singing) Named of the leader who favored a nation after his own. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com. We have 5 albums and 42 song lyrics in our database. And that was very bleak. "Summer of '42" is the lead single from Kishi Bashi's latest album, Omoiyari, out May 31. And to have to suppress or even forget or destroy your own culture in order to survive is something that, really, was heartbreaking for me. BASHI: (Singing) The word that you had found for me, a favorite sound of mine, it swayed under a canopy to fill the end of time. Jokes are fine, but don't post tactless/inappropriate ones. You can have heroes and villains, and that's easy for children to understand, but for adults, we have to look at the complexities of the situation and understand that there's a lot going on back there. We could go down that path again. Hear their conversation at the audio link and read on for interview highlights. "What are the things you wanted / The same as anyone," the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist sings. He was born in Seattle. And I've seen - you know, my dad's English is kind of broken. But I think a lot of people may not be able to connect with their relatives like that because they have this barrier, this language barrier. BASHI: So "F Delano" is obviously - Delano is the middle name of FDR. This browser doesn't support Spotify Web Player. You know, this is a fear tactic that was exactly the same as what happened 76 years ago. We know that they weren't the enemy. To risk sounding ignorant, compared to Kishi Bashi's previous work, 'Summer Of '42' sounds intrinsically American. Theme from Jerome (Forgotten Words) 8. That became the ["Theme from Jerome (Forgotten Words). The internment of Japanese Americans is the subject of Kishi Bashi's newest music, an album called Omoiyari and this song, "Summer of '42." Summer of '42, an album by Kishi Bashi on Spotify We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Into the desert he pushed all the Nips, he wasn't alone. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. BASHI: Well, I think, for me, as an artist or a songwriter, you connect it through stories and these emotions that are timeless and universal, like love, Loss, desire. This is a fear tactic that was exactly the same as what happened 76 years ago and ultimately, our leaders failed us by not protecting civilians. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. BASHI: (Singing) Summer was sunny, but history, funny to settle with. We know that they weren't the enemy, they were civilians, just families locked up. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. And then, ultimately, our leaders failed us, you know, by not protecting civilians. And I want to let you listen for a moment to a love song - a love song inspired by one of the darker chapters of American history. They were civilians - just families - locked up. wowie this may be my favorite Kishi Bashi song ever, absolutely fantastic, first song i hear from this guy and i'm super impressed, To risk sounding ignorant, compared to Kishi Bashi's previous work, 'Summer Of '42' sounds intrinsically American. It's about something beautiful - falling in love while living in a prison camp - one of the prison camps where Japanese Americans were sent after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. So to kind of get that effect, I went to Arkansas in the winter. KELLY: Listening to you, I'm realizing it's still really uncomfortable to talk about because, I think, a lot of Americans of your and my generation - we're both in our 40s - would like to think this was a bad chapter of American history, but it's history. It sounds like, among other things, you intend this album to be a warning. It's kind of interesting, because FDR is really still considered one of the greatest presidents of all time. Album Omoiyari. Kishi Bashi, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. She's from Japan. BASHI: (Singing) After today you speak the new. BASHI: Frankly, they're - if you go in the summer, they're really beautiful - some of them - on the West Coast. KELLY: Kishi Bashi's new album is called "Omoiyari.". Innocence without a proper fight. And everybody was encouraged to assimilate. KELLY: The song is "Summer Of '42." BASHI: (Singing) The first day that I met you, I wrote down in my book, I am in love with you. She understands a lot more Japanese than she speaks. Listen to all your favourite artists on any device for free or try the Premium trial. KELLY: This is the Jerome War Relocation Center. What can you see when you go today? But the more you understand, you know, the more you can grow as a person. He helped America out of the Great Depression and created all of these social programs that we still depend on today, yet he was a villain in the story about Japanese-American incarceration, because he just took away civil rights for a whole entire race of people. And everybody was encouraged to assimilate. Kishi Bashi's "Summer of '42" is a love song inspired by and set in one of the darker chapters of American history: the internment of Japanese … - Kishi Bashi. Create and get +5 IQ. You can have heroes and villains, and that's easy for children to understand. And I think that's really sad. Don't comment just to troll/provoke. Any spoilers should be placed in spoiler tags as such. And you reference it in one of the songs on the album - "Theme From Jerome.". On Omoiyari, he considers the lessons it offers and how they might inform the modern American experience. He lives today in Athens, Ga. Although Kishi Bashi's family was not sent to the internment camps — his parents immigrated to the United States after WWII — the Japanese-American artist says that the current political climate has turned his attention back to that period. I mean, yeah, that's the simple message: Be careful. To have to suppress or even forget or destroy your own culture in order to survive is something that really was heartbreaking for me. KELLY: You're talking about, like, the immigration debate playing out at the moment, for example. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. BASHI: I think it's reckoning for a lot of reasons, mainly myself because I really didn't understand why I started feeling so insecure here in America. So, Delano is obviously the middle name of [President Franklin D. Use the boards for extended discussion. Frankly, if you go in the summer, [the camps are] really beautiful, some of them on the West Coast. "], On the connection between Japanese-American internment and the modern political climate. The song is from the new album by the Japanese American artist Kishi Bashi. Roosevelt.] Switch browsers or download Spotify for your desktop. And it's kind of interesting because FDR is really still considered one of the greatest presidents of all time, you know? KISHI BASHI: (Singing) Were all the things you wanted the same as anyone? Likewise, don't respond to trollish comments; just report them and ignore them. KELLY: And you actually went and visited a lot of these old camps. But, like, for adults, you know, we have to look at the complexities of the situation and understand that, you know, there's a lot going on back there. And then I also look back at how hysterical it was back then - World War II. I mean, that's the simple message is that, you know, be careful. And just to note, this interview contains a term some listeners may find offensive. For me as an artist, you know, or a songwriter, you connect it through stories and these emotions that are timeless and universal — love, loss, desire — you find these connections so that you can actually empathize with how they might have felt. Listen to Summer of '42 in full in the Spotify app. Unlimited free Kishi Bashi music - Click to play Penny Rabbit and Summer Bear, Summer of '42 and whatever else you want! This, a natural mutation of Bashi's artistry, formerly indebted to his Japanese roots as best seen on 2014's Lighght.This is neither a compliment nor criticism, just an observation. "Just a hand to hold a little / After all is said and done.". BASHI: It's - yeah. And it's really conflicting because there's places - they're very desolate. On how visiting ex-internment camps inspired the album. But also, you know, the good thing about history is that I see - you know, the more I study it, I see that humanity is actually progressing towards a more compassionate, empathetic state. Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science, Originally published on May 28, 2019 6:39 pm, To have to suppress or even forget or destroy your own culture in order to survive is something that really was heartbreaking for me. And I want to start by asking, why is that a subject that you felt needed tackling now? KELLY: Kishi Bashi, thank you so much for speaking with us. The immigration debate, Islamophobia and, you know, 'Immigrants are coming to kill us and take our jobs.' Produced by Kishi Bashi. There's a lot of Japanese culture in these camps that was largely suppressed, you know, internally and also externally. Votes are used to help determine the most interesting content on RYM. Kishi Bashi's "Summer of '42" is a love song inspired by and set in one of the darker chapters of American history: the internment of Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And I think the lesson here is that history is really complicated. There was a lot of Japanese culture in these camps that was largely suppressed, internally and also externally. So, to kind of get that effect, I went to Arkansas in the winter. On Omoiyari's warning and underlying optimism. BASHI: The language barrier is very evident because, you know, if you're a grandfather and your native tongue is Japanese, then you really can't communicate with your grandchildren in the way that you'd like to. You know, be careful. And I think I started to look into this historical event in that it's a - it was a lesson, you know? You know, I'm an American citizen, and I love this country. KELLY: So this album is your way of reckoning, I guess, with our country's internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War.