Paradisin'

Album: Sawayama (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Japanese singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama was raised in London by her mother, who struggled to control her wild teenage daughter. This song humorously recounts the arguments Rina had with her mom in the style of a theme song for a TV show.
  • Asked by Q magazine what made her decide to write about that time, Sawayama replied: "I wanted to talk about how I let her down, but in a funny way - you can overcome a lot of pain and trauma in your life with the right kind of satire. I wanted to gameify that episode of my life - it's kind of like a cat-and-mouse game with my mum chasing me around London. I look back at that time and it doesn't seem like my life - it feels like this weird TV show."
  • Hacked my MSN messenger
    Blackmailed my best friend, telling her
    "Rina (speaks in Japanese)
    Mum, I'm fine


    Sawayama based the second verse on how her mother would try to keep track of her movements. They only had one computer at home that they shared so mom would access her MSN messenger and ask her friends, "Where is Rina?"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Christopher Cross

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Def Leppard Quiz

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.