Originally, it was a song played during drinking parties with geisha girls. Several hypothesis have been formulated on the origin of the name and the most creditable one among them is that Otemoyan was a girl named Tominaga who really lived near the present Kumamoto Station. The writer/composer was Ine Nagata, a teacher of Shamisen and Japanese dances. This song made a debut made by Akasaka Koume in 1935. The oldest reference of this song is in 5 Pairs of Shoes, a book published in 1907 by five promising men of letters, Tekkan Yosano, Mokutaro Kinoshita, Kitahara Hakushu, Hirano Banri and Yoshii Isamu who visited Kumamoto at that time.
Meaning
The song is about Chimo, a young maiden in the Meiji period, who is in love with a man with smallpox scars on his face. They just got married but she hesitates to hold an open wedding ceremony due to possible comments made by the townspeople about her new husband's look. Anyhow, she is still charmed by him regardless of his look. Since lyrics of this song include old Kumamoto local accents, it is hard to understand for people today. Many people understand this song in many ways. This song is about a young woman who recently got married but in love with somebody else in a different town - she explains she has not "officially" got married because her husband is not nice looking. Lyrics comically describe how the young cheerful lady is enjoying her young days attracting many guys - who she is explaining "ugly" and "not her type."
1st Stanza
Japanese: おてもやん あんたこの頃嫁 入りしたではないかいな ぐじゃっぺ＝菊目石状態。痘瘡の跡。 Romaji: Otemoyan anta konogoro Yomeiri shita dewa naikaina Translation: Miss Otemo Weren't you married just recently? ''
2nd Stanza
Japanese: 一つ山越え も一つ山超え あの山越えて 私ゃあんたに惚れちょるばい 惚れちょるばってん 言われんたい 追々彼岸も近まれば 若者衆も寄らすけん くまんどんのよじょもん詣りに ゆるゆる話をきゃあしゅうたい 男振りには惚れんばな 煙草入れの銀金具が それもそもそも因縁たい。 アカチャカベッチャカ チャカチャカチャー Romaji: Hitotsu yama koe Mo hitotsu yama koe, ano yama koete 'Atash'a anta ni horechorubai Horechoru batten iwarentai Oioi Higan mo chikamareba Wakamon'shu mo yorasuken Kuman' don no yojomon myarini Yuruyuru hanashi wo chashutai Otokoburi niwa horenbana Tabakoire no ginkanaguga Soremo so'mo so'mo in'entai Akachaka becchaka Chaka chaka cha! Translation: Go over a mountain Go over another mountain, over that one too. I'm so in love with you Head over heels, though I can't confess. As the Feast of the Equinox approaches, The youth will gather in throngs. At the Yojomon Pilgrimage in Kumamoto I'll talk to them about my troubles. It wasn't your looks that charmed me, I saw the way you smoked your tobacco pipe, The rest is history. Dum diddle dee diddle Diddle diddle daa.
