I've just learned from Jason Gray's blog that Southern All Stars leader Kuwata Keisuke is back at one of his favorite tricks.  He takes well-known English songs and sings them in Japanese--not with translations, but rather with transpositions of the English words into similar-sounding Japanese ones, often to hilarious effect. 

   The latest instance comes from this week's episode of his new Monday night tv show, "Ongaku no tora-san."  Kuwata's target this time:  The Beatles' Abbey Road album, from beginning to end.  The announcer at the opening breathlessly informs us that it turns out that the classic album is full of messages that have not lost their relevance--of course, since they are now all transformed into brilliant satiric commentary on today's Japan.  "I Want You" becomes "iPhone-chuu" (I'm on my iPhone), "Because" becomes "Minshuto" (Democratic Party of Japan), etc. 

Watch it without delay, because Japan's copyright enforcers won't get the joke.  They never do.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three