When it comes to great rock songs about masturbation, you just can't beat (sorry) the Vapors 1980 "Turning Japanese.".
Or so I thought.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I stumbled across an interview with the song's author, Vapors frontman David Fenton, in the March issue of MOJO magazine.
"Everybody thinks it's about masturbation," says Fenton, now a lawyer at the Musicians Union. "It started when we went on tour in the U.S. They thought "turning Japanese" was British vernacular. It's about a guy who's left by his girlfriend, all he has is a photo of her. He's trapped in a prison of his own making.
In America, when I was asked 'Is it about wanking?', sometimes I'd say 'Yes, it is' and sometimes, 'No, it's not.' But really, it means whatever you want it to mean."
Thanks for the disillusionment, Dave. Sheesh -- next thing you know, Cyndi Lauper will be telling us that "She-Bop" is actually about He-Man and She-Ra's little sister.
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