Clap your hands for happiness, also called Clap your hands if you are happy, is a popular Spanish children's song. The tune of this song is similar to 1938 episode "Molodi Jinnaya" in the Soviet music film "Volga-Volga", which may inspire or enlighten this song. The composer is unknown.
This song is very popular and influential in Japan. It is called "Xing せならをたたこぅ". It was written in 1964. The lyrics were written by Professor Kimura Liren of the Department of Humanities at Waseda University and adapted by Akio Izumi.
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Creation background
This song was heard by Professor Reich Kimura of Waseda University while studying at Waseda University and volunteering in the Philippines.
Kimura/kloc-was baptized into Catholicism at the age of 0/6. Later, when I was studying at Waseda University, I participated in Catholic volunteer activities organized by the school and went to the Philippines. At that time, the time of World War II was not long. Many people died in the Philippines because of the war, and anti-Japanese sentiment is very heavy. Kimura communicated with them through the Bible and conveyed his peace intention. The villagers in the Philippines were full of easing hostility and accepted him in a friendly way.
He heard the tune of this Spanish song in the primary school where he stayed and wrote the lyrics of this song in the cabin of the ship returning to Japan.
The lyrics of "clap your hands" come from the first verse of Psalm 47, "Clap your hands, people"? [2], to praise the happiness that the Lord has given to all beings.
Later, when I returned to Japan, I filled in the lyrics and immediately sang in my circle of friends. Later, it was heard by the late famous Japanese singer Sakamoto Kei, adapted by composer Imaizumi Qiaoxiong, and finally recorded. Published in May 1964, and then spread all over Japan.
At first, because the author was unknown, the early "lyricists and songwriters" all wrote "unknown". Later, I learned that the lyricist was Li Kimura, so all the later works were written in Kimura's name.
1965 was used as an entrance March at the 37th College Wild Ball Selection Conference. In 2007, he was selected as one of the top 100 songs in Japan.