Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) Lyrics

Lyric discussion by robo 

Cover art for Aisumasen (I'm Sorry) lyrics by John Lennon

'Sanpaku' means "three areas empty" or "staying three days" but is a Japanese term used to describe a medical condition in which the whites of the eyes can be seen between the pupil and the lower eyelid when a person looks straight ahead.

People suffering from sanpaku are said to have a 'spiritual imbalance' which could manifest itself in chronic fatigue, poor instinctive reactions, lack of sense of humour, insomnia, etc.

I think John meant this - he was on heroin half the time so it makes sense - but I think it is a pretty obscure Japanese term.