Then in the later half of 1971, the group changed it's member roaster as Mori and Oshima quit the group and added Yamada and Ise. They released their first single together, "Seishun", in September 1991. They also released the Yoshida Takuro-produced album Hajimashite a year later, resulting in 50,000 copies sold.
Their major hit came two years later when "Kanadagawa" was released, selling over 16 million copies. Before the year was up, the group made their first appearance on the year-end special Kouhaku Uta Gassen. They also changed their name from Minami Taka to Kaguyahime to just plain Kaguyahime. However, it was bittersweet when the group broke up two years later in 1975 when they performed their last concert at Kyoritsu Women's University. Minami Kousetsu and Yamada Panda would continue with their own separate music careers while Ise Shozo took a hiatus after group's split.
The band would go on to reunite many times over the years. For example, they reformed in 1978 after the release of the album Kaguyahime Kyou and going on a small tour that including stops at Yokohama Stadium. The group also came back together from 1999 to 2001 with the release of the single "Seishun no Itami", a concert tour, and an appearance on the 1999 Kouhaku Uta Gassen.
神田川
かぐや姫 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
赤い手拭い マフラーにして
二人で行った 横町の風呂屋
一緒に出ようねって 言ったのに
いつも私が 待たされた
洗い髪が芯まで 冷えて
小さな石鹸 カタカタ鳴った
貴方は私の 身体を抱いて
冷たいねって 言ったのよ
若かったあの頃 何も怖くなかった
ただ貴方のやさしさが 怖かった
間奏
貴方は もう捨てたのかしら
二十四色の クレパス買って
貴方が書いた 私の似顔絵
巧く書いてねって 言ったのに
いつもちっとも 似てないの
窓の下には 神田川
三畳一間の 小さな下宿
貴方は私の 指先見つめ
悲しいかいって きいたのよ
若かったあの頃 何も怖くなかった
ただ貴方のやさしさが 怖かった
The song "Kandagawa" is a melancholic ballad about a woman reminiscing her younger days with her lover, who seems to have moved on from their past love. The song starts with the woman wondering whether her former lover has already forgotten about her. She then recalls a time when they visited a public bathhouse in the neighborhood together, and she had to wait for him while washing her hair in cold water. Her lover had jokingly told her that her body was cold when he hugged her, but she was more afraid of his kindness than anything else during their days together.
In the second verse, the woman reflects on a time when her lover had drawn a portrait of her with a new set of crayons he had bought for her. However, she laments that she never ended up looking like the drawing. She describes the cramped living condition of their shared apartment, with the Kanda River running below their window. She then recalls that her lover had at one point held her fingers and asked if she was sad.
The song is filled with nostalgia and regret, as the woman looks back on her past with bittersweet emotions. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a simpler time in the woman's life, but also showcase her unresolved feelings towards her lover. The melody and the singer's voice evoke a sense of sorrow that makes the song relatable to anyone who has ever experienced unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
貴方は もう忘れたかしら
Have you already forgotten?
赤い手拭い マフラーにして
You turned my red handkerchief into a scarf
二人で行った 横町の風呂屋
The bathhouse we went to together in the side street
一緒に出ようねって 言ったのに
I said let's leave together
いつも私が 待たされた
But I was always kept waiting
洗い髪が芯まで 冷えて
My hair washing was so cold it hit me to the core
小さな石鹸 カタカタ鳴った
The small soap made a rattling sound
貴方は私の 身体を抱いて
You embraced my body
冷たいねって 言ったのよ
And said that it was cold
若かったあの頃 何も怖くなかった
Back when we were young, we were not afraid of anything
ただ貴方のやさしさが 怖かった
Only your kindness frightened me
間奏
Instrumental
貴方は もう捨てたのかしら
Have you already thrown everything away?
二十四色の クレパス買って
You bought a 24-color set of crayons
貴方が書いた 私の似顔絵
The portrait of me you drew
巧く書いてねって 言ったのに
You said to draw it well
いつもちっとも 似てないの
But it never quite looked like me
窓の下には 神田川
Kanda River was flowing below the window
三畳一間の 小さな下宿
A small lodging with a 3-mat room
貴方は私の 指先見つめ
You stared at my fingertips
悲しいかいって きいたのよ
And asked if I were sad
若かったあの頃 何も怖くなかった
Back when we were young, we were not afraid of anything
ただ貴方のやさしさが 怖かった
Only your kindness frightened me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Makoto Kitajo, Kousetsu Minami
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind