Kiyoshi Nakajo (中条きよし, born as Kiyoshi Shimomura in Gifu City, Gifu, Japan)… Read Full Bio ↴Kiyoshi Nakajo (中条きよし, born as Kiyoshi Shimomura in Gifu City, Gifu, Japan) is an enka-kayokyoku singer and actor. Nakajo made his début as a recording artist in 1968 using the stage name Akira Takanami (高波明), but allegedly his recordings didn't sell well, so in 1971 he changed his stage name to Ken Atsumi (渥美健), but didn't garner much success under this alias either, and returned to being an office worker (salaryman), and running a bar in Tokyo. After winning a singing contest in 1973, Nakajo adopted his current stage name, and tried for the third time to succeed as a singer, releasing his first single in 1974. And with his third single under this name, "Uso" (「うそ」), he finally had his breakthrough, selling more than 1.5 million copies of that single alone.

宿
中条きよし Lyrics

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外は雨海は凪(なぎ)
窓の外は日本海
今はただ夜を待つ女ひとりの港宿(みなとやど)
外は闇み遠く船
漁火みえて泪でて
明日の朝船に乗る
もっと遠くの町に住む
探さないで下さい私の事は

探さないで下さい今日から先は
想いでで荷物がいっぱいだから
探さないで下さい私の事は

夢は風泪枯れ
部屋の灯り消したまま
今はもう朝を待つ女ひとりの港宿
夢は波遠い波
海ねこ鳴いて泪ふき
昨日を捨て明日を見て
ずっと遠くの町に住む
探さないで下さい私の事は
探さないで下さい今日から先は
想いでで荷物がいっぱいだから
探さないで下さい私の事は

探さないで下さい私の事は
探さないで下さい今日から先は

想いでで荷物がいっぱいだから
探さないで下さい私の事は

Overall Meaning

The song "宿" by 中条きよし is a song about a woman who is waiting for the night, alone in a harbour. The lyrics speak of the rain outside and the calmness of the sea, which is visible through the window. The woman is waiting alone with her thoughts and memories, and the lyrics convey a sense of sadness and longing. She is waiting for the morning so that she can board a ship and move to a faraway town. However, the woman does not want to be found or searched for, as she carries full of memories that she wants to keep to herself.

The lyrics are poignant in their simplicity, with the repetition of the phrase "探さないで下さい" (Please do not search for me) emphasizing the woman's desire for privacy and distance. She is trying to move on and leave behind the past, with its joys and sorrows.

Overall, the song "宿" is an emotional and moving piece that conveys the sense of loneliness and longing that comes with leaving behind the familiar for the unknown.

Line by Line Meaning

外は雨海は凪(なぎ)
It's raining outside, but the sea is calm.

窓の外は日本海
Outside the window is the Sea of Japan.

今はただ夜を待つ女ひとりの港宿(みなとやど)
Now, I am just a woman waiting for the night at a port inn alone.

外は闇み遠く船
In the darkness outside, a ship can be seen in the distance.

漁火みえて泪でて
Tears stream down my face as I see the fishing boats' lights.

明日の朝船に乗る
I will board the ship tomorrow morning.

もっと遠くの町に住む
I live in a town even further away.

探さないで下さい私の事は
Please don't look for me.

探さないで下さい今日から先は
Please don't look for me from today forward.

想いでで荷物がいっぱいだから
Because my luggage is full of memories.

夢は風泪枯れ
My dreams are like the wind, my tears have dried up.