She attempted suicide in July 1989 in her then-boyfriend 近藤真彦 (Masahiko Kondo)'s apartment after discovering that 松田聖子 (Seiko Matsuda), her main competition, and her boyfriend were having an affair together. Afterward, she disappeared from the public eye and is rumored to have spent her days drinking heavily in Hawaii. Her career since her suicide attempt has never regained the popularity she experienced in the early- to mid-1980s. But she kept performing even after 1996. Her performances before Japanese audiences continue to be of high quality. Her 2000, 2002 and 2003 concerts attracted large numbers of fans. She still performs and releases original songs (as of 2005). She is also on the New Year’s TV show Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
夜桜お七
中森明菜 Lyrics
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すげてくれる手ありゃしない
置いてけ堀をけとばして
駆けだす指に血がにじむ
さくら さくら
いつまで待っても来ぬひとと
死んだひととは おなじこと
さくら さくら はな吹雪
浴びてわたしは 夜桜お七
さくら さくら 弥生の空に
さくら さくら はな吹雪
口紅をつけてティッシュを
くわえたら
涙が ぽろり もうひとつ ぽろり
熱い唇おしあててきた
あの日のあんたもういない
たいした恋じゃなかったと
すくめる肩に風が吹く
さくら さくら
いつまで待っても来ぬひとと
死んだひととは おなじこと
さくら さくら はな吹雪
抱いて抱かれた二十歳の夢のあと
おぼろ月夜の 夜桜お七
さくら さくら 見渡すかぎり
さくら さくら はな吹雪
さくら さくら さよならあんた
さくら さくら はな吹雪
The lyrics of 中森明菜's song 夜桜お七 are emotional and convey a sense of loss and regret. The singer is remembering a past love and the pain of their absence. The opening lines describe a moment when the singer's sandal strap breaks, and she realizes that there is no one to turn to for help. The following lines describe her running through the streets, feeling a sense of pain and loneliness. The repeated refrain of "sakura sakura" serves to underscore the sense of transience and fleeting beauty, as the cherry blossoms bloom and fall.
The song goes on to describe the singer's memories of her past love. She remembers an evening in which she put on lipstick and held a tissue in her mouth to cry. Her lover comforted her, but they are no longer together. The singer reflects on the fact that waiting for someone who will never come and grieving for someone who has died are essentially the same. The cherry blossoms are described as a "snowstorm of flowers" that is whiter and more beautiful than burnt skin. The singer is overwhelmed by a sense of sadness and longing, as if she can feel the weight of all the losses she has experienced.
In summary, 中森明菜's song, 夜桜お七, is a powerful meditation on love and loss. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who is struggling with the pain of separation and death. The repeated refrain of "sakura sakura" serves to underscore the sense of impermanence that runs throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
赤い鼻緒がぷつりと切れた
The red thong snapped suddenly
すげてくれる手ありゃしない
There's nobody to fix it for me
置いてけ堀をけとばして
Leave behind the moats and run away
駆けだす指に血がにじむ
Blood runs from my running fingers
さくら さくら
Sakura, Sakura
いつまで待っても来ぬひとと
The person who won't come no matter how long I wait
死んだひととは おなじこと
It's the same as someone who has already died
さくら さくら はな吹雪
Sakura, Sakura, a blizzard of flowers
燃えて燃やした肌より白い花
Flowers that are whiter than burned skin
浴びてわたしは 夜桜お七
I'm Night Sakura Oshichi in the shower of petals
さくら さくら 弥生の空に
Sakura, Sakura, to the March sky
口紅をつけてティッシュを くわえたら
When I put on lipstick and hold a tissue in my mouth
涙が ぽろり もうひとつ ぽろり
Tears dripped, one after another
熱い唇おしあててきた
Pressing against my hot lips
あの日のあんたもういない
You from that day are no longer here
たいした恋じゃなかったと
It wasn't that great of a love
すくめる肩に風が吹く
The wind blows on my hunched shoulders
抱いて抱かれた二十歳の夢のあと
After the dreams of being held and hugged at twenty years old
おぼろ月夜の 夜桜お七
In the hazy moonlit night, Night Sakura Oshichi
さくら さくら 見渡すかぎり
Sakura, Sakura, as far as I can see
さくら さくら さよならあんた
Sakura, Sakura, goodbye, you
さくら さくら はな吹雪
Sakura, Sakura, a blizzard of flowers
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: hayashi amari
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind