(中森明菜, Akina Nakamori) is a Japanese pop singer and actress born on 13 July… Read Full Bio ↴(中森明菜, Akina Nakamori) is a Japanese pop singer and actress born on 13 July 1965 in Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan. She was one of the most popular singers in 1980s Japan. Best known for 難破船 (Nanpasen), Nakamori made her debut on May 1, 1982 with the single スローモーション (Slow Motion). One of her best-known performances remains that of Desire where she came out in a white kimono and wig, leaving everyone with a very strong image of her. Her own image was always more mature than that of her companions, and her voice much lower and huskier.

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.

夢のふち
中森明菜 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

螺旋の階段墜ちるように
あなたの心にのまれてく
どこまで本気かわからない
どうしてあなたに抱かれたか

ぎりぎりのせつなさ抱きしめて
ゆうるりとほどかれつづけてるあやとり

仕掛けられた恋に
あせりの音色も底をつく
困らない困らないあなたなら

見知らぬ痛みが躯を歩き始めた
戻れない戻れないつま先で夢のふち
うす紅の空を渡る鳥のよう

いけないことだと知りながら
返れぬ自分を見つけてる

ぎりぎりの吐息でかぞえてる
ゆうるりと時間の片隅でうなずく

夢の篭編んで
大事に運んでゆきましょう
迷わない迷わないあなたなら

見知らぬ痛みが躯を歩き始めた
戻れない戻れないつま先で夢のふち

夢の篭編んで大事に運んでゆきましょう
迷わない迷わないあなたなら

見知らぬ痛みが躯を歩き始めた
戻れない戻れないつま先で夢のふち

うす紅の空を渡る鳥のよう
ただあなたの羽根にゆられていたい

Overall Meaning

The first verse of 中森明菜's 夢のふち talks about a spiral staircase that feels like falling, as the singer is consumed by the person's heart. The lyrics express confusion about how deep the singer's feelings are for this person, and wonders why they ended up in their embrace. The second verse describes the sensation of being on the edge of heartbreak, holding onto the feeling of bittersweet longing and the game of cat's cradle.

The chorus talks about how the constructed love that was set up is reaching its end, and the anxiety is reaching a climax. But the singer trusts this person and is not worried, holding onto the feelings of the moment. The bridge talks about the pain that the body feels, and how it's like standing on the edge of a dream, unable to go back. The ending repeats the chorus, talking about how the dream should be held on to and carried carefully like a bird flying over the sky.

The lyrics of 夢のふち are open to interpretation, but it can be seen as a song about being caught up in a passionate love affair that may not have a long-lasting future, but instead of worrying about the end, the singer chooses to embrace the moment and carry the memories with them. The imagery of the spiral staircase, the games of cat's cradle, and birds flying over an evening sky added to the ethereal and dreamlike atmosphere of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

螺旋の階段墜ちるように
As if falling down a spiral staircase,

あなたの心にのまれてく
I am being engulfed by your heart

どこまで本気かわからない
I don't know how serious this is

どうしてあなたに抱かれたか
Why did I end up in your embrace?

ぎりぎりのせつなさ抱きしめて
Embracing the just-short-of-painful sadness

ゆうるりとほどかれつづけてるあやとり
The cat's cradle continues to unravel smoothly

仕掛けられた恋に
In this orchestrated love

あせりの音色も底をつく
The sound of anxiety hits rock bottom

困らない困らないあなたなら
I won't be in trouble, with you around

見知らぬ痛みが躯を歩き始めた
An unfamiliar pain starts to walk through my body

戻れない戻れないつま先で夢のふち
I cannot go back, standing at the edge of a dream with my toes