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.
悲しい浪漫西
中森明菜 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
悲しい浪漫西 あなたの他に なんにもいらない
あなたの前で 醒めた愛を演じて
振り向かずに 店を出たの
これから一人 何処へ行けばいいのか
やり直せる道も 判らない
待ちくたびれて 甘い罠に負けそうよ
Say good-bye
腕を組んだら 人目を気にするあなたも好きだった
悲しい浪漫西 涙が止まらない
あなたの隠した 誰かの針に 心が痛いの
やさしい指が そっと髪を撫でたら
あなたと比べてる 馬鹿ね
何処まで行けば 綺麗な華がさくの
焦がれて閉じたまま枯れてゆく
Wait for you
耳を押しあて なぞる文字が懐かしい
Say good-bye
寝返りうって 両手に私を包んでくれた人
悲しい浪漫西 あなたを忘れない
宇宙を飛び越え 再び逢えたら 一つになりたい
悲しい浪漫西 それでも愛してる
悲しい浪漫西 あなたの他に なんにもいらない
The Japanese song 悲しい浪漫西 by 中森明菜 (Akina Nakamori) is a heartrending ballad that explores themes of unrequited love and longing. The title can be translated as "Sad Romantic West," and the lyrics evoke a sense of melancholy and yearning. The song opens with the repeated line "悲しい浪漫西 (kanashii roman nishi)," meaning "Sad romantic West," which becomes a refrain throughout the song. The singer confesses her feelings for someone who does not reciprocate her love, but she still cannot help but feel a deep affection for him.
The first verse describes the singer's attempts to act out a faded love in front of the object of her affection, but her attempts are futile, and she leaves alone, unsure of where to go or how to make things right. The chorus repeats the title line and adds, "I don't need anything else but you." The second verse describes the regret and pain that the singer feels after realizing that her lover is hiding his affections for someone else. She compares herself to the other person and wonders how she can be as beautiful as they are.
The bridge section of the song contains the lines "Wait for you, say goodbye." These lines suggest that the singer is torn between holding onto hope for a future with her love and accepting that it may never come to fruition. Despite the sadness and heartbreak described in the song, the final line of the chorus is "Still, I love you," conveying a willingness to endure the pain of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
悲しい浪漫西 それでも愛してる
Despite the sad romantic image, I still love you
悲しい浪漫西 あなたの他に なんにもいらない
I don't need anyone else but you for my sad romantic desires
あなたの前で 醒めた愛を演じて
Performing fake, loveless love in front of you
振り向かずに 店を出たの
Left the store without looking back
これから一人 何処へ行けばいいのか
Where should I go from here, alone?
やり直せる道も 判らない
I don't know if there's a way to start over
Wait for you
待ちくたびれて 甘い罠に負けそうよ
Waiting for you has left me tired, and I'm about to succumb to a sweet trap
Say good-bye
腕を組んだら 人目を気にするあなたも好きだった
I liked even how you furtively looked around while hugging me goodbye
悲しい浪漫西 涙が止まらない
This sad romance has brought uncontrollable tears
あなたの隠した 誰かの針に 心が痛いの
The pain in my heart is from the needle you hid for someone else
やさしい指が そっと髪を撫でたら
If gentle fingers softly touched my hair
あなたと比べてる 馬鹿ね
That's silly to compare with you
何処まで行けば 綺麗な華がさくの
How far must I go to see the beautiful flower bloom?
焦がれて閉じたまま枯れてゆく
Longing and suffering until everything withers and dies
Wait for you
耳を押しあて なぞる文字が懐かしい
I press my ear, and the familiar scribbles become nostalgic
Say good-bye
寝返りうって 両手に私を包んでくれた人
The person who tucked me in and held me with both arms when I rolled over goodbye
悲しい浪漫西 あなたを忘れない
I won't forget you despite the sad, romantic theme
宇宙を飛び越え 再び逢えたら 一つになりたい
If we meet again, even surpassing the universe, I want us to become one
Contributed by Micah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.