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.
AGAIN
中森明菜 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
あなたの海が好きだった
うす紫の空に I love you
西陽のテラスに潮風のにおい
あなたの肩で夕焼け見てた
乾いたのどを潤おすように
I love you, I love you
逆もどりしてゆく二人 過去を愛してゆく
夏の光 あなたの愛 すべてだったわ
戻れない切なさ 消えるまで燃えて
海へ 海へ 沈むまで
気紛れな夕立 ぬらされて砂浜
笑いながら雨やどり
冷たいからだ寄せ合って
I love you, I love you
逆もどりしてゆく二人 過去を愛してゆく
夏の光 傷の痛み 思い出したわ
くだけちる波のように 抱いてあなた
空へ 空へ とどくまで
Again, Love again
そして二人 はなれてゆく
幻の夏をぬけて Again Again
出逢えてよかったあなた
命 命 重ねてく Ah～
逆もどりしてゆく二人 過去を愛してゆく
夏の光 傷の痛み 思い出したわ
くだけちる波のように 抱いてあなた
空へ 空へ とどくまで
くだけちる波のように 抱いてあなた
空へ 空へ とどくまで
Again Again Again……
The lyrics to the song "AGAIN" by Akina Nakamori express the deep love and nostalgia towards an ex-lover. The first verse reveals a lasting love for the sound of the waves, and how the sea of the person she loved was especially cherished by her. It is made clearer in the second verse that during those times together, watching the sunset at a terrace and listening to the ocean, were moments that brought both of them so much joy. The chorus repeats the words "I love you", highlighting the intensity of the emotions she had for him.
However, as the song progresses, we see that the love story has come to an end. The lyrics express the desire to go back to past memories, as if wanting to start again from the beginning. This is shown in the lines "Turning back, we love the past" and "All I had was the summer light and your love". It then talks about the inability to return to the past and it's painful, but at the same time, it is something that should be burned away until it disappears, like the image of the two sinking into the sea.
The song is filled with melancholy and a bittersweet longing for a love that has passed but is still being held onto. It is a song that expresses the common sentiment of wanting to go back in time and relive happy moments.
Line by Line Meaning
波の音さえ 抱きしめてしまう
I love everything about you, even the sound of the waves that remind me of you.
あなたの海が好きだった
I loved your sea, the place where we had many sweet memories.
うす紫の空に I love you
I confess my love to you, even to the sky and its light purple shade.
西陽のテラスに潮風のにおい
We were together on the terrace at sunset, feeling the sea breeze on our faces.
あなたの肩で夕焼け見てた
I enjoyed seeing the beautiful sunset with you, leaning my head on your shoulder.
乾いたのどを潤おすように
My love for you is like a refreshing drink that quenches my thirst for you.
I love you, I love you
I repeat my love for you twice, to emphasize my feelings even more.
逆もどりしてゆく二人 過去を愛してゆく
We move backward in time, but still we cherish our past love.
夏の光 あなたの愛 すべてだったわ
You were my everything, my love and the sunshine of my summer.
戻れない切なさ 消えるまで燃えて
Our irreparable sadness will burn until it fades away.
海へ 海へ 沈むまで
We will sink into the sea, into the depths of our feelings for each other.
気紛れな夕立 ぬらされて砂浜
The unpredictable summer storm wets the sandy beach where we laugh together during the rain.
笑いながら雨やどり
We laugh while taking shelter from the rain, feeling the warmth of each other’s embrace.
冷たいからだ寄せ合って
We huddle together, warming each other's cold bodies.
Again, Love again
Let's fall in love again, let's give each other a second chance to start anew.
そして二人 はなれてゆく
Sadly, we have to separate and continue on our own paths.
幻の夏をぬけて Again Again
We leave behind the illusion of our past summer, hoping for a better future, ready to try again.
出逢えてよかったあなた
I'm grateful for having met you, for having shared those unforgettable moments with you.
命 命 重ねてく Ah～
Our souls and destinies intertwine with each other, forever leaving a mark on each other's hearts.
くだけちる波のように 抱いてあなた
Let me hold you like the way the broken waves do, symbolizing how love also ends in life.
空へ 空へ とどくまで
Let's reach for the sky together, until we can fly and soar with our love.
Again Again Again......
Let's start over again, again, and again. Because true love never gets old or tired.
Contributed by Dominic K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cs A
Absolute fantastic Voice, perfect Track ! Tökéletes ! Greetings from Hungary !
ryu12065
明菜さんの表現と楽曲がパーフェクトマッチしている
彼女にしか出せない唯一無二の世界観にただただ脱帽
渡辺佳子
いくら聞いても良い曲です。コンサートでも歌ってほしい。
後藤眞一
この曲癒されます。
yoch yoch
もうね、全てが儚くて
全てが完璧な曲なんだよね。
まだ１０代だった自分。
有線放送で夜になると
必ずのように流れるこの曲。
切なくて、悲しくて、なのに
歌詞もメロディも頭から離れなかった。
そして、今５０代。
年月は過ぎ去り自分自身の容姿も環境も変わり過ぎたけど、今聴いても切なく悲しいよ。
人の幸せって何だろう。
５０年以上生きて来たのに、未だに答えは見えません。
渡辺佳子
懐かしい名曲。古さを感じさせない。
nightJOKER
思い出の曲です。