Ruriko Kuboh was born April 21, 1969 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Her record… Read Full Bio ↴Ruriko Kuboh was born April 21, 1969 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Her recording career began in 1990; since that time, she has continued to record regularly, racking up a respectable chart performance in the process. At first, she was considered merely a speck in the vast sea of Japan's prefabricated teenybop idols; but as she came to develop and write more of her own lyrics (and, on occasion, her own music), she gained a growing reputation as a more serious musical artist. From the beginning, her music was often more guitar-driven and rock-oriented than the majority of female pop singers in her country.

Ruriko's later work displays a superior grasp of black music, as well as greater range and depth in general, but she hasn't completely forsaken those flashy guitars. She appeared on the 1993 and 1994 broadcasts of Japan's popular New Year's Eve TV music show Kouhaku Uta Gassen [produced by NHK, and broadcast in Canada and elsewhere on New Year's Day as The Japanese Red and White Show]. She also has numerous other appearances on Japanese TV to her credit.

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久宝留理子 Lyrics

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乾いた口唇
私を呼ぶ声 (忘れたいのに)
忘れられない

あなたがいない眠りの中で
涙枯れて迷子みたいね
ひとりぼっちで歩いて行ける
そんな強さ偽りだった

「いつまでも素直じゃない」と
愛想尽かされそれでも
つっぱってばかりじゃ引き止めようもないなのに

乾いた口唇私を呼ぶ声
からめたつま先
濡らした指先 (忘れたいのに)
忘れられない

あなたがいない夢の中は
色があせた映画みたいね
ひとりぼっちでかくれんぼしても
今は誰も探してくれない

すべてだと思う気持ちに
気付いていたのそれでも
素知らぬふりをしちゃ
追いかけようもないだけど

交した口唇たどったまなざし
震えるささやき
残した温もり (離れたいのに)
離れられない

男のくせに胸で泣いてくれたっけ
消したくても消せやしない
残したキズあと

乾いた口唇私を呼ぶ声
からめたつま先
濡らした指先 (忘れたいのに)

交した口唇たどったまなざし
震えるささやき

残した温もり (離れたいのに)
離れられない

Overall Meaning

The first verse of 久宝留理子's song "reduce" talks about a dry mouth being called by a voice she wants to forget but can't. This haunting call keeps the memory of the person who left her behind alive. In her sleepless nights, she feels like a lost child with dry tears, although she can walk alone. The strength of being able to do so is nothing but a deception. The second verse is about how the absence of this person affects her dreams. The colours of her dreams are pale, like a fading movie. She feels alone, even when she tries to hide in the game of hide-and-seek. She realised that everything she wanted was a feeling that had not been reciprocated. She pretends that she doesn't know, but in reality, she can't ignore the pain. In the final verse, she reflects on the memories she has with this person. They were not perfect, but he cried on her chest, and she has a scar that he left behind. The voice still calls her dry mouth, and the warmth of the memory makes it hard for her to let go.

Line by Line Meaning

乾いた口唇
My dry lips

私を呼ぶ声 (忘れたいのに)
Your voice calling me, even though I want to forget

忘れられない
I can't forget

あなたがいない眠りの中で
You're not here, even in my sleep

涙枯れて迷子みたいね
My tears are dry, and I feel lost

ひとりぼっちで歩いて行ける
I can walk alone

そんな強さ偽りだった
But that strength was false

「いつまでも素直じゃない」と
"I'm never obedient", you said

愛想尽かされそれでも
You got tired of me, but still

つっぱってばかりじゃ引き止めようもないなのに
I can't stop you if I just keep pushing you away

からめたつま先
Entwined toes