ふるさと
五木ひろし Lyrics

"ふるさと" is a song that expresses the feeling of homesickness towards one's hometown, a common feeling among migrants or those who have left their birthplace. The singer talks about how the whistle of a train brings back memories of his hometown, where white flowers bloom and the sound of a stream can be heard on the way back home. He remembers the taste of the red wild strawberry he shared with his sister and how the valley was a place where foals gathered and birds chirped. The singer also talks about the traditional Japanese practice of writing "soft" letters, where a girl who has married and moved away from her hometown writes back to her parents to express her longing for home.

This song is an emotional portrayal of the deep roots and attachments to one's hometown that can never be erased, even when one is far away. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the scenery and atmosphere of rural Japan, where home, family, and memories intertwined. The simple melody and naturalistic lyrics matched the growing popularity of folk music in Japan in the late 1960s.