Saburō Kitajima (北島三郎, Kitajima Saburō, born October 4, 1936) is a well kn… Read Full Bio ↴Saburō Kitajima (北島三郎, Kitajima Saburō, born October 4, 1936) is a well known Japanese enka singer, lyricist and composer.

He was born Minoru Ōno (大野穣), in a little town in Hokkaidō, to a fisherman. He was very poor because of the effects of World War II, and he was forced to work while he studied.

When he was about to graduate from high school, he decided to become a singer. His debut single was called "Bungacha-Bushi," which was released in 1962.

He has many famous songs, including "Namida Bune" (1962), "Kyōdai Jingi" (1965), "Yosaku" (1978) and "Kita no Ryōba" (1986). His 1965 song "Kaerokana" was written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura. He is very popular in Japan partly due to his looks of a physical laborer, and he mostly sings the spirit of Japan's working class and rural laborer. He often appears on Kōhaku Uta Gassen, a TV program at the end of the year where many major Japanese singers gather to perform.

Kitajima released single "Fūfu Isshō" (夫婦一生, lit. "Couple in a Lifetime"?) on January 1, 2010 at the age of 73. It debuted at #10 on the Japanese Oricon weekly single charts. It became the first single to reach Top 10 by a solo artist in his 70s in Oricon charts history.

Although Enka is becoming less popular with the younger generation, he is still Japan's most famous singer. He does a lot of concerts overseas as well, and he is contributing a lot of work to the culture of Japanese music.

In addition to his singing career, Kitajima acted in the role of Tatsugorō on the television series Abarenbō Shōgun. During the quarter-century life of the series, he also sang its theme songs.

歩
北島三郎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

肩で風きる王将よりも
俺は持ちたい歩のこころ
勝った負けたと騒いじゃいるが
歩のない将棋は負け将棋
世間歩がなきゃなりたたぬ

あの娘いい娘だ離れもせずに
俺を信じてついてくる

みてろ待ってろこのまますまぬ
歩には歩なりの意地がある
いつかと金で大あばれ

前に出るより能なし野郎
吹けば一番飛ぶだろう
だけど勝負は一対一よ

王将だろうと何だろうと
後にゃ引かない俺のみち

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are from the song "歩" by 北島三郎. The lyrics convey a sense of determination and pride in one's own abilities, specifically in the game of shogi (Japanese chess). The singer emphasizes the importance of the "歩のこころ" (spirit of the pawn) and asserts that without it, shogi is a losing game. The phrase "肩で風きる王将よりも" can be interpreted as the singer desiring the spirit of the pawn more than the title of a powerful piece like the king. The lyrics suggest that the singer is more interested in the humble and hardworking nature of the pawn, rather than the flashy and prestigious positions in the game.

Line by Line Meaning

肩で風きる王将よりも
With the wind on my shoulders, I desire the heart of a pawn more than that of a king.

俺は持ちたい歩のこころ
I want to possess the spirit of a pawn.

勝った負けたと騒いじゃいるが
They make a fuss about winning or losing, but...

歩のない将棋は負け将棋
Without pawns, a game of chess is a losing game.

世間歩がなきゃなりたたぬ
Without the pawns of the world, one cannot succeed.

あの娘いい娘だ離れもせずに
That girl, she's a good girl who stays by my side without ever leaving.

俺を信じてついてくる
She believes in me and follows.

みてろ待ってろこのまますまぬ
Watch and wait, I won't give up like this.

歩には歩なりの意地がある
A pawn has its own determination, just like a pawn.

いつかと金で大あばれ
Someday, I'll cause a big commotion with my gold.

前に出るより能なし野郎
A useless guy who would rather stay behind.