さらばシベリア鉄道
大滝詠一 Lyrics

The lyrics to 大滝詠一's song さらばシベリア鉄道 convey a sense of melancholy and longing for a lost love. The opening lines ask what lies behind sadness, describing tears that freeze on a white tundra. The singer contemplates how everyone carries with them a sense of coldness or winter in their hearts, but none so much as the person they are singing about. The second verse describes how the singer read the addressee's letter and examined the stamp, which was inscribed with small Russian letters. The singer searches for words to blame themselves for the self-made decision to part ways.

The rest of the song focuses on travel and movement. The singer wonders what lies beyond the railroad tracks and observes the sad expression of a lost reindeer. The lines suggest that the singer is tired of following people who don't reveal their true intentions or direction. In the final verse, the singer confesses their shyness, unable to express their love, while the addressee is unable to read their nearsighted gaze. The song ends with the plea to have the traveler of December to convey the message of waiting for them and to wait for them always. The song seems to be from the perspective of someone who has lost a loved one and pines for them.