1965 - 1992

Yutaka Ozaki was a true legend of Japanese music, a rebe… Read Full Bio ↴1965 - 1992

Yutaka Ozaki was a true legend of Japanese music, a rebellious figure who revolutionised J-Pop/Rock, created a string of timeless records and cemented his status by dying a gruesome, untimely death in a Tokyo street at age 26.

He was born in 1965 in Tokyo`s Setagaya-ku, and debuted in 1983 with the single 「15の夜」 (juu-go no yoru) when he was still a High School Student. This track was the first single from "SEVENTEEN'S MAP" 「十七歳の地図」, an album unusual in that he wrote and performed all the tracks, but a staggering achievement considering he really was just 17 at the time he wrote it. His youthful experiences are at the heart of the album; most songs concern the stifling circumstances of teenage life, boredom, sexual awakening and the confounding of expectations. There is a dark, perhaps even desparate, tone to the record that belies the superficially MOR sheen of the production and it is hardly surprising that the record continues to strike a chord with todays teenagers, as well as being held in high esteem by their parents, themselves children of the 80s and victims of the strange days of the economic bubble.

Although his first record is his masterpiece, the five that followed are of a similarly high standard, especially 1985s 「回帰線」, which contains 「卒業」, a song about graduation that captures something of the emptiness and dread of post-High School life in Japan.

In April 1992, he was found naked in a Tokyo street, dead as a result of pulmonary edema. Although this official cause of death has been disputed, and some people believe he was murdered, what is certain is that he had consumed large quantities of drugs and alcohol on the night he died. A career spanning six albums and only 61 songs was over, but he remains a highly visible figure in Japanese music, his songs are often covered and are karaoke standards, and there are numerous books and tribute albums.

His most famous songs are 「I LOVE YOU」 and 「卒業」, both of which appear on 「13/71 THE BEST SELECTION」, essential listening for anyone with more than a passing interest in J-Pop or Japanese culture.

Last Christmas
尾崎豊 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

太陽が沈もうとしている夜が
唸りをあげて暴れている
心が釘打たれるような
傷みを感じている

何も失わぬようにと
だからこんなに疲れている
僕はたった一人だ僕は誰も知らない

誰も知らない僕がいる

こんな仕事は早く終わらせてしまいたい
まるでぼくを殺すために働くようだ
それでなければ自由を求める
籠の中に閉じ込められてる

夢も現実も消えてしまえばいい
僕はたった一人だ見知らぬ人々が
僕の知らない僕を見てる oh

一人になって罪を消そうとしても
自分の戒律の罪は消せない
人は誰も罪人だから
覚えてきたものに捕まえられている

一人になりたくない争い合いたくない

僕はたった一人だ僕は僕と戦うんだ
誰も知らない僕がいる

Overall Meaning

In 太陽の瞳, 尾崎豊 sings about a night where the sun is setting and the world is in turmoil. He feels a pain that is like being nailed to a board, and he is tired from trying to maintain everything he has. The work he does feels like it is killing him, and he feels trapped - he wants freedom but feels stuck in a cage. He says that if his dreams and reality disappear, it wouldn't matter, because he is alone and people are watching him that he doesn't even know.

He then talks about the struggle of being alone and trying to rid himself of sins. He feels that he cannot escape the sins he carries and that everyone is a sinner, caught by what they have learned. He does not want to fight or argue with anyone but cannot escape from himself.

The song is a commentary on the stress and pain that comes from daily life, and the feeling of being trapped by one's experiences and expectations. There is a sense of loneliness and isolation, despite being surrounded by people, and a desire for escape that appears impossible.

Line by Line Meaning

太陽が沈もうとしている夜が
The night when the sun is about to set

唸りをあげて暴れている
Is roaring and raging

心が釘打たれるような
My heart feels like being nailed

傷みを感じている
Feeling the pain

何も失わぬようにと
In order not to lose anything

だからこんなに疲れている
That's why I'm so tired

僕はたった一人だ僕は誰も知らない
I am all alone, and no one knows me

誰も知らない僕がいる
There is a version of me that no one knows

こんな仕事は早く終わらせてしまいたい
I want to finish this job quickly

まるでぼくを殺すために働くようだ
It's as if I'm working to kill myself

それでなければ自由を求める
Otherwise, I seek freedom