Yamashita Tatsurō (born on Feb 4, 1953 in Tokyo, Japan) is a well establish… Read Full Bio ↴Yamashita Tatsurō (born on Feb 4, 1953 in Tokyo, Japan) is a well established Japanese singer and composer. Known for his singles to constantly reach super hit status, most of which were released in the 80's, his music incorporates elements of soul-funk, jazz, blues and the occasional disco.In 1973, Yamashita formed the band Sugar Babe with the musicians including 大貫妙子(Taeko Onuki) and 村松邦男(Kunio Muramatsu). His most well-known song is arguably 'Christmas Eve', which has unfailingly received heavy airplay around Christmas time every year since 1983. 'Ride on Time' (1980) and 'Loveland, Island' (1982) were used as the theme songs of two different trendy Japanese dramas recently, depicting his popularity within the modern Japanese society. He has written songs for various singers, most notably Kinki Kid's biggest hit 'Glass no Shonen'. Yamashita has released several English singles and albums, contributed by his almost flawless English pronunciation. He is also known as 竹内まりや(Mariya Takeuchi)'s husband and producer.

Clouds
山下達郎 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

真昼の空を横切る
ひとつの雲の行方に
途切れたこの愛を見つけて
あなたの名前を呟く
残された私には
つくろう笑顔ただそれだけが
あなたとの想い出を
少しづつでもまぎらわせる

叫んでみたって届かず
消し去るすべもなく見上げる

今になっては遅過ぎて
悲しむ事さえもできない
翼さえあったなら
あの雲のあとついてゆきたい
太陽が照らし出し
この身が焼けて死に絶えても

今になっては遅過ぎて
悲しむ事さえもできない

Overall Meaning

These lyrics, as featured in 山下達郎's song CLOUDS, tell the story of a lost love. The singer observes a cloud passing across the midday sky and reflects on the fate of their relationship. While they were once deeply in love, the relationship has come to an end, leaving the singer with nothing but memories. They find themselves whispering the name of their lost love as they seek distraction from the loneliness of their present situation. Despite their efforts, the singer knows that they will never be able to reach their former partner or erase the pain of their separation. As they look up at the sky, they feel a sense of regret for what might have been and wish that they could follow the elusive cloud into the distance.

The second half of the lyrics repeat the theme of regret, underscoring the fact that it is now too late to change anything. The singer acknowledges that they cannot even summon the emotions necessary to mourn the lost relationship - it is simply a fact of their life, like the bright sun shining overhead. They express a wish for wings to take flight and follow the cloud, even if their body would be destroyed by the heat of the sun. Ultimately, the lyrics paint a poignant image of love lost and the weight of regret that it carries.

Line by Line Meaning

真昼の空を横切る
A cloud travels across the afternoon sky

ひとつの雲の行方に
Wondering where this single cloud is going

途切れたこの愛を見つけて
Found this broken love

あなたの名前を呟く
Whispering your name

残された私には
Left behind, all I have is

つくろう笑顔ただそれだけが
Creating a smile, that's all I can do

あなたとの想い出を
To distract my memories of you

少しづつでもまぎらわせる
Even just a little bit

叫んでみたって届かず
I tried yelling, but it didn't reach

消し去るすべもなく見上げる
I can only look up, without a way to erase it

今になっては遅過ぎて
Now it's too late