Okazaki was born in Nagasaki but her family moved to Tokyo when she was in third grade. As a high school student, she formed a band with two classmates called Eleanor (エレナー), in which she played piano and sang backup vocals. It was at this time she began writing original songs. She began her professional career in 1985 composing music for TV programs and commercials as well as for other singers under a variety of names, the most frequently used being Ritsu ("Ritz") Morino (森野律). She debuted as a solo artist in 1993 with the single "Kanashii jiyû" (悲しい自由) followed shortly by her first album, "Sincerely yours,". She spent much of the 1990s creating solo works. Around 2000 until her death, her career became profoundly more focused on music for animated series. To this end, in 2001 she teamed up with singer-songwriter Megumi Hinata (日向めぐみ) to form Melocure, a project that produced music for a variety of series.
In the spring of 2003, Okazaki discovered she had stomach cancer. This information was not announced to the public at the time and she continued to pursue her professional activities to the best of her ability. On May 5, 2004, she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from septic shock. She was 44 years old. Her album "For RITZ", which was in production when she passed, was completed with what voice recordings were available (some were only preliminary) and released as a tribute.
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長崎県西彼杵郡高島町（現長崎市）端島出身。高校一年の時に同期生2人とバンド「エレナー」を結成し、3人で音楽活動を始める。当時の担当はピアノ、コーラスだった。
音楽業界に入った後に「森野律」などの名義でコマーシャル音楽などを手がけたり、アーティストに楽曲を提供していた。OVA『1月にはChristmas』主題歌「冬のないカレンダー」で、歌手の「岡崎律子」としてトーラスレコード（その後、会社自体がポリグラム（現在はユニバーサルミュージック）に編入された）からデビュー、晩年はスターチャイルドに移籍した。テレビアニメ『魔法のプリンセスミンキーモモ』イメージソング「4月の雪」「約束」を担当。歌手活動と並行して、ラジオやエッセイなどで活躍したり、アニメ・ゲーム作品や声優の曲を数多く手がけている。日向めぐみとのユニット「メロキュア」も、広く注目を得る。ヤマハ音楽教室のピアノ・エレクトーン教室の音楽教材にも、曲をいくつか提供しており、音楽教室の生徒向け教材CDに収録されている。
2004年5月5日に敗血症性ショックのため死去。44歳没。
その死後、2003年春にスキルス胃がんを発病して、闘病生活を送りつつ創作活動を続けていたことが明らかになった。交流のあった芸能関係者以外では一部の例外を除き、親族の意向により墓所は一般公表されていない。遺作となった『for RITZ』は、制作途中であったため、発表時には冥福を祈る意味でタイトルが変更された。同アルバムには、本番収録が間に合わずテスト状態で収録された曲もある。
君さえいれば
岡崎律子 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
夜明けの光そそぐ彼の地はどこ？
I'm a dreamer
ほの白いその微笑み どうか触らせて
ここは陽の当たらない場所
ひとりきりで泣く時の秘密の場所
君がいなけりゃ 君さえいれば
きっと行くよ 陽の当たる場所
このままじゃ終われない 約束がある
遠い道 ひとすじの道
君がいなけりゃ 君さえいれば
きっと行くよ 陽の当たる場所
このままじゃ終われない 約束がある
遠い道 ひとすじの光
君がいるから 君さえいれば
The song 君さえいれば is a beautiful ballad by 岡崎律子, that speaks about the power of love and hope. The singer, who is a dreamer, is in search of a place that radiates the light of dawn, to which she can escape from her dark and lonely reality. She longs to touch his gentle smile, which seems to hold the promise of a brighter tomorrow. She sings about a place that is unknown and unfathomable, but that she wishes to find with her loved one. She talks about the secret place where she cries alone and pours her heart out, but also where she calls out his name loudly. The singer firmly believes that with her loved one, she can conquer any situation, overcome any obstacle and face any challenge with grace and strength. She pledges to go to a place where the sun shines, where there are promises to keep and a long winding road to follow, but she knows that with him by her side, anything is possible. The singer finds solace and strength in his love and hopes that he will also find a sense of belonging and comfort in her love. Overall, the song conveys a message of hope, optimism and the power of love to overcome any difficulty.
Line by Line Meaning
夜明けの光そそぐ彼の地はどこ？
I wonder where that place is, where the morning light pours down?
ほの白いその微笑み どうか触らせて
Let me feel that gentle white smile of yours
ここは陽の当たらない場所
This is a place where the sun doesn't shine
ひとりきりで泣く時の秘密の場所
A secret place where I cry alone
叫ぶように名前呼ぶんだ
I call out your name as if screaming
君がいなけりゃ 君さえいれば
If you're not here, just having you alone will suffice
きっと行くよ 陽の当たる場所
I'll definitely go to a place where the sun shines
このままじゃ終われない 約束がある
I have a promise that I can't let end like this
遠い道 ひとすじの道
A distant road, a single path
君がいなけりゃ 君さえいれば
If you're not here, just having you alone will suffice
きっと行くよ 陽の当たる場所
I'll definitely go to a place where the sun shines
このままじゃ終われない 約束がある
I have a promise that I can't let end like this
遠い道 ひとすじの光
A distant road, a single light
君がいるから 君さえいれば
Because you're here, just having you alone will suffice
Contributed by Christian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.