楓
松任谷由実 Lyrics

The lyrics to 松任谷由実's song 楓 are about the memories that the singer holds with a loved one, and how even when time passes and they must say goodbye to that person, the memories remain. The first verse speaks of the small moments shared between the singer and the loved one, how even small disagreements or "thorns" in their relationship would disappear when the loved one would smile. Though there were dreams that could not be fulfilled on their own, the singer holds these memories dear and continues to carry them.

In the chorus, the singer repeats the phrase "goodbye" as they walk away from the loved one's voice, but they do so while holding onto the memory of that voice. They wonder how far they can go with just the memories they have, as they continue their journey alone without the loved one. The second verse speaks of the singer's past beliefs about happiness and how they believed in a simple, shallow kind of happiness that reminded them of others. However, as time passes, they have been hurt and the loved one has been hurt, but still they wonder how far they can go while remaining true to themselves.

The final chorus repeats the same phrases as the first chorus, but with a sense of longing and sadness. The singer knows they must move on, but still they hold onto the memory of the loved one's voice, wondering how far they can go with just the memory.