Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi, real name 浜崎歩) (born October 2, 197… Read Full Bio ↴Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi, real name 浜崎歩) (born October 2, 1978, Fukuoka, Japan) is an award-winning Japanese singer, and one of the most popular and influential artists to come from Asia. Apart from being a singer, Hamasaki is also a songwriter, a model, an actress, a composer, a record producer, a spokesperson and an entrepreneur. Through her entire career, she has written all her lyrical content, and has sometimes composed her music.

Hamasaki started her musical career in 1994 and released her first album "NOTHING FROM NOTHING" in 1995; the album was not successful, and she was subsequently dropped by her record label. In 1998, Hamasaki released her first single, poker face, via the Avex Trax label, after being discovered by label head Masato "Max" Matsuura partying at the Avex-owned club, Velfarre. Hamasaki's debut album, "A Song for ××", was released in 1999, and won her a Gold Disk Award. She has since sold more than 50 million records in Japan alone with the releases of her 9 full-length studio albums, 1 mini-album, 4 compilation albums, 45 singles, and 17 remix albums, becoming the top selling solo and female artist and the 4th top selling Japanese artist in history. With the release of her 40th single "BLUE BIRD", Hamasaki's single sales passed the 20 million mark, making her the first solo and female singer to reach that milestone.

With the release of her 45th single "Rule/Sparkle", Hamasaki currently has 20 consecutive #1 singles (starting from "Free & Easy") and 32 #1 singles in the Japanese ORICON charts. In addition, she is the first Japanese artist to have her first original 8 studio albums top the charts.

Hamasaki released her ninth studio album, GUILTY on January 1, 2008. Shortly after the release, Ayumi revealed that she had become completely deaf in her left ear, and that it is inoperable. It is believed that she suffers from tinnitus, and Ayumi has known about the condition of her left ear since 2007 after an examination. She also stated that she would continue on with her career for her fans, explaining that "nevertheless, I would like to continue as a singer. That's why I would like to continue singing until I reach the limit with my remaining right ear".

In addition to serving as background music for television advertisements, some of Hamasaki's songs have been used as themes for video games and film productions such as television shows and motion pictures. "Depend on you" and its b-side "Two of us" were used as the opening and ending theme, respectively, of the video game Thousand Arms, while the video game Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams used "Startin'" and "rainy day" as its opening and ending theme, respectively. The dorama My Little Chef featured "Voyage" as its theme, while the anime InuYasha featured "Dearest." Finally, Hamasaki's songs "HEAVEN", "Secret", "fated", and "Rule" have been used as the themes for the movies Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, Confession of Pain, Kaidan, and DragonBall Evolution, respectively.

In January 2008, Hamasaki announced on her blog that an inoperable condition, possibly tinnitus or Ménière's disease, had caused complete deafness in her left ear. She had been diagnosed with the condition in 2006 and that the problem dated to 2000, when she developed an ear infection but continued to perform against the advice of doctors. Despite the setback, Hamasaki stated that she wished to continue singing, and that "as a professional", she wanted to "deliver the best performance for everyone". On May 20, 2017, she wrote that she is also losing hearing in her right ear, and had experienced dizziness and nausea. She vowed to continue performing, writing: "The stage is where I belong. It's the only place I really, truly exist. I don't know anything else."

Official site: http://avexnet.or.jp/ayu

Duty
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dare mo ga sagashite Hoshigatte iru mono
"Sore" wa itsuka no Mirai ni aru to
Boku mo mina mo Omoi konnde iru yo ne
Nanoni ne masaka kako ni aru da nante
Ittai dore hodo no HITO kizukeru darou
Yosou mo tsukanai

Tashika ni hitotsu no jidai ga owaru no wo

Boku wa kono mede mita yo
Dakedo tsugi ga jibun no ban datte koto wa
Shiritaku na kattan da

Soredane mou sukoshi Kami kudaite mite
Tsutaeta nara "sore" wa kioku wo
Tada tsunagete Narabeta dakette koto ni
Naru yo ne da toshita nara Dare mo ga mina
Shiranai UCHI ni
Te ni shite iru no darou kara
Kizuite hoshii yo

Tashika ni hitotsu no jidai ga owaru no wo
Boku wa kono mede mita yo
Soshite tsugi wa jibun no ban datte koto mo
Shitte iru hontou wa

Kimi nara mitsukete kureru darou
Kimi nara mitsukete kureru to
Shinjite kakete miru yo

Tashika ni hitotsu no jidai ga owaru no wo
Boku wa kono mede mita yo

Dakedo tsugi ga jibun no ban datte koto wa
Shiritaku na kattan da

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 浜崎あゆみ's song Duty reflect the universal desire for something that we all search for but cannot quite define, something that we long for and that we hope will lead us to the future. The first line, "Dare mo ga sagashite Hoshigatte iru mono" (Everyone is searching for something they desire), sets the tone for the rest of the song, which explores this theme through the use of metaphors and allusions to time and memory.

The second line, "Sore wa itsuka no Mirai ni aru to" (That is something that exists in the future), suggests that whatever it is we are searching for, it is something that we hope will bring us towards a hopeful future. The next line, "Boku mo mina mo Omoi konnde iru yo ne" (I and everyone else are all thinking about it), emphasizes the universality of this desire and that it is inherent in human nature.

The following lines, "Nanoni ne masaka kako ni aru da nante Ittai dore hodo no HITO kizukeru darou Yosou mo tsukanai" (But then, what if it is in the past? How many people will realize this fact? It is impossible to predict), suggest that this search may not only be for something in the future but may also involve searching for something that is lost in the past but may still be attainable.

In summary, the song deals with the idea of people searching for their passion and purpose in life, something that may lead them towards a better future. It also suggests that this search may involve looking back into the past to find something that may be missing in the present.

Line by Line Meaning

Dare mo ga sagashite Hoshigatte iru mono
Everyone is searching for something they desire

"Sore" wa itsuka no Mirai ni aru to
That thing is said to exist in the future

Boku mo mina mo Omoi konnde iru yo ne
I and everyone else also carry these thoughts and feelings

Nanoni ne masaka kako ni aru da nante
But could it be that it actually exists in the past?

Ittai dore hodo no HITO kizukeru darou
How many people actually realize this?

Yosou mo tsukanai
It's impossible to predict

Tashika ni hitotsu no jidai ga owaru no wo
I saw with my own eyes that one era was ending

Boku wa kono mede mita yo
I saw it with these eyes of mine

Dakedo tsugi ga jibun no ban datte koto wa
But I don't want to know what happens next for me

Shiritaku na kattan da
I don't want to find out

Soredane mou sukoshi Kami kudaite mite
So I'll destroy my hair a little bit more