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

teddy bear
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Anata wa mukashi iimashita
Mezamereba makuramotoni wa
SUTEKI na PUREZENTO ga
Oitearu yo to
Kami wo nade nagara

Aikawarazu sono senaka wa
Chiisaku tayori nakute

Dakedo tanoshii hanashi nara
Warai aeteita

Sore nano ni hito wa doushite
Onaji you na ayamachi
Ato nando kuri kaeshitara
Koukai dekiru no

Omoidashite iru
Houmutta HAZU no
Itsuka no yoru

Anata wa mukashi iimashita
Mezamereba makuramotoni wa
SUTEKI na PUREZENTO ga
Oitearu yo to
Kami wo nade nagara

Watashi wa kitai ni hazumu mune
Kakae nagara mo nemuri ni tsukimashita
Yagate otozureru yoruake wo
Kokoro machi ni shite

Mezameta watashi no makuramoto
Ookina KUMA no nuigurumi imashita
Tonarini iru hazu no anata no
Sugata to hiki kaeni

Anata wa mukashi iimashita
Mezamereba makuramotoni wa
SUTEKI na PUREZENTO ga

Oitearu yo to
Kami wo nade nagara...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Teddy Bear" by 浜崎あゆみ (Ayumi Hamasaki) are initially about a gift given by their lover. The gift was a beautiful present left beside them when they woke up. This scene is painted vividly with the lyrics, 'Anata wa mukashi iimashita, mezamereba makuramotoni wa, suteki na purezento ga oitearu yo to, kami wo nade nagara' (You said before, that when I wake up there'll be a wonderful present next to me, stroking my hair). The singer's significant other is absent but their presence is implied in the gift, and the singer uses the gift to comfort themselves.

The second verse then shifts into a nostalgic reflection of a time when the two of them were able to laugh together. The line 'Dakedo tanoshii hanashi nara, warai aeteita' (But we could laugh together with funny stories) shows the listener that the memory being reflected upon was a happy one. The chorus repeats itself after this verse, then the third verse describes the singer's longing to have their loved one return to them. It suggests the feeling of holding onto a memory, still loving their partner, and a hope to see them again.

Line by Line Meaning

Anata wa mukashi iimashita
As you said before, a long time ago

Mezamereba makuramotoni wa
When I wake up, my pillow

SUTEKI na PUREZENTO ga
Has a wonderful present

Oitearu yo to
That you left there for me

Kami wo nade nagara
As I stroke my hair

Aikawarazu sono senaka wa
Your back is as ever

Chiisaku tayori nakute
Unable to rely on it much

Dakedo tanoshii hanashi nara
But if it's a fun conversation

Warai aeteita
We used to laugh together

Sore nano ni hito wa doushite
But why is it that people

Onaji you na ayamachi
Make the same mistakes