Her music is by tur… Read Full Bio ↴Akiko Yano is a Japanese pop and jazz musician.
Her music is by turns playful, heartfelt, melodic, ornate, and disarmingly simple, reflecting a love of music in all its forms and colors. She handles moody new wave, virtuosic fusion, traditional jazz ballads, straightahead pop, and singer-songwriter folk songs with equal aplomb.
Though she's recorded with many of the 20th century's greatest pop and jazz musicians, her primarily Japanese-language albums have kept her music below the radar of most English-language listeners. She's recorded with, among many others, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, members of Little Feat, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Kenji Omura, Jeff Bova, Yukihiro Takahashi, Charlie Haden, Peter Erskine, Anthony Jackson, David Rhodes, the band Quruli, and her son Futa Sakamoto.
Beyond her solo work, Yano has recorded with Thomas Dolby, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Chieftains, The Hammonds, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Kazumi Watanabe, The Boom, Tetsuro Kashibuchi, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. She appeared on the recording "Snowflake" reading a children's story in Japanese with Peter Gabriel reading in English and music by Akira Inoue and David Rhodes accompanying both.
わたしとどうぶつと。
矢野顕子 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
杉並で一番きれい 消えてゆくまできれい
姉は弟のために 過去も未来も捨てる
ピアノが弾きたかったの 本当はマノロがはきたかったの
今居ても居なくても 思いはいつもかわらない
ひとりでもひとりじゃない
金貯めたのは East Village 人の道の in and out
男の命 こうやって使うんだぜって 見せてくれた
近くても遠くても寄りそう心はかわらない
ひとりでもひとりじゃない
雲を越えてさがしにいくよ
愛されたくて愛してって からだ全部あずけて
やっと手に入れたもの 消えてゆくまでひとりじめ
たかが猫と犬と たかが象とイグアナと
ひとつひとつ違う命 いっぱい持ってる
最後まで使う命
最後まで生きる命
最後まで使う命
最後まで生きる命
In the song "Watashi to Doubutsu to", Japanese singer-songwriter Akiko Yano talks about self-love and individualism. The opening line "Umanaranara no purinsesu, ki ga tsuyokute mo iin desu" translates to "A born princess, it's okay to be strong-willed". She encourages listeners to embrace their uniqueness, even if it goes against societal norms or expectations.
Yano then goes on to talk about her sister's sacrifice for her brother, giving up her past and future for him. However, the line "Piano ga hikitakatta no, hontou wa manoro ga hakitakatta no" reveals that Yano had her own desires and dreams that were never realized. This could be interpreted as a comment on societal expectations for women to put others before themselves.
Yano also talks about her experiences living in East Village and how she learned "people's ways of in and out". The line "Otoko no inochi, kouyatte tsukau nda ze tte, misete kureta" suggests that she saw firsthand how men use and manipulate others for their own gain. Despite all of this, Yano still expresses a desire for love and connection with others, even if it means sacrificing a part of herself once again.
Line by Line Meaning
生まれながらのプリンセス 気が強くてもいいんです
I was born a princess, it's okay to be strong-willed.
杉並で一番きれい 消えてゆくまできれい
The most beautiful in Suganami, beautiful until I disappear.
姉は弟のために 過去も未来も捨てる
My sister sacrifices her past and future for her brother.
ピアノが弾きたかったの 本当はマノロがはきたかったの
I wanted to play the piano, but I actually wanted a pair of Manolos.
今居ても居なくても 思いはいつもかわらない
Whether I'm here or not, my feelings never change.
ひとりでもひとりじゃない わたしの腕は弱くない
I'm never truly alone, and my arms are not weak.
金貯めたのは East Village 人の道の in and out
I saved money for the East Village, in and out of the human realm.
男の命 こうやって使うんだぜって 見せてくれた
He showed me how a man's life can be spent.
近くても遠くても寄りそう心はかわらない
Even if they are far away, my heart remains close to them.
雲を越えてさがしにいくよ
I will search beyond the clouds.
愛されたくて愛してって からだ全部あずけて
I entrusted my whole body to be loved and to love.
やっと手に入れたもの 消えてゆくまでひとりじめ
The thing I finally got is only mine until it disappears.
たかが猫と犬と たかが象とイグアナと
To some, they're just cats, dogs, elephants, and iguanas.
ひとつひとつ違う命 いっぱい持ってる
Each one has a different life, and I have many.
最後まで使う命 最後まで生きる命
A life to be spent until the end, a life to be lived until the end.
最後まで使う命 最後まで生きる命
A life to be spent until the end, a life to be lived until the end.
Writer(s): Akiko Yano
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Johannes Pong
on Tsuri ni Ikou [Why Don't We Go Fishing]
I don't know why, but I cry every time the 2nd verse comes along. Just this version, not other singers' renditions. Definitely tapping into some collective nostalgia for the innocence of childhood, the sheer beauty & transience of life.
Wahyu Bali
on Tsuri ni Ikou [Why Don't We Go Fishing]
I'm sorry, I mean in Kanji. Lol
Wahyu Bali
on Tsuri ni Ikou [Why Don't We Go Fishing]
Can someone help with the lyric in katakana please. I love to sing it till today and still don't the correct lyric and the meaning. Pleasee.. Much appreciated