Akiko Yano is a Japanese pop and jazz musician.

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.

BAKABON
矢野顕子 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

これでいいのだ
バカボンのママバカボンのパパ
たかめられたしあわせ
バカボンにパパバカボンにママ
つよめられた約束
望んでいるものは大きなもの
握りしめてるのは小さなもの
ほうきで掃き出す

家中のかなしみを
たんすの中から取り出した
よろこびを
これでいいのだ
バカボンのママバカボンのパパ
たかめられたしあわせ
バカボンにパパバカボンにママ
つよめられた約束
金で買えるものは銀色のもの
守りつづけてるのは金の心
海を渡る風こふくらむかけぶとん
見知らぬ国へひらかれた
ふすまたち
これでいいのだ

バカボンのママバカボンのパパ
たかめられたしあわせ

バカボンにパパ私にもママ
つよめられた約束

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 矢野顕子's song BAKABON describe the happiness of a family - the father, the mother, and their son Bakabon. They have everything they need and have been blessed with a happy life. The promise that the parents made to their son has been strengthened over time. However, despite having everything they need, the family still longs for something bigger. They hold onto the smallest things as they clean away their sorrows with a broom. They find joy in little things, with the mother opening an old chest of drawers to find happy memories.

The song is ultimately about the happiness found in simplicity. Happiness is not always found in big and expensive things but can be found in the smallest things in life. The family has everything they need, and they are content with what they have. They find joy in the simple pleasures that come with being together as a family, and no matter where they go, they keep their promise to one another.

Overall, the song is a tribute to the beauty and pureness of simple living. It reminds us to appreciate the small things in life, such as family, love, and happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

これでいいのだ
This is okay as it is

バカボンのママバカボンのパパ
Bakabon's mom and Bakabon's dad

たかめられたしあわせ
Forced happiness

バカボンにパパバカボンにママ
Bakabon has his dad, Bakabon has his mom

つよめられた約束
Promises were made forcibly

望んでいるものは大きなもの
What we want is something big

握りしめてるのは小さなもの
What we hold onto is something small

ほうきで掃き出す
Swept away with a broom

家中のかなしみを
All the sadness in this house

たんすの中から取り出した
Pulled out from the chest

よろこびを
Joy