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.
Koi ha Momo-Iro
矢野顕子 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
どうでもいいことさ
どうやって来たのか
忘れられるかな
土の香りこのペンキのにおい
壁は象牙色 空は硝子の色
夜をつかって辿り着くまで
陽気な唄を吐き出しながら
赤いお月様と鬼ごっこ
ここは前に来た道
川沿いの道
雲の切れ目からのぞいた
見覚えのある街
トゥー トゥー トゥー
おまえの中で 雨が降れば
僕は傘を閉じて濡れていけるかな
雨の香りこの黴のくさみ
空は鼠色 恋は桃色
ここは前に来た道
川沿いの道
雲の切れ目からのぞいた
見覚えのある街
トゥー トゥー トゥー
The lyrics to "Koi ha Momo-Iro" by 矢野顕子 can be interpreted as a reflection on the simplicity and indifference of where one is in life, and how they arrived at that point. The opening lines, "Where is this place? It doesn't matter. How did I get here? Will I be able to forget?" convey a sense of detachment and nonchalance towards the present circumstances. The mention of the scent of soil and paint, the ivory-colored walls, and the glass-like sky paints a vivid picture of the surroundings.
As the song progresses, the lyrics describe the journey through the darkness, accompanied by a cheerful tune and a fiery car speeding towards the unknown. This imagery suggests a willingness to embrace the unknown, to take risks, and to challenge the conventional norms. The mention of the red moon and the game of tag with demons further adds a touch of whimsy and surrealism to the lyrics.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to the rain and its scent, which brings a musty feeling. The gray sky and the peach-colored love evoke a certain melancholic beauty. The repetition of the lines "This is the road I've been on before, the road along the river. I looked through a gap in the clouds, a familiar city" suggests a sense of déjà vu, as if this cycle of experiences has been repeated before.
Overall, "Koi ha Momo-Iro" captures a sense of detachment, curiosity, and acceptance of life's unpredictable journey, with a blend of poetic and symbolic imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
ここがどこなのか
I wonder where this place is
どうでもいいことさ
It doesn't really matter
どうやって来たのか
How did I come here?
忘れられるかな
Will I be able to forget?
土の香りこのペンキのにおい
The smell of the soil, the scent of paint
壁は象牙色 空は硝子の色
The walls are ivory-colored, the sky is glass-like
夜をつかって辿り着くまで
Until I reach my destination using the night
陽気な唄を吐き出しながら
While spitting out a cheerful song
闇へとつっぱしる火の車
A fire car dashing into the darkness
赤いお月様と鬼ごっこ
Playing tag with the red moon
ここは前に来た道
This is the road I came before
川沿いの道
A road along the river
雲の切れ目からのぞいた
Peeping through a break in the clouds
見覚えのある街
A familiar town
トゥー トゥー トゥー
Toot toot toot
おまえの中で 雨が降れば
If rain falls within you
僕は傘を閉じて濡れていけるかな
I wonder if I can close my umbrella and get wet
雨の香りこの黴のくさみ
The scent of rain, the mustiness of mold
空は鼠色 恋は桃色
The sky is mouse-gray, love is peach-colored
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: 晴臣 細野
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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