Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや) (born March 20, 1955 in Shimane, Japan) is a Japan… Read Full Bio ↴Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや) (born March 20, 1955 in Shimane, Japan) is a Japanese singer and songwriter.
Takeuchi started her own career with a single "Modotte-Oide, Watashi no Jikan" in 1978. From the late 1970s to the early '80s, she has recorded 5 albums and several singles including top-ten hit "Fushigi na Peach Pie". Those materials have featured dozens of Japanese and North American distinguished songwriters, instrumentalists, and producers, such as David Foster, Jim Keltner, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro, David Hungate, Kazuhiko Kato, Kunihiko Kase, Shigeru Suzuki, Takashi Matsumoto, and her future long-term partner Tatsuro Yamashita.
"Heart to Heart", one of her songs co-written by Roger Nichols and released in 1980, was recorded by the Carpenters two years later, and became the last recording for the late Karen Carpenter.

In 1981, Takeuchi married to a singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, and stopped her career temporarily owing to the pregnancy. After her comeback to the Japanese music industry in 1984, she has accomplished huge commercial success more than when she was single. From that year to the present, she has recorded 6 successful studio albums that mainly consisted of her self-penned songs, and all of them have reached #1 on the Japanese Oricon chart.

As a singer-songwriter, she has produced 8 top-ten hit singles on the Oricon, including "Single Again", "Kokuhaku", "Junai Rhapsody", "Konya wa Hearty Party" and her only #1 hit "Camouflage".

Let It Be Me
竹内まりや Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I bless the day I found you
I want to stay around you
And so I beg you
Let it be me

Don′t take this heaven from one
If you must cling to someone
Now and forever

Let it be me

Each time we meet love
I find complete love
Without your sweet love
What would life be?

So never leave me lonely
Tell me you'll love me only
And that you′ll always
Let it be me

Each time we meet love
I find complete love
Without your sweet love
What would life be?

So never leave me lonely
Tell me you'll love me only
And that you'll always
Let it be me

And that you′ll always

Let it be me
Hmm, hmm, hmm

Overall Meaning

"Let It Be Me" by 竹内まりや is a beautiful love song that captures the essence of someone who has found deep love and wants it to last forever. The first stanza speaks of the joy and happiness that the presence of the love of their life brings them, and they express their desire to stay around them. They then plead with them to let them be the one they hold onto and not take away the heaven that they have found in each other's arms. The repetition of the phrase "Let it be me" emphasizes the need that they have to be together and highlights the depth of their love.

The second stanza reiterates their desire to be their partner's one and only and not be left lonely. They ask for an assurance of their love and vow to always be there for them. The repetition of the lines "Each time we meet love, I find complete love / Without your sweet love, what would life be?" expresses the completeness they feel with their partner and highlights the importance of their love in their life. The song ends with an emotional plea for the partner to always let them be the one they love.

Overall, "Let It Be Me" is a touching and heartfelt love song that beautifully captures the essence of true love and commitment.

Line by Line Meaning

I bless the day I found you
I am thankful for the day I met you and my life has been better since then

I want to stay around you
I enjoy spending time with you and want to continue doing so

And so I beg you
I plead with you to consider my request

Let it be me
Choose me as the one you want to be with and love

Don't take this heaven from one
Don't take away the happiness and love that I have with you

If you must cling to someone
If you need to hold on to someone, let it be me

Now and forever
Always and for eternity

Each time we meet love
Every time we are together, the love between us grows

I find complete love
I feel the presence of true and complete love

Without your sweet love
If I didn't have your love, my life would be incomplete