さよならイエスタデイ
細川たかし Lyrics

In "Sayonara Yesterday," Takashi Hosokawa sings about a bittersweet goodbye between two former lovers. The first verse talks about their farewell, expressing that neither of them can escape the pain of the separation. They both shed tears, remembering their first love and the dizzying kisses they once shared. The singer reveals that she is going to marry someone else soon and reflects on how fleeting their romance was. She recalls the summer when she became a woman, shedding her girlhood in his arms.

The second verse is a reminiscence of their past, including an unfulfilled promise and the scent of his cigarette that lingers in her memory. Although she has been with other men since their separation, none have compared to their love, but she knows that they can never go back to their innocent past. She admits her feelings of hating him but still loving him and explains that this contradiction stems from their honesty with each other.

The song's universal theme of reminiscing about past love and the pain of separation resonated with audiences across Japan, particularly with those who lived through the post-war reconstruction era. Hosokawa's vocal performance and expressive style also earned her critical acclaim.