石狩挽歌
細川たかし Lyrics

The first verse speaks of the relationship between the cries of the sea gulls and the arrival of herring, which is followed by the sounds of the laborers of the Yan group with red tub sleeves, making noise. The singer is at a snowy corner of a hut where she cooks throughout the night, questioning where the herring went since then. She wonders if the torn net is now a type of questioning net. Now, the beach is filled with tattered, worn-out boats floating on the sea. The singer is on the shore looking at the cloudy, herring-colored sky with tears, as a ship named Kasatsumaru sails by.

The second verse exclaims for the bonfire to burn at the Asato beach, where the ocean sparkles silver as the color of herring. The singer, with cheeks reddened by the sound of Soran-bushi, pulls in the country's abundant fishing nets. Once again, she wonders where the herring went after that day; even the Herring Palace at Otamoi Cape has now become outdated, and decays along with the rest. The song concludes with the singer seeing her dreams of women blooming like flowers, with ancient letters being one of the only things that have remained the same.

Overall, the song depicts the life of the fishermen in the snowy north of Japan, with the singer lamenting the sad reality of the dwindling herring population in their province. It is a bittersweet reminder of the importance of preserving the environment for both the creatures and the people who rely on it.