Hibari Misora (美空ひばり Misora Hibari, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Ja… Read Full Bio ↴Hibari Misora (美空ひばり Misora Hibari, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. Born Kazue Kato (加藤和枝) in Yokohama, she was an accomplished singer by the age of seven, and appeared in film for the first time at age 12. Between 1949's Kanashiki kuchibue and 1971's Onna no Hanamichi, she appeared in over 60 movies.

In April of 1987, on the way to a performance in Fukuoka, she suddenly collapsed. Rushed to hospital, she was diagnosed with bilateral femoral necrosis brought on by chronic hepatitis. Until August she was confined to hospital and eventually showed signs of recovery. She commenced recording a new song Midaregami in October, and in 1988 performed at a concert called Fushichou konsaato (Phoenix Concert) at the Tokyo Dome. Against overwhelming pain in her legs, she performed a total of 39 songs while assuring her fans that she had completely recovered. However, on 24 May 1989, having been re-admitted to the Juntendou hospital in Tokyo, she died from interstitial pneumonitis at the age of 52.

In July 1989 after her death, she became the first female recipient of the National Prize of Honour (国民栄誉賞) for her longstanding contributions to the music industry.

In 1993, the Misora Hibari-kan opened in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Its popularity with fans and tourists has endured through to the present.

Her most famous song, "Kawa no nagare no yō ni," (1989) was voted #1 in a 1997 NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.

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美空ひばり Lyrics

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Love is over 悲しいけれど
終わりにしようきりがないから
Love is over ワケなどないよ
ただひとつだけあなたのため
Love is over 若いあやまちと
笑って言える時が来るから
Love is over 泣くな男だろう
私の事は早く忘れて

わたしはあんたを忘れはしない
誰に抱かれても忘れはしない
きっと最後の恋だと思うから
Love is over わたしはあんたの
お守りでいいそっと心に
Love is over 最後にひとつ
自分をだましちゃいけないよ

お酒なんかでごまかさないで
本当の自分をじっと見つめて
きっとあんたにお似合いの人がいる
Love is over 悲しいよ
早く出てってふりむかないで

Love is over Uh......
元気でいてね Love is over......

Overall Meaning

The song "Love is Over" by 美空ひばり is a bittersweet ballad about a relationship that has come to an end. The lyrics express a sense of resignation as well as longing for the past. The singer acknowledges that the relationship was full of mistakes and regrets, but ultimately concludes that it was all for the sake of love. The repetition of "Love is over" emphasizes the finality of the situation and the need to move on.

The lyrics are somewhat ambiguous, leaving open the possibility that the relationship ended because of the singer's own mistakes. At one point, the singer encourages her former lover to "laugh and say" that she was just a youthful mistake, suggesting that she may have been the one who made poor choices in the relationship. However, the final lines caution against self-deception: "Don't fool yourself" into thinking that you can forget your feelings and move on easily.

Overall, the lyrics of "Love is Over" are poignant and evocative, capturing the emotional complexity of a difficult breakup. The singer's voice is full of raw emotion, as she provides a glimpse into her heart and soul.

Line by Line Meaning

Love is over 悲しいけれど
Love has ended, and it's sad, but we must move on.

終わりにしようきりがないから
We should end it because it's going nowhere.

Love is over ワケなどないよ
There's no reason for the end of love; it just happens.

ただひとつだけあなたのため
I did everything for you, and that's the one thing that matters.

Love is over 若いあやまちと
We can laugh about the mistakes of our youth because the time will come.

笑って言える時が来るから
We'll be able to laugh about this someday because time heals all wounds.

Love is over 泣くな男だろう
Don't cry. You're a man, after all.

私の事は早く忘れて
Forget about me quickly.

わたしはあんたを忘れはしない
I won't forget you.

誰に抱かれても忘れはしない
I won't forget you, no matter who holds me.

きっと最後の恋だと思うから
I think this was probably my last love.