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.
人恋酒
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
いつかおぼえた 酒の味
生きてくつらさ 心の傷を
酔ってわすれる 裏通り
酒よ 今夜もおまえとさしむかい
人に踏まれて 泣きもした
恋にいのちを 賭けもした
おもいださせる 通り雨
酒よ 今夜もおまえとさしむかい
人が恋しく 飲む酒か
夢がほしくて 飲む酒か
沈むも浮くも 人の世ならば
悔いを残さず 歩きたい
酒よ 今夜もおまえとさしむかい
In "人恋酒" (Hito Koi-zake), 美空ひばり sings about the healing power of alcohol in times of heartbreak and loneliness. She describes the taste of the drink that she learned to appreciate without anyone's guidance as a way to forget the emotional wounds inflicted on her heart. The singer of the song has cried over a lost love and has also gambled her life for the sake of romance. However, the memories of the past and the desire to move forward without any regrets are evoked by the sight of a familiar face in the rain.
The lyrics suggest that one may drink out of desperation for love or hope. However, sometimes people drink to forget the pain or to drown their sorrows in the transient bliss of intoxication. The song acknowledges the complexities of human emotions, but the lyrics also propose that one can face the harsh realities of life, both the lows and the highs, with the spirit of a wanderer.
The somber tone of the song is perfectly fitting for the nostalgic ballad style of music known as Showa kayo. This genre was popular in Japan in the late 1930s and continued to rise to prominence during the postwar era. "Hito Koi-zake" is one of the many songs that made Mina Akiko (her real name) famous in the early 1950s. As a woman, Hibari challenged the gender norms of the time by presenting herself as a strong, independent character in her songs. Her voice, described as having a hauntingly beautiful quality, became one of the most recognized and beloved sounds in Japanese popular music history.
Line by Line Meaning
人に教わる こともなく
Without being taught by anyone
いつかおぼえた 酒の味
The remembered taste of alcohol
生きてくつらさ 心の傷を
Pains of life, the hurt in the heart
酔ってわすれる 裏通り
To become drunk and forget the back alleys
酒よ 今夜もおまえとさしむかい
Alcohol, tonight also with you
人に踏まれて 泣きもした
Stepped on by others, cried as well
恋にいのちを 賭けもした
Gambled one's life on love
忘れたはずの 面影ひとつ
One memory that was thought to be forgotten
おもいださせる 通り雨
The passing rain that reminds of it
酒よ 今夜もおまえとさしむかい
Alcohol, tonight also with you
人が恋しく 飲む酒か
Drinking alcohol because of longing for someone
夢がほしくて 飲む酒か
Drinking alcohol in pursuit of a dream
沈むも浮くも 人の世ならば
In the human world, sinking, floating and all
悔いを残さず 歩きたい
Wanting to walk without any regrets
酒よ 今夜もおまえとさしむかい
Alcohol, tonight also with you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: たかたかし
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind