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.
夢追い酒
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
誰が名付けた 夢追い酒と
あなたなぜなぜ わたしを捨てた
みんなあげてつくした その果てに
夜の酒場で ひとり泣く
死ぬまで一緒と信じてた
あなたなぜなぜ わたしを捨てた
指をからめ 眠った幸せを
思い出させる 流し唄
おまえと呼ばれた 気がしたの
雨ににじんだ 酒場の小窓
あなたなぜなぜ わたしを捨てた
じんとお酒 心に燃えさせて
夢を追いましょ もう一度
The lyrics to 美空ひばり's song 夢追い酒 (Yumeoi-sake or "Dream-chasing Sake") convey the emotions of heartbreak and longing for a lost love. The singer is drinking "dream-chasing sake," a name she questions and wonders who came up with, as it only masks the pain and sadness she feels. She laments the fact that the person she thought she would be with until death has abandoned her and left her alone to cry in a night-time bar. She admits to being a fool who believed they would be together forever and wonders why she was left alone.
In the second verse, she reflects on the happy memories she shared with her lover, but the mention of their intertwined fingers while sleeping only brings her more pain. The final verse expresses her deep yearning for her lover, as she even imagines hearing them call her name and feels her heart burn with alcohol and the desire to chase her dreams once again. Overall, the song is a poignant representation of the pain of lost love and the desire to hold onto and relive happy memories.
Line by Line Meaning
??????? ????
I drink this alcohol to ease my sadness
?????? ?????
Who named this alcohol 'Dream-chasing sake'?
??????? ???????
Why did you abandon me?
?????????? ?????
Everyone gathers together at the end of the night
????? ?????
And I cry alone in this nightly bar
???????????
I believed we'd be together until death
??????? ?????
I am and was foolish
????? ??????
Entwined fingers, as I remember our sleeping happiness
?????? ???
This folk song that reminds me of you
???????? ?????
I felt like you called me by name
?????? ?????
Rain smudges the small window of this bar
??????? ???????
Why did you abandon me?
????? ???????
My heart burns with this alcohol
??????? ????
Let's chase our dreams once again
Writer(s): Endo Minoru, 星野榮一
Contributed by Liliana D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ciao clandestine
悲しさまぎらす この酒を
誰が名付けた 夢追い酒と
あなたなぜなぜ わたしを捨てた
みんなあげてつくした その果てに
夜の酒場で ひとり泣く
死ぬまで一緒と信じてた
わたし馬鹿です 馬鹿でした
あなたなぜなぜ わたしを捨てた
指をからめ 眠った幸せを
思い出させる 流し唄
おまえと呼ばれた 気がしたの
雨ににじんだ 酒場の小窓
あなたなぜなぜ わたしを捨てた
じんとお酒 心に燃えさせて
夢を追いましょ もう一度
陳葦凌
美空雲雀真的很會唱。也很喜歡小林旭的歌，夫妻倆真的太會唱了，難怪臺灣的歌曲很多他們的歌，但聽她們的日本原唱更好聽
Bobo Ng
Misora Hibari 32nd anniversary. Appreciate her achievement, performance to audience and fan. Thank you.
Steventwh Tam
演歌女王！这版本是最好听，无论和声编曲甚至比原唱都要好
Mei Wang
聽到有人讚美偶像內心歡喜無比
gary SGT 20196
真的是我心中偉大的演歌女皇
Mei Wang
佩服讚美
Katclaire Jewels
言い足りなかったので、この欄をお借りします。美空ひばりさんは恐らく日本一そして世界一の天才歌手だと確信しております。夢追い酒もひばり風に歌いこなしてます。渥美二郎さんもひばりさんに歌って頂いて光栄に思っておられるでしょう。エックス DJ in S.F.
Harvey Chen
日本歌姬!我超愛聽356Hibari唱的歌!讚!謝謝分享!
岩元一馬
やつぱり、ひばりさんの歌声は最高です。🙆
石楊秀華
一代歌姬，無以論比永難忘懷