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.
妻恋道中
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
投げて長どす 永の旅
怨むまいぞえ 俺らのことは
またの浮世で 逢うまでは
惚れていながら 惚れないそぶり
それがやくざの 恋とやら
二度と添うまい 海道がらす
泣いてなるかと 心に誓や
誓う矢先にまたほろり
馬鹿を承知の 俺等の胸を
何故に泣かすか 今朝の風
These lyrics are from the Japanese song "Tsuma-ko Michinoku" or "Wife's Love Journey" by the famous singer, Hibari Misora. The song describes the journey of a yakuza or a Japanese gangster who leaves his beloved wife behind and sets out on a long journey. He throws a poem of three and a half lines to his wife and tells her not to resent him or his decisions. He assures her that they will meet again in another life.
The journey of this yakuza is marked by his inability to express his love for his wife openly. He is in love with her but cannot show it. This is a characteristic of the yakuza, who live in a world of honor and face. The yakuza considers his journey across the sea as a one-way journey as he will not return. He describes himself as a foolish man who lives by wandering.
The lyrics are poignant and depict the inner journey of a man who belongs to the underworld but has a heart that beats for his wife. It reflects on the harsh reality of the yakuza's life, one that is marked by tough choices, and how they deal with the separation from the things they love.
Line by Line Meaning
好いた女房に 三行り半を 投げて長どす 永の旅
I've left my beloved wife and embarked on a long journey, throwing away my responsibilities with just three and a half lines of goodbye.
怨むまいぞえ 俺らのことは またの浮世で 逢うまでは
I hold no grudges against anyone and will see them all again in the next lifetime, until then, let's meet again in this floating world.
惚れていながら 惚れないそぶり それがやくざの 恋とやら
It's said that a yakuza's love is to pretend not to love, even though he's head over heels.
二度と添うまい 海道がらす 阿呆阿呆で 旅ぐらし
I'll never settle down, as I wander through the sea of life foolishly, living a life of a wanderer.
泣いてなるかと 心に誓や 誓う矢先にまたほろり
I vow not to cry, but as soon as I make that vow, tears threaten to spill over.
馬鹿を承知の 俺等の胸を 何故に泣かすか 今朝の風
Why does the wind this morning make even our foolish, hardened hearts cry?
Writer(s): Takeo Abe, 藤田まさと
Contributed by Lucas V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.