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.
真赤な太陽
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
真夏の海は 恋の季節なの
渚をはしる ふたりの髪に
せつなくなびく 甘い潮風よ
はげしい愛に 灼けた素肌は
燃えるこころ 恋のときめき
忘れず残すため
まっかに燃えた 太陽だから
いつかは沈む 太陽だから
涙にぬれた 恋の季節なの
渚に消えた ふたりの恋に
砕ける波が 白く目にしみる
くちづけかわし 永遠を誓った
愛の孤独 海にながして
はげしく身をまかす
いつかは沈む 太陽だから
涙にぬれた 恋の季節なの
恋の季節なの 恋の季節なの
恋の季節なの 恋の季節なの
The lyrics to 美空ひばり's song 真赤な太陽 describe the passion and intensity of a summertime romance by the sea. The opening lines, "まっかに燃えた 太陽だから/真夏の海は 恋の季節なの" ("Because the bright red sun is burning/It's the season of love on the midsummer sea"), set the mood for the rest of the song. The singer depicts a couple running along the beach with their hair flowing in the wind and the scent of the sea surrounding them. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and emotion that reflect the power of the couple's love.
The second verse, "いつかは沈む 太陽だから/涙にぬれた 恋の季節なの" ("Because someday the setting sun will bring tears to the season of love"), adds a bittersweet tone to the song. The couple's love is not guaranteed to last forever, and the singer acknowledges the inevitability of heartache. Still, they share kisses and promises of forever, even as the waves crash around them.
Overall, 真赤な太陽 is a beautiful and poignant song that captures the intense passion and fleeting nature of summer love.
Line by Line Meaning
まっかに燃えた 太陽だから
The sun was burning bright red, signaling that it was the season of summer love
真夏の海は 恋の季節なの
During midsummer, the ocean is the perfect place for love to bloom
渚をはしる ふたりの髪に
The wind blowing over the hair of the two people running on the beach
せつなくなびく 甘い潮風よ
The bittersweet sea breeze that sways gently, making heartaches more poignant
はげしい愛に 灼けた素肌は 燃えるこころ 恋のときめき
The sunburnt skin and burning heart are both the result of the intense passion of love and its sweet excitement
忘れず残すため
So that the memory will never fade away
いつかは沈む 太陽だから
The sun will eventually set, and so will the season of love
涙にぬれた 恋の季節なの
The season of love is filled with tears
渚に消えた ふたりの恋に 砕ける波が 白く目にしみる
The waves that break on the shore when the love of the two people disappears into the sea, make weeping eyes sting with a bright white foam
くちづけかわし 永遠を誓った 愛の孤独 海にながして はげしく身をまかす
Two people who share a kiss exchange vows of eternal love, but love's loneliness is left to linger on the sea to which they fiercely give chase
恋の季節なの 恋の季節なの
It's the season of love, it's the season of love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Osamu Yoshioka, Nobuo Hara
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind