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.
酒は涙か溜息か
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
心のうさの 捨てどころ
遠いえにしの かの人に
夜毎の夢の せつなさよ
酒は涙か 溜息か
悲しい恋の 捨てどころ
忘れたはずの かの人に
酒は涙か 溜息か
心のうさの 捨てどころ
遠いえにしの かの人に
夜毎の夢の せつなさよ
酒は涙か 溜息か
悲しい恋の 捨てどころ
忘れたはずの かの人に
残る心を なんとしよう
The lyrics of the song 酒は涙か溜息か (Sake wa Namida ka Tameiki ka) by 美空ひばり (MISORA Hibari) typically revolve around the themes of love, heartbreak, and loneliness. In the song, the artist talks about how drinking alcohol can be a way to cope with heartbreak and sadness as it can make one forget or ease the pain of a lost love. The lyrics of the song also suggest that when one drinks alcohol, it could either bring tears or sighs, depending on one's emotional state. The first few lines of the song talk about how difficult it is to find a way to let go of one's emotions and find some sort of comfort in drinking alcohol.
The lyrics then go on to explain how the pain of a lost love can haunt a person, causing them to have dreams about the person they once loved. In this case, the artist talks about how every night, she dreams about a person from a distant past, and the sadness and pain of the lost love leaves her with tears or sighs. The lyrics of the song convey the sense of longing and loss that one experiences after a breakup, no matter how much they try to forget it with alcohol.
Overall, the song is a powerful portrayal of the emotions one experiences after heartbreak and how alcohol can be a way to ease the pain but not truly heal it. It's an insightful commentary on the nature of human emotions and how they can sometimes overpower one's sensibilities, leading them to seek refuge in vices like alcohol.
Line by Line Meaning
酒は涙か 溜息か
Is alcohol meant for crying or sighing?
心のうさの 捨てどころ
A place to discard the hidden emotions in the heart
遠いえにしの かの人に
To the person from the distant nostalgic home
夜毎の夢の せつなさよ
Oh, the agony of the nightly dreams
悲しい恋の 捨てどころ
A place to let go of a sad romance
忘れたはずの かの人に
To the person who was supposed to be forgotten
残る心を なんとしよう
How to deal with the remaining feelings in my heart?
Writer(s): Masao Koga, 高橋掬太郎
Contributed by Adrian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MASAHIDE KAWABE
美空ひばりの歌声はとても深いですね。 古賀メロディーが本来持っている深さを表現できるのは彼女をおいて他にはいません。
ササノンキ
ひばりさん流石やね。
この人はホンマに歌上手いわ。
ありがとう。
ひでと おだか
たまらなく、古賀政男先生のメロディが好きです。
Takuya mc
情感たっぷりの「酒は涙かため息か」しっとりとききました。
Takuya mc
ひばりさんは古賀先生に対して、尊敬の念を抱いてお話されていましたね。私も
ひばりさんは忘れられない人です。
物思う秋・人恋しい秋・今は亡きひばりさんを思う秋です。
Mei Wang
無限感傷的に想い
翁安雄
👍👍👍
hata keiko
ひばりさんは古賀先生が大好きなので曲にたいする思いいれも
相当に深いものがあるとおもいます。悲しい酒同様に聞きいっ
てしまいました。
Mei Wang
どうもありがとうございました。
井上利恵
おはようございます🎵
ひばりさんの古賀先生を思う言葉と共にギターの音色と共に今の季節にぴったりとした懐かしい歌に心が温まる思いで拝聴させて頂きました👂有り難うございました🎼