伊豆の渡り鳥
鏡五郎 Lyrics

The lyrics of the song "伊豆の渡り鳥" by 鏡五郎 paint a picture of a traveler, presumably a bird or a person, journeying through Izu Peninsula in Japan. The first stanza describes the traveler wearing a striped raincoat and carrying a load, while braving the rain with a traditional hat. The traveler deliberately avoids stopping at the popular destination of Shuzenji Temple, instead taking a detour of three miles down a side road. This decision is symbolic of the traveler taking the road less traveled and forging their own path, regardless of conventional wisdom.

The second half of the lyrics describe the traveler stopping at a local hot spring, where they bathe and wash away their burdens. The traveler encounters a beautiful woman who reminds them of someone they parted ways with at the nearby tea house on the mountain pass. The chorus describes the traveler's desire to reach their destination, the town of Shimoda, on the Izu Peninsula before the rainy season and before the pursuit of the crow from Tenshiro catches up with them.