Iijima's original demo tape was picked up by JVC Victor in 1982 and she was signed to the record company as a singer-songwriter. Soon afterward, she was asked to audition for the role of Lynn Minmay in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross by the label and the producers chose her to play the role. The series quickly became a mega hit and brought Iijima to stardom. Her debut album, Rosé, containing no Macross tracks, had lyrics and music written by her. It debuted at number 10 on the charts in September 1983, and she started her career as a singer-songwriter.
Iijima moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to expand her music career. That same year, she appeared as a guest vocalist on Van Dyke Parks' album Tokyo Rose. After releasing her first independent (and first English language) album, No Limit, she was nominated for the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards' Best Pop Artist for the album and she was in the final four for the award.
Blueberry Jam
飯島真理 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
言葉を超えて 愛を伝える
ビン詰めにされた ムラサキ色の夢
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
あなたに手渡した時に
Blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
触れた指先 頬に押しあてる
Ru, ru, ru・・・・・・
ひろがる夢を あなたがほおばる時
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
ムラサキの夜が明けたら Breakfast!
Blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
あふれる想い 届けてくれるの
Blueberry jam, blueberry jam・・・・・・
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
Ra, ra, ra・・・・・・
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
あふれる想い 届けてくれるの
The lyrics of 飯島真理's song "Blueberry Jam" convey a message of love that goes beyond words. The first two lines describe the hidden feelings in the closed palm; they convey the idea that love is something that cannot be exclusively expressed through language. The next line "It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam" is repeated twice and seems to serve as a metaphor for the experience of love: like the sweet and fruity taste of blueberry jam, love is rich, complex, and full of flavor. The verses "ビン詰めにされた ムラサキ色の夢" and "ホワイトチョコレート バースデーケーキ" highlight the idea that the love that the singer feels is symbolic of a dream, one that is filled with color and vibrance.
The lyrics highlight the importance of touch, as the next two lines mention the sensation of fingers touching cheeks. The words "ふかふかで白い 長方形の上に" describe a dream or a fantasy that the singer has had, almost as if they have imagined a scene where they serve the blueberry jam to their loved one on a soft and fluffy white rectangle. The song ends with the lines, "あふれる想い 届けてくれるの," which convey the idea that the overflowing emotions that the singer has for their loved one will be delivered through the sweet and sumptuous blueberry jam.
Line by Line Meaning
むすんだ手のひら 中にかくれてたのは
What was hidden in the palm that was clenched was something beyond words, a way to convey love
言葉を超えて 愛を伝える
Transmitting love that goes beyond words
ビン詰めにされた ムラサキ色の夢
A dream that's been bottled up, one that's purple in color
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
This is blueberry jam, indeed blueberry jam
あなたに手渡した時に
When I hand it over to you
Blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
This is blueberry jam, indeed blueberry jam
触れた指先 頬に押しあてる
Your fingers touch and press against my cheek
Ru, ru, ru・・・・・・
Ru, ru, ru... (onomatopoeia for a soft and gentle sound)
ふかふかで白い 長方形の上に
On a soft, white rectangle
ひろがる夢を あなたがほおばる時
The dream spreads as you take a bite
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
This is blueberry jam, indeed blueberry jam
ムラサキの夜が明けたら Breakfast!
When the purple night turns to day, it's breakfast time!
Blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
This is blueberry jam, indeed blueberry jam
あふれる想い 届けてくれるの
It delivers overflowing feelings
Blueberry jam, blueberry jam・・・・・・
This is blueberry jam, blueberry jam...
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
This is blueberry jam, indeed blueberry jam
Ra, ra, ra・・・・・・
Ra, ra, ra... (onomatopoeia for a joyful and lively sound)
It's blueberry jam, it's blueberry jam
This is blueberry jam, indeed blueberry jam
あふれる想い 届けてくれるの
It delivers overflowing feelings
Writer(s): 飯島 真理, 飯島 真理
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.