Yoko Takahashi (高橋洋子, Takahashi Yōko, born August 28, 1966) is a singer fro… Read Full Bio ↴Yoko Takahashi (高橋洋子, Takahashi Yōko, born August 28, 1966) is a singer from Tokyo, Japan, perhaps best known for performing "残酷な天使のテーゼ" (Zankoku na tenshi no tēze, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis"), the opening theme tune of the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. She also performs the closing theme, an "acid bossa" version of "FLY ME TO THE MOON" and "魂のルフラン" (Tamashii no Rufuran, Refrain of Soul), the closing theme of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth. She also recently performed "Metamorphose," the opening theme to Evangelion studio Gainax's 20th anniversary series, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, the ending theme "夜明け生まれ来る少女" (Yoake Umarekuru Shoujo) for the anime 灼眼のシャナ (Shakugan no Shana) and the opening theme Aoki Flamme for "パンプキン・シザーズ" (Pumpkin Scissors).

魂のルフラン
高橋洋子 Lyrics

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私に還りなさい記憶をたどり
優しさと夢の水源へ
もいちど星にひかれ生まれるために
魂のルフラン

蒼い影につつまれた素肌が
時のなかで静かにふるえてる
命の行方を問いかけるように

指先は私をもとめる

抱きしめてた運命のあなたは
季節に咲くまるではかない花
希望のにおいを胸に残して
散り急ぐあざやかな姿で

私に還りなさい生まれる前に
あなたが過ごした大地へと
この腕に還りなさいめぐり逢うため
奇跡は起こるよ何度でも
魂のルフラン

祈るようにまぶた閉じたときに
世界はただ闇の底に消える
それでも鼓動はまた動きだす
限りある永遠を捜して

私に還りなさい記憶をたどり
優しさと夢の水源へ
あなたも還りなさい愛しあうため
心も体もくりかえす
魂のルフラン

私に還りなさい生まれる前に
あなたが過ごした大地へと
この腕に還りなさいめぐり逢うため

奇跡は起こるよ何度でも
魂のルフラン

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 高橋洋子's song 魂のルフラン speak of nostalgia and longing for a past love, urging them to return to the singer. The chorus, in particular, emphasizes this sentiment, as the singer implores the soul of her lover to return to the earth they once knew, so that they may find each other again. The imagery of the song is one of re-discovery, as the singer traces her memories and searches for the source of goodness and hope in her life. She remembers her lover's warmth, and envisions their reunion as a "miracle," one that will repeat itself again and again.

The song's emotional intensity is heightened by 高橋洋子's soulful voice and the melody's lilting quality. The imagery in the lyrics is intricate and vivid, painting a picture of a nostalgic, wistful love. The line "指先は私をもとめる" ("My fingertips search for you"), for example, is particularly moving, evoking a sense of desperate longing.

Line by Line Meaning

私に還りなさい記憶をたどり
Come back to me and let's recall our memories together

優しさと夢の水源へ
To the fountain of kindness and dreams

もいちど星にひかれ生まれるために
Drawn to the stars once again, to be reborn

魂のルフラン
The revolving song of the soul

蒼い影につつまれた素肌が
The skin wrapped in blue shadow

時のなかで静かにふるえてる
Trembling quietly in time

命の行方を問いかけるように
Asking about the fate of life

指先は私をもとめる
The fingertips seek me

抱きしめてた運命のあなたは
The fate that embraced you

季節に咲くまるではかない花
A flower that blooms in a fleeting season

希望のにおいを胸に残して
Leaving the scent of hope in my heart