Born in Kamakura, she began studying piano at the age of five and received her M.A. degree from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. She presented her first public recital in 1970.
She has released numerous recordings and many 20th century composers (including John Cage, Morton Feldman, Alvin Lucier, Isang Yun (윤이상), Joji Yuasa (湯浅譲二), Toshi Ichiyanagi (一柳慧), Carl Stone, Maki Ishii (石井眞木), and Takehisa Kosugi (小杉武久)) have written pieces for her.
She has also performed works by Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Iannis Xenakis, Toru Takemitsu (武満徹), and her brother, Yuji Takahashi (高橋悠治).
She has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and served as Artist-in-Residence at the State University of New York at Buffalo from 1980 - 1981. She was a guest professor at the California Institute of the Arts in 1984 and 1985.
Blackbird
Aki Takahashi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
The lyrics to Aki Takahashi's "Blackbird" contain powerful metaphors and themes such as resilience, growth, and liberation. The song narrates the journey of a blackbird, which symbolizes the human spirit, as it overcomes its struggles and learns to fly despite its broken wings and sunken eyes. The line "take these broken wings and learn to fly" is a call for the singer to embrace its scars and turn them into strengths. The blackbird's journey is a metaphor for life's challenges and how one can emerge stronger from them.
The second half of the song moves towards an emphasis on freedom. The blackbird is urged to learn to see and fly into the darkness, which can be interpreted as facing and overcoming one's fears. The repetition of the line "you were only waiting for this moment to be free" echoes the singer's desire for release from its limitations.
Overall, "Blackbird" can be seen as a hopeful song about the universal human experience of overcoming struggles and achieving liberation.
Line by Line Meaning
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
The blackbird is singing during a time of darkness and silence.
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Use your difficult experiences and learn from them in order to succeed and achieve your goals.
All your life
Throughout your entire existence.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You have been anticipating this moment of opportunity for a long time.
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
Overcome your sadness and pessimism to find a new perspective on life.
You were only waiting for this moment to be free
You have been waiting for a chance to escape from a situation or mindset that has been holding you back.
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Encouragement to take flight and pursue your dreams.
Into the light of the dark black night.
Overcome the obstacles and challenges in your path to find success and happiness.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
Reiteration of the idea that this moment of opportunity has been long anticipated.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
Reiteration of the idea that this moment of opportunity has been long anticipated.
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Reiteration of the idea that this moment of opportunity has been long anticipated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MissVladimirova
Great music! Unusual interpretation!! Thank you, Elmir!
@jiyujizai
🌾😊🌿🥀🎶
@hirakawatenmangu
i love it! from tokyo.
@jnsurg947
Aki Takahashi, japanese pianist. Several world famous composers of today dedicated their pieces to her.John Lennon＆Paul McCartney's ""Blackbird" arranged by Elmir Nizamov.