So Long
Hamada Mari (浜田麻里) Lyrics

The lyrics of Hamada Mari's song "So Long" talk about letting go of a past love and embracing the pain that comes with it. The singer reflects on her inability to straightforwardly say goodbye and the emptiness that surrounds her now that she's alone. She notes that the threads of sadness that she's kept inside for so long have finally snapped, leaving her with uncontrollable tears. Despite this, she looks to the future and realizes that if she can't have the love she wants, she'll abandon it altogether and focus on being true to herself. The lyrics end with a wish for well-being as she takes the brave step forward and says "so long" to her lost love.

One interesting fact about this song is that Hamada Mari wrote the lyrics herself, as she does with many of her songs. She has been acclaimed for her emotional and poetic lyrics, and "So Long" is no exception. Another interesting fact is that the song's melody was composed by Yamashita Tatsurō, a famous Japanese singer-songwriter. They met while working at the same record label and became friends, with Yamashita Tatsurō composing several songs for Hamada Mari over the years. "So Long" is considered one of their most famous collaborations.

The song was released in 1988 and became an instant hit. It reached #2 on the Oricon charts and stayed on the charts for 22 weeks. The music video for the song features Hamada Mari, alone in a modernist house, singing the lyrics while looking out into the distance. The song has since become a classic in J-pop and is often covered by other artists. In 2021, a Korean version of the song was released by singer Jang Beom-june as part of his album.

Chords (transposed to key of C major):
Verse: C F G Am, C F G
Chorus: F G Am F G C, Am F G

Overall, "So Long" is a melancholy but empowering song that has touched the hearts of many listeners over the years.