Matsubara was born November 28, 1959[2] in Kishiwada, Osaka in Japan. She spent her childhood in Hiraoka Town, Nishi-ku, Sakai, Osaka.
She grew up in a family of four, including a father, a mother and a younger sister. Her father was a board member of a hospital and her mother was a jazz singer who had sung with the Japanese jazz band and comedy group Crazy Cats. Matsubara started learning the piano at the age of three and later became familiar with jazz. As a child, she went to Sakai city's Hiraoka Elementary School and then in 1972, entered Poole Gakuin Junior High School. Around this time Matsubara became interested in rock music and joined the rock band "Kurei". In 1975 she started in Poole Gakuin High School and became active as a keyboard player of the band "Yoshinoya Band". They would play songs at a live house called Takutaku located in Kyoto. Matsubara was described as an excellent student and was expected by many around her to attend college, but at that time she had already made plans to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. In 1977, when she was still in high school, Matsubara went to Tokyo alone at the age of 17 to make her debut as a singer. The Japanese pianist Yuzuru Sera found her playing music and singing in various places in Kantō such as in the live music venue Birdland located in Roppongi, Tokyo.
Matsubara started her career in 1979 and is known from hit songs such as her debut and immediate breakthrough "Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me)" which has been covered by numerous artists,[5][6][7][8] including Akina Nakamori.[9] The song was ranked 28th on the Oricon Chart,[10] and according to that chart sold 104,000 copies and 300,000 copies announced by Canyon records. Some of her other known songs were "Neat na gogo san-ji (ニートな午後3時)" and "The Winner" among others.
After the release of the song "Neat na gogo san-ji" Matsubara became a well-known singer during that time. She was offered by many to perform in college festivals, concerts and so on. The song even gained a feature in a commercial of the famous Japanese multinational personal care company Shiseido, only less than two years after her debut.[3]
Miki Matsubara received a number of artist awards.[1] Amidst her career, she formed her own band called Dr. Woo.[3] Matsubara also had some international work with Motown jazz fusion group Dr. Strut in Los Angeles (becoming a backing band in the album recordings for "Cupid" and "Myself"), Tokyo and Osaka (Hall concerts), later releasing a jazz cover album entitled "BLUE EYES". In that album she covered some famous jazz songs like "Love for sale", she also covered the soft rock song "You've Got A Friend" originally written and sung by Carole King.[11]
Her vocal range was that of a mezzo-soprano.
During her music career she released 8 singles, and 12 albums. Despite her work being mainly domestic, outside of Japan she was also known for her work as an anime singer and songwriter, singing the opening and ending songs to anime such as Dirty Pair: Project Eden, although recently with the popularization of city pop her other work has gained overseas fans as well.[12] While singing theme songs for the anime Gu Gu Ganmo, she performed under the name Suzie Matsubara (スージー・松原). Matsubara's song "THE WINNER" was used as the opening for the Gundam OVA-series Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
From the 1990's forwards she especially worked on anime soundtracks and music for commercials. Matsubara composed songs for a couple of anime, some of her most known musical compositions were for the anime series Gundam. Matsubara composed songs for several singers, like Hitomi Mieno, but her most notable works were likely with the singer and actress Mariko Kouda, whom Matsubara composed multiple songs to. Kouda's song "Ame no chi special (雨のちスペシャル)", which Matsubara composed, was featured in the five-minute music television and radio series Minna no Uta as a music video in 1997. It attracted a lot of attention and ranked 28th place in the Oricon chart. The song was repeatedly rebroadcast until 2004.
At the end of 2000, Matsubara sent an email to those around her, including her company and the members of Dr. Woo, stating that she could not continue her music career and that she would not be reachable after the message went out. She stopped all music activities and disappeared from the spotlight altogether. In 2001, it was revealed that Matsubara's actions were prompted by a late-stage cancer diagnosis she had received at the time, after which she subsequently began treatment. Matsubara spent her final years battling her illness.
After being told by her doctor that she only had three months left to live, Matsubara died on October 7, 2004, at age 44 due to complications from uterine cervix cancer. Her death was announced to the public two months later.
Wash
Miki Matsubara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dakishimeta sono-te wo kyuu ni yurumenaide
Kuchibiru wo kanete mo fuan ni naru no
Usotsuki ne anata wa mukashi no koibito to iu kuse ni
Mada ano ko omotteru no ne
Oh wash wash darling
Anata no haato wo aratte
Oh wash wash darling
Wash your heart
Mo ichido yasashiku aishite
Shabon no nioi no suru koi ga suki
Doraibu ni sasoaeba anata ga hashiru no wa
Itsu datte onaji michi umibe no haiuei
Kidzukanai furi shite nan'nimo kikanai wa ano ko to
Sayonara wo kimeta michideshou?
Oh wash wash darling
Wash your heart
Kirei ni haato wo aratte
Oh wash wash darling
Wash your heart
Mujakina anata ni modotte
Shabon no nioi no suru kiss ga suki
Mitsume au hitomi no ichiban fukai toko
Watashi dake utsuru hi wo zutto matteru
Otagai faasuto kissu janaikeredo
Koishitara dare datte umarekawareru
Oh wash wash darling
Wash your heart
Anata no haato wo aratte
Oh wash wash darling
Wash your heart
Mo ichido yasashiku aishite
Shabon no nioi no suru koi ga suki
The lyrics in Miki Matsubara's song "Wash" seem to be addressing a past lover that the singer cannot let go of. The first stanza describes holding onto the lover's hand tightly and feeling uneasy when they try to pull away. The singer also mentions a suspicion that the lover is still thinking of someone else, even though they claim to have moved on. The chorus repeats the phrase "wash your heart," which could be interpreted as a way of urging the lover to cleanse themselves of any lingering feelings and fully commit to the relationship. The second verse describes the singer and their lover driving down the same path they always do, but without acknowledging each other. The singer wonders if the lover has decided to end things, but still longs for them and their "bubble-scented kisses." On the surface, the bubble references might seem like a playful touch, but they actually highlight the fleeting, fragile nature of the relationship.
Overall, "Wash" paints a picture of a relationship that's on the verge of ending but both parties can't let go of the memories and emotions that they shared. The repetition of "wash your heart" seems to be a plea to the lover to let go of their past and fully commit to the relationship. If they can't, the singer will most likely have to say goodbye to the lover they still yearn for. The lyrics are performed with a delicate, emotional touch that enhances the melancholic tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Dakishimeta sono-te wo kyuu ni yurumenaide
Don't let go of the hand you held tightly.
Kuchibiru wo kanete mo fuan ni naru no
Even though we kissed, I still feel uneasy.
Usotsuki ne anata wa mukashi no koibito to iu kuse ni
You are a liar, pretending to be the lover from the past.
Mada ano ko omotteru no ne
You're still thinking about her, aren't you?
Oh wash wash darling
Oh, wash wash darling.
Wash your heart
Cleanse your heart.
Anata no haato wo aratte
Wash your heart so it's clear.
Oh wash wash darling
Oh, wash wash darling.
Wash your heart
Cleanse your heart.
Mo ichido yasashiku aishite
Love me gently one more time.
Shabon no nioi no suru koi ga suki
I love love that smells like soap.
Doraibu ni sasoaeba anata ga hashiru no wa
When I invite you on a drive, you always run along the same coastal road.
Itsu datte onaji michi umibe no haiuei
Always on the same route, on the beach highway.
Kidzukanai furi shite nan'nimo kikanai wa ano ko to
Pretending to not notice, not listening to anything that girl says.
Sayonara wo kimeta michideshou?
Have you decided to say goodbye to her?
Kirei ni haato wo aratte
Wash your heart so it's clean.
Mujakina anata ni modotte
Return to your innocent self.
Shabon no nioi no suru kiss ga suki
I love kisses that smell like soap.
Mitsume au hitomi no ichiban fukai toko
The deepest part of your gaze when we look into each other's eyes.
Watashi dake utsuru hi wo zutto matteru
I'll always wait for the day when only I am reflected in your eyes.
Otagai faasuto kissu janaikeredo
Although we don't give each other first kisses.
Koishitara dare datte umarekawareru
When you fall in love, anyone can be reborn.
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.