In April of 1987, on the way to a performance in Fukuoka, she suddenly collapsed. Rushed to hospital, she was diagnosed with bilateral femoral necrosis brought on by chronic hepatitis. Until August she was confined to hospital and eventually showed signs of recovery. She commenced recording a new song "Midaregami" in October, and in 1988 performed at a concert called Fushichou konsaato (Phoenix Concert) at the Tokyo Dome. Against overwhelming pain in her legs, she performed a total of 39 songs while assuring her fans that she had completely recovered. However, on 24 May 1989, having been re-admitted to the Juntendou hospital in Tokyo, she died from interstitial pneumonitis at the age of 52. Her death was widely mourned throughout Japan.
In July 1989 after her death, she became the first female recipient of the National Prize of Honour (国民栄誉賞) for her longstanding contributions to the music industry.
In 1993, the Misora Hibari-kan opened in Arashiyama, Kyoto. It was popular with fans and tourists for a number of years, but due to declining turnout it closed on November 30, 2006.
Her most famous song, "Kawa no nagare no yō ni" (1989), was voted #1 in a 1997 NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.
川の流れのように
Misora Hibari Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
細く長い この道
振り返れば 遥か遠く
故郷が見える
でこぼこ道や
曲がりくねった道
地図さえない
それもまた 人生
ゆるやかに
いくつも 時代は過ぎて
ああ 川の流れのように
とめどなく
空が黄昏に 染まるだけ
生きることは 旅すること
終わりのない この道
愛する人 そばに連れて
夢探しながら
雨に降られて
ぬかるんだ道でも
いつかは また
晴れる日が来るから
ああ 川の流れのように
おだやかに
この身を まかせていたい
ああ 川の流れのように
移りゆく
季節 雪どけを待ちながら
ああ 川の流れのように
おだやかに
この身を まかせていたい
ああ 川の流れのように
いつまでも
青いせせらぎを 聞きながら
"Kawa no Nagare no Yoni" is a song by Misora Hibari that reflects the life journey of a person, comparing it to the ebb and flow of a river. The lyrics describe a long and winding road that the singer has walked along without realizing it, only to look back and see the distant view of their hometown. The journey is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and without maps to guide the way, the journey can be likened to life itself. The river, which represents the journey, flows gently, and time passes as numerous eras come to an end, and the river still flows continuously. The singer dreams of being able to relax and let go like the river, even as the sky gradually turns yellow and fades into dusk.
According to the lyrics, life is a never-ending journey likened to the winding roads that we walk on, regardless of whether they are bumpy or smooth. Along the journey, getting lost or being uncertain is not uncommon. However, a glimmer of hope remains as the singer expresses belief that a clear day will eventually come. The song also advocates for the value of companionship, as the singer hopes to have loved ones by their side at all times as they journey through life.
Line by Line Meaning
知らず知らず 歩いて来た
I have unwittingly walked all this way
細く長い この道
This road is both thin and long
振り返れば 遥か遠く
When I look back, my homeland is very far away
故郷が見える
I can see my hometown
でこぼこ道や 曲がりくねった道
I've walked bumpy and winding roads
地図さえない それもまた 人生
Life is the journey even without a map
ああ 川の流れのように ゆるやかに
I wish to flow as gently as the river
いくつも 時代は過ぎて
Many ages have passed
ああ 川の流れのように とめどなく
I wish to flow endlessly like the river
空が黄昏に 染まるだけ
The sky is just tinged with dusk
生きることは 旅すること
To live is to travel
終わりのない この道
This road has no end
愛する人 そばに連れて 夢探しながら
I will search for my dreams with my loved one beside me
雨に降られて ぬかるんだ道でも
Even when it rains and the road's muddy
いつかは また 晴れる日が来るから
Someday, a sunny day will come again
ああ 川の流れのように おだやかに
I wish to flow peacefully like the river
移りゆく 季節 雪どけを待ちながら
As the seasons change, I wait for the snow to melt
ああ 川の流れのように おだやかに
I wish to flow peacefully like the river
この身を まかせていたい
I want to entrust my body to the river
ああ 川の流れのように いつまでも
I want to flow like the river forever
青いせせらぎを 聞きながら
While listening to the sound of the blue stream
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Akira Mitake, Yasushi Akimoto
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind