ZARD (a.k.a. Izumi Sakai (坂井泉水, born Kamachi Sachiko 蒲池幸子, 6 February 1967 … Read Full Bio ↴ZARD (a.k.a. Izumi Sakai (坂井泉水, born Kamachi Sachiko 蒲池幸子, 6 February 1967 – 27 May 2007) was a female Japanese popular musician. Originally a group of 5 members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai (aka Sachiko Kamachi) as group leader. She was part of the record label B-Gram Records, Inc. Zard made their debut in February 10, 1991 with a single Good-bye My Loneliness. By their third album, it appears that the only member left in ZARD was Izumi Sakai, and from that point on, she had been the only member in that group.

Sakai was also a very prolific songwriter. She had written all her own lyrics, and had released several books of poetry as well. She had also written songs for other artists, most notably, for JPOP groups Field of View, WANDS and DEEN. She also wrote the lyrics for and participated in the collaboration for the single "Hateshinai Yumewo" featuring JPOP groups ZARD, REV & WANDS. The single also featured famed Japanese baseball hero Shigeo Nagashima. Some of her singles have been used in Anime, such as Dragon Ball GT and Detective Conan. Sometimes, she would cover songs she's written for other artists like Field of View's "DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku" or Teresa Teng's "Anata to tomo ni ikite yuku".

ZARD was also known for being mysterious. This is partially because her record label does not release too much personal information on their artists, and also because she did not make that many personal appearances. She had rarely appeared on any live TV music programs (eg. Asahi TV's Music Station, Fuji TV's Hey Hey Hey Music Champ), which the main public relations tool for the record industry in Japan, since 1993 or do any public appearances. Her first concert was in 1999, which was held on a cruise ship for a mere 600 people in her fan club (300 entries x2 among 2 million concert ticket requests). Her first real concert tour, "what a beautiful moment tour", was held in 2004, 13 years after her debut. Almost every single concert was sold out at the time. The tour ended up having 10 concerts spanning 4 months from March to July 2004, with a final concert held in the famed Budokan.

ZARD was one of the most successful female singers in the 1990s, with her record sales being #1 for female singers, and #3 for overall total, just behind the groups B'z and Mr. Children. She has had 11 singles reach the #1 spot on the Oricon Singles Charts, and 9 albums reach the #1 spot on the Oricon Album Charts.

She will have released 42 singles 11 albums and 5 best albums as of 10 May 2006

She passed away on May 27, 2007 in Keio University Hospital. She was put in the hospital in June 2006 after discovering she had cervical cancer. In April 2007, the cancer had moved to her lungs, delaying her stay in the hospital. According to the hospital, she would take daily walks every morning, during her walk on May 26, 2007, she accidentally fell from the stairs and was discovered at around 5 a.m. She was sent to the emergency room, but unfortunately passed away. She had planned to release a new album in the fall, as well as her first live tour in three years to show her fans that she's fighting strong against her illnesses. Her company sincerely thanks her fans for the sixteen years of support and wishes that she can live forever in the hearts of the fans. She was 40 years old.

Singles
'Good-bye My Loneliness' (10 February 1991)
'Fushigine' (25 June 1991)
'Mou Sagasanai' (6 November 1991)
'Nemurenai Yoru wo Daite' (5 August 1992)
'IN MY ARMS TONIGHT' (9 September 1992)
'Makenaide' (27 January 1993)
'Kimi ga Inai' (21 April 1993)
'Yureru Omoi' (19 May 1993)
'Mou Sukoshi Ato Sukoshi...' (4 September 1993)
'Kitto Wasurenai' (3 November 1993)
'Kono Ai ni Oyogitsukaretemo' (2 February 1994)
'Konna ni Soba ni Irunoni' (8 August 1994)
'Anata wo Kanjiteitai' (24 December 1994)
'Just believe in love' (1 February 1995)
'Ai ga Mienai' (5 June 1995)
'Sayonara ha Ima mo Kono Mune ni Imasu' (28 August 1995)
'Mai Furendo' (8 January 1996)
'Kokoro wo Hiraite' (6 May 1996)
'Don't you see!' (6 January 1997) (Closing Theme to Dragon Ball GT.)
'Kimi ni Aitakunattara...' (26 February 1997)
'Kaze ga Torinukeru Machi he' (2 July 1997)
'Eien' (20 August 1997)
'My Baby Grand -Nukumori ga Hoshikute-' (3 December 1997)
'Iki mo Dekinai' (4 March 1998)
'Unmei no Ruretto Mawashite' (17 September 1998)
'Atarashi Doa -Fuyu no Himawari-' (2 December 1998)
'GOOD DAY' (2 December 1998)
'MIND GAMES' (7 April 1999)
'Sekai ha Kitto Mirai no Naka' (16 June 1999)
'Itaikurai Kimi ga Afureteiruyo' (14 October 1999)
'Kono Namida Hoshi ni Nare' (1 December 1999)
'Get U're Dream' (6 September 2000)
'promised you' (15 November 2000)
'Sawayakana Kimi no Kimochi' (22 May 2002)
'Asu wo Yumemite' (9 April 2003)
'Hitomi Tojite' (9 July 2003)
'Motto Chikakude Kimi no Yokogao Miteitai' (12 November 2003)
'Kakegae no Naimono' (23 June 2004)
'Kyou wa yukkuri hanasou' (24 November 2004)
'Hoshi no Kagayaki yo/ Natsu wo matsu SEIRU no You ni' (20 April 2005)
'Kanashii Hodou Anata ga Suki/ Karatto Ikou!' (8 March 2006)
'Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete' (10 May 2006)
'Glorious Mind' (12 December 2007)
'Tsubasa wo hirogete/ Ai wa kurayami no naka de' (9 April 2008)

Albums
Good-bye My Loneliness (27 March 1991)
Mou Sagasanai (25 December 1991)
HOLD ME (2 September 1992)
Yureru Omoi (10 July 1993)
OH MY LOVE (4 June 1994)
forever you (10 March 1995)
TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY (8 July 1996)
ZARD BLEND -SUN & STONE- (23 April 1997)
Eien (17 February 1999)
ZARD BEST The Single Collection -Kiseki- (28 May 1999)
ZARD BEST -Requested Memorial- (15 September 1999)
ZARD Cruising & Live (26 January 2000)
Toki no Tsubasa (15 February 2001)
ZARD BLEND II -LEAF & SNOW- (21 November 2001)
Tomatteita Tokei ga Ima Ugokidasita (28 January 2004)
Kimi to no Distance (7 September 2005)
Golden Best -15th Anniversary- (25 October 2006)
ZARD Request Best -beautiful memory- (23 January 2008)

あなたと共に生きてゆく
ZARD Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

陽だまりの中で手をつないで歩いた
いつもと同じ街並
今日は輝いて見える
最近涙もろい母にはこれから
心配かけたくないわ見守って優しく
あなたと共に生きていく
小さな幸せ抱きしめ
切ない痛みさえも分かち合えるから

あなたと共に生きていく
今は誰よりも心強い
愛して傷つくこと
おびえてた日はもう遠い
静かに時は流れ

孤独に泣いてた日々
あなたと出会った
女としての幸せ初めて知ったの私
不安に揺れることも眠れぬ夜もある
最高のステージにして人生の記念日
あなたと共に生きていく
小さな夢を抱きしめて
確かな愛信じて綺麗になりたい
あなたと共に生きていく
今は何も迷わないわ旅立つ遥かな道
二人なら乗り越えられる
季節が過ぎ去っても

二人なら乗り越えられる
季節が過ぎ去っても

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ZARD's song "Anata to Tomo ni Ikite Yuku" (Living with You) tell a story of a woman who is grateful for the love and support of her partner as she navigates the ups and downs of life. The first verse describes a peaceful scene of the couple walking hand in hand in the sunshine, with the city surroundings shining brighter than usual. The woman thinks of her mother, who has been emotional lately and wishes to be strong and supported by her partner. She cherishes the small moments of happiness and shares even her painful moments with her partner. She feels strong and loved, having overcome her past fears and anxieties. The chorus expresses her gratitude for her partner's love and the feeling of wanting to live with him forever, embracing their dreams and a belief in a certain type of "pure love" that can make you more beautiful.

The second verse reveals that the woman had been lonely and insecure before meeting her partner. He made her feel like a woman, and for the first time, she experienced true happiness. However, she still feels some unease and restless nights, but the relationship is also the best and most memorable stage of her life. She wants to become a better person, believing in their love, holding on to their small dreams, and embracing the unknown path that lies ahead. The final line of the song repeats the idea that even as seasons pass, they will overcome together.

Overall, the song is a heartfelt tribute to the power of love and the strength it can give to overcome obstacles in life.

Line by Line Meaning

陽だまりの中で手をつないで歩いた
We walked hand in hand in the sunshine.

いつもと同じ街並
The same streets as always.

今日は輝いて見える
Today they seem to shine.

最近涙もろい母にはこれから心配かけたくないわ見守って優しく
I don't want to worry my mother who's been recently weeping easily, so watch over her kindly.

あなたと共に生きていく小さな幸せ抱きしめ切ない痛みさえも分かち合えるから
I'll live with you, hugging small moments of happiness, because I can share even the painful sadness with you.

あなたと共に生きていく今は誰よりも心強い
Living with you, I feel stronger than anyone else right now.

愛して傷つくことおびえてた日はもう遠い
The days of being afraid of getting hurt by love are long gone.

静かに時は流れ
The time flows quietly.

孤独に泣いてた日々あなたと出会った女としての幸せ初めて知ったの私
The days I cried alone were gone when I met you. It was then that I first knew the happiness of being a woman.

不安に揺れることも眠れぬ夜もある最高のステージにして人生の記念日
There are nights when I can't sleep from anxiety, but I want to make them the best stages and the memories of my life.

あなたと共に生きていく小さな夢を抱きしめて確かな愛信じて綺麗になりたい
I'll live with you, holding on to small dreams and believing in true love, so that I can become beautiful.

あなたと共に生きていく今は何も迷わないわ旅立つ遥かな道二人なら乗り越えられる
I'm not lost now; we'll overcome the long journey ahead if we're together.

季節が過ぎ去っても二人なら乗り越えられる季節が過ぎ去っても
Even when the seasons pass, we can overcome them together; even when the seasons pass.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Izumi Sakai, Tetsuro Oda

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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