Background information of songs we sing 私たちが歌う曲の背景情報

(Prepared by Atsuko Betchaku)

Backgroud information of the song

This song sung by a group called SMAP was first released in 2002 and became a great hit in 2003. It is so far the most sold single CD in the 21st century in Japan and now even included in a school music textbook.

It was written and composed by Mr Noriyuki Makihara, a very popular Japanese singer-song writer. He stated that when he created this song, he felt it was not by his own talent, but a gift from the god. 

Under pressure creating a hit song from his label, he experienced gaps between such a request and his own wish to do something musically challenging. This was his personal background to create this song.  

I consider that there were two important social backgrounds for its great success In the age of globalisation based on free market starting from the late 1990s, people started to live in a more competitive society. In 2003, the worst form of a competition, a war (the Iraq war) killing people, started.      

Interpretation of the lyrics

It is said that Mr Makihara was inspired by two different sources, Buddhism and The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, first published in 1943, when he wrote the song (Wikipedia).

In a Buddhism text there is a phrase such as 'In the purified land, there are many different flowers, but each respects others'. There is also an episode in The Little Prince. If you grow a rose by yourself cherishing it, it would become the best for you even if there are many other different roses.   

Messages of the song would be like this: Be yourself! You have something original and unique. Just cherish it. Somebody will find your uniqueness even if you feel you have not been recognised at the moment. When such a timing comes, it would please not only a person who would find out you but also those who are around this person.