A song themed around being divorced once. A breakup song.

People of the pastHY

[A Tearjerker] A Song That Makes Everyone Remember the Past: “To People of the Past” by HY

The person who was supposed to vow eternity with you has gone on to find happiness without you.

This HY song captures that bittersweet reality.

Even though you’ve decided to “fall in love with someone else,” you still find yourself drifting into “what ifs” in quiet moments, clinging to the hope that maybe you could still go back.

Many of us have been there.

The track was included on the album GLOCAL, released in February 2014, and was performed on a nationwide tour covering 22 locations that same year.

When you’ve been through a divorce and your ex-partner’s happiness unsettles you, the harder you try to forget, the more vivid the memories become.

Perhaps letting yourself sink fully into the melancholy while listening to this song might actually become the very push you need to face forward.

Until the day I can no longer rememberback number

back number – Until the Day It Becomes Unrememberable (full)

This is a song by back number that portrays parting ways with a partner you walked through life with.

The loss you feel when the other person’s presence has shaped who you are—so deeply that it felt like they were half of you—is not easily filled, is it? This work sings of that profound sorrow, the loneliness of memories fading, and the complex feeling of wishing not to forget despite it all.

Released as a single in October 2011, it’s also included on the acclaimed album “Superstar,” and at the time it served as the ending theme for “JAPAN COUNTDOWN.” For those who have gone through divorce and are burdened with grief so heavy it feels impossible to recover from, this song will be there to say, “It’s okay not to force yourself to forget right now.” If you listen to this song and shed some tears, you might be able to look forward just a little.

At HomeNakajima Miyuki

At Home

This is a work by Miyuki Nakajima that portrays the resolve to sever ties with the place one ought to return to and to live in the place one stands now.

Watching the last train bound for her hometown depart, the protagonist deliberately chooses not to go back—an image that overlaps with the loneliness and determination of someone breaking away from their past life to walk a new path alone.

The piece was included on the acclaimed 1977 June release “A-RI-GA-TO-U” and is also widely known as the B-side to the smash single “Wakare Uta.” It has been cherished as a song that colors the world of dramas crafted by So Kuramoto as well.

The warm folk sound seems to gently envelop both the loneliness that follows a major decision and the strength to keep looking forward despite it.

ShipwreckNakamori Akina

Nanpasen (2014 Remaster)

This song was written and composed by Tokiko Kato and provided to Akina Nakamori.

Released in 1987 as her 19th single, the cover came to fruition because Kato herself ardently wished for Nakamori to sing it.

It likens a heart that has lost love and has nowhere to go to a ship stranded by a storm.

For those who have gone through the profound parting of divorce and feel their hearts on the verge of breaking from an unbearable loneliness, the depth of this sorrow will resonate painfully.

It stays close on nights when you don’t want to put on a brave face and instead want to confront your feelings head-on.

Perhaps shedding tears while listening to this song will make your heart feel just a little lighter.

Goodbye HappinessUtada Hikaru

Hikaru Utada – Goodbye Happiness

A song by Hikaru Utada that portrays the resolve to say goodbye to days of past happiness and step forward as a new self.

Despite its upbeat dance sound, the lyrics bid farewell not only to loneliness but to happiness itself, conveying both the strength to accept the past and move toward the future, and the sadness that lies beneath.

Released in advance from the album “Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.

2” in November 2010, just before her hiatus, it was also featured in a commercial.

Even after going through a divorce and becoming single again, you may want to face your memories and take a strong step forward.

This is a song that gently gives a push to those who feel that way.

NEW YEAR’S EVEHamada Shogo

NEW YEAR’S EVE Shogo Hamada

A classic ballad by singer-songwriter Shogo Hamada that portrays the gentle parting of two people who have been together for many years.

You can almost see the scene of a New Year’s Eve night when, caring for each other yet choosing different paths for the sake of their respective futures, they decide to part ways.

Listening to this song, some may quietly reflect on a past farewell and wonder, “Did that decision allow us both to take a new step forward?” The track was included on the album FATHER’S SON, released in March 1988, and was later self-covered by Hamada.

For those who have had to make a painful choice, this song may feel like one that gently embraces that decision and gives you the strength to look ahead—an intimate companion to the heart.

the red threadKobukuro

Kobukuro “Red Thread”

Kobukuro weaves an epic, nearly seven-minute story, singing of a fateful bond with beautiful harmony.

It portrays a year in the lives of two people who once drew a line in their relationship and decided not to see each other for a while.

Some listeners may see themselves in the protagonist, who believes and keeps waiting until the other person’s heart arrives at an answer—reflecting a complex love that continues even after a breakup.

After being included on the indie release “Root of my mind,” this song was covered by Yui Aragaki and also used in a Nippon Life commercial.

Choosing to part ways yet still thinking of the other person somewhere in your heart is proof of how deeply you loved, isn’t it? This song seems to gently embrace that painful feeling and affirm the meaning of taking time apart.