[Great Lyrics!!] Recommended Tear-Jerking Graduation Songs with Heartfelt, Moving Words [2026]

Graduation (feat. Shuto)NEW!hannya

Hannya / Graduation (feat. Shuto) / Official Music Video

Partings and new departures that come at life’s turning points.

Hannya’s new song “Sotsugyo” (“Graduation”) takes on this universal theme.

Released for streaming in February 2026, the track features Hiito, an artist based in Okinawa.

Over a calm, piano-centered beat, Hannya recounts past memories with restraint yet palpable heat.

It’s a reality—far from mere platitudes—that only he could portray after building his career since the 2004 album “Ohayo Nippon” and even headlining a successful Budokan show; it really hits home.

With Hiito’s gentle vocals added, the song leaves a bittersweet yet forward-looking afterglow.

Carrying all of the past and still striving to move on to the next stage, it feels like a quiet push on the back for anyone on that path.

Run Through the MemoriesMy Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – Dash Through the Memories

This song was written by the rock band My Hair is Bad, from Joetsu City in Niigata Prefecture, for the film Crayon Shin-chan: Our Dinosaur Diary, released in August 2024.

It carries a warm message that looks back on the days gone by and affirms that even painful experiences connect to who we are now.

As the closing track on their album ghosts, released in July 2024, it’s a perfect fit for parting with friends who shared irreplaceable moments together—like the one unforgettable summer Shin-chan and his friends spent.

Any anxiety about stepping onto a new path will surely be transformed into courage by vocalist Tomomi Shiiki’s powerful voice.

It’s a song we hope you’ll listen to as you and your friends, who may be separated after graduation, cheer on each other’s futures.

Thank youKagura SCOPE

Kagura SCOPE – Thank You [Official Music Video]

A solo artist known as a “Rapsinger” who fuses rap and singing, Kagura SCOPE has been winning support from street performances.

This single, released in December 2024, is a heartwarming pop number that straightforwardly expresses gratitude.

Its lyrics reflect on the appreciation we often overlook in everyday life and the miracle that encounters are never to be taken for granted, resonating deeply with those facing seasons of farewells and new beginnings.

It’s easy to project feelings for loved ones—partners, family, and friends—and the music video, now available, heightens the emotion visually as well.

Perfect as background music for graduations and farewell parties, this gentle, empathetic song feels like it speaks the words of thanks we can’t fully convey ourselves.

spring melancholyMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE – Spring Melancholy

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE is known for having great lyrics in all their songs, and I think the appeal of this track, “Shunshū,” is something that resonates across generations.

It’s said that vocalist Omori wrote this song the day after his own graduation ceremony, and its true-to-life lyrics are likely to strike a chord with anyone approaching graduation.

Even as an adult, the words are deeply moving, and by the time it ends, you’re left with a refreshing, uplifting feeling—an inspiring song through and through.

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If you laugh at the skywacci

wacci “If You Laugh at the Sky” Music Video

Let me introduce a motivational song packed with a powerful message: when you feel like crying, look up at the sky and smile.

This track by the five-member band wacci was released digitally in July 2018 and was later included on their album “Gunjo Refrain,” released in November of the same year.

While hard work doesn’t always lead directly to results, the warm perspective that the days you’ve built up are never wasted gently encourages listeners.

Starting in August 2019, it was also selected as the support song for the “Japan Tsunagaru Project” segment on the TV program Mezamashi TV, moving many people alongside the images of those doing their best.

It’s a perfect recommendation for graduation season—an uplifting song that stands by students retiring from club activities and anyone setting out on a new path.

Precious thingsroodo obu mejyaa

Lord of Major / Precious Things

This is a track that could be called the very origin of Road of Major, a rock band formed from a TV show concept! Released in September 2002 as their indie debut single, it set a remarkable record by entering the Oricon Top 10 for 19 consecutive weeks despite having no tie-in.

It has continued to be loved over the years, later even being used in a car commercial in Taiwan.

With its exhilarating, fast-paced sound and lyrics that depict an unshakable bond with irreplaceable friends, it’s a song that makes your heart burn every time you hear it.

Also included on the classic album “ROAD OF MAJOR,” this track is perfect for throwing your arms around your friends at karaoke and singing together as you each set off on different paths after graduation.

Its melody, where overflowing passion coexists with a touch of bittersweetness, vividly brings back the shining memories of youth.

Youth and a momentmakaroni enpitsu

Macaroni Enpitsu “Youth and a Moment” MV

This song by Macaroni Enpitsu—a rock band whose members all graduated from music college—is a high-energy number that rides on a driving sound to capture the fragility of youth and the brilliance of a fleeting moment.

Because time never comes back, the message urging us to love even the seemingly dull everyday carries a passionate cheer for young people.

Even if you make tons of mistakes, as long as you move forward as yourself, that sense of affirmation will give you a push.

Released digitally in March 2019 and later included on the mini-album “season,” the track was written for a McDonald’s commercial.

It’s a song especially worth hearing for men facing the sadness of parting from friends at graduation and the anxiety of leaping into the unknown.

Throw your arm around a friend and sing it together—you’ll feel the courage that any future can be rolled forward.