Songs with great lyrics: soothing tracks that linger in the heart and moving ballads

Recipe for HappinessHirai Dai

Recipe for Happiness

This song captivates with its heartwarming lyrics and gentle melody.

Chosen as the ending theme for season 2 of the TV anime “The Apothecary Diaries,” it was released for streaming to coincide with the broadcast starting in January 2025.

Set against an acoustic sound, the track sings of growth in human relationships and staying positive.

Dai Hirai’s tender vocals carefully convey the emotions of the characters.

When you’re troubled by love or friendship, it’s sure to be a song that stays close to your heart.

In the Great Sky and on the Vast EarthMatsuyama Chiharu

In the Great Sky and on the Vast Earth

Set against the majestic nature of Hokkaido, this gem of a masterpiece sings of a powerful way of life.

Its lyrics, which stress the importance of continuing to look forward even while facing the setbacks and hardships everyone experiences at least once, are filled with the unique depth of insight and warmth characteristic of Chiharu Matsuyama.

Especially in moments when your heart feels like it might break, the song embodies the will to seize happiness with your own hands, gently giving listeners a reassuring push forward.

Included on the June 1977 album “Kimi no Tame ni Tsukutta Uta” (A Song Made for You), it was later featured as an insert song in the Fuji TV drama “The Ugly Duckling” and used in a Snow Brand Milk Products commercial.

This is a song to hear when you stand at a crossroads in life or are about to take a new step.

Matsuyama’s clear, pure voice will surely kindle a light of courage and hope in your heart.

An unfinished love song I’ve been working on foreverHata Motohiro

Motohiro Hata “An Always-Unfinished Love Song” Music Video

Written specifically as the theme song for the film “A Love Letter on Our 35th Year,” this gem of a ballad gently and warmly portrays a love that deepens with the passage of time.

Motohiro Hata’s clear, luminous vocals resonate as if tenderly enveloping feelings for a cherished person.

The track began streaming in February 2025, and a CD single was released in March ahead of the film’s premiere.

The movie depicts a husband who, upon retiring, struggles to write a love letter to his wife; accompanying the protagonist’s emotions, Hata carefully weaves his words like a letter.

It’s a song we recommend to anyone who, in the course of days shared with someone precious, has rediscovered the profound significance of their presence.

JourneyFuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Tabiji (Official Video)

This is a song that gently embraces the encounters and farewells, the days of growth and learning we experience along the journey of life.

The melodies woven by Fujii Kaze resonate warmly, as if close to the heart, carried by soulful arrangements and nostalgic breakbeats.

Released in March 2021, it was written as the theme song for the TV Asahi Thursday drama “Nijiiro Karte,” and is included on the album LOVE ALL SERVE ALL.

By contemplating the end of life, the piece reveals what truly matters and expresses a yearning for eternity that everyone holds deep within.

It’s a track best heard during quiet moments of self-reflection—on your daily commute to work or school, or while traveling long distances.

pure whiteFuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – “masshiro” (pure white) [Official Audio]

This is a heart-cleansing medium-tempo ballad filled with kindness and purity.

Released in February 2025, it was written specifically for the i·ro·ha·su commercial “Surely Tomorrow Will Feel Good.” Fujii Kaze’s gentle vocals blend seamlessly with a bossa nova–style rhythm and the sound of acoustic guitar.

The lyrics gently encourage us to keep moving forward, accepting the inevitable farewells and changes in life.

When your heart is weary or you’re about to take a new step, why not immerse yourself in this song?

FlowerFuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Hana (Official Video)

A song gently resonating with the fragility and preciousness of life has been delivered by Fujii Kaze.

Like the life of a flower, it sings—carried by warm vocals and piano-woven melodies—of the belief that a human life, too, holds its own brilliance.

Released in October 2023 as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Thursday drama “The Flower I Love Most,” the piece pairs stylish sound with a delicate portrayal of how, even amid life’s doubts and struggles, we continue to seek inner beauty.

The music video, filmed in the Australian desert, symbolically expresses themes of life and death, and rebirth, leaving a lingering resonance in the viewer’s heart.

It’s a song I highly recommend for those who wish to look into the essence of things or quietly face themselves.

aimlesslyAimer

Aimer “Aimlessly” MUSIC VIDEO (Anime “Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage” Ending Theme)

It was released in May 2023 as the ending theme for the anime Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage.

It’s characterized by a warm vocal that gently accompanies the listener.

The lyrics weave in the importance of continuing to walk even when you’re tired and of accepting both yourself and others.

With themes of kindness, hope, and the pursuit of dreams, it offers a comforting sense of reassurance.