[Must read] Songs with great lyrics. Moving songs you’ll want to listen to while reading the lyrics

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.
POPS writer/editorKEI
Since discovering music during my school days, I’ve mainly listened to Japanese and Korean pop. I have experience writing articles for sites like Utaten. 2000s J-pop and 2010s K-pop were especially the soundtrack of my youth. With the mindset that “good is good,” I enjoy music across genres. Thanks to past work environments and their influence, I was exposed to lots of classic rock and kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs), which may have broadened the scope of what I love. At RAG MUSIC, I currently focus on K-pop and J-pop. I strive to edit with a feel for the scene and an eye for hit potential.

From among the many masterpieces Japan is proud of, we’ve carefully selected songs with outstanding lyrics to introduce to you.

We’ve gathered “once-heard-never-forgotten” message songs that speak straight to the heart, ranging from universally acclaimed classics to the latest hits.

If you’re looking to listen to music that will make you cry, move you, or lift your spirits—or songs that might even influence your life—these picks are perfect.

Please give them a listen.

I believe you’ll find songs that will stay by your side, encourage you, and become a source of emotional support when times are tough.

[Must Read] Songs with great lyrics. Moving songs you’ll want to listen to while reading the lyrics (31–40)

Letter ~Dear You at Fifteen~Anjura Aki

Angela Aki “Letter: To You, Fifteen” Music Video (HD)

Letter ~Dear You at Fifteen~Anjura Aki

A masterpiece by Angela Aki that is sure to resonate with adults weary from daily work and chores.

Written as a commissioned choral piece for the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition, junior high division, this song has been sung by many people, especially children.

It’s a letter written from your 15-year-old self to your future self, and from your adult self back to your 15-year-old self.

Along with the worries each version of “you” carries, it sends cheers to the self striving in the future—and in the past.

Not only adults, but also young people in the midst of their youth will likely find that encouragement from their future selves strikes a different chord than cheering received from those around them.

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Happy Endingback number

back number – “Happy End” Music Video

Happy Endingback number

The 15th single by the band back number, formed in 2004.

Although the title is “Happy End,” when you listen to the song, some might think, “This isn’t a happy ending!” Still, the person who kept their feelings straight and unwavering may have realized that being true to their emotions until the very end has tremendous value in itself—even if those feelings could never be fulfilled…

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Bridge of Gloryyuzu

Yuzu - Eikou no Kakihashi (Glory Bridge)

Bridge of Gloryyuzu

One of the signature songs by Yuzu, a duo that represents Japan’s acoustic music scene.

This song, loved as the theme for NHK’s coverage of the Athens Olympics, colored countless athlete stories and moved us all—a true classic.

Its lyrics warmly cheer you on with a message of “You can do it!” while honoring the steady effort you’ve built up and the journey you’ve walked with support from those around you.

It’s a song I hope you’ll listen to when a great wall stands in your way.

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BeautifulSuperfly

Superfly『Beautiful』Music Video

BeautifulSuperfly

I feel like songs with great lyrics are overwhelmingly love songs, but “Beautiful” is about how to live your life.

It’s a song that makes you want to live strongly as yourself—without comparing to others and without needing to be the same as anyone else.

The lyrics are straightforward and powerful, like a charm you can carry with you.

Superfly’s powerful, soaring vocals make the already wonderful lyrics shine even more.

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If I can laughUrufuruzu

Ulfuls – If I Can Laugh

If I can laughUrufuruzu

Released in 2002, this is an uplifting number by Ulfuls.

It reached many listeners as the ending theme of the drama “Ginza no Koi,” in which Tortoise Matsumoto appeared.

In life, there are joyful moments, but also painful and sad ones.

Though many things happen every day, this song suggests that if we can laugh at the end of the day—at the very end of it all—that alone can make us happy.

It’s a song that gives you a lot of courage.

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