[For Seniors] Songs to Sing in Refreshing May When the Fresh Green Shines
In May, the fresh greenery becomes beautiful and makes you feel like going out.
In this article, we introduce songs perfect for May that are recommended for seniors.
We’ve gathered a variety of songs, including “Koinobori,” which is filled with seasonal lyrics, songs perfect for Mother’s Day, and bright, lively tunes you’ll want to listen to when going out.
Sing songs that suit May and deepen your sense of the season.
It’s said that using your voice enriches both mind and body, so why not incorporate singing into music recreation at senior facilities?
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[For Seniors] Songs You’ll Want to Sing in Refreshing, Verdant May (21–30)
poppy flowerAgunesu Chan
This is a famous song that poignantly portrays a young woman’s bittersweet feelings of love as she tells her fortune using a single flower blooming on a hill.
The clear singing voice of Agnes Chan from Hong Kong, combined with her pure image, captured the hearts of many.
Released in November 1972, the song reached No.
5 on the Oricon chart and became a major hit, maintaining a sales record for foreign-born artists for 40 years.
When everyone sings this song of memories together, joyful moments from their youth come flooding back.
We recommend it as a gentle spring song that can be enjoyed while reminiscing and sung happily with older adults, perfect for music activities at day-service centers and care facilities.
Over the hillFujiyama Ichirō
This is a song by Ichirō Fujiyama that expresses, with a cheerful mood, a beautiful landscape where a clear blue sky spreads out beyond the hills.
Based on a mandolin ensemble piece composed by Masao Koga, lyrics were added by Yoshifumi Shimada, and it was also used as the theme song for the film “Ane” (Elder Sister).
The light sound centered on the mandolin strongly evokes the joy of going over the hills.
Its beautifully colored scenery and buoyant uplift conjure the fresh air of early summer.
soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei
It’s a classic children’s song that straightforwardly depicts the scene of playing by blowing soap bubbles.
The bubbles, reflecting light and floating beautifully, also prompt us to notice the surrounding scenery.
In early summer, when the plants are a vivid green and the sky a deep blue—especially in May—soap bubbles look particularly beautiful.
The song expresses a pure wish for the bubbles to keep flying without popping, conveying the joy and exhilaration of facing them.
Because it evokes the image of children playing with soap bubbles, it seems perfect as a song to represent Children’s Day as well.
shoulder tapsakushi: saijou hachi / sakkyoku: nakayama shinpei
Mother’s Day, when we express gratitude to our mothers and acknowledge their daily efforts, is an important event in May.
Thinking about how to show appreciation and choosing something that will make her happy is part of the fun of this occasion.
The song “Katatataki” is a classic piece that depicts the act of caring for one’s mother.
It portrays a child patting their mother’s shoulders and the various scenes that unfold around them, conveying a joyful feeling.
The sound made while patting the shoulders is also an important element, lightly expressing kindness and gratitude toward the mother.
It’s Tokyo, Mom.Shimakura Chiyoko
This is a song by Chiyoko Shimakura that depicts a cheerful scene of sightseeing in Tokyo together with one’s mother.
The song strongly conveys the desire to make the mother happy, bringing to mind the image of a Mother’s Day gift.
Through its gentle atmosphere and lyrics that feel like speaking directly to the mother, it expresses deep love and kindness toward her.
It also conveys a heartfelt wish for the mother to live a long life.
Green breezesakushi: shimizu katsura / sakkyoku: kusakawa shin
May, as summer draws near, is the season when the greenery deepens and a refreshing breeze sweeps through.
This song straightforwardly expresses the exhilaration you feel as that early-summer scenery unfolds before your eyes.
The light rhythm throughout and the crisp, sharp vocal delivery are particularly striking, directly conveying the joy the season brings.
The imagery centers on landscapes tinted green, and by incorporating other seasonal elements, it seems to highlight the beauty of the greenery even more.
Across this wide fieldMoriyama Ryoko
The famous song that sings of love and freedom spreading across vast nature is a folk song released by Ryoko Moriyama in January 1967.
Her clear, soothing voice and gentle melody bring a refreshing sense of liberation, like clouds floating in the sky and wind sweeping through.
There’s an anecdote that the piece was completed in just 30 minutes, based on a poem found in a gallery in Ginza.
After it was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1974, it became a children’s song passed down throughout Japan.
Singing it together with seniors is likely to spark nostalgic stories and create a wonderful time filled with natural smiles.