The fiery soul and the roots of folk felt in Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s classic song

MyselfNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Myself

This song is a classic, isn’t it? There’s not a fan who doesn’t know it, and even people who aren’t fans have probably heard the chorus.

It’s a song that gives you a push when you’re feeling down or sad, and the lyrics are really cool.

PrayerNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Prayer

This is a folk ballad that feels like a raw cry of the soul, based on Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s real-life experience of suddenly losing the one he loved in his youth.

The sound of a single acoustic guitar strummed hard and his wrung-out vocals convey a visceral sense of irreparable regret and frustration.

This piercing prayer will surely seize the listener’s heart.

Released as a single in July 1979, it was also included on that year’s album Gyakuryu.

His solo live performance of the song has been praised as its very essence.

When you’re carrying deep loss, encountering the fierce emotions poured into this piece may paradoxically bring a strange feeling that your own sorrow is being purified.

STAY DREAMNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

STAY DREAM

Like “Myself,” I think this song is an encouragement anthem.

When I’m feeling down and listen to it, I start to feel like I can keep going.

That’s Tsuyoshi’s power—being able to pour so much emotion into a song is something today’s singers just can’t do.

intersectionNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi – Intersection (from “ACOUSTIC LIVE Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi Tour 2013”)

This piece was included on the album “The Times Are Raining on Us,” released in September 1982.

Set on a street corner, it portrays a frustrating love story in which a young man and woman’s hearts pass each other by.

Even though they want to talk more, their feelings drift apart; in the irony of their words, the aching distance between them is deftly expressed.

When things aren’t going well with someone important to you and it feels like your feelings are spinning in place, this straightforward melody is sure to resonate deep in your heart.

It’s a song filled with the clumsy yet sincere love that is so characteristic of Nagabuchi.

to our placeNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

to our place

It’s a song packed with the early charm of Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, offering a slightly different flavor from the image later known as his “scream of the soul.” Set to a country-style arrangement, it portrays a man whose infidelity has been discovered, making somehow endearing excuses while coaxing his girlfriend to cheer up.

The lively sounds of fiddle and banjo, paired with his earnest vocals, may well bring a smile to your face.

Released in March 1979 as a single and included on his re-debut album “Kaze wa Minami Kara” (“The Wind Blows from the South”), it’s also well-known as a concert staple that sparks call-and-response from the crowd.

If things get awkward with your partner, you might try making up with the same bright, straightforward approach as the song’s protagonist.

RUNNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

RUN

For me, this is the song I grew up hearing right after “Himawari,” and it resonates so much that it even fits my own dad.

I talk about that a lot with my big sister, and I love this song because it’s cool and classy (lol).

Let’s be happyNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Let's be happy

This is a bit of a live version and more up-tempo, and it’s a little different from the original, but it’s a good song.

The lyrics remind you of the two of you in the very beginning when you were almost forgetting, and the melody lets you relax.