[Songs Praying for Peace] To Prevent Repeating Tragic History | A Collection of Peace Songs That Resonate with the Heart
Songs of peace that resonate in our hearts in every era.
Many timeless classics that wish for a world without war or conflict and embody the preciousness of peace in song have long continued to stay close to people’s hearts.
In this article, we introduce songs—mainly from Japanese music—that are imbued with prayers and hopes for peace.
Powerful messages like “Don’t forget the painful history,” and warm sentiments such as “Let’s build a Japan and a world without conflict together.” You’re sure to find a message of peace that resonates with your heart.
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[Songs Praying for Peace] To Prevent Repeating Tragic History | A Collection of Heart-Touching Peace Songs (21–30)
AlchemillaRīgaru Rirī
No matter how harsh the reality may be, I at least hope peaceful sleep will come.
This work feels like a requiem, a heartfelt prayer that gently enfolds the listener’s heart.
Legal Lily’s soothing guitar sound and Honoka Takahashi’s clear, translucent vocals quietly keep you company on a still night.
Released in November 2021 as their second single, it was selected as the ending theme for the second cour of the TV anime 86 -Eighty Six-.
When your heart is worn down by sorrowful events, listening to this song will surely fill you with a warm feeling that wishes for someone’s peace.
Be the lightONE OK ROCK
Be the light is a track from the 2013 album Jinsei×Boku=.
The song was created in response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, with the desire to preserve thoughts and feelings about disasters occurring in Japan and around the world in musical form.
While it acknowledges the sorrow of events where lives are lost, it carries a message of moving forward with determination and hope.
Although it’s a theme somewhat apart from war, it embodies the wish for everyone to live in peace.
SoranjiMrs. GREEN APPLE
This song delves deeply into the meaning and value of living.
Its beautiful strings and mystical chorus resonate in the heart, stirring the listener’s soul.
The title, which carries the meaning “I can say it without seeing,” is said to express the act of repeatedly recalling everyday life and our bonds with loved ones, reaffirming their worth.
Released in July 2023 as the theme song for the film ‘From Lageri with Love’ starring Kazunari Ninomiya and Keiko Kitagawa, its lyrics strongly affirm one’s existence—“You are the one and only precious being in this world, so live!”—and are sure to encourage those on the verge of losing hope.
War and MeSambomasutā
A rock band that confronts the absurdity of war with a soul-shaking cry—this is a song by Sambomaster.
A soldier, telling himself he’s protecting the ones he loves, points his gun at an unknown someone and is tormented by the act.
That anguish, torn apart by contradiction, is sung plainly and powerfully over a fervent performance.
The track appears on the acclaimed 2006 April release, “Boku to Kimi no Subete wo Rock’n Roll to Yobe.” Holding the fundamental question—“Why do we fight?”—close to your heart, you’ll be reminded of the preciousness of peace.
It’s a work that will pierce deeply into the heart of anyone who feels the same.
If only it could be summer foreverMinami Kōsetsu
This is a masterpiece in which Kōsetsu Minami’s gentle singing voice and the warm tone of his acoustic guitar sink deeply into the heart.
Created as the theme song for the Hiroshima Peace Concert held in 1992, it was later included on CD for the first time in the best album “50 Songs of Kōsetsu Minami.” Depicting serene scenes of everyday summer life as a symbol of peace that must never be lost, the piece carries a quiet yet powerful prayer not to repeat tragic history and to pass hope on to the future.
It is a song that warmly stays by your side when you quietly wish for peace in the world.
What a Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong
Also known by its Japanese title “Kono Subarashiki Sekai,” this song is one of American musician Louis Armstrong’s signature works, released in 1967.
The feelings that lyricist-composer George Douglas held about the Vietnam War are reflected in the piece.
By depicting scenes of happiness set to music, it conveys a heartfelt wish for world peace.
It is a classic etched into the pages of history—one that will continue to be loved no matter how much time passes.
angina pectorisRADWIMPS
RADWIMPS, a rock band that has been leading the Japanese music scene since the 2000s.
Their 2011 release “Kyōshinshō” is a song that makes you want to face the reality unfolding right before your eyes.
It features a groovy band sound with resonant low-end.
Yojiro Noda’s plaintive vocals, marked out over a slow tempo, will strike a chord in your heart.
The lyrics, which highlight the importance of “seeing” and “listening,” are also worth noting.
When you confront realities happening in a world that feels distant yet close, sensational rock gives you strength.
