Murashita Kozo 村下孝蔵 - Akina アキナ

In July 1989, Nakamori Akina (中森明菜) tried to commit suicide.  She was rescued, but she has never been the same again.  Since that failed suicide attempt, her career has been on a sliding slope even till this day.

In 1991, Murashita Kozo (村下孝蔵) wrote and released the song "Akina" (アキナ).  According to producer Sudoh Akira (須藤晃), both Murashita and him were fans of Nakamori Akina.  So, they decided to write a song to encourage her and cheer her up.  They also wanted to contact her directly and sent their warmest wishes but couldn't.  In any case, they were both very glad that they could "out of respect return a song to her for her songs." (「歌に対するレスベクトを歌で返せたという満足感を得たのである」- quoted from Sudoh in Murashita's album Tanabata Yasoukyoku 七夕夜想曲.)

According to my research, Akina was later asked if she knew about that and she said she didn't.  She was in fact surprised.  At that time, Murashita has already passed away.  Therefore, Akina chose Odoriko (踊り子) as one of the cover songs for her album Utahime 3 (歌姫３), returning the favor.

I've already written a blog post for Odoriko and if you're interested you can go here.

This is Murashita's live version of "Akina" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6q1wdowT3w.

And here is Akina's cover for Murashita's Odoriko - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1O5_xr0NAo.


アキナ

曲，詩：村下孝蔵

おまえのそばにいたい　頭なでてやりたい
耐えて忍ぶ　細い肩は　哀しからずや純情
おまえのそばにいたい　愛を貫く姿
泣きはらした　大きな目は　愛しからずや　少女（おとめ）

歌ってくれ　むせび泣いて
一途な想いを
可憐な花　赤く　咲きな
可愛い笑顔を　見せなよ

おまえのように生きたい　男らしく生きたい
ただひたすら　ひたむきな夢　追い掛けている純情
おまえのように生きたい 何もかも捨ててまで
ガラスの恋に　打ち震える　か弱き　愛の漂泊者（ジプシー）

歌ってくれ　澄んだ声で
手おいの白鳥
オレの胸で　深く　泣きな
涙はこの手で　受けてやる

歌ってくれ　むせび泣いて
一途な想いを
可憐な花　赤く　咲きな
可愛い笑顔を　見せなよ
涙はこの手で　受けてやる
笑ってアキナ

Akina

Composer, Lyrics: Murashita Kozo

I want to be close to you

I want to stroke your head

Your enduring slender shoulder

Isn't it a sorrowful pure heart?

I want to be close to you

Your body that has thoroughly penetrated love

Your big swelling crying eyes

Isn't that love, my young lady?

Sing for us
Sobbingly

Sing about your wholehearted thoughts 

Pretty little flower

Go blossom and flourish

Go and show your cutie smiling face

I want to live like you

I want to live like a man

A pure heart that just earnestly pursues a devotion

I want to live like you

Till I throw away everything

Shaken by glass-like love

A wanderer of fragile love

Sing for us

With your clear voice

A wounded swan

Just cry heartily upon my chest

My hands will be holding your tears

Sing for us

Sobbingly

Sing about your wholehearted thoughts 

Pretty little flower

Go blossom and flourish

Go and show your cutie smiling face

My hands will be holding your tears

Please smile, Akina