You

Akiko Kosaka - You (1973)

Music/Lyric: Akiko Kosaka

To be honest, Akiko Kosaka doesn't have a great singing voice. It tends to crack, and at times veers into whiny territory. But she is a talented songwriter, and her singing has a certain girl-next-door charm to it. Like Miyuki Nakajima's "Time Goes Around," Kosaka's debut single, "You," won the Yamaha Popular Song Contest and World Popular Song Festival, a few weeks shy of Kosaka's seventeenth birthday.

"You" was wildly successful, selling over two million copies, and has since been covered by many other musicians, including Seiko Matsuda the American jazz flautist Herbie Mann in his 1976 album Surprises. Unfortunately, none of her subsequent songs ever achieved the same level of success and she released only five albums before retiring from recording. It's a shame, as she had a few follow-up songs that really ought to have been big hits. "Longing," for example. But this post is about "You":

 

Moshimo watashi ga ie o tateta nara
Chiisa na ie o tateta deshou
Ouki na mado to chiisa na doa to
Heya ni wa furui danro ga aru no yo

If I built a house,
It would be a small house
With a big window and a small door,
And an old fireplace in our room.

Makka no bara to shiroi panjii
Koinu no yoko ni wa
Anata anata
Anata ga ite hoshii

Bright red roses and white pansies,
And next to a puppy...
You...you...
I want you there.

Sore ga watashi no yume datta no yo
Itoshii anata wa ima doko ni

That was my dream.
Where are you now, my darling?

Buruu no juutan shikitumete
Tanoshiku waratte kurasu no yo
Ie no soto de wa bouya ga asobi
Bouya no yoko ni wa
Anata anata
Anata ga ite hoshii

With a blue carpet spread out,
We would live a life of joy and laughter.
Outside the house, a boy would play,
And next to the boy...
You...you...
I want you there.

Sore ga futari no nozomi datta no yo
Itoshii anata wa ima doko ni

That was our wish.
Where are you now, my darling?

Coda:
Soshite watashi wa reesu o amu no yo
Watashi no yoko ni wa
Watashi no yoko ni wa
Anata anata
Anata ga ite hoshii

And I would weave a lace.
And next to me...
And next to me...
You...you...
I want you there.

[Repeat coda]