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Communication English II
Lesson 7 Encouraging Song Section 1&2
Reading
Passage
Section 1
There are many songs that help people overcome sadness or troubles. Makenaide may be one of them. This song has been
encouraging many people for a long time.
The lyrics of Makenaide were written by Sakai Izumi, the vocalist of ZARD. It became a hit in 1993. The following year,
it was adopted as the theme song for the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament. Some schools have also
been using this song for graduation ceremonies. When the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred in 1995, this song was
often aired. Many people were able to recover their spirits by listening to it. The song also cheered people up after the Great
East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
Unfortunately, Sakai passed away in 2007. However, this song is still popular today.
Section 2
What makes this song so attractive? The answer may be in its lyrics. The song has a message of hope for everyone. Let's
take a look at the first refrain.
Sakai left a piece of paper on which she wrote the lyrics. It shows that she changed a part of them. She replaced the words
"Don't stop until the end" with "Keep on running until the end". She may have thought that this sounded more positive.
Handout Reading No.15
Text p.94-97
She changed this part while she was actually recording the song. "Which words communicate better?" was the question she
always had in her mind. She always searched for words that would encourage people.
Don't give up! Just a little farther
負けないで もうすこし
Keep on running until the end 最後まで走りぬけて
Even though we may be apart どんなに離れてても
I'll stand by you with all my heart 心はそばにいるわ
Follow the dream you'll catch in the end 追いかけてはるかな夢を
1. Question-Answering Practice
Section 1
1. Who wrote the lyrics of Makenaide?
The lyrics of Makeneide
were written
2. What have some schools been using Makenaide for Sakai Izumi
3. Is Makenaide still popular today?
song is still popular today.
Section 2
1. What did Sakai leave?
2. Which words did she choose, "Don't stop" or "Keep on running"?
She
3. What question did she always have in her mind?
