When I saw Helen’s prompt for this week was the Blues, my mind went directly to one of my favourite Bluesy songs, “Grieve,” by Chachamaru.

Yukihiro “Chachamaru” Fujimura was the reason I went to Japan for the first time, in October of 2005. He was playing lead guitar at the time with a singer named Gackt; I went to two of their concerts when I was there. After the one in Hiroshima, I gathered up my courage and asked one of the crew if I could meet Chacha. Since I wasn’t asking to meet the star attraction of the show, and I told him I’d traveled all the way from Canada just to see the concert, the nice man told me he’d see what he could do. He got on his radio and asked backstage if I could go back. The answer was no, unfortunately. I did, however, have my copy of Chacha’s only solo CD in my purse, so I asked if I could get it signed. My CD disappeared and as I was waiting, the man’s radio beeped and he asked me how to spell my name.

This is what I got back

Basically, my CD cover met the man. I was thrilled. It remains, to this day, one of my most precious possessions.

I’m amazed I found “Grieve” on Youtube after all these years. It’s a fan-made video with pictures of Chacha and the audio of the song. Lyrics, translated to English, to follow.
P.S. Chacha, if you read this, please make another album! I’m still waiting! 😀

Grieve, from the album Air

Music by Fujimura Yukihiro
Lyrics by Nishida Masafumi

Staring at a person passing through
From a wet window
With a drop trickling down it
Holding back those tears in my misty eyes

Some day I’ll wear this far away dream out
Before I knew it, I remembered the lie

The days that the map we drew was ruined
In the rain are repeating

Alone and stricken with downpouring, subsided love
I begin my journey
I hold only to those memories of innocent times

The same wind is blowing on both of us
We go through the same nights

How I love you, oh darling…
Don’t you hear me calling

I’m searching for a person
That I can’t meet a second time
Everyone can hear the song I’m singing
I still don’t want anything
My answer is only the sound of rain

The same wind is blowing on both of us
We go through the same nights

How I love you, oh darling…
Don’t you hear me calling

I’m searching for a person
That I can’t meet a second time
Everyone can hear the song I’m singing
I still don’t want anything
My answer is only the sound of rain

I’m searching for a person
That I can’t meet a second time
Everyone can hear the song I’m singing
I still don’t want anything
My answer is…

(Lyrics courtesy of JPopAsia: http://www.jpopasia.com/chachamaru/lyrics/13911/air/grieve/ )