Let’s sing Japanese songs in English –March 2018
This month’s song is “On A Tropic Night”(the original Japanese title “Nangokuno-yoru”)
This song was made and became popular in the late 50’s or early 60’s, and it’s certainly an “oldie” sung in a Hawaiian atmosphere, with its music often played with steel guitar. Steel guitars were the “in” things in those times, played by bands in summer seaside restaurants. The song consists of a first verse in Japanese lyrics and a second in English. This time, I wrote a new lyrics in English to take the place of the 1st verse in Japanese, with the 2nd verse as per original English lyrics, so singers unaccustomed with Japanese language may sing this mood song in full.
“On A Tropic Night”
- Composed and written by N. W. Washington and A. Lara
- 1st verse in English written anew, and 2nd verse modified in part
- from the original lyrics, by Hidekazu Morishima
1.
Follow the wind, and you’ll reach an isle of dreams.
You’ll be met by the wavings of gold palm leaves.
A sound of tam-tams faintly comes from afar,
A magic spell for lovers under the stars.
Stars above us glisten to show and guide,
Up over to the breezy paradise.
That’s where we would have our tropic dreams come true –
That’s where we would be dancing the whole night through.
2.
So lovely is the moon on a tropic night.
No heart can be immune on a tropic night.
As a lonely guitar plays a serenade,
There’s music in the heart of each man and maid.
Stars always linger low on a tropic night.
How can lips answer “No”, when two lips invite?
When there’s wine in the air, lips are always careless.
Lovers find their delight in the tropic night.
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