坊や大きくならないで (Sleep Softly, My Boy)

Annotation — Japanese Songs

The contemporary folk protest song "坊や大きくならないで" ("Sleep Softly, My Boy") (Denon Records # CD-17) is a Japanese adaptation of the song "Ngủ Đi Con" ("Go to Sleep Baby") by prominent and influential Vietnamese songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn (born 28 February 1939 in Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk, Vietnam, he died on 1 April 2001, in Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam).1. It mournfully hopes a child will sleep peacefully: "don't grow up, sleep peacefully", but ominously warns that when grown up, they might "be stained with blood".Sources1Wikipedia: Trịnh Công Sơn↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

Japanese: 坊や 静かにおやすみ 私の坊や 来る日も 来る日も いくさが続く

Notes

apanese adaptation of the song "Ngủ Đi Con" ("Go to Sleep Baby") by prominent and influential Vietnamese songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn (born 28 February 1939 in Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk, Vietnam, he died on 1 April 2001, in Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam) Denon CD-17 (SN 48), stereo, 45 rpm, © '69.2, made by Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.; "坊や大きくならないで / Sleep Softly, My Boy" (S. Asakawa - Torin Con Son - Michels), 3:40, マイケルズ. The gatefold picture sleeve (¥400), billed "本命盤", shows the three members with guitars in a park; the flip "君に歌を / I'll Sing a Song for You" (words and music 瀬尾一三 [Ichizo Seo], arranged by マイケルズ) is billed as the Mainichi Broadcasting "ヤング・タウン" song of the month for January. The back prints both lyrics ("坊や": words 浅川しげる, music トリン・コン・ソン, arranged by マイケルズ), the inside prints melody lines for both songs, and the credits give times of 3:40 and 2:51, A&R producer T. Tanikawa…

About the artist

Japanese folk group

Themes

Anti-War · Child · Peace

In collections

Japanese Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]