Koi no Kisetsu – Pinky & Killers | 1968

恋の季節 [Koi no Kisetsu]
ピンキーとキラーズ [Pinkī to Kirāzu]
Words : 岩谷時子 [IWATANI Tokiko]
Music : いずみたく [IZUMI Taku]

“Koi no Kisetsu” is the debut single of the group “Pinky & Killers,” with Pinky, whose real name is Yoko Kon, as the lead vocalist. It set an incredible record by staying at the top of Japan’s hit charts Oricon for 17 weeks, a record that remains unbroken.
In 1969, a musical film with the same title was released. The song was also a hit in the Soviet Union.
In 2009, the song was used in the animated film Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance ^wiki as an in-movie song.

忘れられないのあの人が好きよ
wasurerarenai no ano hito ga suki yo
青いシャツ着てさ海を見てたわ
aoi shatsu kite sa umi o miteta wa

忘れる（わすれる） [wasureru] : forget
あの　[ano] : that
人（ひと） [hito] : person, him
好き（すき） [suki] : like, love
青い（あおい） [aoi] : blue
シャツ　[shatsu] : shirt
着る（きる） [kiru] : wear
海（うみ） [umi] : sea
見る（みる） [miru] : see

(translation) “I can’t forget, I love that person
He was wearing a blue shirt, looking at the sea.”

私ははだしで小さな貝の舟
watashi wa hadashi de chiisana kai no fune
浮かべて泣いたのわけもないのに
ukabete naita no wake mo nai no ni

私（わたし） [watashi] : I
はだし　[hadashi] : barefoot
小さな（ちいさな） [chiisana] : small
貝（かい） [kai] : shell
舟・船（ふね） [fune] : boat
浮かべる（うかべる） [ukaberu] : float
泣く（なく） [naku] : cry
訳（わけ） [wake] : reason
ない　[nai] : none, without

(translation) “I was barefoot, floating a small shell boat
And cried for no reason.”

The shell was probably imagined as a boat and set afloat. It’s a beautiful scene, isn’t it?

恋は私の恋は
koi wa watashi no koi wa
空を染めて燃えたよ
sora o somete moeta yo

恋（こい） [koi] : love
空（そら） [sora] : sky
染める（そめる） [someru] : dye
燃える（もえる） [moeru] : burn

(translation) “Love, my love,
Burned and colored the sky.”

死ぬまで私をひとりにしないと
shinu made watashi o hitori ni shinai to
あの人が云った恋の季節よ
ano hito ga itta koi no kisetsu yo

死ぬ（しぬ） [shinu] : die
ひとり　[hitori] : alone
..にする　[ni suru] : make
言う（いう） [iu] : say
季節（きせつ） [kisetsu] : season

(translation) “He said he wouldn’t leave me alone until I die
That was the season of love.”

ルルル････
rururu

恋は私の恋は
koi wa watashi no koi wa
空を染めて燃えたよ
sora o somete moeta yo

夜明けのコーヒーふたりで飲もうと
yoake no kōhī futari de nomō to
あの人が云った恋の季節よ
ano hito ga itta koi no kisetsu yo

夜明け（よあけ） [yoake] : dawn
コーヒー　[kōhī] : coffee
ふたり　[futari] : two people, both of us
飲む（のむ） [nomu] : drink

(translation) “He said we should drink coffee together at dawn
That was the season of love.”

This phrase about drinking coffee together at dawn is said to have come from words spoken by the famous actress Fubuki Koshiji ^wiki while she was with the lyricist Iwatani at an international music festival, where a French actor flirted with her. The French truly have a poetic way with words.

恋は私の恋は
koi wa watashi no koi wa
空を染めて燃えたよ
sora o somete moeta yo
夜明けのコーヒーふたりで飲もうと
yoake no kōhī futari de nomō to
あの人が云った恋の季節よ
ano hito ga itta koi no kisetsu yo
恋の季節よ恋の季節よ
koi no kisetsu yo koi no kisetsu yo

At that time, this band was labeled as a bossa nova band. The liner notes for this song reportedly described them as an “up-and-coming group aiming to be like Sérgio Mendes.” However, the vocals follow the singing style that was popular in Japan at the time, such as enka, so when listened to now, it might sound distinctly Japanese. Typically, this song would be classified under the genre Shōwa-kayō, meaning pop songs from the Shōwa era.