Watashi ga OBA-san ni Natte mo (“Even When I’m An Old Woman”)
“Even when I’m an old woman, will you take me out to the disco? A miniskirt will be totally out of the question: I’ll lose out to the younger girls.”
OR: A girl wants reassurance that growing old won’t change her relationship.
aki ga owareba fuyu ga kuru honto ni hayai wa
natsuyasumi ni wa futari shite SAIPAN e itta wa
hiyake shita hada mada kuroi tanoshii omoide
rainen mo mata SAIPAN e oyogi ni ikitai wa
When autumn ends, it’ll be winter It’s really coming up fast
During summer vacation, the two of us went to Saipan¹
My skin’s still tan from the sunburn A fun memory
Next year I want to go back and go swimming again
anata wa yasashii hito ne watashi wo dakiyosete
zutto kono mama iyou to KISS wo shita
You’re so tender—as you embraced me
You said “Let’s stay like this forever” and kissed me
watashi ga OBAsan ni natte mo oyogi ni tsureteku no?
hade na mizugi wa totemo MURI yo wakai ko ni wa makeru wa
watashi ga OBAsan ni natte mo hontou ni kawaranai?
totemo shinpai da wa anata ga wakai ko ga suki dakara
Even when I’m an old woman, will you take me swimming?
A flashy swimsuit will be totally out of the question I’ll lose to the younger girls
Even when I’m an old woman, will things really stay the same?
I’m really worried because you like younger girls
sonna hanashi wa BAKAgeteru anata wa yuu kedo
onnazakari wa juuku da to anata ga itta no yo
You tell me talking like that is nonsense, but
You’re the one that said that a woman reaches her prime at nineteen
dakedo nanikuwanu kao de watashi wo mitsumete
are wa joudan datta to KISS wo shita
But you gave me an innocent look
Said “That was a joke” and kissed me
watashi ga OBAsan ni natte mo DISUKO ni tsureteku no
MINISUKAATO wa totemo MURI yo wakai ko ni wa makeru wa
watashi ga OBAsan ni natte mo DORAIBU shite kureru?
OOPUN KAA no yane hazushite kakkoyoku hashitte yo
Even when I’m an old woman, will you take me out to the disco?
A miniskirt will be totally out of the question I’ll lose out to the younger girls
Even when I’m an old woman, will you take me out for a drive?
Let’s put the convertible top down and travel in style
watashi ga OBAsan ni nattara anata wa OJIsan yo
kakkoii koto bakari itte mo onaka ga detekuru no yo
watashi ga OBAsan ni natte mo hontou ni kawaranai?
totemo shinpai da wa anata ga wakai ko ga suki dakara
If I’ll be an old woman, you’ll be an old man
Even when you say a bunch of smooth words, you’ll have a potbelly
When I’m an old woman, will things really stay the same?
I’m really worried because you like younger girls
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¹ Saipan is a US territory that was a semi-popular option for vacationing during the ‘80’s, back when Moritaka Chisato wrote these lyrics (not so much now).
This is probably Moritaka’s most famous song and has been covered and recorded by Kikkawa You, anison singer Suzuki Konomi, and Tsubaki Factory. It has also been sung live by SPEED with Makihara Noriyuki, AKB48’s Okada Nana, C-ute’s Okai Chisato, former Morning Musume member Tsuji Nozomi, and Hello! Project as a whole.
Also, technically “obasan” is like auntie and can be read as either “old lady” or “middle-aged woman”, but Moritaka took heavy inspiration from the Beatles’ “When I’m Sixty-Four” for this song (right down to the “you’ll be older too”), so I opted for the older age interpretation.
