愛飢を [Aiueo]
はっぴいえんど [Happy End]
Words : Takashi Matsumoto
Music : Eiichi Ōtaki
あ い う え お
a i u e o
か き く け こ
ka ki ku ke ko
さ し す せ そ そ そ そ
sa shi su se so so so so so
た ち つ て て と と
ta chi tsu te te to
な に ぬ ね の
na ni nu ne no
は ひ ふ へ ほ
ha hi fu he ho
ま み む め も も も も
ma mi mu me mo mo mo mo
や い ゆ え よ
ya i yu e yo
ら り る れ ろ ろ ろ ろ
ra ri ru re ro
わ ゐ う ゑ を
wa i u e o
ん
n
“AIUEO” is akin to “ABC” in English.
It represents the basic sounds of Japanese and corresponds to all Japanese characters, known as the “五十音 / gojūon”(=50 sounds). However, the characters “ゐ” and “ゑ” are not used in modern Japanese.
So, this song is similar to the ABC Song, but it’s not made for educational purposes. It’s a track from the rock band Happy End‘s 1971 album “Kazemachi Roman,” resembling a bonus track like “Her Majesty” by The Beatles. Happy End had a concept of emphasizing Japanese words, and that’s why they included this song. However, it’s an ideal song for learning “aiueo.” I wish it were more famous.
By the way, the title “愛飢を / Aiueo” is a play on words, assigning kanji characters to the syllables “aiueo” to create the meaning of “longing for love.” But it’s just wordplay, so you don’t need to take it seriously.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment if you have any feedback or questions.
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