Saigo no Iiwake

"Saigo no Iiwake" (最後の言い訳, lit. "Last Excuse") is the sixth single by Japanese singer-songwriter Hideaki Tokunaga. Written by Tokunaga and Keiko Asō, the single was released through Apollon on October 25, 1988.[1][2]

"Saigo no Iiwake"
Single by Hideaki Tokunaga
from the album Realize
LanguageJapanese
English titleLast Excuse
B-side"Ima wa Sayonara Dake wo Iukedo"
ReleasedOctober 25, 1988
Recorded1988
Genre
Length11:24
LabelApollon
Composer(s)Hideaki Tokunaga
Lyricist(s)Keiko Asō
Hideaki Tokunaga singles chronology
"Kaze no Eolia"
(1988)		 "Saigo no Iiwake"
(1988)		 "Koibito"
(1989)
Music video
Saigo no Iiwake on YouTube

Background

Tokunaga co-wrote "Saigo no Iiwake" after experiencing a painful breakup with someone he was dating at the time. As a result of the breakup, he involuntarily shed tears while performing the song on the TBS music show The Best Ten.

The song was used as the opening theme of the Kansai TV/Fuji TV drama series Naokishō Sakka Suspense (直木賞作家サスペンス, Naoki Prize Writer Suspense). It was also featured in the 1993 film Tora-san's Matchmaker.

The song is included in Tokunaga's compilation albums Single Collection (1986~1991) (1998), Beautiful Ballade (2006), Singles Best (2008), Vocalist & Ballade Best (2011), and All Time Best Presence (2016). Tokunaga re-recorded the song in the albums Self Cover Best ~ Kagayaki Nagara~ (2003) and Eien no Hateni ~ Self Cover Best I ~ (2018).[3]

Chart performance

"Saigo no Iiwake" reached number 4 on Oricon's singles chart, number 100 on Oricon's 1988 year-ending chart and number 69 on Oricon's 1989 year-ending chart.[4]

Track listing

All music is composed by Hideaki Tokunaga

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Saigo no Iiwake (最後の言い訳, "Last Excuse")"Keiko Asō6:17
2."Ima wa Sayonara Dake wo Iukedo (今はさよならだけを言うけど, "Right Now, I Just Say Goodbye")"Hideaki Tokunaga4:47
Total length:11:24

Chart position
Charts (1988) Peak
position
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart[4] 4

Cover versions

"Saigo no Iiwake" has been covered by Midori Karashima, Satoshi Furuya, Ruru Honda, and Junko Yamamoto.

Outside Japan, the song became popular in the Philippines, when it was covered by Ted Ito as "Ikaw Pa Rin", Keempee de Leon as "My One and Only", Maso as "Kailanman" in Tagalog and "Come Back Home" in English, and as an instrumental by saxophonist Jake Concepcion.[5]

References
  1. "徳永英明 / 最後の言い訳". Stereo Records. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  2. "徳永英明 最後の言い訳 AY07-97". Snow Records. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  3. "Album - Discography". Hideaki Tokunaga Official Site. Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  4. "最後の言い訳 | 徳永英明". Oricon. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  5. "Covers of Saigo no Iiwake". Who Sampled. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
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