Buzz -- Toshi wo Totte mo Kodomo no You ni（年をとっても子供のように）

 

The folk duo Buzz（バズ）will always be remembered for their 1972 folk ballad "Ken to Mary ~ Ai to Kaze no yo ni" (ケンとメリー〜愛と風のように〜) which may have been responsible for the sales of many Nissan Skylines and urges to head out to rural Hokkaido. It was quite the majestic hit for Masakazu Togo（東郷昌和）and Hiroshi Koide（小出博志）.

Cue ahead 7 years. Buzz released their February 1979 5th studio album "A New Day A New Time" and one of the tracks is "Toshi wo Totte mo Kodomo no You ni" (I'll Stay a Child Even When I Grow Old). Written by Tetsuya Chiaki（ちあき哲也）and composed by Togo, this is quite the contrast to the contemplative Simon-and-Garfunkel-like "Ken to Mary". It's kinda like Buzz decided to have a good time on that country-variety show "Hee Haw" in the United States and brought some of that mood back to Japan. But hey, the arrangement fits that title as the guys have determined that age is truly just a number. Not sure whether this was used in any commercial for a vitamin drink or rejuvenating skin cream. In a way, it reminds me of both the really happy "Paloma Blanca" and The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da".