A performance of the Sōranbushi, a Hokkaido min'yō, with lyrics. 北海道民謡のソーラン節の演奏と歌詞、簡単な説明です。
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Meaning of the lyrics:
"Have the herring schools arrived?" I ask the seagulls. But they reply, "We are about to leave, so ask the waves instead."
Tonight, I will sleep on a luxurious damask pillow, but tomorrow, when we set sail, the waves will become my pillow
The tumultuous waves are where the boatmen test their courage.
If you are a brave man, you should be able to face the waves with your 5 shaku [152 cm] body.
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Description:
Sōranbushi, a celebrated min’yō, originated from Hokkaido's "Okiage ondo" work songs. However, Okiage ondo came from Noheji in Aomori Prefecture. This song was traditionally sung during the herring fishing process, specifically when herring were corralled into fishing nets and then scooped up with a dip net and transferred to transport ships. The term “sōran” refers to the vocal shouts used during this scooping process. Given the heavy labor involved, it would likely be impossible to perform it in today's performance style.

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Vocalist: Suzuki Toshitsugu
Audio/image editor: Suzuki Shingo