Akiko Yano is a Japanese pop and jazz musician.

Her music is by tur… Read Full Bio ↴Akiko Yano is a Japanese pop and jazz musician.

Her music is by turns playful, heartfelt, melodic, ornate, and disarmingly simple, reflecting a love of music in all its forms and colors. She handles moody new wave, virtuosic fusion, traditional jazz ballads, straightahead pop, and singer-songwriter folk songs with equal aplomb.

Though she's recorded with many of the 20th century's greatest pop and jazz musicians, her primarily Japanese-language albums have kept her music below the radar of most English-language listeners. She's recorded with, among many others, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, members of Little Feat, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Kenji Omura, Jeff Bova, Yukihiro Takahashi, Charlie Haden, Peter Erskine, Anthony Jackson, David Rhodes, the band Quruli, and her son Futa Sakamoto.

Beyond her solo work, Yano has recorded with Thomas Dolby, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Chieftains, The Hammonds, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Kazumi Watanabe, The Boom, Tetsuro Kashibuchi, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. She appeared on the recording "Snowflake" reading a children's story in Japanese with Peter Gabriel reading in English and music by Akira Inoue and David Rhodes accompanying both.

TONG POO
矢野顕子 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

わたしのからだの中に風がおこる
あなたに見えるかしら？これが
あなたのからだの中の雲を払う
あなたに届くかしら？これが

−東の国から西の果てへ
南の島北の果てどこまでもゆく−

わたしたちの上の雲は白く広く
永遠の生命へと続く
わたしたちの前の海は青く深く
永遠の生命へと誘う

わたしの体の中に朝日がのぼる
あなたに見えるかしら？これが

−東の国から西の果てへ
南の島北の果てどこまでもゆく−

わたしたちの上の雲は白く広く
永遠の生命へと続く

わたしたちの前の海は青く深く
永遠の生命へと誘う

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in 矢野顕子's song TONG POO are reflective of the impactful nature of the natural elements of wind, clouds, and the sea. The song is an ode to the everlasting quality of life and how it intertwines with nature’s elements. The first verse of the song is an expression of the wind within the singer’s body and how it symbolizes a sort of purity or cleansing from within. She wonders if this feeling is visible to her partner, as it is so profound for her.

The singer then transitions into the concept of cloud formations within her partner’s body and questions whether she can feel the significance of it too. The chorus of the song meditates on the all-encompassing, universal nature of life that connects individuals across space and time. Through its melody and lyricism, TONG POO expresses how clouds and the sea are more than geographical barriers or climate conditions, they represent an endless spiritual journey that all living beings embark upon.

Line by Line Meaning

わたしのからだの中に風がおこる
Wind rises within my body

あなたに見えるかしら？これが
I wonder if you can see it? This is it

あなたのからだの中の雲を払う
Clearing the clouds in your body

あなたに届くかしら？これが
I wonder if it will reach you? This is it

−東の国から西の果てへ
-From the East to the end of the West-

南の島北の果てどこまでもゆく−
Going everywhere from the southern islands to the northern ends

わたしたちの上の雲は白く広く
Clouds above us are white and vast

永遠の生命へと続く
Continuing towards eternal life

わたしたちの前の海は青く深く
The sea in front of us is blue and deep

永遠の生命へと誘う
Inviting us towards eternal life

わたしの体の中に朝日がのぼる
The morning sun rises within my body