In April of 1987, on the way to a performance in Fukuoka, she suddenly collapsed. Rushed to hospital, she was diagnosed with bilateral femoral necrosis brought on by chronic hepatitis. Until August she was confined to hospital and eventually showed signs of recovery. She commenced recording a new song Midaregami in October, and in 1988 performed at a concert called Fushichou konsaato (Phoenix Concert) at the Tokyo Dome. Against overwhelming pain in her legs, she performed a total of 39 songs while assuring her fans that she had completely recovered. However, on 24 May 1989, having been re-admitted to the Juntendou hospital in Tokyo, she died from interstitial pneumonitis at the age of 52.
In July 1989 after her death, she became the first female recipient of the National Prize of Honour (国民栄誉賞) for her longstanding contributions to the music industry.
In 1993, the Misora Hibari-kan opened in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Its popularity with fans and tourists has endured through to the present.
Her most famous song, "Kawa no nagare no yō ni," (1989) was voted #1 in a 1997 NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.
太陽と私
美空ひばり Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
冷たく凍った肌に
風が風が どこかで呼んでる
遠い淋しい 空の果て
私の 太陽が
きっとどこかに
もえてよもえてよ 私の太陽
冷たく凍ったほほに
恋の恋の しずくが光ってる
熱くせつない この胸に
私の 太陽が
きっとどこかに
もえてよもえてよ 私の太陽
私の心の雲
切なく拡がる果てに
愛の愛の 息吹きを待ってる
甘くやさしく このままで
私の 太陽が
きっとどこかに
もえてよもえてよ 私の太陽
In the song "太陽と私" (The Sun and Me) by 美空ひばり (Hibari Misora), the lyrics paint a vivid imagery of longing, pain, and hope through various natural elements like snow, wind, rain, and clouds, symbolizing the emotional landscape of the singer's heart. The opening lines, "私の心は雪 冷たく凍った肌に 風が風が どこかで呼んでる" (My heart is like snow, chilled and frozen, the wind is calling somewhere), describe a sense of coldness and isolation within the singer's inner world. The wind's call represents a longing for something distant and unattainable, echoed by the reference to a far-off and lonely sky.
As the lyrics progress, the metaphor of tears as rain and love's droplets shining on frozen cheeks ("私の涙は雨 冷たく凍ったほほに 恋の恋の しずくが光ってる") delves into the theme of heartbreak and yearning. The juxtaposition of coldness and pain in the singer's heart with the warmth and brightness of love's essence adds depth to the emotional turmoil expressed in the song. The repeated plea for the singer's sun to burn somewhere distant conveys a desire for emotional warmth and illumination amid the darkness of inner turmoil.
The imagery of clouds in the singer's heart expanding with longing and waiting for love's breath at the edges ("私の心の雲 切なく拡がる果てに 愛の愛の 息吹きを待ってる") further emphasizes the emotional weight and yearning for connection portrayed throughout the song. The sweetness and gentleness cradled within these clouds hint at a tender hope and longing for love to flourish and bloom, contrasting with the earlier allusions to coldness and loneliness in the singer's heart.
Ultimately, the recurring refrain of the singer's sun burning somewhere ("私の 太陽が きっとどこかに もえてよ もえてよ 私の太陽") encapsulates the overarching theme of longing, hope, and emotional warmth sought amidst the singer's inner turmoil. The song poignantly captures the dichotomy of light and darkness, warmth and coldness, as the singer navigates the complexities of love, pain, and yearning within the vast expanse of their emotional landscape.
Line by Line Meaning
私の心は雪
My heart is frozen like snow
冷たく凍った肌に
Chilling my frozen skin
風が風が どこかで呼んでる
The wind calling somewhere
遠い淋しい 空の果て
At the distant, lonely end of the sky
私の 太陽が
My sun
きっとどこかに
Surely somewhere
もえてよもえてよ 私の太陽
Let it burn, my sun, let it burn
私の涙は雨
My tears are like rain
冷たく凍ったほほに
Chilling my frozen cheeks
恋の恋の しずくが光ってる
The drops of love shining
熱くせつない この胸に
Burning and painful in this chest of mine
私の 太陽が
My sun
きっとどこかに
Surely somewhere
もえてよもえてよ 私の太陽
Let it burn, my sun, let it burn
私の心の雲
The clouds in my heart
切なく拡がる果てに
Expanding to the agonizing end
愛の愛の 息吹きを待ってる
Waiting for the breath of love
甘くやさしく このままで
Sweet and gentle just like this
私の 太陽が
My sun
きっとどこかに
Surely somewhere
もえてよもえてよ 私の太陽
Let it burn, my sun, let it burn
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: 加藤和枝
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind