Corbel now lives in Paris and performs in France and abroad. Her music blends ancient poems and compositions, celtic tunes and Mediterranean influences. She was noticed during her concerts and had the opportunity to play with the greatest “world music” artists:
Tonari No Totoro
Cécile Corbel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To-to-ro Totoro
Dareka ga kossori
Komichi ni ko no mi uzumete
Chiisana me haetara himitu no ango
Mori e no pasupooto
Sutekina bouken hajimaru
Tonari no To-to-ro Totoro
To-to-ro Totoro
Mori no naka ni mukashi kara sunderu
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Kodomo no toki ni dake anata ni otozureru
Fushigina deai
Ame furi basu tei
Zubunure obake ga itara
Anata no amagasa sashite agemasho
Mori e no pasupooto
Mahou no tobira akimasu
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Tukiyo no ban ni okarina fuiteru
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Moshimo aeta nara sutekina shiawase ga
Anata ni kuru ha
To-to-ro Totoro
To-to-ro Totoro
Mori no naka ni mukashi kara sunderu
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Kodomo no toki ni dake anata ni otozureru
Fushigina deai
The lyrics to Cecile Corbel's song Tonari No Totoro begin with the repeated refrain of "To-to-ro Totoro" which serves as the playful and cheerful introduction to the song. The first verse paints a picture of someone quietly gathering nuts on a walkway, secretly hopeful that they will someday sprout into a tree. When they finally grow, a hidden pathway to the forest is revealed and a magical adventure begins. The chorus describes Totoro, a friendly forest spirit who has lived in the forest for generations and only visits children. The encounter with Totoro is a mysterious and wonderful experience that only happens to children. The second verse mentions a rainy day spent in a bus stop with a dripping umbrella. If a soggy ghost appears, one should give them the umbrella and unlock the mystery door to the forest with a magic key.
Line by Line Meaning
To-to-ro Totoro
The beloved character Totoro is being introduced in a sing-song manner.
Dareka ga kossori
Komichi ni ko no mi uzumete
Chiisana me haetara himitu no ango
Mori e no pasupooto
Sutekina bouken hajimaru
When somebody secretly gathers some wild fruits from the roadside and then plants them in the woods, a beautiful adventure begins, after a tiny sprout reveals a magical passageway.
Tonari no To-to-ro Totoro
To-to-ro Totoro
Mori no naka ni mukashi kara sunderu
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Kodomo no toki ni dake anata ni otozureru
Fushigina deai
The adorable neighbor Totoro, who has been living in the forest for ages, pays a visit only to children and provides them with a fantastic encounter.
Ame furi basu tei
Zubunure obake ga itara
Anata no amagasa sashite agemasho
Mori e no pasupooto
Mahou no tobira akimasu
If a soaking wet monster gets on your rain-soaked bus, your umbrella can come in handy to reveal the magic gate to the woods.
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Tukiyo no ban ni okarina fuiteru
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Moshimo aeta nara sutekina shiawase ga
Anata ni kuru ha
Totoro is playing the ocarina on the moonlit night, and if you ever have the pleasure of meeting him, an incredible happiness will come to you.
To-to-ro Totoro
To-to-ro Totoro
Mori no naka ni mukashi kara sunderu
Tonari no to to ro totoro to to ro totoro
Kodomo no toki ni dake anata ni otozureru
Fushigina deai
Once again, the introductory chorus reminds us of the magical neighbor Totoro who resides in the enchanted forest and will grace only the innocent children with his wonderous existence.
Writer(s): Joe Hisaishi, Hayao Miyazaki
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.