At the age of 5, her family left for Paris. When she was 19, she decided to stop studying art and architecture, to become a full-time model.
She was a very successful fashion model until 1998. Since then she has devoted herself to chanson. Her debut album, Quelqu'un m'a dit, on which she sings in French (despite her Italian origin), was released in 2002. To date it has sold over a million copies across Europe. Her second album, No Promises (this time in English, with songs inspired by famous English-language poets), was released in January 2007.
She married then French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, in the beginning of 2008.
Her music career still did not cease after becoming the First Lady. She released her third album Comme si de rien n'était ("As If Nothing Happened") on 11 July 2008. The songs are self-penned except for one rendition of You Belong to Me and another song featuring a poem by Michel Houellebecq set to music. Royalties from the album will be donated to unidentified charitable and humanitarian cause.
J'arrive à toi
Carla Bruni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'arrive au soir sans compter
Et à chaque matin à vide il me faut recommencer
J'arrive au front sans sagesse
J'arrive à l'age sans raison
C'est sur qu'on vit de justesse
C'est sur qu'on vit sans façon
J'arrive à toi par miracle
Après de longues années
Après des siècles d'obstacles
Et des lundis, des lundis tristes à pleurer
Je n'arrive à rien qui console
Je n'arrive à rien qui prétend
Je n'arrive à rien qui s'envole
A rien qui défie le temps
Et s'il arrive qu'une étoile
Sur nous se penche un instant
C'est sur que la vie nous dévale
C'est sur qu'elle nous entreprend
J'arrive à toi par miracle après de longues années
A consulter les oracles
Et à guetter, à guetter l'inespéré
J'arrive du nord de l'Irlande
J'arrive du creux d'une vallée
J'arrive droit de Samarcande
J'arrive des Indes poivrées
Et s'il arrive que je chante que je me laisse emporter
C'est sur que la vie nous tourmente
C'est sur qu'on goutte aux regrets
J'arrive à toi par miracle
Après de longues années
Après l'enfance grisâtre
Et la jeunesse, et la jeunesse endiablée
In Carla Bruni's song "J'Arrive A Toi", the lyrics describe a person arriving at their destination, whether it is the port with empty hands or at the end of the day without counting their successes. Every morning, they start anew with an empty slate. Despite their lack of wisdom and reason as they age, they recognize that they continue to survive by living simply. However, this person does find themselves arriving at a happy place eventually, to the person they love "by miracle, after long years of consulting oracles and waiting for the unexpected."
Throughout the song, the person emphasizes their inability to find comfort or anything that lasts. Even when a star graces them with its presence, life continues to be unpredictable and daunting. The person arrives from various locations such as the North of Ireland, a valley, Samarcande, and the Spicy Indies. They acknowledge that life will continue to be a challenge as they even taste regret. Despite this, they find refuge with the person they love, making it all worth it.
The song is a testament to the challenges people face in life and the long, tumultuous journey that it can be. It's a reminder that while life may be tough, it's the love and relationships that make it all worthwhile. The lyrics and melody come together perfectly to create a beautiful work of art.
Line by Line Meaning
J'arrive au port les mains vides
I arrive at the shore empty-handed
J'arrive au soir sans compter
I arrive in the evening without counting
Et à chaque matin à vide il me faut recommencer
And every morning I have to start from scratch
J'arrive au front sans sagesse
I arrive at the front without wisdom
J'arrive à l'age sans raison
I reach age without reason
C'est sur qu'on vit de justesse
It's true that we live precariously
C'est sur qu'on vit sans façon
It's true that we live without ceremony
J'arrive à toi par miracle
I arrive to you by miracle
Après de longues années
After many years
Après des siècles d'obstacles
After centuries of obstacles
Et des lundis, des lundis tristes à pleurer
And sad Mondays, Mondays that make you cry
Je n'arrive à rien qui console
I don't achieve anything that consoles
Je n'arrive à rien qui prétend
I don't achieve anything that claims
Je n'arrive à rien qui s'envole
I don't achieve anything that flies away
A rien qui défie le temps
To nothing that defies time
Et s'il arrive qu'une étoile
And if a star happens to
Sur nous se penche un instant
Lean over us for a moment
C'est sur que la vie nous dévale
It's true that life rushes us
C'est sur qu'elle nous entreprend
It's true that she takes us on
A consulter les oracles
Consulting the oracles
Et à guetter, à guetter l'inespéré
And watching, watching for the unforeseeable
J'arrive du nord de l'Irlande
I arrive from the north of Ireland
J'arrive du creux d'une vallée
I arrive from the bottom of a valley
J'arrive droit de Samarcande
I arrive straight from Samarkand
J'arrive des Indes poivrées
I arrive from the spicy Indies
Et s'il arrive que je chante que je me laisse emporter
And if it happens that I sing and let myself be carried away
C'est sur que la vie nous tourmente
It's true that life torments us
C'est sur qu'on goutte aux regrets
It's true that we taste regrets
Après l'enfance grisâtre
After the gray childhood
Et la jeunesse, et la jeunesse endiablée
And the youth, the wild youth
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: CARLA BRUNI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind