Born on the 24th August 1916 in Monaco, Ferré mixed lyricism with slang; love with anarchy. He took a central place in the world of French song. He was involved in anarchism, and worked with Radio Libertaire, an anarchist free-radio broadcasting in Paris and around France. He died on the 14th July 1993.
La Vie D'Artiste
Léo Ferré Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ici, ailleurs ou autre part
Il se peut que tu t'en souviennes
Sans se connaître on s'est aimé
Et même si ce n'est pas vrai
Il faut croire à l'histoire ancienne
Je t'ai donné ce que j'avais
De quoi chanter, de quoi rêver
Et tu croyais en ma bohème, mais
Si tu pensais à vingt ans
Qu'on peut vivre de l'air du temps
Ton point de vue n'est plus le même
Cette fameuse fin du mois
Qui depuis qu'on est toi et moi
Nous revient sept fois par semaine
Et nos soirées sans cinéma
Et mon succès qui ne vient pas
Et notre pitance incertaine
Tu vois je n'ai rien oublié
Dans ce bilan triste à pleurer
Qui constate notre faillite
Il te reste encore de beau jours
Profites-en. Mon pauvre amour
Les belles années passent vite
Et maintenant tu vas partir
Tous les deux nous allons vieillir
Chacun pour soi, comme c'est triste
Tu peux remporter le phono, moi
Je conserve le piano
Je continue ma vie d'artiste
Plus tard sans trop savoir pourquoi
Un étranger, un maladroit
Lisant mon nom sur une affiche
Te parlera de mes succès
Mais un peu triste, toi qui sait
Tu lui diras
Que je m'en fiche
Que je m'en fiche
In "La Vie d'artiste" by Léo Ferré, the singer talks about a relationship he had met randomly and how even though they didn't know each other well, they loved each other. They believed in the ancient story of love even if it wasn't true. The singer then talks about how he tried to give his partner a life of singing and dreaming even though it didn't end up the way they planned. They believed they could live comfortably just by living day by day. However, they soon realized their reality was very different from what they expected. They face financial problems every month, having to make do with very little. The singer is quite honest and doesn't hesitate to show his sadness and disappointment, as he recounts the details of their failed life together.
He then tells his partner that she must leave and that they are both going to grow old, but separately. They will each have their own paths to follow. He tells her to take the phonograph while he keeps the piano as they both continue on the paths that they have chosen. The singer finishes by saying that even though he may not know it, he will continue his life as an artist. Years later, someone will read his name on a poster and talk to his old partner about his success. However, his partner will reply that she doesn't care and that he probably doesn't care either.
Line by Line Meaning
Je t'ai rencontrée par hasard
I met you by chance
Ici, ailleurs ou autre part
Here, there, or elsewhere
Il se peut que tu t'en souviennes
Maybe you remember it
Sans se connaître on s'est aimé
Without knowing each other, we fell in love
Et même si ce n'est pas vrai
Even if it's not true
Il faut croire à l'histoire ancienne
We must believe in the old story
Je t'ai donné ce que j'avais
I gave you what I had
De quoi chanter, de quoi rêver
Something to sing, something to dream
Et tu croyais en ma bohème, mais
And you believed in my bohemian lifestyle, but
Si tu pensais à vingt ans
If you thought at twenty
Qu'on peut vivre de l'air du temps
That one can live on current trends
Ton point de vue n'est plus le même
Your point of view is no longer the same
Cette fameuse fin du mois
This famous end of the month
Qui depuis qu'on est toi et moi
That since you and I are together
Nous revient sept fois par semaine
Comes back to us seven times a week
Et nos soirées sans cinéma
And our evenings without cinema
Et mon succès qui ne vient pas
And my success that never comes
Et notre pitance incertaine
And our uncertain living
Tu vois je n'ai rien oublié
You see, I have not forgotten anything
Dans ce bilan triste à pleurer
In this sad balance sheet
Qui constate notre faillite
That notes our failure
Il te reste encore de beau jours
You still have beautiful days ahead of you
Profites-en. Mon pauvre amour
Make the most of it. My poor love
Les belles années passent vite
The good years pass quickly
Et maintenant tu vas partir
And now you're leaving
Tous les deux nous allons vieillir
Both of us will grow old
Chacun pour soi, comme c'est triste
Each for oneself, how sad
Tu peux remporter le phono, moi
You can take the record player, and I
Je conserve le piano
Will keep the piano
Je continue ma vie d'artiste
I continue my artist's life
Plus tard sans trop savoir pourquoi
Later, without knowing why
Un étranger, un maladroit
A stranger, a clumsy person
Lisant mon nom sur une affiche
Reading my name on a poster
Te parlera de mes succès
Will talk to you about my successes
Mais un peu triste, toi qui sait
But a little sad, you who knows
Tu lui diras
You will tell him
Que je m'en fiche
That I don't care
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, LES NOUVELLES EDITIONS MERIDIAN
Written by: Francis Claude, Leo Ferre
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind