Although Bruel aspired to be a football star as a youth, he decided to pursue singing after seeing Michel Sardou in 1975. His first success came as an actor, however, in 1979's Le Coup de sirocco. He continued acting in films, on television and in the theater while pursuing his singing career. His first single, "Vide" ("Empty"), released in 1982, was not a success, but the follow up, "Marre de cette nana-là" ("Fed up with that chick"), was a hit.
In 2003, he had his last name officially changed to Bruel-Benguigui, his stage name with his birthname, before his partner Amanda Maruani gave birth to his first child, Oscar, on August 19. On September 21, 2004, he wed the 24-year-old Maruani; it is his first marriage. His second child, Léon Bruel was born on the 28th September, 2005.
As of 2004 Bruel has acted in more than 40 different television and film productions and made five studio albums and several live albums. His last album to date is Entre Deux (2002), a double CD of classic chanson that features duets with Charles Aznavour, Jean-Louis Aubert, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Souchon and Renaud, among others. It sold two million copies and made Bruel France's best paid singer of the year. At the beginning of 2005, in response to the South Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004, Bruel wrote the song "Et puis la terre" to benefit the Red Cross.
Regarde Devant Toi
Patrick Bruel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cent pour cent goudron plume.
J' l'ai gagné au poker,
Fait banco sur une paire.
Ils s'excitent sur le quai, ouf !
On a mis l' moteur.
Mes tailleurs sont moins riches
Et moi j' me tire ailleurs.
Même si j' suis clandestin
Sur c' bateau qui va trop loin,
Même si l'hôtesse est belle,
Si j'ai pas d' ticket pour elle.
Via New York, j' me fais la belle.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant du doigt.
- Regarde devant toi.
Leurs fusils sur le quai m' laissaient pas vraiment l' choix.
Deux, trois siècles avant moi,
Ces pionniers dev'nus rois
Débarquèrent goudronnés
Et plumés plus que moi.
Derrière un bloc, je croise
Mon premier milliardaire.
Paraît qu' t'as une ardoise
Qui date de mon grand-père.
Même si un trou d' mémoire
L'empêche d'aimer mon histoire,
Même s'il la trouve bizarre,
J' l'ai un peu aidé à m' croire.
J' lui ai emprunté quelques dollars.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant du doigt.
- Regarde devant toi.
Oui merci mais tu vois, une fois d' plus, j'ai pas l' choix.
Même si le juge se marre,
J' me r'trouve entre deux taulards.
Même si l' bateau repart,
C' coup-ci j' suis plus clandestin.
Dix flics me montrent le chemin.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant le large.
- Regarde devant toi.
Oui merci mais tu vois, j'ai des gardiens à charge.
- Regarde devant toi,
Pourquoi même les statues veulent me montrer du doigt ?
- Regarde devant toi.
Arrêtez d' me dire ça. Miss Liberty, tais-toi !
- Regarde devant toi,
Avant de traverser l'Océan comme un barge.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant le large.
- Regarde devant toi.
Miss Liberty, tais-toi. J' peux pas rentrer chez moi
- Regarde devant toi.
Le goudron ou les plumes, ce s'ra ça mon seul choix.
- Regarde devant toi
The first verse of Patrick Bruel's "Regarde Devant Toi" talks about the singer's extravagant appearance, decked out in a "hundred percent tar and feather" costume which he won in a poker game. He and his crew are about to leave, and though they face some trouble from the authorities on the dock, they are ready to set off on their journey. The second verse references the history of immigrants who came before Bruel, including the "pioneers turned kings," who arrived in America in similar circumstances, tar-and-feathered and penniless. Bruel then encounters a billionaire who seems to recognize him from his family's debts, and Bruel persuades the man to lend him some money.
Despite the difficulties that Bruel faces as a clandestine passenger, Miss Liberty (the Statue of Liberty) keeps pointing him toward the future, telling him to keep looking ahead. Bruel brushes off her advice, believing he has no choice in his difficult situation. The chorus repeats this advice, with Bruel sarcastically thanking Miss Liberty for reminding him once again, but ultimately realizing that he has no option but to keep moving forward. The final line hints at the sense of impasse that Bruel feels, between being stuck in his current predicament and the potential of a new life in America.
Line by Line Meaning
Admirez mon costume,
Cent pour cent goudron plume.
Look at my outfit, entirely made of tar and feathers.
J' l'ai gagné au poker,
Fait banco sur une paire.
I won it at poker, went all in with a pair.
Ils s'excitent sur le quai, ouf !
On a mis l' moteur.
They're getting excited on the dock, so we started the engine.
Mes tailleurs sont moins riches
Et moi j' me tire ailleurs.
My tailors are less wealthy and I'm leaving them behind.
Même si j' suis clandestin
Sur c' bateau qui va trop loin,
Even though I'm an illegal immigrant on this boat that's going too far,
Même si l'hôtesse est belle,
Si j'ai pas d' ticket pour elle.
Even if the stewardess is pretty, I don't have a ticket for her.
Via New York, j' me fais la belle.
Via New York, I'm breaking free.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant du doigt.
- Look ahead, Miss Liberty says pointing at me.
- Regarde devant toi.
Leurs fusils sur le quai m'laissaient pas vraiment l' choix.
- Look ahead. Their guns on the dock didn't really give me a choice.
Deux, trois siècles avant moi,
Ces pionniers dev'nus rois
Two or three centuries before me, those pioneers became kings.
Débarquèrent goudronnés
Et plumés plus que moi.
They landed tarred and feathered, worse off than me.
Derrière un bloc, je croise
Mon premier milliardaire.
Behind a block, I bump into my first billionaire.
Paraît qu' t'as une ardoise
Qui date de mon grand-père.
I hear you owe a debt that dates back to my grandfather.
Même si un trou d' mémoire
L'empêche d'aimer mon histoire,
Even if a gap in his memory prevents him from liking my story,
Même s'il la trouve bizarre,
J' l'ai un peu aidé à m' croire.
Even if he finds it strange, I helped him believe me a little.
J' lui ai emprunté quelques dollars.
I borrowed some dollars from him.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant du doigt.
- Look ahead, Miss Liberty says pointing at me.
- Regarde devant toi.
Oui merci mais tu vois, une fois d' plus, j'ai pas l' choix.
- Look ahead. Yes, thank you, but once again, I don't have a choice.
Même si le juge se marre,
J' me r'trouve entre deux taulards.
Even if the judge is chuckling, I find myself between two inmates.
Même si l' bateau repart,
C' coup-ci j' suis plus clandestin.
Even if the boat leaves again, this time I'm not illegal anymore.
Dix flics me montrent le chemin.
Ten cops show me the way.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant le large.
- Look ahead, Miss Liberty says pointing at the open sea.
- Regarde devant toi.
Oui merci mais tu vois, j'ai des gardiens à charge.
- Look ahead. Yes, thank you, but you see, I have guards accompanying me.
- Regarde devant toi,
Pourquoi même les statues veulent me montrer du doigt ?
- Look ahead, why do even the statues want to point at me?
- Regarde devant toi.
Arrêtez d' me dire ça. Miss Liberty, tais-toi !
- Look ahead. Stop telling me that. Miss Liberty, be quiet!
- Regarde devant toi,
Avant de traverser l'Océan comme un barge.
- Look ahead, before crossing the ocean like a madman.
- Regarde devant toi,
Me dit Miss Liberty en me montrant le large.
- Look ahead, Miss Liberty says pointing at the open sea.
- Regarde devant toi.
Miss Liberty, tais-toi. J' peux pas rentrer chez moi.
- Look ahead. Miss Liberty, be quiet. I can't go back home.
- Regarde devant toi.
Le goudron ou les plumes, ce s'ra ça mon seul choix.
- Look ahead. Tar or feathers, that will be my only choice.
- Regarde devant toi
- Look ahead
Contributed by Isaac Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.