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.
Vous
Patrick Bruel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Etes-Vous là ce soir? Un taxi, je descends
La porte grince un peu, j
'entre sans frapper
Je sais qu'il est tard et que vous vous couchez tôt
Je sais que vous devez travailler demain matin
Mais j'avais besoin de vous voir avant de partir
Patrick Bruel's song Vous is a poignant ballad about the struggle to let go of a loved one. The opening lines depict the singer arriving at his lover's house late at night, unannounced. He is aware of the possible inconvenience of his arrival, but cannot resist the urge to see his partner one last time before departing. The repetition of the word "Je sais" (I know) suggests a deep understanding of the situation and a sense of guilt for disrupting his loved one's routine. This is further emphasized in the lines "Je sais que vous devez travailler demain matin" (I know you have to work tomorrow morning) and "Mais j'avais besoin de vous voir avant de partir" (But I needed to see you before leaving).
Line by Line Meaning
Vous,
Are you there tonight?
Etes-Vous là ce soir? Un taxi, je descends
Are you there tonight? I'm getting off a taxi
La porte grince un peu, j'hésite
The door creaks a little, I hesitate
Je paye et tout devient facile
I pay and everything becomes easy
Il y a des sourires qui se cachent derrière le silence
There are smiles hiding behind the silence
Des regards qui en disent plus que des mots
Looks that say more than words
Et puis ces gestes qui se tendent
And then these gestures that reach out
Comme autant de promesses échangées
Like so many exchanged promises
Vous, Etes-Vous là ce soir? Un verre, une danse
Are you there tonight? A drink, a dance
Le temps d'un pas, c'est comme un éclair
The time of a step, it's like lightning
Le temps d'un regard, c'est un tourbillon
The time of a look, it's a whirlwind
Et puis ces corps qui s'enflamment
And then these bodies that ignite
Comme s'ils n'avaient jamais été touchés
Like they've never been touched before
Des images qui s'emberlificotent
Images that interweave
Comme autant de promesses échangées
Like so many exchanged promises
Vous, Etes-Vous là ce soir? Une nuit, un matin
Are you there tonight? A night, a morning
Le jour se lève et nous sommes là
The day dawns and we are here
Seuls, épuisés, et puis tellement heureux
Alone, exhausted, and so happy
De ces heures volées à la vie
From these hours stolen from life
Il y a des adieux qui se glissent
There are farewells that sneak in
Comme des lâchetés derrière les sourires
Like cowardice hidden behind the smiles
Pourtant, à l'intérieur, on sait
Yet, deep inside, we know
Que des promesses ont été échangées
That promises were exchanged
Contributed by Henry S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.