Moustaki was born Yussef Mustacchi on the 3rd May 1934 in Alexandria, Egypt, of Sephardic Jewish parents who had moved there from Corfu, and who ran a bookshop in the city. The family spoke Italian at home, but Georges (then Yussef) spoke Arabic with his friends and attended a French school to which his Francophile parents sent him and his sisters. In 1951 he moved to Paris, where he was inspired by the young Georges Brassens, in honour of whom he changed his name to Georges Moustaki.
Moustaki wrote and sang in French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, English, Yiddish, and Arabic. Early influences included Edith Piaf, with whom Moustaki carried on a year-long romance. His pan-national approach to music made him a star in Europe in the late sixties and early seventies.
He died on the 23rd May 2013 in Nice, France.
Le métèque
Georges Moustaki Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
Avec mes yeux tous délavés
Qui me donnent l'air de rêver
Moi qui ne rêve plus souvent
Avec mes mains de maraudeur
De musicien et de rôdeur
Qui ont pillé tant de jardins
Avec ma bouche qui a bu
Qui a embrassé et mordu
Sans jamais assouvir sa faim
Avec ma gueule de métèque
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
De voleur et de vagabond
Avec ma peau qui s'est frottée
Au soleil de tous les étés
Et tout ce qui portait jupon
Avec mon cœur qui a su faire
Souffrir autant qu'il a souffert
Sans pour cela faire d'histoires
Avec mon âme qui n'a plus
La moindre chance de salut
Pour éviter le purgatoire
Avec ma gueule de métèque
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
Je viendrai, ma douce captive
Mon âme sœur, ma source vive
Je viendrai boire tes vingt ans
Et je serai Prince de sang
Rêveur ou bien adolescent
Comme il te plaira de choisir
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
Toute une éternité d'amour
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
Toute une éternité d'amour
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
In Georges Moustaki's song Le métèque, the singer describes himself as a mix of different cultures and experiences, with his face and hair reflecting his Jewish and Greek roots. He mentions his faded eyes, which make him look like he's constantly dreaming, and his rough hands, which have stolen from many gardens and played music. He talks about his hungry mouth, which has kissed, bitten, and never been satisfied. He is a wanderer, a thief, and a vagabond, with a heart that has suffered as much as it has caused pain, and a soul that has little chance of salvation.
Despite his complex and unconventional past, he promises to come to his beloved, his "douce captive" and "âme sœur," who represents a source of life for him. He offers to be whatever she wants him to be, a prince or a dreamer, as long as they can spend every day together in eternal love. The song is about embracing one's identity and accepting others', as well as finding salvation and hope through love.
Line by Line Meaning
Avec ma gueule de métèque
With my face of a mixed race person
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Born as a Jew and raised as a Greek shepherd
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
My hair blowing freely in the wind
Avec mes yeux tous délavés
With my washed out eyes
Qui me donnent l'air de rêver
That make me look like I'm dreaming
Moi qui ne rêve plus souvent
But I don't dream much anymore
Avec mes mains de maraudeur
With my hands of a thief
De musicien et de rôdeur
But also of a musician and wanderer
Qui ont pillé tant de jardins
I have stolen from many gardens
Avec ma bouche qui a bu
With my mouth that has indulged
Qui a embrassé et mordu
Kissed and bitten without satisfaction
Sans jamais assouvir sa faim
Never fully satisfied
Avec ma gueule de métèque
With my face of a mixed race person
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Born as a Jew and raised as a Greek shepherd
De voleur et de vagabond
A thief and wanderer
Avec ma peau qui s'est frottée
My skin that's been exposed
Au soleil de tous les étés
To every summer sun
Et tout ce qui portait jupon
And to any skirt that crossed my path
Avec mon cœur qui a su faire
With my heart that's learned
Souffrir autant qu'il a souffert
To suffer as much as it has suffered
Sans pour cela faire d'histoires
Without making a fuss about it
Avec mon âme qui n'a plus
With my soul that no longer has
La moindre chance de salut
Even the slightest chance of redemption
Pour éviter le purgatoire
To avoid purgatory
Avec ma gueule de métèque
With my face of a mixed race person
De Juif errant, de pâtre grec
Born as a Jew and raised as a Greek shepherd
Et mes cheveux aux quatre vents
My hair blowing freely in the wind
Je viendrai, ma douce captive
I will come, my sweet captive
Mon âme sœur, ma source vive
My soulmate, my life source
Je viendrai boire tes vingt ans
I will come to drink in your youth
Et je serai Prince de sang
And I will be a prince of blood
Rêveur ou bien adolescent
Dreamer or adolescent
Comme il te plaira de choisir
However you choose
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
And we will make each day
Toute une éternité d'amour
An eternity of love
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
That we will live until we die
Et nous ferons de chaque jour
And we will make each day
Toute une éternité d'amour
An eternity of love
Que nous vivrons à en mourir
That we will live until we die
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Moustaki
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind