Alouette
Gilles Dreu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[L'été est fini]
Pauvre petite bête
[Je suis ton ami.]
Alouette Alouette
Je te comprends bien
Moi aussi j'ai en tête
Beaucoup de chagrin.
Dans les blés de la plaine
[Lorsque tu chantais]
Au près de Madeleine
[Moi je m'endormais.]
Dans l'eau de cette source
Nous buvions tous trois
La vie était si douce
Si pleine de joie.
[Alouette Alouette]
Chantons tous les deux
Un autre jour peut-être
On sera heureux.
Alouette Alouette
[Puisque tout va mal]
Il faut faire la fête
[Je t'emmène au bal.]
Viens donc sur mon épaule
Viens te réchauffer
Tu verras je suis drôle
Je sais bien danser.
Et puis si tu t'embêtes
[Tu viendras chez moi]
Il y aura des noisettes
[Et du pain aux noix.]
Alouette Alouette
L'amour et l'été
Comme les cigarettes
S'en vont en fumée.
[Alouette Alouette]
Non ne t'en fais pas
Alouette Alouette
L'été reviendra.
The lyrics of Gilles Dreus's Alouette talk about the relationship between a man and a lark. In the beginning, the man speaks to the lark, saying that the summer has ended, and he feels sorry for the little bird. He also assures the lark that he is its friend. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the man has been spending time with the bird in the fields and near a girl named Madeleine. The three of them would drink from a nearby water source and enjoy life's sweetness and joy.
However, the man now acknowledges that things are not going well for him, but he still wants to celebrate and take the lark to a dance. He offers to carry the bird on his shoulder and make it feel comfortable. If the bird ever feels lonely, he welcomes it to come to his place to find some solace. The song ends by saying that love and summer are fleeting, just like cigarettes, but the man tells the lark that it need not worry, summer will come back again.
Overall, the song presents a picture of a man who has found friendship with a lark during the summer, and he wants to make sure that the bird feels safe and cared for as they enter the colder seasons. The song also alludes to how the man has been spending time with a woman named Madeleine in the fields, but it is not clear if there was a romantic relationship between them.
Line by Line Meaning
Alouette Alouette
The singer is greeting the bird named Alouette
[L'été est fini]
The summer season has ended
Pauvre petite bête
The singer expresses pity for Alouette
[Je suis ton ami.]
The artist reassures Alouette that they are friends
Je te comprends bien
The artist claims to understand Alouette's feelings
Moi aussi j'ai en tête
The singer also has a lot on their mind
Beaucoup de chagrin.
The singer is feeling a lot of sadness
Dans les blés de la plaine
Alouette used to sing in the fields of the plain
[Lorsque tu chantais]
The artist is referring to a past time when Alouette used to sing
Au près de Madeleine
Alouette used to sing near someone named Madeleine
[Moi je m'endormais.]
The singer would fall asleep while Alouette sang
Dans l'eau de cette source
Alouette and the artist used to drink from a nearby water source
Nous buvions tous trois
There used to be three of them: Alouette, the singer, and someone else
La vie était si douce
Life used to be so sweet
Si pleine de joie.
It used to be full of happiness
[Alouette Alouette]
The artist is addressing Alouette again
Chantons tous les deux
The artist suggests that they sing together
Un autre jour peut-être
Perhaps they can sing together another day
On sera heureux.
They will be happy together
Alouette Alouette
The artist is addressing Alouette again
[Puisque tout va mal]
Since everything is going wrong
Il faut faire la fête
The artist suggests they should party
[Je t'emmène au bal.]
The singer invites Alouette to a ball or dance
Viens donc sur mon épaule
The artist offers to carry Alouette on their shoulder
Viens te réchauffer
The singer invites Alouette to come warm up
Tu verras je suis drôle
The singer claims to be funny
Je sais bien danser.
The singer claims to be a good dancer
Et puis si tu t'embêtes
If Alouette gets bored
[Tu viendras chez moi]
The artist invites Alouette to come to their place
Il y aura des noisettes
There will be hazelnuts
[Et du pain aux noix.]
There will also be walnut bread
Alouette Alouette
The artist is addressing Alouette again
L'amour et l'été
Love and summer
Comme les cigarettes
Disappear like cigarettes
S'en vont en fumée.
Disappear into smoke
[Alouette Alouette]
The artist is addressing Alouette again
Non ne t'en fais pas
The singer reassures Alouette, telling them to not worry
Alouette Alouette
The singer is addressing Alouette again
L'été reviendra.
Summer will come again
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.