In France They Kiss on Main Street
Joni Mitchell Lyrics

Downtown
The bustling center of the city where we experienced many of our youthful and rebellious adventures

My darling dime store thief
An endearing term for the person I fell for who had a habit of stealing from the local dime store

In the War of Independence
Referring to a time when the world was changing and becoming more free-spirited, just like we were

Rock 'n Roll rang as sweet as victory
The sound of rock 'n roll was like a triumphant melody for us during that time period

Under neon signs
We were living in a world where the glow of neon signs illuminated our path

A girl was in bloom
I was young and full of life, blossoming into adulthood

And a woman was fading
Despite my youthful energy, I was aware that I was maturing and my adolescence was fading away

In a suburban room
Our teenage antics were happening in the safety of suburbia where there was plenty of space to spread our wings and take risks

I said, "take me to the dance"
I asked my partner to take me to the local dance event

"Do you want to dance?"
My partner asked me if I wanted to dance, building excitement for the evening ahead

"I love to dance"
I revealed my love for dancing and desire to enjoy the moment

And I told him, "they don't take chances
I explained to my partner that many people are afraid to take risks, even in matters of the heart

They seem so removed from romance"
I observed that some people appear detached from the concept of romance, as if it's an abstract idea rather than a tangible feeling

"They've been broken in churches and schools
I explained that many people are taught to suppress their emotions and conform to societal norms, which can leave them feeling emotionally fractured

And molded to middle class circumstance"
I noted that many people are conditioned to accept a certain way of life and remain within the boundaries of their socioeconomic class

And we were rolling, rolling, rock n' rolling
We were enjoying the night, carefree and full of energy, dancing with abandon to the sound of rock 'n roll

The dance halls and cafes
The public gathering spots where we let loose and lived life on our own terms

Feel so wild you could break somebody's heart
The atmosphere was so charged with excitement and emotion that it felt overwhelming, as if it could almost break someone’s heart

Just doing the latest dance craze
We would try out the latest and most popular dance moves of the moment, enjoying the thrill of being part of a larger cultural trend

Gail and Louise
The names of two friends who accompanied us on these adventures

In those push-up brassieres
Refers to the popular style of bra that emphasized the bust line

Tight dresses and rhinestone rings
The fashion trends of the era that we eagerly adopted

Drinking up the band's beers
We indulged in a little underage drinking while we enjoyed the live music

Young love was kissing under bridges
We observed other young couples sneaking kisses in different places around town, feeling a sense of camaraderie with our peers

Kissing in cars, kissing in cafes
We also engaged in some romantic moments ourselves, making out in a variety of locations

And we were walking down Main Street
Walking through the town's main street, enjoying the moment and taking in the sights and sounds around us

Kisses like bright flags hung on holidays
Our kisses felt like celebrations of life and love, like the colorful flags that are hoisted in celebration on special occasions

"In France they kiss on Main Street"
We were inspired by stories of French romance, where kissing in public was more accepted and even celebrated

"Amour, mama, not cheap display"
We recognized that true love is not about showing off or using displays of affection as a means of impressing others

And we were rolling, rolling, rock n' rolling
We continued on with our wild and carefree night, enjoying the freedom and youthful joy that came with our adventures

In the pinball arcade
Another popular hangout spot where we would spend hours playing pinball and listening to music

With his head full of pool hall pitches
Our partner was fascinated by the world of pool halls and the characters who frequented them

And songs from the hit parade
He also enjoyed listening to the latest pop music hits that were making their way up the charts

He'd be singing "Bye, Bye, Love"
With the jukebox blaring this Everly Brothers hit, our partner enthusiastically sang along as he played pinball

While he's racking up his free play
As he expertly played pinball, he also managed to win enough free plays that he didn't have to keep pumping coins into the machine

Let those rock 'n roll choir boys
As we listened to our favorite rock 'n roll bands, we felt as if we were part of the choir, singing along with the music

Come and carry us away
We were so caught up in the music and the moment that it felt like we might even be lifted off our feet and carried away by the experience

Sometimes Chickie had the car
Referring to a friend named Chickie who sometimes had access to a car that we would use for our adventures

Or Ron had the car
Another friend named Ron also sometimes had a car that we would borrow for our outings

Or Lead Foot Melvin with his hot-wire head
We also knew a guy named Melvin who was known for having fast cars and a bit of a wild streak

We'd all go looking for a party
Regardless of who had the car, we were always on the hunt for the next place where we could let loose and have fun

Looking to raise Jesus up from the dead
We were pushing the limits of acceptability, engaging in activities that might make some people raise an eyebrow or two

And I'd be kissing in the back seat
As we traveled between destinations, we would often sneak in some romantic moments in the back seat of the car

Thrilling to the Brando-like things that he said
Our partner would sometimes make bold, charismatic statements that made us feel like we were in the middle of a James Dean or Marlon Brando movie

And we'd be rolling, rolling, rock n' rolling
Our adventures would often end with us continuing to listen to rock 'n roll music and enjoying each other's company late into the night

Rolling, rolling, rock n' rolling
The repetition of this line emphasizes the continuous rhythm and energy of our youth and the rock 'n roll culture that we loved

Rolling, rolling, rock n' rolling
The repetition of this line emphasizes the continuous rhythm and energy of our youth and the rock 'n roll culture that we loved