Au clair de la lune
Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville Lyrics
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Prête-moi ta plume, pour écrire un mot.
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu.
Ouvre-moi ta porte, pour l'amour de Dieu.
Au clair de la lune, Pierrot répondit
Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit.
Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est
Au clair de la lune, l'aimable Lubin
Frappe chez la brune, elle répond soudain
"Qui frappe de la sorte ? ", il dit à son tour
"Ouvrez votre porte pour le Dieu d'Amour"
Au clair de la lune, on n'y voit qu'un peu
On chercha la plume, on chercha du feu
En cherchant d'la sorte je n'sais c'qu'on trouva
Mais je sais qu'la porte sur eux se ferma.
The song Au Clair de la Lune is a dialogue between two characters, the singer and Pierrot. The singer is asking Pierrot for a feather to write a message because his candle has burnt out. Pierre responds that he doesn't have any feather because he is in bed. However, he suggests to the singer to go to the neighbour's house, where he might find some. The singer then goes to the neighbour's house where he meets Lubin. Lubin asks who is knocking on the door, and the singer responded that he was there in the name of love. They looked for some feather and fire but didn't find it. The person doesn't know what they found, but they remember the door being shut on them.
The song is a conversation that is simple and charming, containing some interesting old expressions. The song talks about a time when life was much simpler, and people always needed help from their neighbours. The song also reflects the importance of love, as the person knocking on the door was in the name of love. Additionally, the song speaks about the way people used to communicate before the advent of modern technology.
Line by Line Meaning
Au clair de la lune, mon ami Pierrot
In the moonlight, my friend Pierrot
Prête-moi ta plume, pour écrire un mot.
Lend me your pen, so I can write a note.
Ma chandelle est morte, je n'ai plus de feu.
My candle has died, I have no more flame.
Ouvre-moi ta porte, pour l'amour de Dieu.
Open your door for the love of God.
Au clair de la lune, Pierrot répondit
In the moonlight, Pierrot replied
Je n'ai pas de plume, je suis dans mon lit.
I don't have a pen, I am in my bed.
Va chez la voisine, je crois qu'elle y est
Go to the neighbor's, I believe she's there
Car dans sa cuisine, on bat le briquet.
Because in her kitchen, they are striking a match.
Au clair de la lune, l'aimable Lubin
In the moonlight, the friendly Lubin
Frappe chez la brune, elle répond soudain
Knocks on the brunette's door, she suddenly answers
"Qui frappe de la sorte ? ", il dit à son tour
"Who knocks like that?", he says in return
"Ouvrez votre porte pour le Dieu d'Amour"
"Open your door for the God of Love."
Au clair de la lune, on n'y voit qu'un peu
In the moonlight, we can only see a little
On chercha la plume, on chercha du feu
We searched for a pen, we searched for flame
En cherchant d'la sorte je n'sais c'qu'on trouva
In searching like that, I don't know what we found
Mais je sais qu'la porte sur eux se ferma.
But I know that the door closed on them.
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
deadmetalbr
On the one hand, this sounds like nightmare fuel out-of-context. On the other, and in context, every song by every musician you've ever loved owes itself to this muffled, warbly mess, and that's nothing short of awe-inspiring. Human art and science leapt forward, hand in hand, the day this was scratched into paper, and if there's an afterlife, Monsieur de Martinville can rightfully feel more than just a bit smug for his contribution to world culture.
FruitPunch Samurai
It's like a ghost of a woman who seeks revenge and whenever she comes this music plays lool
Henry Brent
Actually, Mssr de Martinville’s discovery was not publicized and died with him in 1879. It wasn’t until Edison started to popularize the phonograph after 1877– without knowledge of de Martinville’s prior efforts, regrettably— that recorded sound became known. It is Edison that musicians owe a debt to.
Jordan
I can get living without tv but imagine living without music
Ronan Anjos
In an amazing trip to the past the voice of an unknown human being reborn for the eternity. Respect to mister Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville with his magic machine that prints sounds.
Salvatore Gus
Instablaster...
Juliet Cunningham
Not an unknown voice. The first playback used a speed that resulted in a contralto voice. But, then they looked at the label, which identified a known baritone singer. They slowed the playback down, and got this.
Rytis Liaučys
Fun fact: Edourd never knew this could be used to actually record and playback voice. His phonoautograph was only used to study sound waves and acoustics, and we there was never a way to play this back until someone figured it out in 2008 with digitalization.
LockDownOnSparta
WRONG...the realization and implementation was done a couple of hundred years prior to 2008
AidenTheSubaruFan2001
Woah! Didn’t know flies could sing in 1860! So talented!