She began her musical education at a French conservatory at seven years old. By age 18, she was studying Musicology at the University in Montpellier, France, and then obtained her Master in Musicology at the Sorbonne in Paris. Émilie was intrigued by the idea of combining her traditional musical education with new music technologies and studio experimentations. She developed these interests into unique skills at the cutting edge new technology music school, the IRCAM in Paris, which to this day remains the only center in the world dedicated to contemporary musical research and production, bringing science and art together in order to widen instrumentation and rejuvenate musical language.
Here she met Cyrille Brissot who she still works with today to develop and build specific instruments adapted to Émilie’s needs, both in the studio and on stage, including the “Brissot” - a breathtaking arm controller that allows her to remotely control, modulate and transform her live voice through a series of controlled effects. Émilie uses a variety of other new technology devices including Yamaha’s “Tenori-on” and a variety of other new hardware and software. Émilie uses this technology to give herself a wide range of versatility on stage, including being able to control everything – from beats to multiple instruments to vocal harmonies and modulation simultaneously while alone on stage.
Shortly after Ircam, Émilie Simon signed a record deal with Barclay/Universal France. Since then, she has written, arranged, performed and produced her two records and the original music for the French (original) version of March of the Penguins. There, Émilie used many diverse and inventive techniques including rubbing pieces of ice together to produce beats and sounds, and blended them with her electronic machinery and inviting lyrics.
Despite garnering best album honors in the electronic category at France’s
“Victoires de la Musique” Awards for her debut, and being touted as one of the most promising female artists, the Montpellier-bred chanteuse is quick to champion her independence as an artist over such acclaim. “[Awards] are nice, but it’s like a cherry on top, really,” the singer/songwriter insists. “It’s great when you have the feeling you are doing something important or that you’re understood. But it doesn’t alter the way I work in any way. I’m always thinking back on what I have done, because I don’t want to be redundant. I want to make music without rules, without anybody telling me what I have to do.”
Émilie Simon first made her mark on the U.S. in the fall of 2006 with her debut U.S. release, The Flower Book on Nov. 7, 2006. Her plush, artful soundscapes had already yielded her significant praise and awards in her French homeland, as well as acclaim across the rest of Europe and Japan. Singing in both French and English, Émilie allows her music to flow naturally, rewarding her with devoted fans worldwide. A year and a half after The Flower Book’s release, Émilie is currently residing in New York City and writing her next record. She will be performing shows in NYC this Fall to preview her new material. Having always begun the creative process in the recording studio, and then following with live performances, Émilie is trying a new approach. For the new record, she will let the songs breathe and evolve in a live environment before heading into the studio.
Chinatown
Émilie Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody's waiting for me
I'm all alone
First floor in the building
A Chinese doctor operating
What's going on
Welcome to Chinatown
69 East Brodway
I'll be there, I'll be waiting
For your call
Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown
I don't know why I came here
But there's no turning back this time
I have this impression
Deep inside my bones
Looking gor the answer
But the answer doesn't come
In Chinatown
I have his impression
Crawling on my spine
You try to make it happen
But you never cross the line
In Chinatown
I have this impression
Walking all alone
Anything can happen
Though will I ever feel at home
In Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown
The lyrics of Emilie Simon's song "Chinatown" describe her experience of arriving in Chinatown, where she feels lost, alone and disconnected. She finds herself on the first floor of a building where a Chinese doctor is operating, and she is unsure of what's happening around her. The lyrics are a reflection of her inner turmoil and confusion, as she tries to find answers to her questions about life and her place in the world.
The repetition of the line "Welcome to Chinatown" creates a sense of irony, as she doesn't feel welcome at all. The subtext in the lyrics implies that there is a cultural barrier between the singer and the environment around her, which makes her feel uneasy and out of place. The lyrics also convey a feeling of isolation and despair, as if the singer doesn't know where she belongs or what her purpose is. The phrase "anything can happen, though will I ever feel at home in Chinatown" exemplifies her fear of not finding a place to call home, even though she seems to be in a place full of possibilities.
Overall, "Chinatown" is a song about displacement, alienation, and the search for belonging. Emilie Simon captures the mood of disorientation felt by many people who find themselves in a new and unfamiliar environment.
Line by Line Meaning
First day in the city
This is the first day since I arrived in the city
Nobody's waiting for me
I have no one waiting for me in the city
I'm all alone
I'm completely isolated and have no one to communicate with
First floor in the building
I'm currently on the first floor of this building
A Chinese doctor operating
A surgeon of Chinese descent is performing a medical operation
What's going on
I'm trying to make sense of what's happening
Welcome to Chinatown
I've arrived in the Chinatown district
69 East Brodway
This is the specific address I'll be present and waiting in the Chinatown district
I'll be there, I'll be waiting
I'm planning on being present at the specified location and waiting for someone to contact me
For your call
I'm expecting a call from someone
I don't know why I came here
I have no idea why I decided to come to Chinatown
But there's no turning back this time
I made a decision, and there's no way I can reverse it now
I have this impression
I have this particular feeling or sense
Deep inside my bones
I feel it at the very core of my being
Looking for the answer
I'm searching for a solution or insight
But the answer doesn't come
I'm not able to figure it out or find what I'm looking for
I have this impression
I have this particular feeling or sense
Crawling on my spine
It sends a shiver down my spine
You try to make it happen
You're trying to achieve something
But you never cross the line
But you're not able to fully achieve it or make it work
I have this impression
I have this particular feeling or sense
Walking all alone
I'm walking without anyone else's company
Anything can happen
Anything is possible or likely to occur
Though will I ever feel at home
But will I ever feel like I truly belong here?
Welcome to Chinatown
I've returned to the Chinatown district
Contributed by Matthew W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Martin Lang
Niiice I like
KarMa RJ
thanks a lot <3