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.
Dreamland
Émilie Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you find your place in the sun
Always in your dreams, you're never really there
Did you find the thing that you lost
She never seems to wake up
But I don't want to give up
She locked the door and lost the key
Nothing bad can happen
Cause she won't be seen there
No she won't be seen there
No she won't be seen
Cause there's no one there
Where have you been you green little bird
Did you fly away to see the world
You're living in a dream
You're chasing the ghost
Did you find the key that you lost
She never seems to wake up
But I don't want to give up
She locked the door and lost the key
When she goes to Dreamland
Nothing bad can happen
Cause she won't be seen there
No she won't be seen there
No she won't be seen
Cause there's no one there
When the dream will be over
Just try to remember the time you shared with me
The lyrics to Émilie Simon's song Dreamland capture the dreamlike world of a sweet little girl or green little bird who seems to be caught between the realities of the real world and the world of their dreams. The lyrics suggest that these characters are searching, possibly for something they've lost or a place where they belong. In their dreams, they find solace, where nothing bad can happen and they won’t be seen. The girl or bird in the song seems to have lost the key to their own dreams, symbolizing their difficulty in accessing their inner world, and the metaphor of "chasing the ghost" suggests a futile quest for something unattainable.
The repeated line "She never seems to wake up, but I don't want to give up" implies that someone, possibly the songwriter or a friend, is trying to awaken the girl or bird from their dreamlike state, but doesn't want to give up on them. The final lines of the song suggest that the dream will eventually end, but that the time spent together in the dreamland should be remembered.
Taken as a whole, Dreamland appears to be about the importance of dreams and imagination, and the power of the inner self to provide comfort and escape from the stresses of the outside world. The lyrics are poignant and poetic, and the dreamy instrumentation and vocal delivery add to the otherworldly feel of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have you been you sweet little girl
Asking where the girl has been and how her journey has been going
Did you find your place in the sun
Asking if the girl has found her purpose and happiness
Always in your dreams, you're never really there
Pointing out that the girl seems to be lost in her own world and not present in reality
Did you find the thing that you lost
Asking if the girl has found what she's been searching for
She never seems to wake up
The girl appears to be in a constant state of dreaming and not aware of her surroundings
But I don't want to give up
The singer doesn't want to lose hope for the girl's sake
She locked the door and lost the key
The girl has shut herself off and cannot find a way back to reality
When she goes to Dreamland
Referring to the girl's constant state of dreaming
Nothing bad can happen
In the girl's dreams, everything is ideal and she doesn't have to face any hardships
Cause she won't be seen there
No one can disturb her because she's unreachable in her dream world
No she won't be seen there
Reiterating the idea that the girl is untouchable in her dreams
No she won't be seen
Concluding that the girl has isolated herself from reality and cannot be reached
Cause there's no one there
Elaborating that there is no one in her dream world, the girl is alone
Where have you been you green little bird
Using a metaphor for the girl's journey, the singer asks where she has flown to
Did you fly away to see the world
Continuing the metaphor, asking if the girl has traveled and experienced new things
You're living in a dream
Pointing out that the girl's life is a dream-like state
You're chasing the ghost
The girl is searching for something intangible and unattainable
Did you find the key that you lost
Repeating the question from earlier, asking if the girl has finally found her way back to reality
When the dream will be over
Acknowledging that the girl's dream will eventually come to an end
Just try to remember the time you shared with me
Encouraging the girl to remember the moments of connection she had with the artist, even after waking up from her dream
Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@andresavila5935
De los amores de mi niñez, The Big Machine el mejor ´álbum de toda su carrera, para mí. :´)
@FalseStrawberry
Most musicians are singers, only singers, but Emilie Simon is an ARTIST. I love her visual, her music and her lyrics. I wish she could go international, but maybe some parts of the world isn't ready to hear her music yet? She doesn't make the cliche style of music, she is so unique and special, but I think she could shape music if she was international.
@LadyMotorhead
Te amo Emilie! your music is incredible, in every style you shine like no other! greetings!
@96anarion
Przepiękna piosenka! Zawiera w sobie coś niesamowitego. Cóż, w końcu to utwór Emilie. :))
@aprenderrumano2142
necesita tener millones de visita, muy buen estilo. Saludos desde Argentina
@janineluques
Perfeitooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Lindaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
@moustikhertz7697
Dès lors que je met mon casque, ce son me transperce de toute part, le monde devient trop petit et je m'éloigne, je pars, je plane et j'oublie ma pipe et crack, me voici dans le pays d'Emilie d'où je ne veux plus partir. La note précédant l'harmonique ,les petits bruits électroniques , une douce mélopée poétique , intense et unique,
moi, je n'ai pas les bons mots pour d'écrire ta musique. Je me contente de la ressentir, Voilà...
@morenolopera
La mejor cantante francesa de la actualidad ... saludos desde Colombia
@alicelidell5242
Es la verdad, yo también pienso lo mismo
@KarolinaMisia
I love this video. It seems to be "Alice In Wonderland" story. Why Tim Burton don't asked Emily to write music for "Alice..."? I think it would be genious soundtrack. She is very good in such calm and "imaginary" music.