Émilie Simon (born 1978 in Montpellier, Occitanie, France) is a French sing… Read Full Bio ↴Émilie Simon (born 1978 in Montpellier, Occitanie, France) is a French singer, songwriter and composer of electronic music.

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.

The Way I See You
Émilie Simon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Help me fix the things that are broken
O-oh, before you leave
I've been trying to think it over
O-oh, I know it's time to grieve

I know you said nothing lasts
What a surprise to see the writing on the wall

How can I love you dear
When you break everything I do
How can I love you dear
When you break everything I do
O-Oh

Help me find the things that are missing
O-oh, I'm on my knees
Looking for a thousand pieces
O-oh, and my hand are full of dust

I know you said nothing lasts
What a surprise to see the writing on the wall

How can I love you dear
When you break everything I do

How can I love you dear
When you break everything I do

O-oh, the way I see you
Is not really the way you want me to
O-oh, the way I see you
O-oh, the way I see you
Is not really the way you want me to

How can I forgive you, my dear
When everything you touch is burning
How can I forgive you
How can I forgive you, my dear
When everything you touch is burning
How can I forgive you

O-oh, the way I see you
Is not really the way you want me to
O-oh, the way I see you
O-oh, the way I see you

Is not really the way you want me to
O-oh, the way I see you

Overall Meaning

In Emilie Simon's song "The Way I See You", the singer is pleading for her lover not to leave her, asking for their help in fixing things that are broken in their relationship. She acknowledges that they have said that nothing lasts and that it's time to grieve, but she still wants to hold onto their love. The singer expresses frustration and confusion, questioning how she can continue to love her partner when they seem to destroy everything she creates. She asks for their help in finding the missing pieces of their relationship, and her hands are full of dust, symbolizing the messiness and complexity of their situation.

The chorus repeats the question of how the singer can continue to love someone who seems to break everything she does. She isn't sure if forgiveness is possible when everything her partner touches burns, and she notes that the way she sees the situation is not the way that her partner wants her to see it. The song is raw and emotional, acknowledging that love can be painful and difficult, and that sometimes it's hard to let go even when it's time to grieve.

Line by Line Meaning

Help me fix the things that are broken
Asking for assistance in repairing the damaged aspects of the relationship before it's too late

O-oh, before you leave
Expressing sense of urgency and desperation to salvage the situation before the partner decides to leave

I've been trying to think it over
Reflecting on the problems in the relationship and trying to come up with solutions

O-oh, I know it's time to grieve
Fully aware that the relationship is coming to an end, and expressing sadness for the loss

I know you said nothing lasts
Acknowledging the partner's previous statement about the impermanence of things

What a surprise to see the writing on the wall
Despite knowing that all things end, still feeling surprised or shocked when the signs foreshadowing the end become clear

How can I love you dear when you break everything I do
Expressing doubt and confusion about how to continue loving someone who seems to ruin everything

Help me find the things that are missing
Requesting assistance in identifying what's lacking in the relationship

O-oh, I'm on my knees
Showing humble, pleading attitude towards partner in order to save the relationship

Looking for a thousand pieces, o-oh, and my hand are full of dust
Searching for scattered fragments of the relationship that have fallen apart, and feeling frustrated with coming up empty-handed

O-oh, the way I see you is not really the way you want me to
Acknowledging that the way the partner sees them is not aligned with their own self-concept or desires

How can I forgive you, my dear, when everything you touch is burning
Expressing difficulty in finding the ability to forgive the partner when their actions continuously hurt and damage the relationship

O-oh, the way I see you is not really the way you want me to
Repeating the earlier statement, emphasizing the disparity between partner's perception and one's own

O-oh, the way I see you
Repeating the earlier statement, expressing the disconnection between one's own perception of the partner and the partner's desired self-concept

Is not really the way you want me to
Continuing to emphasize the misalignment between partner's self-concept and one's own perception of them

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS