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.

To The Dancers In The Rain
Émilie Simon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I didn't believe in anyone but I found you today
My eyes are not closed baby I still remember
If my words are not that clear
I know my heart is understanding
Every little kiss of you

I'm your princess for a night, maybe forever
We were dancers in the rain and it still remains

If my words are not that clear
I know my heart is understanding
Every little kiss of you

Just a sunny day in Paris give it backs to me
I don't need to be romantic I just have to be me

My lover is gone but I'm not on my own
With all these little kisses of you

My lover is gone but I'm not on my own
With all these little kisses of you

Overall Meaning

In Emilie Simon's song "To the Dancers in the Rain," the singer describes her newfound love and how it has changed her perspective on life. The song begins with her saying that she didn't believe in anyone until she found her current love interest. She remembers everything vividly even though her eyes are not closed – perhaps indicating that the relationship is still new and fresh. Even though her words may not be that clear, she knows that her heart understands every little kiss and gesture from her partner.

She then goes on to say that she is her partner's princess for a night or maybe forever, indicating that she is fully committed to the relationship. They danced in the rain, and the memory still remains with her. She then repeats the idea that even though her words may not be clear, her heart understands every little kiss from her partner.

In the last stanza, she talks about how her previous lover is gone, but she is not alone because she still has the memories of her current partner's affection. The sunny day in Paris is a symbolic representation of her carefree attitude towards life and love. She doesn't need grand gestures or romance to be happy; she just needs to be herself and enjoy the little things in life with her partner.

Line by Line Meaning

I didn't believe in anyone but I found you today
I was skeptical about finding love, but then I met you today

My eyes are not closed baby I still remember
I am fully aware and present, and I remember everything between us, my love

If my words are not that clear
If I am struggling to express myself verbally

I know my heart is understanding
I trust that my feelings will be understood without me needing to say too much

Every little kiss of you
The affection you show me means everything to me

I'm your princess for a night, maybe forever
Tonight, I am yours and feel like royalty, and perhaps we will be together forever

We were dancers in the rain and it still remains
We danced together in the rain, and the memory of it still lingers with me

Just a sunny day in Paris give it backs to me
All I need is a memory of a sunny day in Paris to bring me joy again

I don't need to be romantic I just have to be me
I don't need grand gestures or performances, I just need to be true to myself

My lover is gone but I'm not on my own
My previous partner may have left, but I am not alone with the memories of our love

With all these little kisses of you
Your sweet kisses are enough to keep me going