Souchon signed his first contract in 1971, but had no success until he began to collaborate with composer/arranger Laurent Voulzy ; they would write together, but each released albums under his own name. Souchon's first hit was "J'ai 10 ans" (1974), from the album of the same name. Souchon's biggest hit was probably "Foule Sentimentale" from 1995's C'est Deja ca. His recent album is from 2005, called La Vie Theodore which features his song "Et si en plus, y'a personne" [What if, even more, there is no one], a song condemning religious intolerance.
He wrote the theme for François Truffaut's 1979 film Love on the Run (L'amour en fuite).
C'était Menti
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vieux Scott Joplin maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
C'était menti
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
Caché dans les crinolines des autos Panhard
Tu disais l'industrie et l'agriculture
De Karl Marx la rêverie
Et le tsarévitch Alexis
Tout tout était menti
Scott Joplin maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Vieux Fats Waller maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
C'était menti
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
Dans les mains d'AL Capone à Chicago le soir
Tu disais les Métro Goldwyn les Dessoto les Packard
Lilly Palmer un jour j'aurai ma part
Armstrong et Stormy Weather aussi
Le charleston et Mussolini
Tout tout était menti
Fats Waller maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Vieux Bob Dylan maudit
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
C'était menti
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
La révolution une forme d'art
Marianne Faithfull et des jolies dents qui claquent
Enroulée dans l'anorak de Jack Kerouac
Katmandou et la mort à bas prix
Et les limousines hors de prix
Tout tout était menti
Bob Dylan maudit
Et toi tes mots d'amour au piano
Est-ce que c'était tout du pipeau?
Toi qui disais que tu m'aimais
Comment c'était?
In Alain Souchon's song "C'était Menti," the singer addresses a person who has consistently lied to them. The person had promised them tales of great happiness, industry, and famous personalities, but it all turns out to be lies. The singer lists a series of things that this person promised them, from a "big firecracker" of happiness hidden in "Panhard automobile crinolines," to the revolutionary art that is the "revolution," to the promise of love on the piano.
Despite the promises made, everything the person said was a lie. Even the names they dropped, like Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Bob Dylan, and Marianne Faithful were all lies. The singer wonders if even the words of love spoken by this person were a lie. In this album, Souchon captures the disillusionment and emptiness felt by many in the postmodern age.
Line by Line Meaning
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
Vieux Scott Joplin maudit
Old Scott Joplin cursed
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
C'était menti
It was a lie
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
You said happiness is a big firecracker
Caché dans les crinolines des autos Panhard
Hidden in the crinolines of Panhard cars
Tu disais l'industrie et l'agriculture
You said industry and agriculture
Tu disais la vieille Sissi sur la côte d'Azur
You said old Sissi on the French Riviera
De Karl Marx la rêverie
About Karl Marx's dreams
Et le tsarévitch Alexis
And Tsarevich Alexis
Tout tout était menti
Everything was a lie
Scott Joplin maudit
Cursed Scott Joplin
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
Vieux Fats Waller maudit
Old Fats Waller cursed
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
C'était menti
It was a lie
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
You said happiness is a big firecracker
Dans les mains d'AL Capone à Chicago le soir
In the hands of Al Capone in Chicago at night
Tu disais les Métro Goldwyn les Dessoto les Packard
You said Metro Goldwyn, Desoto, and Packard
Lilly Palmer un jour j'aurai ma part
Lilly Palmer, someday I'll have my share
Armstrong et Stormy Weather aussi
Armstrong and Stormy Weather too
Le charleston et Mussolini
The Charleston and Mussolini
Tout tout était menti
Everything was a lie
Fats Waller maudit
Cursed Fats Waller
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
Vieux Bob Dylan maudit
Old Bob Dylan cursed
Tout ce que tu m'as dit
Everything you told me
C'était menti
It was a lie
Tu disais le bonheur c'est un gros pétard
You said happiness is a big firecracker
La révolution une forme d'art
Revolution is a form of art
Marianne Faithfull et des jolies dents qui claquent
Marianne Faithfull and pretty teeth that click
Enroulée dans l'anorak de Jack Kerouac
Wrapped in Jack Kerouac's anorak
Katmandou et la mort à bas prix
Katmandu and death at low prices
Et les limousines hors de prix
And the expensive limousines
Tout tout était menti
Everything was a lie
Bob Dylan maudit
Cursed Bob Dylan
Et toi tes mots d'amour au piano
And you, your piano love words
Est-ce que c'était tout du pipeau?
Was it all just a charade?
Toi qui disais que tu m'aimais
You who said you loved me
Comment c'était?
How was it?
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind