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).
Faust
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La nuit, le petit dormeur
S'en allait tout seul dans le noir.
Avoir peur.
Il aimait pas les gugusses
Qui faisaient rire les imbéciles,
Vomissait dans l'autobus
Il attendait dans des églises
Quelque chose de doux,
Des baisers, des choses exquises
Sur sa joue.
Sur un piano électrique,
Si tu l'oses,
On peut faire de la musique,
De ces choses.
Allez, chante fort
Ton chagrin sonore
Jusqu'à ce que ton cœur devienne un bloc d'or.
Allez chante fort.
Mets le dedans dehors.
Chante encore jusqu'à ce que t'es mort.
Il a volé autour du monde sur des airs,
Racontant content ses contes populaires.
Une image, il est devenu, Messieurs, Dames,
Mais les images, c'est connu, n'ont pas d'âme.
Allez, chante fort
Ton chagrin sonore
Jusqu'à ce que ton cœur devienne un bloc d'or.
Allez chante fort.
Mets le dedans dehors.
Chante encore jusqu'à ce que t'es mort.
Une image, il est devenu,
Mais les images, c'est connu,
N'ont pas d'âme
Une image, il est devenu,
Mais les images, c'est connu,
N'ont pas d'âme
The lyrics to Alain Souchon's song Faust tell the story of a boy who is afraid of the dark and seeks solace in music and church. The first stanza describes how the boy would often go to sleep in the dark, but he would fear the darkness. The second stanza describes the boy's distaste for those who try to make others laugh at the expense of the less intelligent. The third stanza depicts the boy waiting in churches for something sweet and tender, something he could call his own. The fourth stanza introduces the idea of music, specifically the electric piano, as a means of expressing oneself. The chorus encourages the listener to sing out their sorrow until their heart becomes a block of gold. The final stanza talks about how the boy became an image, but images do not have a soul.
Faust is a story of a man who made a pact with the devil, exchanging his soul for knowledge and power. Though the song's lyrics do not directly reference the tale, the title is associated with that legend. The boy's fear of the dark and desire for something sweet and tender echoes Faust's longing for knowledge and the light. Similarly, the electric piano in the third stanza, which the listener 'can play on if they dare,' alludes to the temptation of knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
Comme la veilleuse laissait tout voir,
As the night light revealed everything,
La nuit, le petit dormeur
The little sleeper at night
S'en allait tout seul dans le noir.
Went alone into the darkness.
Avoir peur.
To be afraid.
Il aimait pas les gugusses
He didn't like clowns
Qui faisaient rire les imbéciles,
Who made fools laugh,
Vomissait dans l'autobus
Vomited on the bus
De la bile.
Bile.
Il attendait dans des églises
He waited in churches
Quelque chose de doux,
For something sweet,
Des baisers, des choses exquises
Kisses, exquisite things
Sur sa joue.
On his cheek.
Sur un piano électrique,
On an electric piano,
Si tu l'oses,
If you dare,
On peut faire de la musique,
We can make music,
De ces choses.
With those things.
Allez, chante fort
Come on, sing loud
Ton chagrin sonore
Your sonorous sorrow
Jusqu'à ce que ton cœur devienne un bloc d'or.
Until your heart becomes a block of gold.
Allez chante fort.
Come on, sing loud.
Mets le dedans dehors.
Put it out there.
Chante encore jusqu'à ce que t'es mort.
Keep singing until you die.
Il a volé autour du monde sur des airs,
He flew around the world on tunes,
Racontant content ses contes populaires.
Happily telling his popular tales.
Une image, il est devenu, Messieurs, Dames,
He became an image, gentlemen, ladies,
Mais les images, c'est connu, n'ont pas d'âme.
But it's known that images have no soul.
Une image, il est devenu,
He became an image,
Mais les images, c'est connu,
But it's known that images
N'ont pas d'âme
Have no soul.
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS ALAIN SOUCHON
Written by: ALAIN SOUCHON, LAURENT VOULZY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind