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).
Il roule
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et sans raison
Vers cinq heure
Il quitte la maison
Il démarre
Part sans raison
Comme aspiré par
Peut être l'amour
Peut être la vie
La tombe du jour
Ou simplement l'ennui
Partir dans la nuit
Partir comme ça
Cette envie
Tout le monde l'a
Larmor-Baden
Guingamp
Dehors le noir de la plaine
Et puis le noir dedans
Il part, il part
Comme s'il allait quelque part
Laissant là, dans la salle
Sur le sol éparpillées
Les fleurs du bal
Dans l'axe est son moteur
Il décolle
Son accélérateur
Le console
les guitares qui jouent fort
Dans son cockpit
Lui sont d'un réconfort
Amniotique
Il roule, il roule
Comme les larmes qui coulent
Laissant là, dans la salle
Sur le sol éparpillées
Les fleurs du bal
Partir dans la nuit
Partir comme ça
Cette envie
Tout le monde l'a
Il roule, il roule
Dans le vent et les étoiles
Et là-bas, dans la salle
Sur le sol éparpillées
Les fleurs du bal
Les fleurs du bal
Les fleurs du bal
The song "Il roule" by Alain Souchon is about a man who suddenly and impulsively decides to leave his house in the middle of the night. The lyrics describe his heart as “morne” (sorrowful) and it seems as if he has no particular reason for leaving. He starts his car and drives, seemingly drawn towards the horizon. The song suggests that he may be leaving due to love, life, the end of the day, or simply boredom. It appears that the man feels the need to escape, and perhaps start anew.
The scenery changes as he drives, from Larmor-Baden to Guingamp, and the lyrics describe his surroundings as being dark both outside and within him. However, despite this melancholic atmosphere, the loud guitars playing in his cockpit are a “réconfort amniotique” (amniotic comfort), suggesting that the man finds solace in them. Eventually, he drives away into the night, leaving behind the “fleurs du bal” (flowers of the ball) scattered on the floor.
The song deals with themes of restlessness, escape, and the desire for change. The man in the song feels a need to leave, even if he has no clear destination. The lyrics suggest that this desire for escaping is something that everyone experiences at some point in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Morne est son cœur
His heart is heavy and sad
Et sans raison
And without reason
Vers cinq heure
Around five o'clock
Il quitte la maison
He leaves the house
Il démarre
He starts his car
Part sans raison
Leaves without any reason
Comme aspiré par
Like he's being pulled by
L'horizon
The horizon
Peut être l'amour
Maybe it's love
Peut être la vie
Maybe it's life
La tombe du jour
The end of the day
Ou simplement l'ennui
Or simply boredom
Partir dans la nuit
To leave in the night
Partir comme ça
To leave like that
Cette envie
This desire
Tout le monde l'a
Everyone has it
Larmor-Baden
Larmor-Baden (a town)
Guingamp
Guingamp (a town)
Dehors le noir de la plaine
Outside, the darkness of the plain
Et puis le noir dedans
And then the darkness inside
Il part, il part
He leaves, he leaves
Comme s'il allait quelque part
As if he were going somewhere
Laissant là, dans la salle
Leaving behind, in the room
Sur le sol éparpillées
Scattered on the floor
Les fleurs du bal
The flowers from the dance
Dans l'axe est son moteur
The motor is in the center line
Il décolle
He takes off
Son accélérateur
His accelerator
Le console
Console him
les guitares qui jouent fort
The guitars playing loud
Dans son cockpit
In his cockpit
Lui sont d'un réconfort
Are comforting to him
Amniotique
Amniotic
Il roule, il roule
He rolls, he rolls
Comme les larmes qui coulent
Like tears that fall
Partir dans la nuit
To leave in the night
Partir comme ça
To leave like that
Cette envie
This desire
Tout le monde l'a
Everyone has it
Dans le vent et les étoiles
In the wind and the stars
Et là-bas, dans la salle
And over there, in the room
Sur le sol éparpillées
Scattered on the floor
Les fleurs du bal
The flowers from the dance
Les fleurs du bal
The flowers from the dance
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAURENT VOULZY, ALAIN SOUCHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind