J'étais Pas Là
Alain Souchon Lyrics


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Mon papa qui venait me border,
Moi, déjà, dans mon pays rêvé,
Moi, déjà, dans l´baba au rhum,
Les petits poils sur les jambes de la bonne,
Les copains de cibiches de Claude Bernard
Qui venaient à la maison pour me voir.
Ils regardaient mes bouquins en attendant
Puis ils repartaient au bout d´un moment.
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là

J´étais pas là non plus pour Martine
Est-ce que je me cachais dans la cuisine?
J´avais peur car les filles, quand elles passent
C´est bien souvent pour qu´on les embrasse
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là

On m´en a raconté, des histoires
Elle a jamais marché, ma mémoire
Le bon Dieu et toutes ces cloches qui sonnent
C´est le père Noël pour les grandes personnes
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là




J´étais pas là
J´étais pas là

Overall Meaning

In Alain Souchon's song "J'étais Pas Là," the singer reminisces about his childhood and how his lack of presence in certain moments of his life led to missed opportunities and lost memories. The song begins with the image of his father coming to tuck him in at night, a moment that he was physically present for but that he didn't fully appreciate because he was already lost in his own imaginary world. As he daydreams about his "dream country" and sips on his rhum-infused baba, the others in the house come and go, including the maid and his father's smoking buddies.


The second verse picks up on a missed opportunity to connect with a girl named Martine. Souchon admits that he was probably hiding in the kitchen out of fear, rather than facing her head-on, and wonders whether he missed out on a chance for a first kiss. The song ends with an acknowledgement that he now relies on others to recount stories of his past, suggesting a deep sense of loss and regret for all that he missed by not being fully present in his own life.


"J'étais Pas Là" is a beautiful and evocative example of Souchon's talent for capturing the nostalgia, longing, and melancholy that often come with looking back at one's past. The lyrics speak to a universal human experience of missed opportunities and lost memories, inviting the listener to reflect on their own experiences of being absent from their own lives at times.


Line by Line Meaning

Mon papa qui venait me border,
My father used to come tuck me in bed,


Moi, déjà, dans mon pays rêvé,
I was already dreaming of my ideal world,


Moi, déjà, dans l´baba au rhum,
I was already high on rum,


Les petits poils sur les jambes de la bonne,
The little hairs on our maid's legs,


Les copains de cibiches de Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard's friends, who smoked cigarettes,


Qui venaient à la maison pour me voir.
They came to our house to see me.


Ils regardaient mes bouquins en attendant
They looked at my books while waiting,


Puis ils repartaient au bout d´un moment.
Then they left after a while.


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là non plus pour Martine
I was not there for Martine either,


Est-ce que je me cachais dans la cuisine?
Did I hide in the kitchen?


J´avais peur car les filles, quand elles passent
I was afraid of girls when they walked by,


C´est bien souvent pour qu´on les embrasse
Because they often want to be kissed.


On m´en a raconté, des histoires
People told me a lot of stories,


Elle a jamais marché, ma mémoire
My memory never worked well,


Le bon Dieu et toutes ces cloches qui sonnent
The holy God and all these bells ringing,


C´est le père Noël pour les grandes personnes
Are like Santa Claus for grown-ups.


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there


J´étais pas là
I was not there




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAIN SOUCHON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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