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).
Lennon Kaput Valse
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'on voulait dans les années soixante-dix,
Abandonnés dans les camions
Le long des routes,
N'en parlons plus déjà bon
Lennon kaput.
Les petits babas, les Lubérons, les ploucs
Piégés dans le rêve aux tifs trop longs,
J'aimais bien le ridicule discours
Qu'ils faisaient.
C'était de l'amour qu'ils Imagine,
Imaginaient
Tu sais je sens bien que je prends la tasse
A chanter mes regrets sur une valse.
On se cache le corps dans le cachemire, le glamour.
Mon cœur, j'ai mis du chatterton autour.
Isolé du monde extérieur, on meurt.
Dans nos chansons, y a moins de chaleur
Tout à l'heure.
J'ai triste toute la nuit seul sous la neige.
Tiens voilà les Indiens qui sortent du Privilège.
Bye, bye, les bibis, les chaleurs qu'on pense.
J'assurerais comme les kikis dans la violence.
Tu sais je vois bien que je prends la tasse
A chanter l'amour sur une valse.
The lyrics of Alain Souchon's song "Lennon Kaput Valse" are a reflection on the lost ideals of the 1970s. The song invokes the memory of the free love and countercultural movement of the 70s in France, which brought about a new wave of thought and action. Souchon writes about the people who lived through this time and who were immersed in the culture of music and free expression. The lyrics are full of nostalgia for the past, and a sadness for what has been lost.
The first stanza talks about the end of an era, the abandonment of the free love movement, and the death of John Lennon, one of its most iconic figures. The second stanza talks about the isolation and loneliness that comes with the passing of time. The singer laments the loss of warmth and love that was once present, and how this has been replaced by an emptiness.
The third stanza talks about the hardships of life and how the singer still tries to find meaning in it. But the singer knows that he is facing an uphill battle and is ultimately doomed to fail.
Overall, Souchon's lyrics are a reflection on the passing of time, the loss of ideals, and the need to remember what once was. Through his words, he encourages us to look back at the past and to learn from it in order to create a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Les caresses et les baisers par dix
The intimacy and affection of the 70s, which we longed for and experienced frequently.
Qu'on voulait dans les années soixante-dix,
That we desired in the seventies.
Abandonnés dans les camions
Forgotten and left behind in the vehicles.
Le long des routes,
Along the highways and byways.
N'en parlons plus déjà bon
Let's talk about it no more, it's done.
Lennon kaput.
Lennon is dead and gone.
Les petits babas, les Lubérons, les ploucs
The hippies, the hippie retreats, and the simple folk.
Piégés dans le rêve aux tifs trop longs,
Trapped in the dream of having long hair.
Le vieux look.
That old style.
J'aimais bien le ridicule discours
I liked the absurd speeches.
Qu'ils faisaient.
That they gave.
C'était de l'amour qu'ils Imagine,
Their speeches were of love, of what they imagined.
Imaginaient
They envisioned.
Tu sais je sens bien que je prends la tasse
You know, I can sense that I'm failing.
A chanter mes regrets sur une valse.
By singing about my regrets to a waltz.
On se cache le corps dans le cachemire, le glamour.
We hide our bodies in cashmere, in glamour.
Mon cœur, j'ai mis du chatterton autour.
My heart, I've wrapped it in adhesive tape.
Isolé du monde extérieur, on meurt.
Isolated from the outside world, we wither away.
Dans nos chansons, y a moins de chaleur
In our songs, there's less warmth.
Tout à l'heure.
But soon enough.
J'ai triste toute la nuit seul sous la neige.
I'm sad and alone all night in the snow.
Tiens voilà les Indiens qui sortent du Privilège.
Look, here comes the Indians coming out from the Privilège.
Bye, bye, les bibis, les chaleurs qu'on pense.
Goodbye to the fancy hats, and the warmth that we dreamed of.
J'assurerais comme les kikis dans la violence.
I'll be as confident as the tough guys in the violent scenes.
Tu sais je vois bien que je prends la tasse
You know, I can see that I'm failing.
A chanter l'amour sur une valse.
By singing about love to a waltz.
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS ALAIN SOUCHON
Written by: ALAIN SOUCHON, YVES MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind