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).
Marchand de Sirop
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L'idiot visuel,
Qui touille ses mots
Et qui rate le puits d'amour avec elle?
Qui Super-8,
Play-back rasoir,
Mimie on se quitte,
Et qui nous en fait du coulis de framboise.
L'impudique homme
Qui fait sa recette
Avec l'album
Qu'on lit tout seul, d'habitude, en cachette,
Qui lui, lui, lui,
Alors que nous, nous, nous,
Qui roule, roule, roule,
Qui est tout en haut et puis boum, il s'écroule.
C'est le marchand de sirop,
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Bla bla bla
Ton bon profil
Clown geignard
On en a rien à se couer de tes idées noires
Plaf t'étales
Ton sale linge sale
Pour qui tu te prends
Mais t'es qu'une bassine à bassiner le temps
Qui s'aime, s'aime, s'aime
Sous les pots de crème
Qui confiture
En croyant faire de la littérature
Qui âme strip-tease
Qui dollars please
Ce Pan Léon
Qui croit des fois qu'il est Napoléon
C'est le marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Marchand de sirop
Mais on est tous pareils
Besoin d'être le soleil
Je veux tout tout tout
Qu'on me voit toujours partout beaucoup sur tout
Souterrain on vit pas bien
On est tous Charlot
On est tous des petits marchands de sirop
Des marchands de sirop
Marchands de sirop
The lyrics to "Marchand de Sirop" by Alain Souchon describe a certain type of artist or entertainer who is seen as shallow and insincere. The singer sarcastically asks "Who is the cook? The visual idiot who stirs his words and misses the well of love with her? Who Super-8, playback razor, Mimie we're breaking up, and who makes raspberry sauce out of it?" suggesting that this type of person is all style and no substance, using their words and actions for their own gain.
The lyrics go on to describe this type of person further, using phrases like "the impudent man who makes his recipe with the album we usually read alone in secret" and "who loves under pots of cream and thinks he's making literature." The singer mocks their attempts at self-expression, which are seen as empty and meaningless. However, the song takes a turn in the final verse, where the singer reflects that we are all similar in our desire to be seen and appreciated, and that even those who are seen as shallow and insincere are just trying to make a living.
Overall, the lyrics to "Marchand de Sirop" critique those who use empty words and actions for their own benefit, while also acknowledging the universal need for recognition and validation.
Line by Line Meaning
Qui c'est le cuistot,
Who is the careless cook,
L'idiot visuel,
The visual fool,
Qui touille ses mots
Who muddles his words,
Et qui rate le puits d'amour avec elle?
And misses the well of love with her?
Qui Super-8,
Who's Super-8,
Play-back rasoir,
Razor playback,
Mimie on se quitte,
Mimie, we're leaving each other,
Et qui nous en fait du coulis de framboise.
And who turns it into raspberry syrup.
L'impudique homme
The impudent man,
Qui fait sa recette
Who's making his recipe
Avec l'album
With the album,
Qu'on lit tout seul, d'habitude, en cachette,
That we usually read alone, secretly,
Qui lui, lui, lui,
Who him, him, him,
Alors que nous, nous, nous,
While we, we, we,
Qui roule, roule, roule,
Who rolls, rolls, rolls,
Qui est tout en haut et puis boum, il s'écroule.
Who's at the top and then bam, he collapses.
C'est le marchand de sirop,
That's the syrup merchant,
Marchand de sirop
Syrup merchant
Marchand de sirop
Syrup merchant
Marchand de sirop
Syrup merchant
Marchand de sirop
Syrup merchant
Marchand de sirop
Syrup merchant
Bla bla bla
Blah blah blah,
Ton bon profil
Your good profile
Clown geignard
Whining clown
On en a rien à se couer de tes idées noires
We don't care about your dark ideas,
Plaf t'étales
Plaf, you spread out,
Ton sale linge sale
Your dirty laundry
Pour qui tu te prends
Who do you think you are
Mais t'es qu'une bassine à bassiner le temps
But you're just a bucket to waste time,
Qui s'aime, s'aime, s'aime
Who loves himself, loves himself, loves himself,
Sous les pots de crème
Under the pots of cream,
Qui confiture
Who's like jam,
En croyant faire de la littérature
Thinking he's making literature,
Qui âme strip-tease
Who souls' strip-tease,
Qui dollars please
Who dollars, please,
Ce Pan Léon
This Pan Leon,
Qui croit des fois qu'il est Napoléon
Who sometimes thinks he's Napoleon,
Mais on est tous pareils
But we're all the same,
Besoin d'être le soleil
We need to be the sun,
Je veux tout tout tout
I want everything, everything, everything,
Qu'on me voit toujours partout beaucoup sur tout
So I'm seen everywhere, a lot, above all,
Souterrain on vit pas bien
We don't live well underground,
On est tous Charlot
We're all Charlot,
On est tous des petits marchands de sirop
We're all little syrup merchants,
Des marchands de sirop
Syrup merchants
Marchands de sirop
Syrup merchants
Marchands de sirop
Syrup merchants
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALAIN SOUCHON, LAURENT VOULZY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind