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).
Portbail
Alain Souchon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tu te marres.
Un jour
Où y'en aura marre,
Cartons, valises.
On sentira la petite brise,
Départ, départ,
Émus, serrés, dans cette gare.
Un jour,
Bye bye.
Plus de grimace,
Plus de lullaby.
Un jour que tu espères
Comme de l'eau qui des haltère.
Au bout des rails,
La jolie maison de Portbail.
C'est pour toi, cet air discutable, toi qui dis
Que l'amour est une chose variable, ici
Là-bas, dans le Cotentin, je te jure mon amour
Je ferai tout pour que nos baisers durent toujours.
T'as peur
Qu'on meure
D'un arrêt commun du cœur.
Tu trouves qu'étoile,
C'était un métier qui fait du mal.
Tu veux qu'on se sauve
Dans la vérité des choses.
Je sais
Que tu sais
Qu'on n'ira sûrement jamais,
Que les vagues, les landes,
C'est des lampions, des guirlandes,
Qu'on reste toujours
Vissé à quelque chose de lourd.
J'aurais mis des petits brins de bruyère
Sur ton cœur,
Toi qui trouves que pour un garçon
J'aime trop les fleurs,
Les fleurs
The song "Portbail" by Alain Souchon is about leaving behind the struggles of everyday life and escaping to the idyllic town of Portbail, located in the Cotentin region of France. The first verse describes a day when a person will finally have enough of their current situation and decide to leave. They will pack their boxes and suitcases and feel the breeze on their face as they depart from the train station, feeling both emotional and tight. However, they are going towards the destination of their dreams, Portbail, where they can start a new life.
The second verse is addressed to a lover who thinks that love is unpredictable and not worth the effort. The singer promises to do anything to make their kisses last forever and knows that the Cotentin region is the place where they can achieve their dreams. The third verse talks about the fears that come with committing to anything, including the fear of death. The lover wants to escape to somewhere where they can be honest with each other.
Overall, "Portbail" is a song about hope and the desire to start a new life. It encourages the listener to take a leap of faith and to leave behind the struggles of everyday life in order to escape to a peaceful and idyllic location like Portbail.
Line by Line Meaning
Un jour,
One day,
Tu te marres.
You'll be laughing.
Un jour
One day,
Où y'en aura marre,
When we'll be fed up,
Cartons, valises.
Boxes, suitcases.
On sentira la petite brise,
We'll feel the small breeze,
Départ, départ,
Departure, departure,
Émus, serrés, dans cette gare.
Emotional, tight in this station.
Un jour,
One day,
Bye bye.
Bye bye.
Plus de grimace,
No more grimace,
Plus de lullaby.
No more lullaby.
Un jour que tu espères
One day that you hope for
Comme de l'eau qui des haltère.
Like water for weights.
Au bout des rails,
At the end of the rails,
La jolie maison de Portbail.
The pretty house in Portbail.
C'est pour toi, cet air discutable, toi qui dis
This is for you, this questionable tune, you who says
Que l'amour est une chose variable, ici
That love is a variable thing, here
Là-bas, dans le Cotentin, je te jure mon amour
There, in Cotentin, I swear to you, my love
Je ferai tout pour que nos baisers durent toujours.
I'll do everything to make our kisses last forever.
T'as peur
You're afraid
Qu'on meure
That we'll die
D'un arrêt commun du cœur.
From a common heart stoppage.
Tu trouves qu'étoile,
You think that a star,
C'était un métier qui fait du mal.
Was a job that hurts.
Tu veux qu'on se sauve
You want us to run away
Dans la vérité des choses.
In the truth of things.
Je sais
I know
Que tu sais
That you know
Qu'on n'ira sûrement jamais,
That we'll surely never go
Que les vagues, les landes,
That the waves, the heaths,
C'est des lampions, des guirlandes,
Are lanterns, garlands,
Qu'on reste toujours
That we always stay
Vissé à quelque chose de lourd.
Attached to something heavy.
J'aurais mis des petits brins de bruyère
I would have placed small heather twigs
Sur ton cœur,
On your heart,
Toi qui trouves que pour un garçon
You, who thinks that for a boy
J'aime trop les fleurs,
I love flowers too much,
Les fleurs.
Flowers.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SOUCHON, ALAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind