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).
Vous êtes lents
Alain Souchon Lyrics
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Ich habe die Katze gesehen
My tailor is rich
Pour qui sont ces serpents qui sifflent sur vos têtes
Vous êtes lents lents lents
Dans vos vieilles godasses
Il serait temps temps temps
Elles sont cuites cuites cuites
Vos vieilles chaussures
Allez quick quick quick
L'Europe est mûre
The lyrics to Alain Souchon's song "Vous êtes lents" are full of metaphors and play on words. The first line "Hay que comer para vivir" which translates to "You have to eat to live" in Spanish, is a nod to the importance of being proactive and taking action to make things happen. The second line "Ich habe die Katze gesehen" means "I have seen the cat" in German and is meant to be nonsensical, but perhaps signifies noticing details and being aware of one's surroundings.
The third line "My tailor is rich" is a reference to a popular French children's song and serves as a reminder to not judge people by their appearance or profession. The final line "Pour qui sont ces serpents qui sifflent sur vos têtes" translates to "For whom do these snakes hiss upon your heads" and is a quote from a famous French play, Molière's Tartuffe, which suggests that there may be hidden agendas or ulterior motives at play.
Line by Line Meaning
Vous êtes lents lents lents
You are slow, slow, slow
Dans vos vieilles godasses
In your old shoes
Il serait temps temps temps
It would be time, time, time
Que l'Europe se fasse
For Europe to come together
Elles sont cuites cuites cuites
They are cooked, cooked, cooked
Vos vieilles chaussures
Your old shoes
Allez quick quick quick
Go quick, quick, quick
L'Europe est mûre
Europe is ripe
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS ALAIN SOUCHON
Written by: Alain Souchon, Louis Gabriel Chedid
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind