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Elle Fréquentait La Rue Pigalle
Albin de la Simone Lyrics
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Elle sentait l'vice à bon marché
Elle était toute noire de péchés
Avec un pauvre visage tout pâle
Pourtant y'avait dans l'fond d'ses yeux
Comme quequ'chose de miraculeux
Qui semblait mettre un peu d'ciel bleu
Dans celui tout sale de Pigalle
Il lui avait dit "vous êtes belle"
Et d'habitude dans c'quartier là
On dit jamais les choses comme çà
Aux filles qui font l'même métier qu'elle
Et comme elle voulait s'confesser
Il la couvrait toute de baisers
En lui disant "laisse ton passé
Moi j'vois qu'une chose, c'est qu'tu es belle"
Y a des images qui vous tracassent
Et quand elle sortait avec lui
Depuis Barbés jusqu'à Clichy
Son passé lui f'sait la grimace
Et sur les trottoirs pleins d'souvenirs
Elle voyait son amour s'flétrir
Alors elle lui d'manda d'partir
Et il l'emmena vers Montparnasse
Elle croyait r'commencer sa vie
Mais c'est lui qui s'mit à changer
Il la r'gardait tout étonné
Disant "j'te croyais plus jolie
Ici le jour t'éclair de trop,
On voit tes vices à fleur de peau
Vaudrait p't'être mieux qu'tu r'tourne là-haut
Et qu'on reprenne chacun sa vie
Elle est r'tourné' dans son Pigalle
Y a plus personne pour la repêcher
Elle a r'trouvé tous ses péchés
Ses coins d'ombre et ses trottoirs sales
Mais quand elle voit des amoureux
Qui r'montent la rue d'un air joyeux
Y a des larmes dans ses grands yeux bleus
Qui coulent le long d'ses joues toutes pâles
The song "Elle Fréquentait La Rue Pigalle" by Albin de la Simone tells the story of a woman who frequented the notorious Pigalle district in Paris, known for its cheap vice and sinful activities. The lyrics describe her as someone covered in sins, yet with a pale face, suggesting a sense of sadness or vulnerability. Despite her appearance, there is something miraculous in her eyes, as if she carries a glimmer of hope or innocence that contrasts with the dirty environment of Pigalle.
In the second verse, a man tells her that she is beautiful, which is unusual in this neighborhood where people usually don't express such sentiments to women engaged in the same profession as her. She wants to confess her sins, and he covers her with kisses, assuring her that he only sees one thing - her beauty. This encounter gives her a glimpse of a different reality, one that is not tainted by her past actions and brings a sense of lightness to her dark world.
However, as they venture beyond Pigalle to neighborhoods like Barbés and Clichy, her past begins to haunt her. She sees her love for this man fading as her troubled history resurfaces in the memories associated with those streets. Feeling the weight of her past, she asks him to leave, and he takes her to Montparnasse instead. This shift in location represents an attempt to start anew and leave behind the negative aspects of her life.
But as they settle in Montparnasse, it is the man who starts to change. He becomes surprised and less enamored with her, commenting that she is not as pretty as he initially believed. The daylight reveals her flaws and vices more clearly, leading him to suggest that maybe she should go back to where she came from, and they should resume their separate lives. This shift in attitude from the man is unexpected and disheartening for the woman.
The song ends with her returning to Pigalle, where nobody is there to rescue her. She finds herself once again surrounded by her sins, shadows, and dirty streets. However, when she sees happy couples walking up the street with joy, tears well up in her bright blue eyes, flowing down her pale cheeks. This final image suggests that despite the darkness of her surroundings, she still longs for love and happiness, and her yearning is expressed through her tears, symbolizing her enduring humanity in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle fréquentait la rue Pigalle
She used to frequent the Pigalle street
Elle sentait l'vice à bon marché
She exuded a cheap vices
Elle était toute noire de péchés
She was completely stained with sins
Avec un pauvre visage tout pâle
With a pale, pitiful face
Pourtant y'avait dans l'fond d'ses yeux
Yet, deep in her eyes
Comme quequ'chose de miraculeux
There was something miraculous
Qui semblait mettre un peu d'ciel bleu
That seemed to bring a bit of blue sky
Dans celui tout sale de Pigalle
Into the dirty Pigalle
Il lui avait dit 'vous êtes belle'
He had told her 'you are beautiful'
Et d'habitude dans c'quartier là
And usually in that neighborhood
On dit jamais les choses comme çà
They never say things like that
Aux filles qui font l'même métier qu'elle
To the girls who do the same job as her
Et comme elle voulait s'confesser
And because she wanted to confess
Il la couvrait toute de baisers
He covered her with kisses
En lui disant 'laisse ton passé
Telling her 'forget your past
Moi j'vois qu'une chose, c'est qu'tu es belle'
I only see one thing, that you are beautiful'
Y a des images qui vous tracassent
There are images that haunt you
Et quand elle sortait avec lui
And when she went out with him
Depuis Barbés jusqu'à Clichy
From Barbés to Clichy
Son passé lui f'sait la grimace
Her past made a grimace at her
Et sur les trottoirs pleins d'souvenirs
And on the sidewalks full of memories
Elle voyait son amour s'flétrir
She saw her love wither
Alors elle lui d'manda d'partir
So she asked him to leave
Et il l'emmena vers Montparnasse
And he took her to Montparnasse
Elle croyait r'commencer sa vie
She believed she was starting her life over
Mais c'est lui qui s'mit à changer
But it was him who started to change
Il la r'gardait tout étonné
He looked at her in surprise
Disant 'j'te croyais plus jolie
Saying 'I thought you were prettier'
Ici le jour t'éclair de trop,
Here, the daylight reveals too much of you
On voit tes vices à fleur de peau
One can see your vices on the surface
Vaudrait p't'être mieux qu'tu r'tourne là-haut
Maybe it would be better for you to go back there
Et qu'on reprenne chacun sa vie
And we each resume our own lives
Elle est r'tourné' dans son Pigalle
She went back to her Pigalle
Y a plus personne pour la repêcher
There is no one left to rescue her
Elle a r'trouvé tous ses péchés
She found all her sins again
Ses coins d'ombre et ses trottoirs sales
Her dark corners and filthy sidewalks
Mais quand elle voit des amoureux
But when she sees lovers
Qui r'montent la rue d'un air joyeux
Who walk up the street with joy
Y a des larmes dans ses grands yeux bleus
There are tears in her big blue eyes
Qui coulent le long d'ses joues toutes pâles
That run down her pale cheeks
Lyrics © BEUSCHER ARPEGE
Written by: Raymond Asso, Louis Maitrier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind