Brussels
Alice Whitfield Lyrics

C'était au temps où Bruxelles rêvait
This was a time when Brussels was full of dreams and aspirations.

C'était au temps du cinéma muet
This was a time of silent movies, when the only way to experience a story visually was through viewing the images alone.

C'était au temps où Bruxelles chantait
This was a time when Brussels was filled with the joy of music and singing.

C'était au temps où Bruxelles bruxellait
This was a time when Brussels was truly buzzing with life and activity.

Place de Broukère on voyait des vitrines / Avec des hommes des femmes en crinoline
On Broukère Square, you could see shop windows full of men and women in fancy dresses called crinolines.

Place de Broukère on voyait l'omnibus / Avec des femmes des messieurs en gibus
On Broukère Square, you could see the omnibus (a type of bus) full of women and men wearing fancy hats called gibuses.

Et sur l'impériale / Le cœur dans les étoiles / Il y avait mon grand-père / Il y avait ma grand-mère / Il était militaire / Elle était fonctionnaire
And on the roof of the omnibus, with their hearts full of wonder, were my grandfather (a soldier) and my grandmother (a civil servant).

Il pensait pas elle pensait rien / Et on voudrait que je sois malin
He didn't think much and she wasn't much of a thinker, so why should anyone expect me to be clever?

Sur les pavés de la place Sainte-Catherine / Dansaient les hommes les femmes en crinoline
On the cobblestones of Saint Catherine's Square, men and women in crinolines were dancing.

Sur les pavés dansaient les omnibus / Avec des femmes des messieurs en gibus
On the cobblestones, the omnibuses were also dancing, filled with women and men wearing gibuses.

Il avait su y faire / Elle l'avait laissé faire / Ils l'avaient donc fait tous les deux / Et on voudrait que je sois sérieux
He knew what he was doing and she let him do it, so they ended up doing it together. So why should anyone expect me to be serious?

C'était au temps où Bruxelles dansait
This was a time when Brussels was filled with the joy of dancing and movement.

Sous les lampions de la place Sainte-Justine / Chantaient les hommes les femmes en crinoline
Under the lanterns of Saint Justine's Square, men and women in crinolines were singing.

Sous les lampions dansaient les omnibus / Avec des femmes des messieurs en gibus
Under the lanterns, the omnibuses were also dancing, filled with women and men wearing gibuses.

Il attendait la guerre / Elle attendait mon père / Ils étaient gais comme le canal / Et on voudrait que j'aie le moral
He was waiting for the war and she was waiting for my father, but even then they were as happy as the canal. So why should anyone expect me to be in good spirits?