Ballads of the Cliché are a indie pop collective from Jakarta, Indonesia. T… Read Full Bio ↴Ballads of the Cliché are a indie pop collective from Jakarta, Indonesia. The band was founded back in 1998 when five old fellas reunited by their common interest in music. They are Kurniawan Bambang, Frederick R. Tobing, Ferry Hardianto, Dimas Ario and Bobby Alvianto. The band became an seven-pieced band since 2006, when they decided to make their long-served additional musicians, Zennis Arrochman, Ninatika Trimurti as their permanent member and recorded their long awaited debut album.

So far, the band has released four self released EPs:
- Hey Smiley! EP (2004)
- Snapshot of Serenity EP (2005)
- Love Parade EP (2006)
- Feel Free to Feel Lost EP (2007)
- Evergreen LP (2007)
- Old Friend EP (2008)

They also joined a monumental compilation called OST. Catatan Akhir Sekolah, released by Indonesia’s leading independent recording label, FFWD Records.

The debut album Evergreen, was finally released in August 2007.

Ballads of the Cliché’s music lies between perfect combinations of world’s pop tunes like Belle and Sebastian, Nick Drake, Burt Bacharach and Donovan.

www.myspace.com/balladsofthecliches
www.twitter.com/b0tc

French Riviera
Ballads Of The Cliché Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It used to be her smile I'd waited for
Warmer than the morning sun
And people walking down that pretty road
But, you just keep on walking in my mind
And the times pass me by
Can't be denied
With he who used I fall in love
Now it's just a memory

Lots of sweet memories
Now I'm standing here again
Nothing's changed
Everything's just the same
Now my love has running dry
Now it's just a memory
Lots of sweet memories
At that silent street we said hello
And then we said our goodbye

At French Riviera our love begin
And has come into an end

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ballads Of The Cliché's song French Riviera describe a nostalgic feeling of looking back at a past love that has come to an end. The singer remembers the warmth of their lover's smile and the beauty of the surroundings they spent time in, but now it's all just a memory. The lyrics suggest a longing for those simpler times, as the singer stands in the same place as before and realizes that nothing has changed except his/her love for the former partner. The mention of "he who used I fall in love" suggests a pain of a past heartbreak that adds to the bittersweet tone of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

It used to be her smile I'd waited for
I used to eagerly anticipate the smile of the woman I loved.

Warmer than the morning sun
Her smile was like the warmth of the sun.

And people walking down that pretty road
I remember the crowds walking down the beautiful road.

But, you just keep on walking in my mind
Even though I haven't seen her in a while, she still pervades my thoughts.

And the times pass me by
Time moves forward, despite my nostalgia.

Can't be denied
There's no denying that time continues to elapse.

With he who used I fall in love
I loved someone deeply in the past.

Now it's just a memory
That past love is now just a memory.

Lots of sweet memories
But nonetheless, those memories are fond and cherished.

Now I'm standing here again
Despite time passing, I find myself back in the same place.

Nothing's changed
Sadly, nothing has changed since I was last here.