Bratsch was formed in 1975 by guitarist Dan Gharibian and violinist Bruno Girard. Gharibian, who was raised in an Armenian home, was inspired by the Armenian, Russian, Greek and Oriental music favored by his grandparents. Although he played with teen-aged rock bands, he became fascinated with the music of Django Reinhardt at the age of 14. Girard, who studied violin at the age of nine, refused to read music, preferring to play by memory. After receiving a degree in biology, he spent a decade working in science while playing music part-time. Although they initially mixed a global range of musical styles including Arabic and South African music, Bratsch soon shifted their focus to gypsy jazz. The group also features accordion player François Castiello and clarinet player Nano Peylet.
Bratsch have taken the music of the European Gypsies and turned it into something all their very own, bringing it to life with masterly skill in their atmospheric and compact concerts. Their music brings new vitality to both the traditions of Eastern Europe and the roots of "Tsigane Jazz", as made world famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli. With great emotion, poignant melodies and subtle arrangements, they create a unique acoustic music, which, for years, has been enthralling both the French audiences and the press in equal measure. Their first live album is a rare document, recording their very first German concert.
"These vagabonds carry the nostalgia of Eastern Europe in their bundles, the vibrancy of the Mediterranean, the dexterity of the Gypsies and the irony of the Jews. Music without frontiers." (Le Monde)
"A wondrous journey from West to East with a band of joyously abandoned nomads, who poke fun at all restraints. Whether the tunes they play are Gypsy, Russian, Armenian, or Yiddish, or their own original songs, they have the audience on its feet, shouting for more." (L’Express)
"The music of Bratsch is vital, lyrical, raw and romantic, but never sentimental and certainly never saccharine." (plärrer)
Paroles en l'air et pas perdus
Bratsch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Émaillent la trame du temps qui passe
D'instants magiques et suspendus
Mais qui ne laissent aucune trace
Sauf les histoires que l'on raconte
Qui se maquillent au fil des ans
S'habillent, se fardent et vont sans honte
Se pavaner au gré du vent
Un pas pour rien, un mot pour rire
Un entrechat, une ritournelle
Et les rengaines éternelles
Pour oublier l' monde qui chavire
Paroles volées s'envoient en l'air
Paroles données sont prisonnières
Des grands moulins qui les retiennent
Quand le vent tombe
En attendant qu'on les délivre
Les mots s'ennuient, ils font des livres
Mais quand un souffle les ranime
Les mots se pressent et se bousculent
Toutes les paroles des gens qui râlent
De ceux qui aiment, de ceux qui hurlent
S'échappent et montent du fond des cours
Passent les fenêtres, dévalent les rues
A la rencontre des gens pressés
Des gens d'affaires qui n'entendent pas
{Au Refrain, x2}
Paroles perdues de ceux qui traînent
Ceux qui hésitent et qui attendent
En faisant croire qu'ils se promènent
Qui parlent tout seuls et puis qui rentrent
Retrouver le poste de télé
Cette merveille dont on a fait
Juste un poste à souder les mômes
Histoire de les rendre muets
Paroles légères des monte-en-l'air
Paroles galères des mensonges
Paroles de rien qu'on dit pour plaire
Et qu'on regrette dans les songes
Paroles amères des colères
De ceux qui triment et qui se lassent
De courir après des chimères
Pour finir au fond de l'impasse
{Au Refrain, x2}
Pendant tout ce temps, le temps creuse
De fines ravines et des étoiles
Des chemins creux sur les visages
De ceux qui disent les histoires
{Au Refrain, x3}
The lyrics of Bratsch's song "Paroles en l'air et pas perdus" talk about the fleeting nature of moments and memories. The words we speak, whether light or heavy, magical or mundane, are carried away into the air and forgotten, leaving behind only the stories we tell of them. These stories change over time, becoming embellished or tarnished, but they remain our only connection to the past.
The refrain speaks of the small things we do to distract ourselves from the chaos of the world around us: a frivolous step, a silly song, a familiar tune. These things may not seem significant, but they help us forget for a moment, to escape the weight of the world. However, there is a sense of melancholy to these actions, as though they are a futile attempt to hide from the inevitable troubles of life.
The second verse is more introspective, speaking of the words we keep locked up inside us. We may feel like our words are trapped, unable to break free from the constraints of society or authority. Yet, when given the chance, they rush out in a chaotic flurry, a mix of anger, love, and frustration. The ending of the song speaks of the passing of time, carving lines on our faces and stories in our hearts, a reminder that we are all just passing through.
Line by Line Meaning
Paroles en l'air et pas perdus
Words thrown into the air, not lost
Émaillent la trame du temps qui passe
They are scattered throughout the fabric of passing time
D'instants magiques et suspendus
Creating moments of magic and suspension
Mais qui ne laissent aucune trace
But leave no trace behind
Sauf les histoires que l'on raconte
Except for the stories we tell
Qui se maquillent au fil des ans
Which are embellished over the years
S'habillent, se fardent et vont sans honte
They dress up, put on make-up and shamelessly parade themselves
Se pavaner au gré du vent
Strutting around at the mercy of the wind
{Refrain, x2}
Un pas pour rien, un mot pour rire
A step for nothing, a word for laughter
Un entrechat, une ritournelle
A leap, a tune
Et les rengaines éternelles
And the eternal refrains
Pour oublier l' monde qui chavire
To forget about the world that's capsizing
Paroles volées s'envoient en l'air
Stolen words are thrown into the air
Paroles données sont prisonnières
Given words are prisoners
Des grands moulins qui les retiennent
Of the big mills that hold them back
Quand le vent tombe
When the wind dies down
En attendant qu'on les délivre
Waiting to be set free
Les mots s'ennuient, ils font des livres
The words get bored, they write books
Mais quand un souffle les ranime
But when a breath revives them
Les mots se pressent et se bousculent
The words rush and jostle each other
Toutes les paroles des gens qui râlent
All the words of those who complain
De ceux qui aiment, de ceux qui hurlent
Of those who love, of those who scream
S'échappent et montent du fond des cours
Escape and rise from the depths
Passent les fenêtres, dévalent les rues
Through windows, down the streets
A la rencontre des gens pressés
Meeting with busy people
Des gens d'affaires qui n'entendent pas
Business people who don't listen
{Au Refrain, x2}
Paroles perdues de ceux qui traînent
Lost words of those who linger
Ceux qui hésitent et qui attendent
Those who hesitate and wait
En faisant croire qu'ils se promènent
Pretending to take a walk
Qui parlent tout seuls et puis qui rentrent
Who talk to themselves and then go home
Retrouver le poste de télé
To find the TV set
Cette merveille dont on a fait
This wonder that we have made
Juste un poste à souder les mômes
Just a machine to weld the kids together
Histoire de les rendre muets
To make them all silent
Paroles légères des monte-en-l'air
Light words of the airborne thieves
Paroles galères des mensonges
Hard words of lies
Paroles de rien qu'on dit pour plaire
Words of nothing that we say to please
Et qu'on regrette dans les songes
And regret in our dreams
Paroles amères des colères
Bitter words of anger
De ceux qui triment et qui se lassent
Of those who work hard and grow weary
De courir après des chimères
Of chasing illusions
Pour finir au fond de l'impasse
To end up in a dead end
{Au Refrain, x2}
Pendant tout ce temps, le temps creuse
During all this time, time digs
De fines ravines et des étoiles
Thin ravines and stars
Des chemins creux sur les visages
Hollow paths on faces
De ceux qui disent les histoires
Of those who tell stories
{Au Refrain, x3}
Writer(s): bruno girard
Contributed by Kennedy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.