Cécile Corbel (born 1980, Pont-Croix, Finistère) is a French singer and har… Read Full Bio ↴Cécile Corbel (born 1980, Pont-Croix, Finistère) is a French singer and harpist. She has released a number of albums of original music and worked for Studio Ghibli as a composer for its 2010 film, The Secret World of Arrietty. Corbel sings in many languages including French, Italian, Breton, and English and has done songs in Irish, Turkish, and Japanese.

Corbel now lives in Paris and performs in France and abroad. Her music blends ancient poems and compositions, celtic tunes and Mediterranean influences. She was noticed during her concerts and had the opportunity to play with the greatest “world music” artists:

Les Capitaines
Cécile Corbel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Il sourit à la lune
Elle est sa sompagne d'infortune
Ce soir
Si dans ses yeux on voit la mer
Souvent
C'est qu'il ne rêve que d'océan
De marins
Solitaires

Dérobés par la mer

Les capitaines au long cours
Partent et jamais ne reviennent
Pourtant un jour j'aimerais qu'il m'aime
N'écoutez pas le chant des sirènes
Au creux des vagues

Des caravelles dans la tête
Un bateau aux voiles blanches
Pourquoi pas e ho e ho
Il lance des bouteilles à la mer
Parfois
Il ne rêve que de là-bas
Sous le vent,
Droits et fiers
Cavaliers de la mer

Les capitaines au long cours
Partent et jamais ne reviennent
Pourtant un jour j'aimerais qu'il m'aime
N'écoutez pas le chant des sirènes

Car les capitaines au long cours
Partent et jamais ne reviennent
Pourtant un jour j'aimerais qu'il m'aime
N'écoutez pas le chant des sirènes

Car les capitaines au long cours
Partent et jamais ne reviennent
Pourtant un jour j'aimerais qu'il m'aime

N'écoutez pas le chant des sirènes
Lalalala...

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song talks about a man who smiles at the moon and sees it as his unlucky companion. The lyricist reveals that whenever she looks into his eyes, she sees the sea, which suggests that he dreams of the ocean and of being a sailor. She continues with the metaphor of sailors being solitary and lost in the sea. The chorus asserts that the long voyages undertaken by the captains never end well, and despite this, the singer still wishes that the man would love her. She advises not to heed the call of the mermaids who sing their enticing songs from within the waves.

The second verse paints an image of a man lost in his dreams of sailing away, with caravels and white sails in his mind. The singer hints that she would like to join him on his adventure, but at the same time, she is cautious and reminds him not to be fooled by the siren's song. The chorus repeats this idea, and the song ends with a wordless melodic lalalala, likely to convey the wistful longing of the singer.

Overall, the song describes the romantic allure of the open sea and the dream of adventure that comes with being a sailor. However, it also highlights the danger and loneliness that comes with it, as well as the yearning of those left behind by the sea's call.

Line by Line Meaning

Il sourit à la lune
He smiles at the moon

Elle est sa sompagne d'infortune
It is his companion of misfortune

Ce soir
Tonight

Si dans ses yeux on voit la mer
If in his eyes you see the sea

Souvent
Often

C'est qu'il ne rêve que d'océan
It's because he only dreams of the ocean

De marins
Of sailors

Solitaires
Solitary

Dérobés par la mer
Taken by the sea

Les capitaines au long cours
The long-haul captains

Partent et jamais ne reviennent
They leave and never return