At the age of 5, her family left for Paris. When she was 19, she decided to stop studying art and architecture, to become a full-time model.
She was a very successful fashion model until 1998. Since then she has devoted herself to chanson. Her debut album, Quelqu'un m'a dit, on which she sings in French (despite her Italian origin), was released in 2002. To date it has sold over a million copies across Europe. Her second album, No Promises (this time in English, with songs inspired by famous English-language poets), was released in January 2007.
She married then French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, in the beginning of 2008.
Her music career still did not cease after becoming the First Lady. She released her third album Comme si de rien n'était ("As If Nothing Happened") on 11 July 2008. The songs are self-penned except for one rendition of You Belong to Me and another song featuring a poem by Michel Houellebecq set to music. Royalties from the album will be donated to unidentified charitable and humanitarian cause.
Ballade At Thirty-Five
Carla Bruni Lyrics
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This, no ballad of innocence
This, the rhyme of a lady who
Followed ever her natural bents
This, a solo of sapience
This, a chantey of sophistry
This, the sum of experiments
I loved them 'til they loved me
I loved them 'til they loved me
Decked in garments of sable hue
Daubed with ashes of myriad Lents
Wearing shower bouquets of rue
Walk I ever in penitence
Oft I roam, as my heart repents
Through God's acres of memory
Marking stones in my reverence
I loved them 'til they loved me
I loved them 'til they loved me
I loved them 'til they loved me
Pictures pass me in long review
Marching columns of dead events
I was tender and often true
Ever a prey to coincidence
Always knew I the consequence
Always saw what the end would be
We're as nature has made us hence
I loved them 'til they loved me
I loved them 'til they loved me
I loved them 'til they loved me
Princes, never I'd give offense
Won't you think of me tenderly?
You're my strength and my weakness, gents
This, no song of ingenue
This, no ballad of innocence
This, the rhyme of a lady who
In the song "Ballade At Thirty-Five" by Carla Bruni, the lyrics describe the experiences of a woman who has lived a full and complex life. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, stating that this is not a song of ingenue or innocence, but rather a portrayal of a woman who has followed her natural impulses and has learned from her life experiences. The second stanza describes the physical appearance of the woman, decked in sable garments and a shower bouquet of rue, walking in penitence as she roams through God's memory.
The third stanza highlights the woman's self-awareness and keen understanding of the consequences of her actions. She has always known what the end result would be, and accepts that she is a product of nature. The fourth and final stanza addresses princes, pleading with them to think of her tenderly, acknowledging that they are her strength and weakness.
Overall, the song is a portrait of a complex woman who has experienced love, loss, and personal growth. It speaks to the idea that a person's experiences shape who they are and that it is important to embrace both the good and the bad in life.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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