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.
Lady Weeping At The Crossroads
Carla Bruni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you meet your love
In the twilight with his greyhounds
And the hawk on his glove?
Bribe the bird then on the branches
Bribe them to be dumb
Stare the hot sun out of heaven, yeah
Starless are the night of travel
Bleak the winter wind
Run with terror all before you
And regret behind
Run until you hear the ocean's
Everlasting cry
Deep though it may be and bitter
You must drink it dry, drink it dry
Wear out patience in the lowest
Dungeons of the sea
Searching through the stranded shipwrecks
For the golden key
Push on to the world's end
Pay the dread guard with a kiss
Cross the rotten bridge that totters, yeah
Over the abyss
There stands the deserted castle
Ready to explore
Enter, climb the marble staircase
Open the locked door
Cross the silent empty ballroom
Doubt and danger past
Blow the cobwebs from the mirror
See yourself at last, see yourself at last
Put your hand behind the wainscot
You have done your part
Find the penknife there and plunge it
Into your false heart
Lady weeping at the crossroads
Would you meet your love?
The song "Lady Weeping at the Crossroads" by Carla Bruni is rich with symbolism and imagery. The woman in the song is weeping at the crossroads, representing a significant decision that she needs to make. She is unsure if she should wait for her lover or move on. The twilight represents the uncertainty, and the greyhounds and hawk on her lover's glove represent his power and status. She would bribe the birds to be quiet and the hot sun to set for night to come, which might bring clarity to her decision.
The second verse of the song is an invitation to journey, but the path is difficult, as the night is starless, the winter wind is bleak, and terror and regret are chasing her. She must keep running until she reaches the ocean, where she must drink it dry, bitter as it may be. This journey is a metaphor for the search for inner peace and clarity. The third verse depicts a treasure hunt for a golden key, which is atop the lowest dungeon of the sea. The journey is perilous, and the bridge is rotten and totters over the abyss. The journey is only complete when she reaches the deserted castle, climbing the marble staircase and opening the locked door, where she finally sees herself in the mirror, without doubt or danger. Finally, the woman must find a penknife behind the wainscot and plunge it into her heart, which represents her letting go of her past self and starting anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady, weeping at the crossroads
Addressing a woman crying at a turning point in her life
Would you meet your love
Do you want to find love?
In the twilight with his greyhounds
With a man surrounded by his hunting dogs at dusk
And the hawk on his glove?
And his trained bird of prey perched on his arm?
Bribe the bird then on the branches
Persuade the birds to keep quiet
Bribe them to be dumb
Get them to stop chirping and singing
Stare the hot sun out of heaven, yeah
Hope for the sun to set and night to come
That the night may come
So that darkness covers everything
Starless are the night of travel
It will be a long, dark and difficult journey
Bleak the winter wind
The cold will be unbearable
Run with terror all before you
Run from your fears and past traumas
And regret behind
With a sense of sorrow and remorse for the past left behind
Run until you hear the ocean's
Keep running until the sound of the sea is audible
Everlasting cry
The never-ending roar of the waves
Deep though it may be and bitter
Although the truth may be harsh
You must drink it dry, drink it dry
You must accept it and deal with it
Wear out patience in the lowest
Be persistent in the most desolate places
Dungeons of the sea
The darkest depths of the ocean
Searching through the stranded shipwrecks
Looking for something lost and valuable
For the golden key
For the answer or resolution to a problem
Push on to the world's end
Keep striving towards the goal
Pay the dread guard with a kiss
Overcome obstacles with empathy and kindness
Cross the rotten bridge that totters, yeah
Risk life and limb to make progress
Over the abyss
Over a deep and dangerous chasm
There stands the deserted castle
Find a forgotten and abandoned castle
Ready to explore
It's waiting to be discovered
Enter, climb the marble staircase
Enter and climb the regal steps
Open the locked door
Unlock the hidden secrets
Cross the silent empty ballroom
Walk through the grand hall with no one around
Doubt and danger past
Overcome the uncertainties and perils on the way
Blow the cobwebs from the mirror
Brush away the dirt to reveal your true reflection
See yourself at last, see yourself at last
Finally behold the truest version of yourself
Put your hand behind the wainscot
Reach behind the paneling on the wall
You have done your part
Carry out your responsibility
Find the penknife there and plunge it
Take the hidden knife and stab yourself
Into your false heart.
Stab the heart that is untrue and insincere.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CARLA BRUNI, H AUDEN W, WYSTEN HUGH AUDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind