“Chamberland … Read Full Bio ↴Smoky, laid-back jazz vocals from a modern-day jazz maven.
“Chamberland is one of those rare contemporary artists who easily measures up to the greats. This is just too good not to rave about!." - Lee Oberg -
Every music genre is characterized by a unique style and specific instrumentation. For French Canadian guitarist & jazz vocalist Chantal Chamberland her sensuous, smoky voice is her trademark instrument.
With some of Chamberland’s personal musical influences as her canvas, this Quebec born chanteuse delivers knockout performances that are as unforgettable as the singer herself.
With 7 contemporary jazz releases, Chantal’s star shines brightly on an international stage. Her latest release, Temptation, showcases her impressive range as a vocal stylist. While always avoiding vocal gymnastics, Chamberland moves from quiet and intimate to sultry, sensual and soulful with seamless ease. The result is a Temptation you will gladly and inevitably succumb to.
From multiple appearances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival to headline concerts from Hong Kong to Cartagena, Chantal’s success internationally is not only a testament to her personal evolution but cements her role as one of the finest female interpreters of jazz today.
“Chantal has a warm, toasty voice that sends a glow through her audience" ~ Jerry D'Souza - All About Jazz ~
“Chantal Chamberland makes you fall in love with jazz all over again" ~ Jazz on the Rocks - 92.5FM ~
Les feuilles mortes
Chantal Chamberland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Des jours heureux où nous étions amis
En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
La chanson que tu me chantais
C'est une chanson
Qui nous ressemble
Toi, tu m'aimais
Et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous
Les deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais
Moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis
La-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable
Les pas des amants désunis
In Chantal Chamberland's song Les Feuilles Mortes, the lyrics express the longing of a past friendship or relationship and a deep desire to hold onto the memories shared during that time. The opening lines, "Oh, je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes/Des jours heureux où nous étions amis" (Oh, I so wish that you remember/The happy days where we were friends), are sung with a mournful tone, displaying the wistfulness of the singer. The following lines, "En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle/Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui" (In those times, life was more beautiful/And the sun was hotter than today) speak to a yearning for a world that no longer exists. The use of "feuilles mortes" (dead leaves) adds to the feeling of nostalgia and melancholy, as they are often associated with the passing of time and the fleeting nature of life.
The chorus, "Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle/Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié/Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi/Et le vent du nord les emporte/Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli" (Dead leaves are gathered with a rake/You see, I have not forgotten/The memories and regrets too/And the north wind carries them/Away into the cold night of forgetfulness), highlights the singer's struggle to let go of the past and move forward. The repetition of "tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié" (you see, I have not forgotten) emphasizes the importance of the memories shared and the reluctance to let them fade away.
The final verse, "Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment/Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit/Et la mer efface sur le sable/Les pas des amants désunis" (But life separates those who love each other/Softly, without making noise/And the sea erases on the sand/The footsteps of the separated lovers), acknowledges the inevitability of change and the pain of losing someone close. The use of the metaphorical "mer" (sea) erasing the footprints of the separated lovers adds to the poignancy of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes
I wish so much that you remember
Des jours heureux où nous étions amis
The happy days when we were friends
En ce temps-là la vie était plus belle
Back then life was more beautiful
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui
And the sun was hotter than today
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle
The dead leaves are collected with a shovel
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
You see, I haven't forgotten
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
Memories and regrets too
Et le vent du nord les emporte
And the north wind carries them away
Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli
Into the cold night of oblivion
La chanson que tu me chantais
The song that you used to sing to me
C'est une chanson
It's a song
Qui nous ressemble
That resembles us
Toi, tu m'aimais
You, you loved me
Et je t'aimais
And I loved you
Nous vivions tous
We both lived
Les deux ensemble
Together
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment
But life separates those who love each other
Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit
Gently, without making any noise
Et la mer efface sur le sable
And the sea erases on the sand
Les pas des amants désunis
The footsteps of lovers who are no longer together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind