Charles Trenet (May 18, 1913, Narbonne, France – February 19, 2001, Créteil… Read Full Bio ↴Charles Trenet (May 18, 1913, Narbonne, France – February 19, 2001, Créteil, France) was a French singer and songwriter, most famous for his recordings from the late 1930s through the mid-1950s, though his career continued through the 1990s. In an era in which it was exceptional for a singer to write his or her own material, Trenet wrote prolifically and preferred to record his own songs.

Some of his best known songs include "Boum...!", "Y'A D'La Joie", "Que Reste-T-Il De Nos Amours?", "Ménilmontant", and "Douce France". His catalog of songs is enormous, numbering close to a thousand. While many of his songs mined relatively conventional topics such as love, Paris, and nostalgia for his younger days, what set Trenet's songs apart were their personal, poetic, sometimes quite eccentric qualities, often infused with a warm wit. Some of his songs had unconventional subject matter, with whimsical imagery bordering on the surreal. "Y'A D'La Joie" evokes "joy" through a series of disconnected (though all vaguely phallic) images, including that of a subway car shooting out of its tunnel into the air, the Eiffel Tower crossing the street and a baker making excellent bread. The lovers engaged in a minuet in "La Polka Du Roi" reveal themselves at length to be "no longer human": they are made of wax and trapped in the Musée Grévin. Many of his hits from the 1930s and 1940s effectively combine the melodic and verbal nuance of French song with American swing rhythms.

Other artists have had hits with some of Trenet's songs, such as the American Bobby Darin's success with "Beyond the Sea" ("La Mer"). Darin's version preserved the charming chording of Trenet's original which the author dashed off in about an hour in 1946 as an homage to the French coastline, once again free of battleships and the scars of World War II.

Other Trenet songs were recorded by such popular French singers as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon, and Frehel.

Si le cœur vous en dit
Charles Trenet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Si le cœur vous en dit
Comme l'oiseau sur la branche
N'ayez pas de lundi, de mardi, de jeudi
Si le cœur vous en dit
Qu'il soit toujours dimanche
Que tout vous soit permis
Si le cœur vous en dit

Au hasard des chemins
Et d'humeur vagabonde
Courez de par le monde
Sans songer à demain
Si l'amour vous sourit
Vous entraîne dans sa ronde
Gardez-le pour la vie
Si le cœur vous en dit

À quoi bon tant de choses quotidiennes
Qu'on appelle à la longue le destin
Oubliant qu'une vie bohémienne
Est toujours à portée de la main

Au hasard des chemins
Et d'humeur vagabonde
Courez de par le monde
Sans songer à demain
Si l'amour vous sourit
Vous entraîne dans sa ronde

Gardez-le pour la vie
Si le cœur vous en dit

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charles Trenet's song "Si le cœur vous en dit" convey a message of freedom and spontaneity. The first verse encourages listeners to embrace a carefree attitude, comparing it to a bird on a branch. It suggests not being constrained by the usual days of the week and instead living life as if every day were Sunday, where everything is allowed and nothing is restricted.

The second verse encourages taking chances and embracing a wandering spirit. It urges people to travel and explore the world without worrying about the future. If love presents itself and brings happiness, the lyrics advise holding onto it for life if one's heart desires it.

The third verse questions the purpose of mundane daily routines that people often consider their destiny. It suggests that embracing a bohemian lifestyle can be just as fulfilling and fulfilling as following societal norms. It encourages listeners to remember that the adventurous and spontaneous life is always within their reach.

In summary, these lyrics celebrate spontaneity, freedom, and the pursuit of love and joy. They urge listeners to break free from the constraints of societal expectations and embrace a carefree spirit, encouraging them to live a life guided by their heart's desires. The overall message is one of pursuing happiness without worrying about tomorrow and finding fulfillment in the simple pleasures of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Si le cœur vous en dit
If your heart desires it

Comme l'oiseau sur la branche
Like the bird on the branch

N'ayez pas de lundi, de mardi, de jeudi
Do not have Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday

Si le cœur vous en dit
If your heart desires it

Qu'il soit toujours dimanche
May it always be Sunday

Que tout vous soit permis
May everything be allowed

Si le cœur vous en dit
If your heart desires it

Au hasard des chemins
At the mercy of the paths

Et d'humeur vagabonde
And in a wandering mood

Courez de par le monde
Run around the world

Sans songer à demain
Without thinking of tomorrow